Flooding
In 2007, I became Chairman of the Ock Valley Flood Group. As a result of those floods, more than 100 homes in Abingdon had to be evacuated, some for more than a year. Problems with insurance companies and the overstretched environment agency were compounded by confusion over who was responsible for what. While some of those problems were addressed, the volunteers in the flood group began work on clearing Sandford Brook from Tescos to the Thames. Clearing the debris and removing the dams caused by
supermarket trolleys, bicycles, collapsed trees and branches and the like, it was not long before the brook was flowing clear and fast. Within a year, the gravel bed was clear and to date there has been no repeat in South Abingdon. Unfortunately, people get older and memories fade. The flood group is no longer operating for lack of volunteers. As a result, there is not the same sense of urgency as there was from 2007 to 2012. Flooding was more the concern of people in Gloucester and Cumbria than in Oxfordshire. The recent heavy rain and local flooding have reminded us that we may have been lucky. Flooding is, of course, a regular occurrence in Sutton Courtenay but the statistics around the 2023 rainfall suggest that it exceeded 2007 measurements by at least another 10%. Photographs of the B4016 and Ginge Brook suggest there is no room for complacency. Even more significant are photographs of the proposed land for the Hobbyhorse Lane development (the appeal having been granted). It becomes ever more important that the drainage scheme for that development works and works well. As the development goes through the various stages of the planning process, it is going to be vitally important that the drainage plans are throughly challenged. We are told that climate change is going to make flooding events more likely and more frequent. I would encourage all concerned residents to respond to the consultation on the developing South and Vale Local Plan 2041 to ensure that Flooding is taken fully into account.
The six-week consultation began on 10/1 and will run until midnight on 21/2 2024. Visit: southandvale.gov.uk/JLP to find out more and have your say.
Other urgent news
The “call in” hearing of the Hif1 planning application begins on the 20th February at the Bee House on Milton Park. This is likely to continue for at least two weeks.
As a result of the recent Local Government settlement, it seems likely that OCC is going to have to find more than £10m of savings in order to balance its budget.
In spite of it all….
Happy New Year
Richard Webber Cllr
01235 534001
Richardwebber777@gmail.com
December 2023
Are we losing the ability to disagree constructively? For much of the past month, I have been fielding questions/concerns and sometimes abuse over transport and highway issues. From Oxford’s LTN’s (about which I can do very little) to 20mph zones (which I fully support) these issues provoke strong feelings. Of course they matter, but with our social services under evermore financial strain, and a cost of living crisis that will not go away, it is interesting, and a bit depressing, that potholes and restrictions on traffic speed seem to dominate the local agenda.
There has, however, been good news (most agree).
The delivery of the long awaited Drayton Road Build out in Sutton Courtenay together with the new SID (speed indicator devices) will, we hope, go some way to improving the accident statistics and quality of life along that road - similar hopes for the new SID at Appleford Railway Bridge.
The completion of the Mill Road bridge in Marcham will allow greater access to the countryside for residents of Marcham and Drayton once the weather cooperates.
Work continues to resolve County and District planning issues in Drayton.
Work between District and County Councils on the Joint Vale and South Local Plan continues apace. New government allowing, we are hopeful that Housing delivery targets will be more modest than many we’re expecting.
Whatever the numbers are, planning enforcement is in dire need of reform. Many councils do not have the resources to provide a decent service. Too few enforcement officers and a set of regulations lacking teeth, have steadily eroded public confidence in the planning system. Too often planning conditions sidestepped and even ignored, weak penalties for abuse, an endlessly forgiving system over retrospective planning applications and overlong time given to applicants to comply with conditions, have all resulted in a general perception that planning is entirely in the hands of developers rather than planning authorities. It is time for a wholesale revision of planning regulations to restore public confidence in the system.
The Thames Water plans for a Reservoir rumble on. TW would now like the reservoir to be even larger. Most local residents would like the whole idea to be shelved. 2024 may well turn out to be decisive.
