For what feels like years and years, WODC have been putting together a Local (housing) Plan and at long last, it was agreed by the governments planning inspectorate. All far too late to stop the speculative developments which WODC could not stop in Bampton which resulted in 160 house in New Road, a further 160 to be built at the bottom of Mt Owen Rd and the fight to stop yet another development between the Aston and Buckland Road continues (as at Sept 2019). A development on the east side of Station Road following on from the two semi detached bungalows has been granted and are being built now (Sept 2019). 7 new dwellings at Weald Manor farm have been built, Glebe Farm farther down Weald Street are building 6 as I write and a 7th will be added to them. The surgery is at full stretch, no road improvements have been made, people are parking on pavements, some of the new houses in New Road have experienced sewerage back-flows. There are so many cars parked in Bampton now it's nearly always impossible to pass them without causing a motorist coming in the other direction from having to stop and wait
By December 2018 there was growing anger and frustration at many aspects of the new area called Cala Homes also known as Oakwood Gate, along the north side of New Road which had not been finished or done to a good standard. Residents first moved in during 2016 but have had power cuts, snow blowing into their homes, and the same areas of pavement being repaired, poorly, more than once. The article gives far more information
Gilly French and Jeremy Gray celebrated the 25th year of the Bampton Classical Opera in 2018. They are the founders and still work tirelessly to make every year a huge success. It is now known as one of the top venues and events of its type and people come from abroad to see it. This newspaper article gives lots of interesting information.
On October 1st 2017 Oxfordshire County Council were to begin a new contact with W&S Recycling which would mean people being charged to recycle items that were free.
TOE2 is Oxfordshire’s independent environmental funder, supporting projects that make real and lasting improvements to the environment and to the lives of local people. TOE2, a charity and a notfor-profit company, has worked in partnership with OCC for several years to improve access to rights of way and green spaces across the county, supporting the aims of the Oxfordshire Rights of Way Improvement Plan
Captain Charles Radclyffe LVO died peacefully after a short illness on February 1st 2017. The eulogy given by his son-in-law Bill included in this entry gives a wonderfully full account of his life and another one by Don Rouse
Toby Morris, councillor for Resources wants locals to fill in the on-line consultation. Government funding is to be cut by £0.75m and there will be a rise in the cost of waste and recycling by £0.8m.
The Environment Agency will spend £1.2m repairing the locks on the Thames, five in Oxfordshire plus one in Berkshire, one in Buckinghamshire and one in Surrey through the winter of 2016-2017
Lee Mackie lost her son Jason who was in the Royal Marines while he was serving in Afghanistan. Not surprisingly, Lee has struggled with life since then but in the last three years she has fostered 3 babies
The Community Church Council has embarked on an ambitious programme to completely rebuild and extend the 1812 Gray and Davison organ which has been inside St Mary's Church since the 1850s.