News Archive 2020

DECEMBER

COVID -19 vaccination programme starts at Chippie

From Deddington Health Centre:

The North Oxfordshire Rural Alliance (NORA), which includes Deddington Health Centre, will begin their COVID-19 vaccination programme the week commencing the 14th December 2020.

Due to the size of the building and the space it can offer, Chipping Norton Health Centre is the NHS designated site for the COVID-19 vaccination clinic and all patients registered with one of the NORA practices, including Deddington Health Centre, will be required to attend Chipping Norton Health Centre to receive their vaccination.

Your practice will contact you when it is time for you to receive your COVID-19 vaccination.

For more information go to the health centre’s website.

Carol service online and further Christmas services to come

From the Rector, Revd Marcus Green:
“In addition to the services in Church this Christmas, we have online services for those who can’t join us in person. The Carol Service is already available online.

“The service has readings filmed by people in their own homes, and lots of beautiful music sung by the Aston Singers, directed by Nick Cleobury, filmed at the recent concert in Steeple Church. 

“There will also be an online Christmas Communion service, which will be available from the evening of Christmas Eve. Again, this service has lots of lovely music, and is a full communion service – but the link doesn’t start to work till Christmas Eve, so please enjoy it then!” 

From Sunday, 20^th December: Handbell Ringers in the village

Church services for Christmas

The Rector, Revd Marcus Green writes:

So last month’s attempt at saying what we were doing was very quickly made nonsense as Lockdown:2 pushed us all back indoors… And as we reach December, the question we all have is – what will happen at Christmas? 

1. Services in Church

If we are allowed to hold services, this is the plan. We are holding Christmas Services in North Aston on Sunday Dec 20th at 4pm and 6pm; in Tackley on Thursday Dec 24th at 2.30pm and 4.30pm; and in Steeple Aston on Christmas Day we have Christmas Family Communion at 9am and 10.30am.

Sadly, we’re still not allowed to have congregational singing inside church, but we are hoping to have a small choir at each service which will sing some carols for us – and we will end each service with everyone going outside for one final carol which we will all sing together, whatever the weather! There will be readings and we will have the Crib and a tree and lights, and we will do our very best to celebrate.

As ever with our services just now – it would be really helpful if you could book if you are coming. We will do our best to get you in if you come, but when we are full we will have to apologise and close the door. I am really sorry! So book early! Julian for Tackley (331252), Clive for North Aston (340470), and Eileen for Steeple Aston (340099).

There are other services on other Sundays, but these are our special Christmas services. See the website calendar for full details.

2. Online Services

We will have two special Worship at Home services on our www.sntchurch.com website over the Christmas period, in addition to the usual weekly services.

From Dec 20th, we will have a Carol Service, with readings and carols, and a super choir leading us. You can watch at home and sing along as much as you like! We hope this will be a really lovely way to celebrate Christmas, and it will be filmed inside our benefice churches. We will also make this available via the phone line service, so people without internet will be able to ring 929021 and listen in.

From Dec 24th we will also have available a Christmas Communion Service. This too will be filmed inside our benefice churches, and will also include some Christmas music, as well as being a full communion service. I shall be thinking of you all as I record this, so why not take a moment and keep a little bread and wine, and join in in your family or by yourself at some point over Christmas?

3. Steeple Compact Concerts

Although November’s concert had to be postponed we are still planning to have Nick Cleobury’s Aston Singers performing a concert of Christmas choral music at 6pm & 8pm on December 12th at Steeple Aston Church. Given that full ‘live’ carol services are a bit beyond us this year, do book up for this. Tickets are limited (and going fast), and are £12. The choir is singing the same programme at both 6pm and 8pm, and each concert lasts just under the hour.

We are very much hoping to re-arrange the November concert for early in the New Year.

And then…

From January we are looking to go back to weekly services in all our churches. The upside is that from January there is no more need to book to come to church (please still book for any December service); but the pattern will be weekly Morning Prayer in North Aston, Evensong in Tackley (apart from the last Sunday, when there will be Morning Prayer), and Holy Communion will be at Steeple Aston. So do feel free to go to whichever service you like – even if it isn’t your own village!

NOVEMBER

Heyford Park expansion approved, but bus gate on hold

The Heyford Park Masterplan which will bring over 1,000 homes and 1,500 jobs to the area has been approved by Cherwell District Council’s Planning Committee.
But the approval is subject to a number of conditions and a legal agreement with the developer, which means the proposed bus gate on the road between Steeple Aston and Middleton Stoney will be put on hold for at least two years.
The plan for the bus gate faced strong opposition from county and district councillors. Nearly all the parish councils and meetings around Heyford Park submitted strong views to the committee about the undesirable impact of the proposed bus gate on surrounding villages and country lanes, co-ordinated to an extent by the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum.
Now it has been agreed that a working group will be set up to monitor traffic flows in the neighbourhood and to investigate options to the bus gate. It is thought that one of the effects of the coronavirus epidemic will be to reduce traffic flow as fewer people will commute daily to work. The working group will consist of representatives of Oxfordshire County Council, Cherwell District Council and local parishes including the MCNP Forum. It is expected to take at least two years to reach its conclusions.
The bus gate proposal is part of a Travel Plan for the area aimed at encouraging the use of public transport and cycling from Heyford Park agreed by the developers with Oxfordshire County Council’s Highways Department.
The gate was to be placed across the road about half a mile before the Middleton Stoney crossroads at the sharp bend where the road to Heyford Park joins the B4030.Buses, bikes and local residents would be allowed through. But car drivers would either have to find a different route to Bicester and the M40 or be diverted onto to a round about route that will add two and a half miles to their journey with two additional new sets of traffic lights.

As the diagram above shows, drivers coming from Steeple Aston will have to turn left at the bus gate diverting towards Heyford Park. There will be new traffic lights at the junction with Camp Road, where they will turn right. Then they will turn right again at another new set of traffic lights on to the B430 towards Middleton Stoney.

The red line on the diagram shows a relief road which would have solved the problem, but that has been rejected.

The developers believe that the bus gate will improve the travel time and reliability for buses between Heyford Park and Bicester and will encourage cycling..

Steeple Aston Parish Council wasn’t consulted about the bus gate as traffic would not diverted through the village. No consideration seems to have been given to the impact on drivers from Steeple and Middle Aston who need to travel to Bicester and beyond along the route.

Other villages that expect to see an increase in traffic as a result of the bus gate have been offered some payments in mitigation.

You can see the details of the application and the comments on it on Cherwell District Council’s website ref number 18/00825/HYBRID. You can also watch Planning Committee meetings during and after they happen on the council’s website.

Graham Porcas resigns, so new councillor needed

Notice from the Parish Council

Graham Porcas has announced his resignation from the Parish Council. The Parish Council would like to thank Graham for the hard work he has put in as a councillor. He has liaised tirelessly with the Highways Department, effecting significant improvements along The Beeches and Northside. He has kept a watchful eye on the playground, maintaining the equipment in good working order and sorting out many minor repairs. The great improvement in the speed of pothole repairs in the village is entirely due to Graham’s efforts as a FixMyStreet Super User; and we are hopeful that he will continue in that role even though he is stepping down from the council. We are extremely appreciative of his contribution to the work of the Parish Council, and wish him well as he leaves to devote time to his other activities.