And finally, has anyone else noticed the enormous increase in the local squirrel population? We now have a family who have settled in under our eaves and are becoming increasingly assertive. There is one who looks back in through our window in the mornings, with a look of defiance on its face having spent the night chewing through the wire mesh, moth balls and polystyrene filler we have used to try to fill its access points. Using poison which birds and pets can pick up, we are told, is illegal and I don’t own a blunderbus. We are now trying “pigeon spikes” – potentially turning the house into a prison camp. Are these squirrels just picking on us or are others having problems?
Richard Webber. Cllr
07546571521
My least favourite road?
There are some issues that just never seem to go away. The A415 between Abingdon and Marcham has been a concern for many years. Fairly straight, not very wide, very busy but with little housing on either side, there have been safety issues all that time involving pedestrians, cyclists, private cars and HGVs. It took far too long to get the road reduced from derestricted to 50mph. Increasing traffic levels and the narrowness of the shared pedestrian and cycle path on one side are increasing calls for a further reduction to 40mph.
The section of the A415 between the A34 and Abingdon Town centre is suffering from the same traffic increase. This leads to congestion all around the immediate area – congestion that affects bus timetabling and makes the delivery of a 4way interchange at Lodge Hill ever more urgent.
It is the same A415 between Abingdon and Dorchester that is now ever more in the spotlight. The SODC local plan is for several thousand more homes at Culham. If and when the Didcot HIF1 Road is completed, it will deliver yet more traffic on this section of the A415.
One wonders what the congestion is going to be like during the construction of all these projects. Roll on autonomous cars and buses.
Drayton 20mph plans
20mph limits through our towns and villages are great for general health and a sense of well-being. As Drayton has discovered, the bus companies, understandably concerned about anything that interferes with their timetabling, have raised objections to some new 20mph zones. It has now been agreed that a new 20mph will be put in place in the High St and in the central section of Abingdon Rd., together with all the minor roads. Decisions on Steventon Rd and the northern end of Abingdon Rd will be negotiated when the long awaited Neighbourhood Plan improvements are delivered. Some good news here, as we expect a firm timetable of delivery for these improvements in the New Year.
Meanwhile, It will help the argument for increasing the 20mph zone throughout the whole village, if more of us use our bus services. The sight of endless queues of single occupancy cars on the Drayton Rd is depressing.
HIF1, Sutton Courtenay and Appleford
With the final decision now in the hands of Mr Gove, the Secretary of State, and in expectation that the needs of District Councils to protect their Local Plans will take precedence, it makes sense to prepare arguments for every possible mitigation to be in place to minimise the impact of the new road on local residents. Such mitigation must include measures to sort out the noise issued in Appleford and the odour issues in Sutton Courtenay.
Mill Rd Bridge Marcham.
As I write, a grand formal opening event is being planned. This is great news for Marcham but also Drayton residents, walkers and cyclists.
VAS (Vehicle Activated Signs)
The new signs are now in place on the B4016 together with mounting poles in various positions between Drayton and Sutton Courtenay. With Parish Councils’ ability to move the signs between the poles, we hope to get around the issue of drivers ignoring the speed signs through over familiarity.
Party political Conventions.
Now that the season is over, it is becoming ever clearer that, whoever is in power at the next election, England is going to be taking many more houses in the next few years. As one of the few parts of the country that is a net contributor to the national economy, we can expect continuous pressure to build more in our area. Hopefully, we can get the infrastructure that this housing will need. How we absorb this pressure, on top of the pressure from past lack of infrastructure provision and, of course, how we pay for it, will be the top major challenge for the new government.
