Latest news
Is 20 plenty, or unachievable?
You may have seen the 20mph scheme proposed by Oxfordshire County Council
https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/roads-and-transport/traffic/requesting-20mph
The Parish of Deddington is eligible and our County Councillor will support an application for a 20mph limit for all the roads in the parish except the sections linking the villages.
Before the PC commits the parish to this there are a few points worth raising.
It has been made clear that there will be no enforcement for 20mph limits beyond volunteer community speed watch - unless there are exceptional circumstances.
OCC would pay the legal fees underpinning the project but the rest of the cost, for what you might call street furniture, would fall on the parish – that is for substitute roundels throughout the parish, the eradication or replacement of speed limits painted on the road surface, the deactivation or replacement of three vehicle activated illuminated signs in the parish.
Traffic calming measures are not essential for 20mph zones, but it is generally recognised that the 20 limit works much more effectively if it is coupled with chicanes, or road humps or other calming measures. If it was decided either at the outset or later that these were necessary the cost would also fall on the parish. However, speed cameras and road humps in particular would not be supported by OCC, the highways authority.
To cover any or all of these expenses, which would run into the thousands, there are three possibilities: raising the precept (the PC’s share of council tax) fairly precipitously; dipping into parish reserves; or achieving the funds through S106 – the contributions made by developers to mitigate the effects of new housing.
As an example, if speed calming measures were considered desirable in Earls Lane, a development alongside the lane or nearby in Clifton Road, say, might reasonably be expected to pay for them. Likewise the cost of speed calming in Clifton and Hempton could potentially be tied to new development. However, even if the finance is raised, speed calming measures cannot be guaranteed. There are fairly tortuous procedures to be navigated and there may be objections. Measures that deter traffic in one street can add to the load in another, notably in Deddington village.
Requests for the A4260 to be included in the 20mph zone would be supported by our County Councillor, but speed calming measures might be considered impracticable on such an important road, already subject to hold-ups at the traffic lights. So a decision would need to be made whether the A4260 should be included in the 20mph zone.
Funding for their share of the enterprise, a legal bill amounting to £8m throughout the county over three years, has yet to be agreed by OCC which means the Parish Council has a few months to consult the community.
What are the pros and cons of a 20mph limit? Some argue that without police enforcement the new limit would have little or no effect. Others suggest that most drivers are relatively law abiding and that many would drop their speed to, say, 25 mph, especially if 20mph became the new normal in built-up areas throughout Oxfordshire.
Please look out for a paper survey coming through your door and a link to a Survey Monkey poll which should be available shortly. The parish council would like to know what parishioners think about this plan before committing to the 20mph limit.
You may have seen the 20mph scheme proposed by Oxfordshire County Council
https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/roads-and-transport/traffic/requesting-20mph
The Parish of Deddington is eligible and our County Councillor will support an application for a 20mph limit for all the roads in the parish except the sections linking the villages.
Before the PC commits the parish to this there are a few points worth raising.
It has been made clear that there will be no enforcement for 20mph limits beyond volunteer community speed watch - unless there are exceptional circumstances.
OCC would pay the legal fees underpinning the project but the rest of the cost, for what you might call street furniture, would fall on the parish – that is for substitute roundels throughout the parish, the eradication or replacement of speed limits painted on the road surface, the deactivation or replacement of three vehicle activated illuminated signs in the parish.
Traffic calming measures are not essential for 20mph zones, but it is generally recognised that the 20 limit works much more effectively if it is coupled with chicanes, or road humps or other calming measures. If it was decided either at the outset or later that these were necessary the cost would also fall on the parish. However, speed cameras and road humps in particular would not be supported by OCC, the highways authority.
To cover any or all of these expenses, which would run into the thousands, there are three possibilities: raising the precept (the PC’s share of council tax) fairly precipitously; dipping into parish reserves; or achieving the funds through S106 – the contributions made by developers to mitigate the effects of new housing.
As an example, if speed calming measures were considered desirable in Earls Lane, a development alongside the lane or nearby in Clifton Road, say, might reasonably be expected to pay for them. Likewise the cost of speed calming in Clifton and Hempton could potentially be tied to new development. However, even if the finance is raised, speed calming measures cannot be guaranteed. There are fairly tortuous procedures to be navigated and there may be objections. Measures that deter traffic in one street can add to the load in another, notably in Deddington village.
Requests for the A4260 to be included in the 20mph zone would be supported by our County Councillor, but speed calming measures might be considered impracticable on such an important road, already subject to hold-ups at the traffic lights. So a decision would need to be made whether the A4260 should be included in the 20mph zone.
Funding for their share of the enterprise, a legal bill amounting to £8m throughout the county over three years, has yet to be agreed by OCC which means the Parish Council has a few months to consult the community.
What are the pros and cons of a 20mph limit? Some argue that without police enforcement the new limit would have little or no effect. Others suggest that most drivers are relatively law abiding and that many would drop their speed to, say, 25 mph, especially if 20mph became the new normal in built-up areas throughout Oxfordshire.