As a result of Graham’s departure, the Parish Council is seeking to fill the vacancy. If you are interested, please contact the Parish Clerk, Cathy Fleet, on 01869 347000 or 07989 398838, or at parishclerk.steepleaston@gmail.com.

Fourth Beeches planning application refused

Cherwell District Council’s Planning Committee has voted to reject the application to build ten houses on land at The Beeches in Heyford Road, Steeple Aston.

In this latest application, the number of houses was increased to ensure the application would be considered by the committee rather than delegated for decision by a planning officer. Previous applications had been rejected by the officer, and the applicants had been advised by counsel that the committee might look upon it more positively.

In the event, however, there were no members of the planning committee prepared to speak in support of the application. Seven members of the committee were not able to speak or vote and they had to declare that they knew the applicant Adrian Shooter.

The remaining members of the committee therefore decided to proceed to a vote without discussion, and voted to accept the planning officer’s recommendation to reject the application.

The officer’s report stated that: “The proposed development would not make effective and efficient use of land and would significantly encroach into the countryside beyond the built-up limits of Steeple Aston; contrary to the housing strategy of the Development Plan for the area, for which it has not been demonstrated that there is a justified need. In its proposed location the development would therefore be an unjustified and unsustainable form of development.”

Adrian Shooter, the owner of The Beeches, now has six months to decide whether to appeal this decision.

OCTOBER

Middle Aston House opens its doors to local residents 

Angela Smith reports:

Up until now, Middle Aston House has been somewhat of an enigma, with few locals really knowing what goes on beyond the driveway gate. But that’s all about to change thanks to new General Manager Mick Earle, who hopes to open up Middle Aston House and make it more welcoming to local residents.

Following a 1000-year history as a manor house, as well as being owned by a number of businesses, Middle Aston House is now a privately owned meeting, functions, and wedding venue. Over the past few years it has started to open its doors to more leisure guests, who can make use of its 55 rooms. As Mick says, this has certainly brought more children and dogs to the lakeside, especially during the weekends.

Mick’s hopes for the future of the house can be split into four “pillars,” as he calls them, each distinct yet interwoven: corporate guests, who come here from all over the UK and Europe for conferences and training; leisure guests, who mainly use the house as a base to visit Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds; guests who come for the health and wellbeing classes held in the Tudor barn (which includes Thursday yoga sessions); and last but not least, the house’s relationship with the local community.

Mick says “It may not always seem so, but we do have an open door policy and we’re very happy to support the local villages. We have recently launched a bar menu which is open to non-residents on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening and this will be followed shortly by ‘Coffee and Cake’.”

Mick, a huge fan of the great outdoors, also hopes to take advantage of the lovely grounds and offer local residents the chance to walk their dogs here, or perhaps come for a picnic – and he’s open to further suggestions.

Inside the house are a number of meeting rooms, which are all spacious and bright, and offer fabulous views of the lake and the grounds. Mick welcomes any local groups, clubs and associations who wish to use them, although you’ll need to book in advance.

Mick and the Middle Aston House team greatly look forward to seeing more of Steeple and Middle Aston’s residents enjoying the house and gardens for years to come.

Contact details and more information about the facilities on offer are on the Middle Aston House website.

A longer article by Angela describing the history of the house as well as current activities can be found in November’s edition of Steeple Aston Life.

Dr Radcliffe’s School Foundation consults on a new constitution

Kate Tomlinson, Chair of the Dr Radcliffe’s School Foundation writes:

Dr Radcliffe’s School Foundation promotes the education (including social and physical training) of children and young persons under the age of 25 years who are either resident in the Parish of Steeple Aston or Middle Aston, and have attended the Dr Radcliffe’s Church of England Primary School for at least two years and who are in need of financial assistance, as well as subsidiary objects.

The Foundation is currently governed by three Charity Commission Schemes and Minister’s Orders dated:  3 May 1956;  2 August 1982; and 1 June 2017, (together the “Scheme”).  These documents are available, with the proposed new constitution from this web page.

The trustees of the Foundation wish to replace the Scheme with a new constitution. Prior to making an application to the Charity Commission the Trustees wish to undertake a consultation process with its stakeholders in relation to the adoption of the New Constitution.  The Trustees are contacting stakeholders directly but we also wanted to provide information to the Village community.

The proposed changes are summarised below.  If you would like to provide feedback to the Trustees please download the feedback form provided and then either return electronically to nigel.roots@freeths.co.uk or by post to Nigel Roots, Freeths LLP, 5000 Oxford Business Park South, Oxford OX4 2BH.  Please return the form by 31 January 2021.

Your feedback is important as it will enable the Trustees to demonstrate to the Charity Commission that a consultation exercise was undertaken, and that the Trustees considered the views of the a range of stakeholders. 

Changes proposed

By adopting a New Constitution, the trustees can reflect current working practices (for example, email as an acceptable form of communication and acknowledging the possibility of virtual Trustee meetings) and ensure we are following best practice.  The key changes that are proposed relate to the Objects and the appointment of trustees. 

Proposed Objects of the Foundation

When reviewing the Objects of the Foundation, the trustees were mindful of the original aims of the Foundation as articulated in the 1956 and 1982 schemes.

Historically the beneficiaries of the Foundation have been young people resident in the parishes of Steeple and Middle Aston, or young people who attended Dr Radcliffe’s School for two years.  The Trustees do not propose any change to the definition of the beneficiaries. 

In considering the support of children and young people, the Trustees considered different stages of education.  The proposed Objects of the Foundation support:

• Dr Radcliffe’s School
• providing funds to assist the secondary, further, higher, technical or professional education, training or apprenticeship
• Steeple Aston Pre-school

In addition the proposed Objects allow the Trustees to support charitable purposes in Steeple and Middle Aston, and to support Dr Radcliffe’s Almshouses.

Proposed changes to appointment of Trustees

The original Scheme required the appointment of 12 Trustees as follows: 

ONE Ex-officio Trustee, being the Rector for the time being of Steeple Aston;

ELEVEN Representative Trustees, to be appointed

• Two by the Principal and Fellows of Brasenose College, Oxford;
• Two by the Rector and Churchwardens of Steeple Aston ;
• Two by the Steeple Aston Parochial Church Council;
• Two by the Steeple Aston Parish Council;
• Two by the Oxfordshire County Council as Local Education Authority;
• One by the Oxford Diocesan Council of Education.

Having reviewed the work of the Foundation, the Trustees believe that a body of 10 Trustees is a more appropriate size.

The Trustees propose that a proportion (four of ten) of the Trustees are appointed by the Foundation on the basis of skills and experience.  The skills and experience that the Trustees consider important are:

• the skills required for the effective management of the Foundation;
• local knowledge and connections to the Parishes of Steeple and Middle Aston; and
• connections with the School and education

The Trustees propose that in addition to the Rector of Steeple Aston, the chair of Governors of Dr Radcliffe’s School, Steeple Aston is appointed ex-officio.

A further 4 Trustees are to be appointed by appointing bodies.  To reduce the number of trustees, it was necessary to reduce the number of appointing bodies.

The status of Dr Radcliffe’s School is that of an academy and it is part of the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust.  The Trustees therefore do not consider the Local Education Authority an appropriate appointing body and propose that the Trustee nominated by Oxfordshire County Council as LEA no longer exists. 