Richard Webber Cllr
07546571521
Richardwebber777@gmail.comA multitude of issues all across the Sutton Courtenay and Marcham Division
OCC Children’s Services
A recent Ofsted report listed Oxfordshire’s Children’s Services (along with others) requiring improvement. There is particular criticism of the lack of support given to children and parents of children with special needs. We have a number of families who have been affected by this. The Council has accepted the findings of the report in full and has already begun to take actions to rectify the problems including increased funding (with consequent pressure on the budget). I will give further details on the actions to be taken in my next report.
20mph zones
I am disappointed that this issue is becoming a political football for a minority of residents. Just to make it clear, I was elected to take decisions some of which might be contentious. I repeat that the overwhelming number of people who have contacted me support the proposals. Rather than write separate emails to the 7 people who have contacted me opposing the initiative, I am restating my position here. 20mph zones are Parish Council proposals but I fully support them. There is mounting evidence that lives are saved and that the quality of life in our towns and villages is improved by 20mph zones – with or without enforcement.
Hobbyhorse Lane Appeal
The third attempt to get this application (turned down by planning committee several times) approved is currently being heard by a planning inspector. As such, it would be improper for me to express an opinion here. There will be time for that later. However, I wanted to commend on behalf of all Sutton Courtenay residents, the enormous amount of effort over many months put in by the Parish Council, their advisors and many well known residents with particular knowledge and experience. Whatever the outcome, it has been a pleasure to work with them.
Hif1
Leaving aside the fact that the country is divided on whether or not road building is a solution to congestion, a decision on the future of this project is now in the hands of the Secretary of State. He has “called in” the decision of the Planning Committee to refuse the application. We should hear the result in the early new year.
MEPC
One of my roles as an elected councillor, is to Chair regular meetings of the. MEPC Liaison committee involving local parish councils and MEPC reps. Of all the meetings I have to attend, these are the most informative and constructive.
We are fortunate in this area to have such a successful and environmentally aware commercial operation in our midst. It is clearly a great place to work. I can recommend the bus services and the coffee. And, in case you are wondering, I do not have shares in the operation.
Richard Webber Cllr
07546571521
Drayton 20mph Zones
3 years ago the County Council unanimously passed a motion calling for the consideration of 20mph limits in any County Parish that requested them. At the time I do not believe any of us thought that such a policy would be quite so well received. To date, only a tiny majority of Parishes have failed to take up the offer or show interest. If my own mailbox is anything to go by, I would say that those in favour outnumber those against by more than ten to one.
Understandably, the police are concerned over the potential pressure on their resources of enforcing these speed limits. However, the evidence so far is that 20mph limits do indeed bring down average speeds in our villages making life for residents, quieter, safer and more pleasant. Of course there are some concerns over potential consequences. Some Bus companies argue that the limits could make it harder for them to keep to their timetables. There is not enough evidence one way or the other to know the answer. A minority of residents argue that 20mph is annoyingly slow and leads to impatience and bad driving. Again, there is too little evidence to be certain, and it seems probable that it will take some time for drivers to become accustomed to slower speeds in all built up areas. What evidence there is, suggests that there is a driver learning process, but that 20mph limits lead to traffic flowing more smoothly and there is little impact on journey times.
In our immediate area, Shippon’s 20mph zone is already operational. Drayton’s is well underway and all the other Parishes are investigating where 20mph limits might be needed.
Changes in the way traffic and driving is managed bring out strong feelings initially but Oxfordshire’s immediate path on this issue is set.
Grass Verges
There has been much local concern around grass cutting and road safety in recent weeks as the weather has encouraged rapid growth of roadside vegetation. There has also been concern that cycle and pedestrian paths have become restricted and even blocked. If we are trying to encourage people to get out of their cars and cycle or walk, it is important that we keep our paths open and conducive to cycling and walking. Many people are passionate about roadside plant diversity. Growth at road junctions is a major concern for road users of all types. Budget cuts over the past 20 years have led to reduced amount of grass cutting down to one per year leading to very careful decisions having to be made over when to carry out grass cutting depending on each year’s weather patterns.