Please look out for a paper survey coming through your door and a link to a Survey Monkey poll which should be available shortly. The parish council would like to know what parishioners think about this plan before committing to the 20mph limit.
Snow Wardens - looking ahead to Winter
Deddington Parish Council runs a Snow Wardens scheme for the Parish and we are looking for more volunteers.
We are seeking people who would be interested in helping keep the key pavements across the parish clear and to assist the vulnerable and elderly by clearing paths to their doors.
Oxfordshire County Council currently grit the Hempton / Clifton Road and the A4260 / High Street / New Street but have no plans to clear pavements or other roads.
If we could work together to keep as many pavements as possible clear it would be a great benefit to our community.
It seems that many people believe if they clear snow or ice from outside their property or from the public footpath they could be sued if a member of the public were to slip on the area cleared. It is the view of County Council that if people clear ice or snow from a public footpath in a safe and correct manner as outlined in the Governments snow code then it is very difficult to envisage circumstances where a court would award damages against them for a slip.
By working together we can make a real difference to the safety and well being of residents in our community this winter.
Deddington Parish Council runs a Snow Wardens scheme for the Parish and we are looking for more volunteers.
We are seeking people who would be interested in helping keep the key pavements across the parish clear and to assist the vulnerable and elderly by clearing paths to their doors.
Oxfordshire County Council currently grit the Hempton / Clifton Road and the A4260 / High Street / New Street but have no plans to clear pavements or other roads.
If we could work together to keep as many pavements as possible clear it would be a great benefit to our community.
It seems that many people believe if they clear snow or ice from outside their property or from the public footpath they could be sued if a member of the public were to slip on the area cleared. It is the view of County Council that if people clear ice or snow from a public footpath in a safe and correct manner as outlined in the Governments snow code then it is very difficult to envisage circumstances where a court would award damages against them for a slip.
By working together we can make a real difference to the safety and well being of residents in our community this winter.
Covid Newsletter - #12. 8th January 2021. Click here to download (PDF)
Covid Newsletter - #11. 10th November. Click here to download (PDF)
Covid Newsletter - #10. 19th June. Click here to download (PDF)
Covid Newsletter - #9. 5th June. Click here to download (PDF)
Deddington Action Plan
The Parish Council has developed an Action Plan to detail our activities, responsibilities, powers and duties.
You can download a PDF copy here.
You can download a PDF copy here.
Covid Newsletter - #8. 22nd May. Click here to download (PDF)
Covid Newsletter - #7. 15th May. Click here to download (PDF)
Wellbeing Newsletter - #1. 3rd May 2020 Click here to download (PDF)
Covid Newsletter - #6. 1st May. Click here to download (PDF)
Covid Newsletter - #5. 24th April. Click here to download (PDF)
Covid Newsletter - #4. 17th April. Click here to download (PDF)
Covid Newsletter - #3. 9th April. Click here to download (PDF)
Covid Newsletter - #2. 4th April. Click here to download (PDF)
Covid Newsletter - #1. 27th March. Click here to download (PDF)
A big thank you!
We are remarkably fortunate to have so many people in our parish with a strong community spirit who have created the Covid-19 help network.
We must pass on our congratulations and thanks for so swiftly organising a team of volunteers.
The parish council and the church are supporting this effort and will do whatever we can to help.
I’d also like to thank Cherwell District Council for their prompt response with a Covid-19 grant via our District Councillor, Bryn Williams, which is helping provide volunteer PPE and keep residents informed.
David Rogers
Chairman
Deddington Parish Council
We are remarkably fortunate to have so many people in our parish with a strong community spirit who have created the Covid-19 help network.
We must pass on our congratulations and thanks for so swiftly organising a team of volunteers.
The parish council and the church are supporting this effort and will do whatever we can to help.
I’d also like to thank Cherwell District Council for their prompt response with a Covid-19 grant via our District Councillor, Bryn Williams, which is helping provide volunteer PPE and keep residents informed.
David Rogers
Chairman
Deddington Parish Council
Covid-19
These are troubling times and we are all worried about our family, friends and futures. However, we will get through this together. There will be an end to Covid-19 and life will go on.
We are fortnate to have so many people in our parish with such a strong community spirit and I thank you all for what you are doing, now and in the future, to help those having to self-isolate. Congratulations to Bea Maloney for so swiftly organising a team of volunteers. The Parish Council and Church are fully supporting Bea and will do whatever we can to help.
And well done to the businesses who are setting up schemes to help with home delivery and telephone orders. There are a few obstacles and challenges, but we will sort these out.
In the April issue of Deddington News, on Deddington OnLine and in social media you will find a map of Deddington broken down into 10 zones. On the map you will find the names of the person [name of the person or names of the people] heading up the team in each zone. A postcard will come through your door showing the contact details of your Zone Captain who will organise the collection of food or prescriptions – or walk your dog. This team will need more people so please do join if you can. Understandably, these Zone Captains will change. There will be posters around the community with up-to-date contact details of who is covering each area.
Hempton and Clifton are organising something similar.
We will use the internet and social media to keep people up-to-date and informed about what’s happening locally. But please, watch out for each other, particularly those who are elderly, living alone, not on the internet and don’t have email. Getting supplies and information to them is most important. No one need be alone in this.