The Trustees recognise the historic link between Dr Radcliffe and Brasenose College, Oxford, however Brasenose College has no involvement in Steeple Aston or the running of the Foundation and so the Trustees propose removing Brasenose College as an appointing body. 

The proposed appointing bodies are therefore Steeple Aston PCC, the Rector and Churchwardens, Steeple Aston PC and the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education.

Choral Society goes online

Margaret Bulleyment, Secretary of Steeple Aston Choral Society explains how the Society is coping during the pandemic – by singing online. She writes:

Our special Beethoven Birthday Concert that we were so looking forward to performing for you on Sunday 22 November, has had to be postponed until Sunday 13 June 2021. (Unless our musical Fairy Godmother waves her magic wand and we can begin rehearsing in January 2021 for performance on Sunday 28 March.)

In the meantime, we are getting together every Monday at 7.30pm on Skype for a ‘note-bash,’ so when we can rehearse properly we have already covered the basics. (Singing online is impossible  due to the time lag – do not be fooled with what you hear on television, it has taken a team of sound engineers days to synchronise everything.) If you would like to join us for our ‘note-bash’ please contact me 01869 347346, email  jbulleyment@waitrose.com.

Beethoven Birthday Concert 

Our Beethoven Birthday Concert will feature our special guest musician – Dr. Paul Whittaker OBE. He is a profoundly deaf pianist and organist who ‘signs’ music. (He signed Beethoven’s Choral Symphony with the Halle Orchestra and Sir Mark Elder at the Barbican Beethoven Weekend last February.)

The concert will include choir numbers (Hallelujah from The Mount of Olives; Creation Hymn etc.) organ and trumpet solos; tenor and soprano solos; a piano trio; a piano duet and an adaptation of the Pathetique sonata for Power of Voice Silent Moments. 

The concert will end with our SACS accompanist, composer and friend of Paul Whittaker, Paul Herrington’s Gloria, written for choir, organ, trumpet, violin and cello. It was written especially for SACS and will be signed by Paul Whittaker.

If you have any deaf or partially hearing friends, do bring them along to this concert.

Our Bus Bartons service suspended

Our Bus Bartons made the following announcement:

“We  are suspending services from close of play Wednesday 4th November until Wednesday 2nd December in line with the new government guidance. The school breakfast bus service will continue. Please contact us if you find yourself struggling over the next 4 weeks and we’ll try and help you.”

For more information go to their website .

Cancellations – Remembrance Day service and St Cecilia’s concert

Following the latest lockdown restrictions, the Open Air Remembrance Day Service which had been planned for Sunday, 8th November in the churchyard cannot now take place. However, there is to be a short service at the War Memorial on Sunday at 10.45am instead.

All are welcome but you must keep socially distanced and wear a mask. To help with track and trace there will be a QR code for people to scan if they can.

The church will be open for private prayer after the service from 11.30am to 12.30pm. In future the church will be open on Sundays from 11.00am to 12 noon during the lockdown

There will be a Worship at Home Remembrance service on the church website sntchurch.com.

Also cancelled is the concert for St Cecilia due to take place on November 21st in the church.

A Choral Christmas, the concert planned for December 12^th at 6.00 and 8.00pm, will go ahead if the rules allow. This concert will be directed by Nicholas Cleobury and performed by a group of local singers. Tickets cost £12 and can still be booked for this event by ringing Eileen Baglin Jones on 01869 340099.

Oxford City goes on High Alert

Oxford City Council has announced that Oxford will be moving to Tier 2 (high alert ) for coronavirus from Saturday, 31st October . This means that people in the city must not meet socially indoors with anyone they don’t live with unless they’re in a support bubble.

This only applies to the city, not the rest of the county but if you travel in to the city you have to abide by the rules. Thames Valley Police have tweeted “If you are travelling into Oxford City please abide by the new tier 2 regulations from Saturday 31/10”.

You can find more information on the restrictions and who they apply to on the Oxfordshire County Council website.

Village History Centre re-opens, but exhibition postponed

Steeple Aston Village Archive is pleased to announce that the Village History Centre at the Village Hall, Fir Lane is re-opening on Saturday, October 3rd.

The Centre will be open each Saturday morning from 10.00 till 12.00 as before, but with “COVID Secure” measures in place for your and our safety. A maximum of two visitors will be allowed at any one time. 

While we have been closed, we have not been idle. The extraordinary events of this year have been, and continue to be, recorded for posterity in our archive, and contributions of photos or personal testimony are always welcome – preferably digitally to: steepleastonarchive@gmail.com

We have also been busy producing our annual Exhibition and book; this year it’s “Steeple Aston at Work”. We had hoped to be able to proceed with the Exhibition, on the weekend of November 7th and 8th in the Village Hall, but it has had to be postponed.

Publication of our super new book on the subject will go ahead on the  same weekend as planned – and will make a perfect Xmas present.  Details of  when and where you can to buy it to follow soon.

Concerts and services planned in COVID-secure churches 

Plans for church services through to the end of November, along with two concerts in Steeple Aston are revealed by the Rector, Revd Marcus Green. He writes:

Church Services

We have a regular patter of worship sorted now. The summer was really super: we planned eight services in the open air, and we had eight fine days and everything worked out brilliantly. At Harvest, back at the end of September, we raised around £650 for Tackley and Banbury food banks – as well as donating bags and bags and boxes of food to those terrific organisations.

At the start of October we went indoors (just in time for the rain) and everyone is (sort of) getting used to having to book before coming to church. If you haven’t joined us yet – you have to book to come now, but this means we have safe, organised seating, with plenty of hand sanitiser available when you get here, good distancing, and we are all getting used to wearing masks. Check the service rota in SAL or on the church website for details. You ring the church warden for Steeple to book for Steeple, and for Tackley to book there and for North Aston to book there.

Worship at Home, our online service, also continues every week via YouTube or www.sntchurch.com or you can ring 929021 to hear a service if you don’t have internet.

October 18th 5.30pm North Aston – Evensong​

October 25th 10.30am Steeple Aston – Holy Communion​

November 1st 5.30pm Tackley – Evensong for All Saints​

November 8th Remembrance Sunday

9.30 North Aston

10.50 Steeple Aston Churchyard (no need to book)

5.30pm Tackley ​

November 15th 10.30am Steeple Aston – Holy Communion

November 22nd 5.30pm North Aston – Evensong ​

November 29th 10.30am Steeple Aston – Holy Communion

All Saints November 1st

Normally we have a really wonderful, full church in Tackley as we take an evening to remember and give thanks for those whom we have loved and who have gone before us. This year we can’t do that with numbers attending capped – but our All Saints Evensong at 5.30pm in Tackley, with our choir singing, will still have the names of all those we love read out. If you can’t be there (and we expect to book up very quickly for this), there is also lovely Worship at Home option on our website for everyone who holds this weekend special.

Remembrance November 8th

In Steeple Aston, this will be an open air service in our church yard at 10.50am. There is no need to book for this. We can’t sing, but we will remember, and hear the names of those who served, and pray together, and the bugle will sound. We will do this whatever the weather – but again, if you can’t make it there is a really good Worship at Home alternative on our website. Because of the current restrictions, everyone who comes must wear a face covering or mask, and we do ask that people very carefully distance around the churchyard. You may bring your own chair to sit on, or you can stand if you prefer. The village Parish Council & the Rector have agreed that we can’t organise the usual post-service walk up to the memorial opposite the top of Nizewell Head, but we do invite those who wish to lay wreaths or poppies up there to take a moment any time during the Remembrance weekend and do so privately.