Clearly, there is a balance to be had over how we treat our roadside verges. The present policy is one cut per year and junction cuts where safety is the major issue. Junctions are currently cut on a priority basis – major junctions first.
Mill Rd Bridge, Marcham
Good news for Marcham (and indeed Drayton) residents is that work is due to start on the bridge imminently and the work completed this summer. Both Parishes are keen to work together to restore access to the bridge as soon as possible.
HIF1 Rd
At the OCC Planning Committee meeting on the 17th and 18th July, the committee heard presentations from the applicant, OCC Highways and 23 other representatives. The Committee voted by a majority of 7 to 2 to reject the application on a number of grounds. The major concerns were 1. That the application took no account of the impact on Abingdon. 2. That no traffic modelling was available for scrutiny. 3. The potential environmental impacts were not sufficiently considered.
As a result of the above, the Secretary of State has “called in” the decision of the committee. This means that a Planning Inspector will be asked to check the reasons and procedures for the refusal. His/her report will be passed to the Secretary of State for a final decision.
The HIF1 scheme that was already badly behind schedule is further delayed. This results in uncertainty all around. District Councils are concerned over the impact on their Local Plans. County Council is concerned at the impact delay will have if they are penalised for late delivery. Local Parishes are dismayed at the continuing uncertainty. No one can be confident of where we go from here, but there are discussions going on between Government and Councils. Everyone accepts that a solution is needed to the lack of infrastructure following years of rapid development in Didcot and needed urgently.
The idea that the road between the Milton A34 interchange and Didcot should be treated as a stand-alone project deliverable quickly may well provide a first step, whilst alternatives to the rest of the scheme are reassessed.
There is sure to be more to come on this in the next few weeks.
Richard Webber Cllr
07546571521
Well, that serves me right for taking a holiday. We were very privileged to be taken by family – no, not a political perk - to Hawaii. I have been passionate about volcanoes for many years and this was a great opportunity to see some of the best examples in the world. Most of the dramatic pictures we see of lakes of red hot lava are taken at night and during the few days or weeks of eruptions that occur every few years. Solidified lava is very hard and can take many years to break down. The result is not beautiful but thousands of acres of piled up black rock are mighty impressive. In the months and years between eruptions, steam pours out from the craters but tourists are lucky to see any boiling red lava. We were not lucky but, as we left, a sizeable eruption began. However, whilst we missed the spectacle, it seems that we did bring home some spectacular tropical weather with us. Yesterday’s thunder, torrential rain and high winds mixed in with hot sunshine in southern Oxfordshire matched anything in Hawaii.
Meanwhile, local and national politics has been stormier than even the past two years have offered. The Reservoir issue rumbles on. Evermore contentious planning applications are in the pipeline. The HIF1 Road application is due to be heard at a two day planning meeting in late June. By next month things will have progressed on all these issues.
Other updates include:
Mill Rd Bridge, Marcham – we expect work to begin on this long running issue very shortly.
Noise at Appleford sidings – An application to extend working hours was deferred by the OCC Planning Committee.
Grass cutting – budget cuts over the last decade have reduced the timetable to one cut per year. Visibility at many road junctions is a problem and is being steadily tackled under a priority scheme – major junctions first. We are getting there but in the meantime please take extra care.at junctions.
20mph limits. St Helens is now fully operational and work has begun on Drayton.
And finally, a little good news. VWHDC Climate Action Fund and OCC Councillor Priority Fund are offering grants for worthy local causes. More details on Council’s websites or from me.
Richard Webber Cllr
07546571521June 2023
A reassuring message
One of my obligations on your behalf is to serve on the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Scrutiny panel. There I meet Councillors from all around the Thames Valley area to discuss how we should hold the Commissioner to account.
The reputation of our police has taken quite a battering largely as a result of happenings in the Met. As we are the nearest neighbours to the Met, we might have expected that similar problems might spill over from the Met area into the Thames Valley. I am happy to report that I have seen little sign of this. Indeed, I have been impressed with the determination shown by our Chief Constable and his team of Deputies in dealing with potential problems of misogyny, racism, bullying and the like.