If you need to contact the Parish Clerk, please use the usual contact details. The PC office in the Windmill building may be closed during this emergency period but the core functions of the Parish Council will continue.
David Rogers
Chairman
Deddington Parish Council
Deddington Neighbourhood Plan - withdrawal statement
Deddington Parish Council submitted their Neighbourhood Plan to Cherwell District Council on 1 October 2018.
Cherwell District Council then undertook a six-week public consultation on the draft (Submission) Plan between 8 November 2018 and 21 December 2018. Following the consultation Mr Andrew Ashcroft was appointed by Cherwell District Council in April 2019 to carry out the independent examination of the Deddington Neighbourhood Plan.
The examination was undertaken by written representations. Mr Ashcroft published his report on the Deddington Neighbourhood Plan on 3 September 2019.
It concluded that, subject to a series of recommended modifications, the Neighbourhood Plan meets all the necessary legal requirements and should proceed to referendum.
Having considered the Examiner’s recommendations, Deddington Parish Council, at its meeting on 20 November 2019, resolved to withdraw its Neighbourhood Plan.
A formal notice to Cherwell District Council is appended to this Notice.
The Parish Council now intends to continue with the Neighbourhood Plan process and to submit a revised plan at the earliest opportunity.
Please contact Deddington Parish Council directly for updates on next steps with the Deddington Neighbourhood Plan.
Parish Clerk: Susan Fuller
Address: Deddington Parish Council, The Windmill Centre, Hempton Road, Deddington, Oxfordshire, OX15 0QH.
Email: deddingtonparishcouncil@googlemail.com
Further general information can be found at https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/neighbourhoodplans
Cherwell District Council then undertook a six-week public consultation on the draft (Submission) Plan between 8 November 2018 and 21 December 2018. Following the consultation Mr Andrew Ashcroft was appointed by Cherwell District Council in April 2019 to carry out the independent examination of the Deddington Neighbourhood Plan.
The examination was undertaken by written representations. Mr Ashcroft published his report on the Deddington Neighbourhood Plan on 3 September 2019.
It concluded that, subject to a series of recommended modifications, the Neighbourhood Plan meets all the necessary legal requirements and should proceed to referendum.
Having considered the Examiner’s recommendations, Deddington Parish Council, at its meeting on 20 November 2019, resolved to withdraw its Neighbourhood Plan.
A formal notice to Cherwell District Council is appended to this Notice.
The Parish Council now intends to continue with the Neighbourhood Plan process and to submit a revised plan at the earliest opportunity.
Please contact Deddington Parish Council directly for updates on next steps with the Deddington Neighbourhood Plan.
Parish Clerk: Susan Fuller
Address: Deddington Parish Council, The Windmill Centre, Hempton Road, Deddington, Oxfordshire, OX15 0QH.
Email: deddingtonparishcouncil@googlemail.com
Further general information can be found at https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/neighbourhoodplans
Deddington Neighbourhood Plan
Please click here to download a copy of the Examiners Report for the Neighbourhood Plan.
The Parish Council meets on the 18th September at 19:30 in the Holly Tree Club to decide what we should do next.
All of the documents relating to the Neighbourhood Plan process are available on the Cherwell District Council website here.
The Parish Council meets on the 18th September at 19:30 in the Holly Tree Club to decide what we should do next.
All of the documents relating to the Neighbourhood Plan process are available on the Cherwell District Council website here.
Annual Parish Meeting 2019 - Chairman’s report
I would like to thank all those whose efforts have helped, improved and supported both the Parish and the lives of Parishioners.
I’d also like to thank Richard, Gareth, Debbie and Susan plus all those who have been working group members, volunteers or councillors, over the last year be it parish, district (Cllr Bryn Williams) or county (Cllr Arish Fatemian) for their time, efforts and support. Lorraine left after many years serving as our Clerk and Brian Wood stood down as chair of the Finance group, they deserve our thanks for their service to the parish.
Others will report on their working group activities; plenty has been done over the year and much effort and hard work is evident so I’ll allow the working group chairs to deliver their reports.
I was asked recently, “What is it that the Parish Council actually does for Deddington?”
Let me give you a taste:
Over the last few years the PC has been quite busy. Some time ago, plans for the housing estate on School Field started to appear leading to the construction of 85 new homes on Daedas View, The Swere and Flux Drive. As construction nears its end, I welcome everyone who has moved in. I hope you find Deddington an open, pleasant and vibrant community and that you are able to settle and enjoy the countryside and the many activities that make Deddington such a unique place.
The Neighbourhood Plan, after much consultation, is now with the Independent Examiner but more on that from its Chair, Alan Collins. I cannot stress enough just how fortunate Deddington is to have such a dedicate group of volunteers with a wide spread of skills who were willing to put themselves out for this mammoth task.