Compact Concerts

With a long winter ahead of us, we are beginning a series of small concerts in church. The rules allow us (as of mid-October) to do this because we are a COVID-secure venue, with a maximum audience of around 30 people. The concerts will be just under an hour in length, with no interval. It is the colder part of the year – so do wrap up when coming. We hope the music will also warm our hearts…

On November 21st at 8.00pm we will have a Concert for St Cecilia (patron saint of music) with Cassandra Wright, a wonderful young singer, and her accompanist Elli Welsh, focussing on the gift of music and the composers Britten, Handel and Purcell. Cassandra and Elli are very talented young Australian musicians studying in London.

Then on December 12th at both 6.00pm and 8.00pm (just decide which time suits you) we have the Aston Singers, a group of excellent local-ish singers directed by Nicholas Cleobury, getting us in the festive mood: A Choral Christmas will be an evening of glorious seasonal music. 

Concert tickets are all £12 and must be booked in advance by ringing Eileen on 01869 340099.

The Parish Council is looking ahead

Much of the future is still uncertain. The second wave of Covid is now here; the rules will undoubtedly change again; and further restrictions are possible.

However, please be certain that your Parish Council is still here to help over the coming months. If there is another lockdown or you have to self-isolate, if you need someone to do some shopping or collect a prescription, the Parish Council can help. If you need assistance, call Cathy Fleet (01869 347000 or 0798 939 8838) or Richard MacAndrew (01869 347209).

Also, S and J are still providing tasty affordable meals delivered to your door. If you want to sign up again, or maybe try them for the first time, call Charlotte Bartlett (01869 347347) for more details.

Steeple Aston Parish Council

SEPTEMBER

Parish Councillor goes on BBC to talk about potholes

Steeple Aston Parish Councillor Graham Porcas appeared on local radio and television on Tuesday, 8^th September to talk about his role as a FixMyStreet SuperUser.

Oxfordshire County Council are trying to encourage more people to take on the role and cut out the middleman in reporting potholes and other street problems. Members of the public can report potholes on the FixMyStreet website but then a council official has to come out and inspect the pothole to decide whether it qualifies for mending.

Graham has been a SuperUser ever since the scheme started two years ago. He explains: “This means that I can directly action any potholes in the village and have them repaired without having to go through involving Oxford County Council Highways Department. The result is that potholes in Steeple Aston are repaired much more quickly.

“I also act as local contact with the Highways Department so I can get action on other matters regarding road maintenance and repairs. The system works very well for us, and as the pilot has been successful the council are keen to expand the scheme.” 

The council is now calling on residents across the county to put themselves forward to train and volunteer as ‘SuperUsers’. Graham appeared on Radio Oxford and the regional TV news to explain his role and encourage others to get on board. He says the potholes he identifies are guaranteed to be mended within 28 days, but it’s often much quicker. The pothole he’s identifying in the picture above was mended the same day!

And he has ambitions to go even further.  He says, “I have been asked whether we would like to be involved in a further pilot scheme for us to undertake minor repairs ourselves, something which I have been suggesting for some time and which is now becoming possible.”

Graham will need to find two other volunteers to help with this so that the village has a team of three. If you’re interested in joining the team, please contact him on 01869 347240 or email grahamporcas@btconnect.com.

You can listen to Graham’s interview on Radio Oxford here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08pkbdq You need to fast forward to 2 hours 17minutes into the programme.

Pre-School raises concerns about bonfires

Staff at Steeple Aston Pre-School are increasingly worried about the bonfires that keep happening around their building. They say that the locations of the fires vary, coming either from the direction of the allotments or the opposite direction. 

Pre-School Manager Ann Buswell says, “We experienced this on Friday 4^th September around 10.15am and then again the following Wednesday at the same time! Then we could see the smoke through the trees beyond the churchyard. We have children and staff that have asthma conditions and we have a new little child that has joined us this term that has a heart condition. The parents were visiting at the time and mum was very concerned about this as this has a detrimental effect on their little child’s heart condition.  

“The children that attend here are aged from two to four and a half and the embers and acrid smoke that these bonfires produce is really dangerous to their growing development. We spend a very big part of our day outside normally but with the seriousness of this virus we have spent every day outside since returning to school this term.

Ann hopes that this publicity will bring the bonfires to an end. But she is documenting the dates and times of these bonfires and says she will contact the council if they continue.

Back in April, in response to complaints from residents, Cherwell District Council asked people not to start bonfires during the pandemic. There are no laws against having an occasional bonfire, but it is an offence for the smoke, or the smell of the smoke, to cause a nuisance.  According to the council, “Smoke can pose a risk to people’s health, so avoiding fires will reduce the chance of people having their airways affected and avoid further burden on the NHS.”

Thanks to generous Bank Holiday villagers

There has been praise for the generosity of villagers over the recent Bank Holiday in contributing to good causes as they went round the villages viewing the entries in the scarecrow competition.

Julia Whybrew raised funds for and asked for contributions to Banbury Food Bank, while Richard Preston and friends were collecting on behalf of Katharine House Hospice.

Julia writes “A HUGE THANK YOU. When I started the collection of food for the Banbury Food Bank I was hoping to get an average of one tin per household plus a small amount of money from selling meringues and lemon curd. 

I was stunned by the generosity of friends and neighbours.  In all 800 tins or cartons of food plus £710 was given by Steeple, Middle and North Aston plus a particularly generous donation from Gagingwell.  I don’t know how to describe how I have been overwhelmed by your generosity.  THANK YOU”

The Prestons and the Coopers had a similar experience. Richard writes: “A VERY BIG “THANK-YOU. During the August Bank Holiday weekend Chris and Sally and ourselves had stalls outside our homes to raise funds for Katharine House Hospice.

“Sally had made some superb preserves and we had some surplus produce from our garden and over the weekend and with the help of a donation from a scarecrow exhibitor, raised an astonishing £400 for the hospice.

“Thank-you to all who supported us in raising this incredible sum for such a worthwhile charity which in turn has helped their continued support for families dealing with end of life care.”

Bus gate plan will disrupt travel to Bicester

A plan to put a bus gate on the road between Steeple Aston and Middleton Stoney faces opposition from county and district councillors, many local parish councils and the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum. But it is likely to be approved next month as part of the Masterplan for Heyford Park, which will bring 1,600 new homes and 1,500 additional jobs to the site.

The proposal for the bus gate is part of a Travel Plan for the area aimed at encouraging the use of public transport and cycling from Heyford Park. The plan has been agreed by the developers with Oxfordshire County Council’s Highways Department.

If approved, the bus gate will be placed across the road about half a mile before the Middleton Stoney crossroads at the sharp bend where the road to Heyford Park joins the B4030.

Buses, bikes and local residents will be allowed through. But car drivers will either have to find a different route to Bicester and the M40 or they will be diverted onto to a round about route that will add two and a half miles to their journey with two additional new sets of traffic lights.

As the diagram above shows, drivers coming from Steeple Aston will have to turn left at the bus gate diverting towards Heyford Park. There will be new traffic lights at the junction with Camp Road, where they will turn right. Then they will turn right again at another new set of traffic lights on to the B430 towards Middleton Stoney.