A recent BBC documentary on some of the behaviour at the UN where there were accusations of bad behaviour running right up to the top of the organisation, made me realise just how important it is for the public to have confidence in large organisations that senior management is open, transparent and honest over any shortcomings. The moment that there is any sign of cover up, the reputation of the whole organisation is threatened. This is why I was much reassured by discussions with the senior Thames Valley Police team.
On a lighter note, we were shown a picture of the Commissioner walking across a field between two police officers. Doubtless, this was to convey the daily consultation that goes on between TVP and the Commissioner. However, it could have been construed as the Commissioner being “taken in for questioning”. It just demonstrates how important presentation and image is in public life!
Election mayhem over
As new Councils and Councillors begin to get their feet under the table, the same local problems and challenges that we faced last month are facing us now. Housing and housing numbers, roads, traffic, active travel and the climate emergency all still need solutions. At the same time, inflation is proving harder to bring down than we thought. If any of our new councillors thought they were in for an easy ride, I fear they were mistaken. But with a bunch of new, fresh faces comes a feeling of optimism that things could get better. That is something we all need to build on.
Richard Webber Cllr
01235 534001
Richardwebber777@gmail.com
Difficult Choices
The problem of potholes has been in the news all over the country in recent months. We have had potholes ever since we had roads and tracks, but I don’t remember them being as hot a topic as they are now.
Everyone would like our roads to be in mint condition at all times, but the cost of road maintenance has been rapidly rising over recent years and the ability to maintain our roads in reasonable condition has been becoming an increasing challenge for all councils. To upgrade all of Oxfordshire’s roads to an ideal standard would cost several hundred million pounds and there would then be the cost of regular maintenance to keep them at that standard. The cost is more than the County’s Adult and Children’s social care put together. Not much wonder then that hard pressed Councils have, over the last 20 years, steadily made cuts to their road budgets in order to protect their social care and other services. It is all about priorities. Priorities for Councils and priorities for Government. In present economic circumstances, it is hard to see taxation increasing anywhere near enough to cover the cost of covering the upgrade to all the nation’s roads. Councils have tried various initiatives to begin to address the problem. Prioritising main roads over others has been tried but it leads to the question – just how bad do our rural roads have to get before deprioritising their maintenance becomes unacceptable?
“Prudential borrowing” against assets over many years requires substantial assets which few councils possess and few finance officers will countenance. Borrowing against future income growth depends on the growth happening and is a risky business.
Are there any other alternatives? And if we want roads in good condition along with everything else we want, we have to find a way of paying for it. Persuading road users ( i.e. just about everyone) that they must pay through taxation presents a great political challenge – how could it be done? And how could it be done fairly? But then politics, we are told, is all about choices. We just need our politicians to be brave enough to make them while our road system is still usable. And one final thought. Given the challenge of maintaining our present road system, does it really make sense to be building yet more roads?
Richard Webber Cllr
Richardwebber777@gmail.com | 07546571521
Elections
This month’s contribution is as non party political as I can make it. It confines itself to the elections process.
Spare a thought for the Councils, Council officers and residents who have some elections every year. West Oxfordshire elect one quarter of their councillors every year. In Cherwell, it is one third. Thankfully in SODC and VWHDC, it is an election every 4 years. County Elections, every 4 years, happen in between. It’s a complicated system and can often seem to be an irritant to busy, working people. Add national elections which can happen anytime and it is not much wonder that many residents, already confused about what different councils actually do, are further confused over which elections are about to happen and who is standing for what. It does make one wonder if those countries that have all elections on the same day in a fixed cycle might have it right. In these countries, the fixed day is often made a public holiday with the result that turnout is higher. Democracy is said to come at a cost, but the system of a fixed day for all elections is certainly more cost effective and raises the status of elections in most people’s minds.