The Parish has received various sums of money as a result of Deddington Grange and the Parish Council has been busy fighting to get the money granted spent within the local community rather than across Oxfordshire. These sums include £85,000 towards the S4 bus service and new bus stops. Two tranches for funding towards the Windmill Centre building, £101,000 towards a new multi-use games area and refurbishing the existing half MUGA at the Windmill Centre. Deddington Library will receive some additional funding which had simply been earmarked for the Oxfordshire library service. There will be another sum forthcoming when the Parish Council adopts the play area on Deddington Grange and an additional sum has been found by Cherwell District Council to help with community cohesion projects. Regarding the various paths connecting the site to the rest of Deddington we have succeeded in getting the developer to deliver all of the promised infrastructure. Once the Toucan crossing is working there will be a variety of significantly safer routes for those on the west side of the village who walk their children to school.
The Neighbourhood Plan consultation did show a level of discontent with facilities around and within the Windmill Centre. Recently, the PC supported the Windmill Management Committee by funding £40,000 on new windows, LED lighting in the main hall, flooring and doors. Some of this came from a grant but the bulk was funded from the PC reserve. The boiler was also replaced and a more modern zone heating system installed when the old boiler died mid-winter a couple of years back. Another series of refurbishment projects have been requested by the Windmill Management Committee and the PC has agreed to fund these including repairs to the car park block paving (done), £40,000 towards future roof repairs, a new heating system in the main hall (done), refurbished toilets, a new CCTV system, better lighting in the rest of the centre, more secure fire doors (done) and wooden flooring in the upstairs hall. This all comes to just over £160,000 earmarked for or invested or into the Windmill Centre building and car park since 2015 and will help to make it a much better venue, easier to hire and much more pleasant for users. There are also plans afoot to look at extending the centre if the business case can be made.
The Parish Council has received a very generous grant from a parishioner (thank you!) towards a new playground on the site of the old bowls club. This was also contributed to by our County Councillor and the balance paid for by the Parish Council. Again, a team of volunteers formed to act as a Parish Council working group and did an amazing amount of research into what children wanted, met with contractors, planning and ecology officers, consulted with stakeholders and neighbours and put together the scheme for a play area and woodland trail that will be opened soon. Another fabulous effort from all those involved and the working group’s chair, Mary Robinson, will expand on this in her report.
The fitness trail, installed after a £10,000 grant was successfully applied for, the new MUGA with storage area and refurbishment work to the existing all-weather court fencing and lighting has made an amazing difference to the sporting facilities at the Windmill Centre. I’d also like to mention the tennis club and their projects which, whilst nothing to do with the PC, have improved facilities at the Windmill Centre and that work should be acknowledged.
The Parish Council also received a substantial sum from the Deddington Branch of the Royal British Legion and whilst it is tremendously sad that the Club building has been lost, much effort has gone into spending the money received wisely and we are grateful for the funds. Some will go to the Windmill, some to the Holly Tree Club, the recent Church kitchen refurbishment was part funded by the Parish Council as will a new footpath from the south door of the Church towards the war memorial. The village nursery has also received a grant as has the Thursday Club, Deddington OnLine for website migration and there are rumblings of future projects elsewhere in the parish that the Parish Council eagerly anticipates supporting.
Some of this money has also been spent on refreshing the play areas in Wimborn Close and Welford’s Piece plus a new path as requested by Clifton residents to make accessing the playground easier in inclement weather. Various benches and bins have also been added and quite a lot of hedge and tree work that might not have been possible.
The most recent good news is the Pocket Park initiative. Announced in late December 2018 with a closing date of January 2019 Deddington Parish Council were both fleet-footed and successful in getting a grant of £25,000 towards refurbishing the under 6 play area at the Windmill Centre. This will compliment the new playground and transform the play facilities in Deddington.
The Parish Council installed four defibrillators a couple of years ago and again, these were funded by a grant application for £10,000. They are maintained by the steward and are in addition to the emergency first responder volunteers we have in the parish.
Working parties have been set up to do various tasks around the parish including painting the fence railings around the war memorial and main church graveyard, laying bark on the paths and woodland trail at the Windmill Centre, clearing brash and rubbish in various locations, litter picks twice a year to compliment the stewards work and erecting the Christmas tree and lights. Thanks also to Darke and Taylor and Bob Staig for their help on this.
The Snow Wardens scheme was started with a grant from Oxfordshire County Council some years ago. It is staffed and run by volunteers under the banner of the Parish Council. The Snow Wardens were out in force again last winter and thank you for the kind words in the Deddington News. Another grant has been applied for to purchase more equipment for the snow wardens and more volunteers are always welcome.
The Parish Council Speedwatch group have been busy across the parish and it really does make a difference. If you have a concern about speeding then the very best thing to do is volunteer to join the Speedwatch team and help us all by keeping a visible presence by the side of our roads.
It is also worth noting the efforts made by those who support the community by volunteering for other groups and I’d especially like to thank the Farmers and other land owners who spend countless hours managing hedges, cutting grass, maintaining footpaths, stiles and boundaries and keeping the land around the Parish as beautiful and accessible as it is. Could I encourage everyone to follow the Countryside code.
It is also worth mentioning the work done by Deddington Charity Estates as the four Alms houses, Town hall and Pest House Field all look fabulous. The Feoffees should feel rightly proud of a job well done and they have my thanks for their efforts.