The red line on the diagram shows a relief road which would have solved the problem, but that has been rejected.

The developers believe that the bus gate will improve the travel time and reliability for buses between Heyford Park and Bicester and will encourage cycling..

Steeple Aston Parish Council wasn’t consulted about the bus gate as traffic would not diverted through the village. No consideration seems to have been given to the impact on drivers from Steeple and Middle Aston who need to travel to Bicester and beyond along the route.

Other villages that expect to see an increase in traffic as a result of the bus gate have been offered some payments in mitigation, but all the affected parish councils except Lower Heyford have objected to the proposal.

The plan won’t be implemented for at least two years as its adoption will depend upon the amount of traffic generated at Heyford Park, which in turn depends upon the amount of housebuilding there.

The proposals were to be considered by Cherwell District Council’s Planning Committee on Thursday, 8^th October, but  they aren’t on the agenda. The next  meeting will be on 5th November.

You can see the details of the application and the comments on it on Cherwell District Council’s website ref number 18/00825/HYBRID. You can also watch Planning Committee meetings during and after they happen on the council’s website.

Fourth application made for Beeches development

There has been yet another planning application from the owner of The Beeches on Heyford Road, Adrian Shooter, At the fourth time of trying, the plan has been amended to include two extra houses taking the total to ten.

The increase in the number of houses means that the application now must be considered by the Planning Committee at Cherwell District Council. Previous applications were rejected by a planning officer.

There will be no requirement to build any affordable houses on the site, as only developments of 11 or more dwellings must include affordable housing. However, if the scheme does get approval this time, the developers will need to come with around £44,000 to be spent on community and sports facilities in the village.

The new application includes more smaller houses than the previous one, and consists of three 2-bedroomed houses, five 3-bedroomed, one 4-bedroomed and one 5-bedroomed house.

The first application for housing development on this site was made in March 2019. It was withdrawn following objections from Steeple Aston Parish Council and several others. A modified plan was submitted which took into account some of these objections. This time, the Parish Council decided by a majority not to object to the revised plans. However, the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum still had several objections and the plan was refused

The third application was exactly the same as the second one, but with the addition of a lengthy legal counsel’s opinion. The lawyer Peter Goatley looked in detail at the case and made the point that the refusal of permission last time was delegated to a planning officer and never considered by the council’s Planning Committee.

He argued that the officer made an incorrect decision and that the relevant development plan policies, council guidance and strategies had been misinterpreted and misapplied. He said that if the application went before the committee “there would be a sound prospect for members of the planning committee, properly informed, to reach a different view to that expressed in the officer’s delegated report.”

Steeple Aston Parish Council once again voted by a majority to support the application, but the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum continued to argue against the development. The decision was once again delegated to an officer, and did not go before the full Planning Committee as requested by the lawyer.

The application was refused for two reasons, stating once again that it was contrary to local plans (including the MCNP Plan) and government guidelines. The first reason was that “The proposed development represents new housing that would significantly encroach into the countryside beyond the built-up limits of Steeple Aston. The second was that “The proposed development represents inappropriate ‘back-land’ development that would fail to relate well to the pattern of development in the area and would appear as an intrusion of built form into the countryside, detracting from the rural character and quality of the area the setting of the village.”

Peter Goatley said if the application was refused again, Mr Shooter would have no choice but to appeal. Now, he seems to have found another way to try again. By increasing the number of houses he has ensure the application will go before district councillors at the Planning Committee.

Comments are due on this application by 12^th October, and the target decision date is 13^th November. You can see details of the application and comment on it on the Cherwell District Council website ref number 20/02227/OUT.

Scarecrow competition result declared

It took the judges several hours to decide the winners of Scarecrow Competition. They said that the quality and innovation of all the entries was so impressive that it was very difficult to make a decision.

But they have decided that the first prize of £100 should go to No 14 The NHS Angel by Claire Hall of Walton House. A delighted Claire said, ” I am totally chuffed to win, it was a lovely activity to do with my daughter.

“I have worked as a nurse in the NHS for almost 20 years, and currently work in clinical research. The scarecrow was my tribute to the amazing NHS Research Nurses who have worked so hard throughout the COVID pandemic caring for patients in groundbreaking clinical trials. Research is the only way to get us out of this mess!

“Talking of mess, I’m going to be finding sticky feathers all over my house for some time.”

You can see what she means when you see the reverse view of the angel!

The second prize of £50 goes to John and Janet Coley of Paines Cottage for No 17 The Witch.

And the third prize of £25 goes to No 7 The Drunken Toileteer by Andy and Jane Cadd at 12 Jubilee Close.

Congratulations to them – and all who entered!

There are wonderful photos of all 39 scarecrows taken by Mick Bonwick in the Photogallery.

Church services move indoors

From October 4th onwards, church services in Steeple Aston, North Aston and Tackley will move indoors. The three churches will take it in turns to have one service each Sunday, except for on 8th November, Remembrance Sunday, when there will be a service in all three villages, with the Steeple Aston service in the open air.​

All members of the congregations will be asked wear face coverings or masks and observe social distancing at all times when attending services.

To keep everyone safe and ensure social distancing, people will have to book their place for services in advance with the churchwardens.​

To book at Steeple Aston church call Eileen on 340099

To book at North Aston church call Clive on 340470

To book at Tackley church call Julian on 331252 ​

The dates for services in October and November are as follows:​

October 4th 5.30pm Tackley – Evensong​

October 11th 10.30am Steeple Aston – Holy Communion​

October 18th 5.30pm North Aston – Evensong​

October 25th 10.30am Steeple Aston – Holy Communion​

November 1st 5.30pm Tackley – Evensong for All Saints​

November 8th Remembrance Sunday

9.30 North Aston

10.50 Steeple Aston Churchyard (no need to book)

5.30pm Tackley ​

November 15th 10.30am Steeple Aston – Holy Communion

November 22nd 5.30pm North Aston – Evensong ​

November 29th 10.30am Steeple Aston – Holy Communion

The Rector is still sending out regular emails to those on the parish email list and the church’s website homepage will continue feature a new Worship at Home video each week. This can also be accessed by a special phone service: just dial 929021 and you can choose to hear the whole service, the sermon or the prayers for that week.​

The church buildings will continue to open for personal prayer during the day on Saturdays, though when a Benefice service is happening in a parish on the Sunday, the church will not open on the Saturday.

Opening of the Sports & Rec & Robinson’s Close Field

The Committee are keen that the Sports & Rec building and sports field should be available to use as soon as possible but we also need to balance that against the continued uncertainty around organised events, both indoor and outdoor. At the moment our intention is as follows:

• The first league football match of the season will take place on Saturday 26^th September, with the teams arriving changed and not using any of the facilities in the building. 
• We plan to allow regular hirers of the building to start using it once again from Monday 28^th September. 

We will keep both dates under review, in particular taken account of how the return to school works for children, teachers and parents. 

Please note that some activities that take place in the Sports & Rec, including use of the kitchen, are still not permitted.  Once we have trialled the reopening of the Sports & Rec building with our regular users we will make a decision regarding other events.

For more information please contact:

Chris Cooper (Tel. 347173); Torquil McLusky (Tel. 347914) or Letting Agent Katie Rushworth (Tel. 340196)

Thank you for your help. We hope to have everything in place to get the Sports & Rec up and running as soon as possible.  