Election “purdah”
For six weeks leading up to Election Day, there is a period of purdah. In this period, Councils are run by officers rather than elected politicians. This ensures that only non party political decisions and announcements can be made during purdah. Political leafleting can still go ahead (and does) in which each party makes its offer to the electorate and tries to explain why its opponents are wrong. There are rules about what can and cannot be said in leaflets and political organisers are adept at getting around them. However, the local District Office has powers to take action against those parties that transgress.
So please vote
If democracy is going to vote, it is vitally important that people vote. If you feel that all politicians are born of satan, try ordering them in the order in which you hate them and vote for the one(s) at the bottom of your list. If the country is to be governed by those who most people want to govern them, please vote so there is some hope for the process.
Gentle reminder on new rules for voting at a polling station.
Remember to bring your photo ID with you as you will need to show this to the polling station staff before you vote. You do not need to bring your poll card with you to cast your ballot, however it may speed things up if you do.
There is no dress code when visiting the polling station and it is OK to wear garments that might obscure your face: for instance, hoodies or the niqab, but please bear in mind that you will need to remove any face coverings so that staff can verify your identity as part of the requirements for Voter ID, however.
Richard Webber Cllr – 7546571521 - Richardwebber777@gmail.com
Opinion Polls
It is all too easy to become excited/depressed/anxious (take your pick) over the state of the nation’s local and national politics. It almost seems that there is a competition going on between polling organisations to grab the headlines over who can be most dramatic. But is this the best way to test public opinion? And more importantly, how far do these polls actually influence public opinion? There are many examples of the polls turning out to be very wrong. Do they merely solidify passing trends or do they stimulate resentment in an electorate that does not like being told how it is going to behave?
I am not clear what purpose they serve except to give the chattering political classes something to chew on. At best, polls are a vague guide as to how public opinion might be shifting and at worst, a hindrance to independent thinking.
With some important local elections in May, many media outlets are beginning to obsess on what national polls are saying. I very much hope that people will make up their own minds and, as far as possible, ignore the polls.
Budgets
After many weeks of discussion and consultation, the process of forming a Council’s budget culminates in a formal Councillor Budget debate. Yesterday’s near 6 hour meeting at which an alternative budget produced by the opposition had to be considered first, culminated, as expected in a comfortable majority passing the ruling administration’s budget. The whole exercise is called “a debate” but the outcome is almost always predetermined. It can be very frustrating for Opposition councillors as it is far too late for any of their ideas to be built into what will be passed on budget day. But having served as an opposition councillor for Hello many years, I have some sympathy for them.
That said, I am very pleased with the outcome this year. OCC’s finances are looking remarkably secure given the amount of financial uncertainty around. In summary,
more money is going into - Adult and Child social care, - Highway maintenance, - tackling climate change and protecting the most vulnerable from the worst of the cost of living crisis – as a package it seems to offer something for almost everyone with one proviso that the increase in council tax of 4.99% (although in line with more than 70% of all other councils) is a tough ask of those in the “next most vulnerable category. It was a choice between the pain of a Council Tax increase over the pain that would result from cutting frontline services. Politics is about making choices - often difficult ones.
There are plenty of other risks around the corner however. Not least the impact of inflation on all areas of the budget together with the announcement from government that we need to prepare for further cuts in central government finance in 2025-6.
Other challenges
In the next financial year, a number of issues affecting us all will have been resolved or irrevocably decided.
The Thames Water Reservoir.
The HIF 1 Road
The development of thousands more houses at Culham, Didcot and Kingston Bagpuize.
More clarity on the number of houses we need to build elsewhere.
The potential development of Abingdon airfield.
And those are just the major issues. At the same time there are a number of other Highway and traffic issues that have been outstanding for far too long.
Here’s hoping the next financial year will be a little less pressured.
Richard Webber
07546571521