The Parochial Church Council have worked long and hard, there have been many interesting, innovative and entertaining secular events hosted by them and the kitchen does look good.
The Friends of Castle Grounds have benefited from a grant from English Heritage and the Parish Council has funded various project at the site. It remains an important asset for this community and whilst various pavilions and the ballroom have gone, as have the rifle range, archery butts, playground, football pitches and cricket ground, it remains a glorious venue and hosts various successful events throughout the year.
The Thursday Club continues and we are very fortunate to still have this service available as very many elderly day care services have been lost across the county.
The Primary School staff and board of governors deserve credit for all they have done as do the Windmill Management Committee, Deddington Housing Association, the Holly Tree Club Committee, the Festival and Farmers Market teams, the Deddington News (who also report our activities each month), Deddington Media CIC, the Library staff, Friends and volunteers, those who run sporting teams, social clubs, keep and eye on footpaths or run activities provided for our youth.
Back to the Parish Council; on top of the day-to-day running of the parish, the allotments, the Hempton Road Cemetery, planning, highways, transport, environment, recreation, finance, policy review, grass cutting, hedge trimming, litter picking, emergency and winter planning, speed watch, the neighbourhood plan, the windmill refurbishment, the new play and sports facilities are all dependent on volunteers to help the parish council deliver these benefits for us all. Parish Councillors are also volunteers guided by our salaried Clerk. We all attend 13 Parish Council meetings per year, there are currently 6 working groups and many more sub-groups) all of which also meet every month plus meetings with parishioners, officers, contractors, suppliers, training courses and site visits. When necessary, we attend planning meetings and appeal hearings at Cherwell District Council, the OCC cabinet office and, once, a trip to Westminster to meeting the Housing minister to represent Deddington directly to HM Gov. We also liaise with the County Council and emergency services to provide safe, secure venues should something unforeseen occur.
We do what we can and anyone with the time and inclination to help make the parish of Deddington, Clifton and Hempton a better place is very welcome to join us.
If you have given your time for any voluntary activity within the Parish, I do truly thank you and please do get in touch if you would like to help on any of these projects.
David Rogers
Chairman
Deddington Parish Council
I would like to thank all those whose efforts have helped, improved and supported both the Parish and the lives of Parishioners.
I’d also like to thank Richard, Gareth, Debbie and Susan plus all those who have been working group members, volunteers or councillors, over the last year be it parish, district (Cllr Bryn Williams) or county (Cllr Arish Fatemian) for their time, efforts and support. Lorraine left after many years serving as our Clerk and Brian Wood stood down as chair of the Finance group, they deserve our thanks for their service to the parish.
Others will report on their working group activities; plenty has been done over the year and much effort and hard work is evident so I’ll allow the working group chairs to deliver their reports.
I was asked recently, “What is it that the Parish Council actually does for Deddington?”
Let me give you a taste:
Over the last few years the PC has been quite busy. Some time ago, plans for the housing estate on School Field started to appear leading to the construction of 85 new homes on Daedas View, The Swere and Flux Drive. As construction nears its end, I welcome everyone who has moved in. I hope you find Deddington an open, pleasant and vibrant community and that you are able to settle and enjoy the countryside and the many activities that make Deddington such a unique place.
The Neighbourhood Plan, after much consultation, is now with the Independent Examiner but more on that from its Chair, Alan Collins. I cannot stress enough just how fortunate Deddington is to have such a dedicate group of volunteers with a wide spread of skills who were willing to put themselves out for this mammoth task.
The Parish has received various sums of money as a result of Deddington Grange and the Parish Council has been busy fighting to get the money granted spent within the local community rather than across Oxfordshire. These sums include £85,000 towards the S4 bus service and new bus stops. Two tranches for funding towards the Windmill Centre building, £101,000 towards a new multi-use games area and refurbishing the existing half MUGA at the Windmill Centre. Deddington Library will receive some additional funding which had simply been earmarked for the Oxfordshire library service. There will be another sum forthcoming when the Parish Council adopts the play area on Deddington Grange and an additional sum has been found by Cherwell District Council to help with community cohesion projects. Regarding the various paths connecting the site to the rest of Deddington we have succeeded in getting the developer to deliver all of the promised infrastructure. Once the Toucan crossing is working there will be a variety of significantly safer routes for those on the west side of the village who walk their children to school.
The Neighbourhood Plan consultation did show a level of discontent with facilities around and within the Windmill Centre. Recently, the PC supported the Windmill Management Committee by funding £40,000 on new windows, LED lighting in the main hall, flooring and doors. Some of this came from a grant but the bulk was funded from the PC reserve. The boiler was also replaced and a more modern zone heating system installed when the old boiler died mid-winter a couple of years back. Another series of refurbishment projects have been requested by the Windmill Management Committee and the PC has agreed to fund these including repairs to the car park block paving (done), £40,000 towards future roof repairs, a new heating system in the main hall (done), refurbished toilets, a new CCTV system, better lighting in the rest of the centre, more secure fire doors (done) and wooden flooring in the upstairs hall. This all comes to just over £160,000 earmarked for or invested or into the Windmill Centre building and car park since 2015 and will help to make it a much better venue, easier to hire and much more pleasant for users. There are also plans afoot to look at extending the centre if the business case can be made.