AUGUST

Rebecca joins the parish council

Rebecca Lewin was co-opted on to the parish council at its July meeting. She will fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Amanda Rodgers.

Born and brought up in High Wycombe, Rebecca moved to the village with her husband James in early 2018. Baby Jacob came along 14 months ago. The family are currently living in Kidlington while an extension is built to their home, Lansdowne House on Heyford Road.

They have been away from Steeple Aston since March. Although she is living closer to her mother and sister, Rebecca says she is really missing village life and the friendliness she has found here. They will be back in the autumn once the building work is finished, and she will look forward to taking on her new role as a parish councillor.

She has already thrown herself in to village life joining the choral society, taking on an allotment and becoming a member of the Horticultural Society committee. Rebecca very quickly got hooked on horticultural matters, visiting the Spring Show on her very first weekend in the village, and going on to win prizes for her flowers and preserves.

And since Jacob was born Rebecca and James have met lots other new parents through the Baby and Toddler group and the Mums and Dads groups that have grown from there. They’ve been coming back to the village during lockdown for walks and James helped out with the recent renovation of the play area.

All this is quite a contrast with her previous life where she spent 15 years travelling to some of the world’s most unhappy places. Though she studied astrophysics at university, Rebecca soon found a career working on logistics, managing operations for emergencies on behalf of  large international charities including Oxfam and Plan International. She visited and lived in Africa, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region as she says seeing “some of the loveliest places in the world at the worst of times.”

Rebecca met James, who works in IT, at an evening class on photography when she was working for Oxfam. She says she could hardly miss him as he is 6ft 7ins tall! They were married nearly four years ago in the small Northamptonshire village he comes from and decided they too wanted a change of lifestyle and looked for in a village in which to bring up their family.

Rebecca has stopped travelling and now works for a small charity based in Kidlington. She is Operations and Finance Director for Emergency Nutrition Network which is a think tank and knowledge centre working to overcome malnutrition across the world.

She brings plenty of experience to her role as a parish councillor. She knows about financial management, human resources, legal and health and safety issues. But she readily admits that she has plenty to learn about parish council matters.  She says, “I was surprised and honoured to be appointed, and I’m pleased to be of service. I hope to learn from the very experienced councillors, and perhaps to represent the views of my age group who don’t always have time to get involved in village affairs.”

Steeple Aston playground

Please note that after Monday 31^st August the playground equipment will no longer be sanitised. Parents and carers are encouraged bring their own sanitising gel and hand wipes, and to sanitise touch points on equipment before and after use by their children.

The public toilet will continue to be cleaned and sanitised as usual every morning. It will also be wiped down with sanitiser in the early afternoon.

You use the playground and the public toilet at your own risk.

Steeple Aston Parish Council

Online exhibition for Not the Annual Flower Show

Usually on August Bank Holiday Monday the village is buzzing with visitors to Robinsons Close to see the extraordinary range of flowers, fruit and vegetables on show – not to mention the great entries in the handicrafts, cookery, photography and children’s classes.

Sadly, this year the show had to be cancelled. But you can see some examples of all of the above in an online exhibition of photos on the theme “Colours of the Rainbow”.

Just hover your mouse over each of the thumbnail photos to see who the contributor was. Then click through to enlarge the photo and use the arrows to make your way through the exhibition. There are two separate pages to look at.

Many thanks to all who contributed to this wonderful, colourful exhibition of village talent.

Church bells to ring again!

Steeple Aston Church bells will be heard this weekend for the first time since March. They will be rung at 11.00am this Saturday, 15^th August for the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day, which marks both the surrender of Japan and the end of the Second World War.

JULY

Thank you from the Parish Council

The Parish Council would like to extend a huge public thank you to all the volunteers who have been helping in the village over the last four months. Some of you helped with leafleting at the start of the crisis. Some have been paired up with vulnerable and self-isolating people: running errands, picking up shopping and prescriptions, etc. Some have been ‘chatting,’ providing an essential social lifeline to people who cannot get out and about. All of your help has been invaluable.

Special thanks on this occasion go to Anna Thatcher and Katie Crawshay who have both now stepped down, having run weekly prescription deliveries around the village from the Deddington Health Centre for the last two months. Thank you both for your efficiency and good humour. Their roles have been taken over by Penny Cummins and Linda Watkins respectively.

We also owe a special thank you to Tom Coker and his amazing army of volunteers, from Steeple Aston and Middle Aston, and from further afield as well, who made such a wonderful job of smartening up of the playground ready for its re-opening. In the relatively short space of time available they achieved far more than they had planned, and the results are fantastic. Thank you too to Hannah Hodges, who has volunteered for the duration of her school holidays to help Bob Bickley keep the facility as clean, safe and sanitised as we can make it.

We would also like to extend our thanks to those people who have not yet been called on to help. You allow the PC Chairman to sleep at night, knowing there are people in the village willing to lend a hand if the need arises.

Writing this as lockdown starts to ease in mid-July, it is difficult to know what to expect over the coming months. We hope for a return to some sort of normality; but we must be prepared for the possibility of a second wave. Whatever the future holds, we will do our best to ensure everyone in the village stays safe. Thank you to everyone who has helped us achieve all we have done so far.

Steeple Aston Parish Council

Church services restart in the open air

Church services in Steeple Aston will begin again next Sunday, July 19^th – not in the church, but in the churchyard, weather permitting.

The Rector, Rev Marcus Green explains, “These are going to be open air services, and we will hold one service for the whole Benefice (Steeple Aston, North Aston & Tackley) every other week to begin with. We are asking people to bring their own chair or rug to sit on, to observe social distancing, and to wear a face covering or mask.

“Someone said to me – we wash our hands to protect ourselves; we wear masks to protect others. And in that spirit, though worship will feel odd with face coverings, it seems the right call.  I’m going to award a prize for the most colourful or creative mask at our first services! The diocese is asking us not to sing, but we will be sharing communion.”

Saturday, 11^th July was the first day the church doors were open to the public, but only for private prayer. The photo below shows the three churches’ open doors! Volunteers welcomed a handful of parishioners who visited the buildings during the day.

The Worship at Home video, which the Rector has provided during the lockdown, will continue to be available on the church website. The weekly service is also available via a phone line.  The Rector, Rev Marcus Green says, “If people dial 929021 they can choose to hear either the whole service, or just this week’s prayers, or just this week’s sermon. It’s a local call so hopefully it’s a really helpful thing for those who can’t access a computer easily! And you can phone any time you like.” 

Planning application for chicken sheds withdrawn but……..

The developers, Middle Aston Limited, have withdrawn their application for planning permission to redevelop Hatch End Old Poultry Farm between Steeple and Middle Aston as a 29-unit business park.

The application was withdrawn after the Planning Officer James Kirkham responsible for the application raised a number of concerns about the proposal. These include the impact on the rural character and appearance of the area of the increased height and the design of the buildings along with the amount of office floor space proposed on the site.

He expects the developers will be looking to amend the scheme and come back  with a
resubmission of the planning application.

The withdrawal follows objections from Middle Aston Village meeting, Steeple Aston Parish Council, the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan, and Dr Radcliffe’s School. Nearly 30 residents of the two villages also put in written objections to the planning authority Cherwell District Council.

The main concern of the objectors was the amount of traffic that would be generated first during the construction of the site and then when it was up and running. 

The proximity of Dr Radcliffe’s School and the Pre School, where there have already been worries about road safety for children, was a particular worry.

The objections from the parish council raise a number of other concerns, as do the submissions from Middle Aston and the MCNP and others. They include:

• economic factors – intensification of the existing use of the site
• parking provision is already double that on the site and will be insufficient
• lack of footpaths
• the design and height proposed new buildings are out of character with the rural setting
• the failure to consult the school or local neighbours
• that the application fails to comply with planning policies at a national and local level.

Oxfordshire County Council, the Highways Authority, did not object to the scheme, but the Conservation Officer at Cherwell District Council did raise concerns about the appearance of the proposed new buildings.

In her response Emma Harrison writes: “Although there are concerns regarding the proposed development overall the redevelopment of the site is supported, and it is acknowledged that there may be consequential public benefits. It is also considered that the scheme could be amended to address the concerns raised. The Conservation Team would welcome further involvement to find a solution that is acceptable to all.”

It remains to be seen whether the developers will take her up on her offer and submit a revised scheme in due course.

Playground re-opens – but with new safety rules

The Parish Council is pleased to announce the playground will be open again from 9 o’clock on Saturday 4^th July. Please take note of the guidance below and please be aware that you are using the facilities at your own risk.

We would like to say an enormous ‘thank you’ to Tom Coker and his army of volunteers – young, old and everyone in-between – who have done such an amazing job of smartening it all up. We hope you will enjoy using the facility again, but please maintain social distancing, and follow the guidelines below.

THE PLAYGROUND IS OPEN

We are doing our best to make the playground as safe as possible but please note:

You use the playground at your own risk.

The playground will be sanitised every morning.

Parents and carers are encouraged to sanitise touch points on equipment before and after use by their children.

Please bring your own sanitising gel or wipes. Sanitise your hands before entering the playground, when moving from one piece of equipment to another, and after you come out.

Please do not bring food or drink into or near the playground.

Maintain correct social distancing when using the playground.

Please follow the guidelines on numbers of users, both in the playground and on each piece of equipment.

Only one parent or carer may accompany a child into the toddler area, but please can adults keep out of the junior area.

Remind children to keep their hands away from their mouths.

If the playground is busy, please stay no longer than 30 minutes.

Wash your hands thoroughly again as soon as you get home.

Please follow current government guidance.

Steeple Aston Parish Council

Village families get cooking for charity

Families in Steeple Aston have been having fun learning to cook (and eat) the Ugandan way!

They’ve also been supporting a local charity which runs education and community development projects in Kenya, Lesotho and Uganda.

It’s all party of a competition in which you are taught online how to make a Ugandan meal of bean stew with chapattis. Then you enjoy eating your meal in authentic Ugandan style – with your hands!

You photo or video the process and post it on Instagram or email it to the charity,  the Rafiki Thabo Foundation. The winners of the competition will have a Zoom cookery lesson from Prue Leith of the Great British Bake Off.

Pictured above are Maisie and Ted with parents Abigail Boisot and Matt Butcher. And below you can see Charlie, Hattie and Woody Wright. Their parents Helen and Dan were probably wise to suggest they ate in the garden!

Finding something different to do with the kids is proving popular with parents. Abigail said it was the best fun they’d had in ages.

Prescriptions from Deddington Health Centre

Changes to contact details from Monday, 20th July 2020

• If you used to collect your prescription from the shop, but for the last two months it has been delivered to your door by Anna Thatcher, the system remains exactly the same. However, your medication will now be delivered to you by Penny Cummins. If you need to contact Penny, you can reach her on 01869 349155 or 0770 325 8009 or at sapc.medsdelivery@gmail.com
• If you used to collect your prescription from Deddington Health Centre, but for the last two months have been contacting Katie Crawshay and asking her to collect it for you, you now need to contact Linda Watkins. You can reach Linda on 0779 881 4171 or at sapc.medspickup@gmail.com
• If you have a new or urgent prescription that you need collecting, the system remains exactly the same as before. Call Richard MacAndrew on 01869 347209 or email richardmacandrew.steepleaston@gmail.com
  

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JUNE

Planning permission for The Beeches refused again

Cherwell District Council has refused planning permission for the development of up to eight houses in the grounds of The Beeches in Heyford Road, Steeple Aston for the second time.

This was the third time that the owner Adrian Shooter had applied for permission to develop the site. His first application was withdrawn following objections from Steeple Aston Parish Council and several others. A modified plan was submitted which took into account some of these objections. This time, the parish council decided by a majority not to object to the revised plans. However, the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum still had several objections and the plan was refused

The third application was exactly the same as the second one, but with the addition of a lengthy legal counsel’s opinion. The lawyer Peter Goatley looked in detail at the case and made the point that the refusal of permission last time was delegated to a planning officer and never considered by the council’s Planning Committee.

He argued that the officer made an incorrect decision and that the relevant development plan policies, council guidance and strategies had been misinterpreted and misapplied. He said that if the application went before the committee “there would be a sound prospect for members of the planning committee, properly informed, to reach a different view to that expressed in the officer’s delegated report.”

Steeple Aston Parish Council once again voted by a majority to support the application, but the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum continued to argue against the development. The decision was once again delegated to an officer, and did not go before the full Planning Committee as requested by the lawyer.

The application was refused for two reasons, stating once again that it was contrary to local plans (including the MCNP Plan) and government guidelines.. The first was that “The proposed development represents new housing that would significantly encroach into the countryside beyond the built-up limits of Steeple Aston, contrary to the housing strategy of the Development Plan for the area, for which it has not been demonstrated that there is a justified need. In its proposed location the development would therefore be an unjustified and unsustainable form of development.”

The second reason was that “The proposed development represents inappropriate ‘back-land’ development that would fail to relate well to the pattern of development in the area and would appear as an intrusion of built form into the countryside, detracting from the rural character and quality of the area the setting of the village.”

In his opinion the lawyer Mr Goatley said that if permission was refused again Mr Shooter would have little option but to appeal. He has six months in which to do so.

You can see the plan and supporting documents and comments and the officer’s report  on the Cherwell District website planning register.

New bus timetable and new service

The S4 bus service between Oxford and Banbury via Steeple Aston will return to its normal weekday timetable from this Monday. 29^th June.  There will be no change to weekend times.

Here is the new timetable. For more information about how the service will operate to ensure passenger safety, see the Stagecoach website. 

In addition, a new company called Hallmark Travel is taking over the 250 service between Bicester and Oxford, which stops at Lower Heyford. Here is their new timetable from Monday, 6^th July.

Oxfordshire County Council made the following announcement about the change of provider:

As the service will no longer be operated by Oxford Bus Company, tickets and passes for use on this company’s buses will no longer be valid after Saturday 4 July 2020. This includes all SmartZone and Key card products. Passengers holding such tickets should contact the Oxford Bus Company for a refund, and details of Hallmark’s ticket range should be available in due course. The company will be offering as a minimum weekly, monthly and multi-trip tickets for regular travellers.

The new contract has provisions to run until December 2022.