The Parish Council has received a very generous grant from a parishioner (thank you!) towards a new playground on the site of the old bowls club. This was also contributed to by our County Councillor and the balance paid for by the Parish Council. Again, a team of volunteers formed to act as a Parish Council working group and did an amazing amount of research into what children wanted, met with contractors, planning and ecology officers, consulted with stakeholders and neighbours and put together the scheme for a play area and woodland trail that will be opened soon. Another fabulous effort from all those involved and the working group’s chair, Mary Robinson, will expand on this in her report.
The fitness trail, installed after a £10,000 grant was successfully applied for, the new MUGA with storage area and refurbishment work to the existing all-weather court fencing and lighting has made an amazing difference to the sporting facilities at the Windmill Centre. I’d also like to mention the tennis club and their projects which, whilst nothing to do with the PC, have improved facilities at the Windmill Centre and that work should be acknowledged.
The Parish Council also received a substantial sum from the Deddington Branch of the Royal British Legion and whilst it is tremendously sad that the Club building has been lost, much effort has gone into spending the money received wisely and we are grateful for the funds. Some will go to the Windmill, some to the Holly Tree Club, the recent Church kitchen refurbishment was part funded by the Parish Council as will a new footpath from the south door of the Church towards the war memorial. The village nursery has also received a grant as has the Thursday Club, Deddington OnLine for website migration and there are rumblings of future projects elsewhere in the parish that the Parish Council eagerly anticipates supporting.
Some of this money has also been spent on refreshing the play areas in Wimborn Close and Welford’s Piece plus a new path as requested by Clifton residents to make accessing the playground easier in inclement weather. Various benches and bins have also been added and quite a lot of hedge and tree work that might not have been possible.
The most recent good news is the Pocket Park initiative. Announced in late December 2018 with a closing date of January 2019 Deddington Parish Council were both fleet-footed and successful in getting a grant of £25,000 towards refurbishing the under 6 play area at the Windmill Centre. This will compliment the new playground and transform the play facilities in Deddington.
The Parish Council installed four defibrillators a couple of years ago and again, these were funded by a grant application for £10,000. They are maintained by the steward and are in addition to the emergency first responder volunteers we have in the parish.
Working parties have been set up to do various tasks around the parish including painting the fence railings around the war memorial and main church graveyard, laying bark on the paths and woodland trail at the Windmill Centre, clearing brash and rubbish in various locations, litter picks twice a year to compliment the stewards work and erecting the Christmas tree and lights. Thanks also to Darke and Taylor and Bob Staig for their help on this.
The Snow Wardens scheme was started with a grant from Oxfordshire County Council some years ago. It is staffed and run by volunteers under the banner of the Parish Council. The Snow Wardens were out in force again last winter and thank you for the kind words in the Deddington News. Another grant has been applied for to purchase more equipment for the snow wardens and more volunteers are always welcome.
The Parish Council Speedwatch group have been busy across the parish and it really does make a difference. If you have a concern about speeding then the very best thing to do is volunteer to join the Speedwatch team and help us all by keeping a visible presence by the side of our roads.
It is also worth noting the efforts made by those who support the community by volunteering for other groups and I’d especially like to thank the Farmers and other land owners who spend countless hours managing hedges, cutting grass, maintaining footpaths, stiles and boundaries and keeping the land around the Parish as beautiful and accessible as it is. Could I encourage everyone to follow the Countryside code.
It is also worth mentioning the work done by Deddington Charity Estates as the four Alms houses, Town hall and Pest House Field all look fabulous. The Feoffees should feel rightly proud of a job well done and they have my thanks for their efforts.
The Parochial Church Council have worked long and hard, there have been many interesting, innovative and entertaining secular events hosted by them and the kitchen does look good.
The Friends of Castle Grounds have benefited from a grant from English Heritage and the Parish Council has funded various project at the site. It remains an important asset for this community and whilst various pavilions and the ballroom have gone, as have the rifle range, archery butts, playground, football pitches and cricket ground, it remains a glorious venue and hosts various successful events throughout the year.
The Thursday Club continues and we are very fortunate to still have this service available as very many elderly day care services have been lost across the county.
The Primary School staff and board of governors deserve credit for all they have done as do the Windmill Management Committee, Deddington Housing Association, the Holly Tree Club Committee, the Festival and Farmers Market teams, the Deddington News (who also report our activities each month), Deddington Media CIC, the Library staff, Friends and volunteers, those who run sporting teams, social clubs, keep and eye on footpaths or run activities provided for our youth.
Back to the Parish Council; on top of the day-to-day running of the parish, the allotments, the Hempton Road Cemetery, planning, highways, transport, environment, recreation, finance, policy review, grass cutting, hedge trimming, litter picking, emergency and winter planning, speed watch, the neighbourhood plan, the windmill refurbishment, the new play and sports facilities are all dependent on volunteers to help the parish council deliver these benefits for us all. Parish Councillors are also volunteers guided by our salaried Clerk. We all attend 13 Parish Council meetings per year, there are currently 6 working groups and many more sub-groups) all of which also meet every month plus meetings with parishioners, officers, contractors, suppliers, training courses and site visits. When necessary, we attend planning meetings and appeal hearings at Cherwell District Council, the OCC cabinet office and, once, a trip to Westminster to meeting the Housing minister to represent Deddington directly to HM Gov. We also liaise with the County Council and emergency services to provide safe, secure venues should something unforeseen occur.
We do what we can and anyone with the time and inclination to help make the parish of Deddington, Clifton and Hempton a better place is very welcome to join us.
If you have given your time for any voluntary activity within the Parish, I do truly thank you and please do get in touch if you would like to help on any of these projects.
David Rogers
Chairman
Deddington Parish Council
Highway maintenance factsheet
Dear Parish and Town Council colleague
County councillors asked me for a briefing on highways maintenance and we thought it would be a useful for parishes and town councils too.
I have attached the briefing (click here to download), which is intended to explain our approach to road maintenance, with some facts and figures to show progress as well as the scale of the challenge.
Hopefully the briefing answers some of the question you and your residents may have, as we know this is a live issue in many areas.
Please feel free to circulate it within your area. I’d welcome feedback on the content so we can improve the format when we do an update in the autumn.
Best wishes
Eddie Gibb
Head of Communications
Oxfordshire County Council
Dear Parish and Town Council colleague
County councillors asked me for a briefing on highways maintenance and we thought it would be a useful for parishes and town councils too.
I have attached the briefing (click here to download), which is intended to explain our approach to road maintenance, with some facts and figures to show progress as well as the scale of the challenge.
Hopefully the briefing answers some of the question you and your residents may have, as we know this is a live issue in many areas.
Please feel free to circulate it within your area. I’d welcome feedback on the content so we can improve the format when we do an update in the autumn.
Best wishes
Eddie Gibb
Head of Communications
Oxfordshire County Council
Roadworks from Jan - April 2018
David Wilson Homes
The Section 104 drawing shows the length of Drainage required to be installed. Again, this has been approved by the Council.
I trust the above gives you all the information you need. As discussed, we propose to produce something to distribute to the residents of Deddington informing them of what is happening, but in the meantime your assistance in communicating to your neighbours is appreciated.
Kind Regards,
Steve
Stephen Wooldridge
Technical Manager
Barratt Homes Mercia & David Wilson Homes Mercia (A trading name of BDW Trading Ltd)
Download Plan 1
Download Plan 2
David Wilson Homes
The Section 104 drawing shows the length of Drainage required to be installed. Again, this has been approved by the Council.
I trust the above gives you all the information you need. As discussed, we propose to produce something to distribute to the residents of Deddington informing them of what is happening, but in the meantime your assistance in communicating to your neighbours is appreciated.
Kind Regards,
Steve
Stephen Wooldridge
Technical Manager
Barratt Homes Mercia & David Wilson Homes Mercia (A trading name of BDW Trading Ltd)
Download Plan 1
Download Plan 2
Dog fouling.
The Parish Council is sad to note that there has been an increase in the number of instances of dog fouling in the village. It would therefore like to remind parishioners that anyone allowing a dog in their charge to foul any area to which the public has access you is committing an offence. The Council uses residents money to provide bins in parks and other public areas for the use of dog owners so please use them as dog mess is a health hazard.
Cherwell District Council is responsible for monitoring dog fouling, the issue of fixed penalty notices and for initiating court proceedings against offenders. By law dog owners must pick up any mess made by their dogs. If owners do not clear up behind their dog and evidence is available Cherwell District Council will investigate and prosecute them. The penalty for not clearing up behind your dog is up to £1,000 if taken to court, but there is also provision for a fixed penalty scheme with a fine of £50 in England.
Anyone witnessing an incident of dog fouling can report it by contacting environmental services on 01295 227007 or on-line via http://wwwcherwell.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2206
The dog warden will investigate any fouling allegations within the district.
The Parish Council is sad to note that there has been an increase in the number of instances of dog fouling in the village. It would therefore like to remind parishioners that anyone allowing a dog in their charge to foul any area to which the public has access you is committing an offence. The Council uses residents money to provide bins in parks and other public areas for the use of dog owners so please use them as dog mess is a health hazard.
Cherwell District Council is responsible for monitoring dog fouling, the issue of fixed penalty notices and for initiating court proceedings against offenders. By law dog owners must pick up any mess made by their dogs. If owners do not clear up behind their dog and evidence is available Cherwell District Council will investigate and prosecute them. The penalty for not clearing up behind your dog is up to £1,000 if taken to court, but there is also provision for a fixed penalty scheme with a fine of £50 in England.
Anyone witnessing an incident of dog fouling can report it by contacting environmental services on 01295 227007 or on-line via http://wwwcherwell.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2206
The dog warden will investigate any fouling allegations within the district.
The Windmill Centre
The Parish Council has undertaken the funding of a Modernisation programme of the Windmill Centre as directed by the Windmill Management Committee (which is independent from the Parish Council). In broad terms the PC is currently spending money upgrading the Windmill Centre to ensure that it remains a community facility for many years to come. The backing for this comes from the community responses to the Neighbourhood Plan Questionnaire. As publicly stated at the last Annual Parish Meeting this money cannot be taken from the £500,000+ capital reserves your Council has. It is therefore being funded from the reserve account and carefully managed to ensure that an adequate contingency is always maintained to cover any emergencies. The Windmill Centre is such an important asset that this upgrade has been deemed essential for the good of the community.
The Parish Council has undertaken the funding of a Modernisation programme of the Windmill Centre as directed by the Windmill Management Committee (which is independent from the Parish Council). In broad terms the PC is currently spending money upgrading the Windmill Centre to ensure that it remains a community facility for many years to come. The backing for this comes from the community responses to the Neighbourhood Plan Questionnaire. As publicly stated at the last Annual Parish Meeting this money cannot be taken from the £500,000+ capital reserves your Council has. It is therefore being funded from the reserve account and carefully managed to ensure that an adequate contingency is always maintained to cover any emergencies. The Windmill Centre is such an important asset that this upgrade has been deemed essential for the good of the community.
Strategic Guidance for Cherwell District Council
Cherwell District Council has now embarked on the second part of its Local Plan. It is anticipated that this second part will make proposals for how the 750 homes that are required to be built between 2014 and 2031 should be distributed between 23 villages in Cherwell district - and possibly which sites might be favoured. Some of the 750 have already been allocated to sites where planning permission has been granted. (The 85 homes approved on appeal for the School Ground site in Deddington do not count towards the total because permission was granted on appeal before the cut-off date.)
There is no possibility that Deddington's pre-submission Neighbourhood Plan will be completed in time to be taken into consideration by CDC in forming its Local Plan part 2. Therefore the steering group agreed that we should submit a strategic guidance document to CDC that would contain the key findings of the survey carried out within the parish and the steering group's emerging policies - concerning numbers of homes and, in general terms, location - in the expectation that the district council will use them as evidence in preparing their Local Plan part 2.
All the clauses in the Strategic Guidance document are based either directly on the findings of the survey or on principles laid down in CDC's Local Plan part 1 or the National Planning Policy Framework - or both.
The parish council has endorsed this document and submitted it to Cherwell District Council.
Cherwell District Council has now embarked on the second part of its Local Plan. It is anticipated that this second part will make proposals for how the 750 homes that are required to be built between 2014 and 2031 should be distributed between 23 villages in Cherwell district - and possibly which sites might be favoured. Some of the 750 have already been allocated to sites where planning permission has been granted. (The 85 homes approved on appeal for the School Ground site in Deddington do not count towards the total because permission was granted on appeal before the cut-off date.)
There is no possibility that Deddington's pre-submission Neighbourhood Plan will be completed in time to be taken into consideration by CDC in forming its Local Plan part 2. Therefore the steering group agreed that we should submit a strategic guidance document to CDC that would contain the key findings of the survey carried out within the parish and the steering group's emerging policies - concerning numbers of homes and, in general terms, location - in the expectation that the district council will use them as evidence in preparing their Local Plan part 2.
All the clauses in the Strategic Guidance document are based either directly on the findings of the survey or on principles laid down in CDC's Local Plan part 1 or the National Planning Policy Framework - or both.
The parish council has endorsed this document and submitted it to Cherwell District Council.
Neighbourhood Plan
Preparation of the Parish Council's Neighbourhood Plan for Deddington, Clifton and Hempton is well underway. This is a unique opportunity for all sections of the community (residents, young people, clubs, societies, businesses, landowners, etc.) to help to shape the future of our three villages. For more information please click here.
Preparation of the Parish Council's Neighbourhood Plan for Deddington, Clifton and Hempton is well underway. This is a unique opportunity for all sections of the community (residents, young people, clubs, societies, businesses, landowners, etc.) to help to shape the future of our three villages. For more information please click here.
Freedom of Information
For information available from Deddington Parish Council under the model publication scheme please click here.
For information available from Deddington Parish Council under the model publication scheme please click here.
'Fix My Street'
Oxfordshire County Council uses a scheme - 'Fix my Street' - to allow you to report a wide range of problems such as street defects, street lighting problems, potholes, drainage issues, car parking concerns, dog fouling and other problems that are the responsibility of the county authority. People can report problems online with location details. Once reports have been verified, the council's contractor pledges to fix potholes within 28 days, 24 hours in an emergency or four hours for the most severe category.
If you spot as problem and want to get it fixed then try 'Fix My Street'.
Oxfordshire County Council uses a scheme - 'Fix my Street' - to allow you to report a wide range of problems such as street defects, street lighting problems, potholes, drainage issues, car parking concerns, dog fouling and other problems that are the responsibility of the county authority. People can report problems online with location details. Once reports have been verified, the council's contractor pledges to fix potholes within 28 days, 24 hours in an emergency or four hours for the most severe category.
If you spot as problem and want to get it fixed then try 'Fix My Street'.