As Hallmark are a new provider of County Council local bus contracts, we will be particularly interested to hear of your experiences with the service and any feedback you may have. In the first instance, any problems should be discussed with Hallmark directly but also can be reported to us via the email address IDpublictransport@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

Hallmark Connections can be contacted at 01784 425612 or at comments@hallmarkbuses.com.

Remember Government advice is still to avoid public transport unless your journey is strictly necessary, and you must wear a face covering to travel.

Council and many others object to chicken sheds plans

Steeple Aston Parish Council has now submitted to Cherwell District Council its detailed objections to the proposed development of 29 business units at the chicken sheds – Hatch End Old Poultry Farm between Steeple and Middle Aston. 

At a Zoom meeting on Monday, 15^th June attended by more than 15 villagers, all opposed to the scheme, councillors voted unanimously to object to the plans.

Middle Aston Parish and Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum have put in detailed objections too along with a large number of villagers, the governors of Dr Radcliffe’s School and Marcus Green, The Rector of Steeple Aston.

The main concern of the objectors is the amount of traffic that would be generated first during the construction of the site and then when it is up and running. Initially there will be heavy construction traffic needing to travel to the site via Southside and Paines Hill in Steeple Aston.  Then the daily arrival of at least 100 employees’ cars and 50 bicycles in addition to clients visiting the site and deliveries would lead to an enormous permanent increase in traffic on narrow village roads.

The proximity of Dr Radcliffe’s School and the Pre School, where there have already been worries about road safety for children, is of particular concern.

The objections from the parish council lists a number of other concerns too, as do the submissions from Middle Aston and the MCNP and others. They include:

• economic factors – intensification of the existing use of the site
• parking provision is already double that on the site and will be insufficient
• lack of footpaths
• the design and height proposed new buildings are out of character with the rural setting
• the failure to consult the school or local neighbours
• that the application fails to comply with planning policies at a national and local level

The submission from the parish council concludes that the application is exactly what national planning policy guidance seeks to avoid – “a development that is not sensitive to its surroundings, has an unacceptable impact on local roads, and fails to facilitate access on foot.”

You can see the plans and the comments on them on  Cherwell District Council website ref: 20/01127/F. click on supporting docs. A decision on the planning application is expected in early August.

Church to re-open for private prayer

Steeple Aston Church will be open for private prayer during the day on Saturdays from July 11^th. Volunteers will welcome those who wish to take time and pray quietly. The weekly Worship at Home video will continue to be available on the church website. Now this weekly service is also available via a phone line.  The Rector, Rev Marcus Green says, “If people dial 929021 they can choose to hear either the whole service, or just this week’s prayers, or just this week’s sermon. It’s a local call so hopefully it’s a really helpful thing for those who can’t access a computer easily! And you can phone any time you like.” Please pass  this message on to anyone without internet access who might find it helpful.

Council raises questions with chicken sheds developer

Steeple Aston Parish Council has sent a series of questions to the developer who has applied for planning permission to build 29 business units on the site of Hatch End Old Poultry Farm between Steeple and Middle Aston.

There has been concern in both villages about the volume of traffic which would be generated during the construction phase and thereafter with parking spaces for nearly 100 cars included in the plans. There is also concern about the appearance of the proposed buildings, seen as not suitable for the site’s rural setting.

Councillors, who will decide whether to support the planning application at their June 15th meeting , wrote to the developer, Charles Sandy of Middle Aston Ltd asking a series of questions.

They wrote: “When Steeple Aston Parish Council saw the preliminary scheme in September 2019, we expressed our in-principle support for this sort of scheme, aiming to provide local employment as it does.

“However, it has become clear that the traffic issues in particular are of great concern. We believe that the scheme will generate “a volume of traffic that would have a significantly harmful effect on road safety or congestion or cause unacceptable noise and disturbance for local residents or to the rural environment”, and consequently may fail to meet one of the key criteria of Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan policy PC1 (which would otherwise lend support to the scheme).

“Concerns about the visual effect of the development on the environment may fail to meet another of the criteria.

“We would therefore be keen to hear of ways in which the impact of the proposed scheme can be reduced, so that we might be able to consider supporting the application.”

Mr Sandy said he was prepared to consider measures to mitigate the traffic problems and possible changes to the appearance of the buildings. His responses to the council’s detailed questions can be read here.

He said he very much hopes they allay most if not all of the council’s concerns. He went on the say, “We all see the scheme’s local employment benefits and its potential to be a genuinely exciting, tranquil place to work and start businesses. We also genuinely appreciate the Parishes concerns and want to address these whilst also ensuring viability so all our hard work comes to fruition.”

However, there have already been objections to the scheme from several villagers and the Governors of Dr Radcliffe’s Primary School. In a lengthy submission the Chair of the School Governors, Lisa Boote says “The amount of traffic passing school is currently a problem and an increase in traffic is a cause of great concern.”

The site is in Middle Aston where Edward Dowler is the Chair of the Parish Meeting. Because of the lockdown, he’s had to canvass the views of villagers by email. He said that that the increase in traffic is the number one concern for villagers.

Both Steeple and Middle Aston have to send in their comments on the application to Cherwell District Council by 20th June. SAPC will discuss it again at its next meeting on Monday, 15^th June. Members of the public are welcome to join the  meeting which starts at 7.30pm. Contact the Parish Clerk, Cathy Fleet on 01869 347000/07989 398838 or email parishclerk.steepleaston@gmail.com for  a Zoom invitation. If you aren’t able to join the meeting, you can email your comments in advance to Cathy.

The Parish Council also encourages parishioners to send responses to the planning application to CDC . You can view the application, and comment on it if you want to, on the Cherwell District Council website ref: 20/01127/F.

Originally the application was to be considered only by officials, but now it has been decided to bring it before the CDC Planning Committee.  A decision is scheduled for 6^th August.  

MAY

Village celebrates VE Day in lockdown

Hope you enjoyed celebrating VE Day despite the restrictions. The Union Jack in this picture belonged to Vaughan Billings’ parents and was flown on VE Day in 1945. There are lots more VE Day pictures in the Photo Gallery.  Thanks to Merrill Bayley for  her contributions. If you have any more photos you’d like to share please send them to editor@steepleaston.org.uk.

Mobile virus testing sites open locally

The JR Hospital Bulletin reports that as part of the Government’s new testing programme, three new Government run mobile testing sites have opened in Oxfordshire. They offer testing for key workers and for the over-65s who believe they may be displaying COVID-19 symptoms.

They are located in the car park of Cherwell District Council’s offices at Bodicote House;in the car park of Bicester Village; and in New Street car park in Chipping Norton. The facility at Bodicote House came into operation on 1 May and council staff worked closely with Ministry of Defence staff to ensure the set-up of the site ran smoothly.

These sites are in addition to the regional site at Thornhill park and ride and the NHS staff run testing sites at the Churchill and John Radcliffe Hospitals.

If you think you might have coronavirus, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Stay at home. Go to https://111.nhs.uk/ to find out what to do if you have symptoms and follow the advice here which will be updated regularly https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Plans for Old Poultry Farm raise traffic concerns

Steeple Aston Parish Council and Middle Aston villagers are considering how to respond to a planning application for a new business park to replace the chicken sheds on the road between Steeple and Middle Aston.

The 29 units proposed at Hatch End Old Poultry Farm could be used for offices, research and development or industrial activities. The application includes provision for parking for nearly 100 cars and 50 bicycles.

Steeple Aston councillors had seen some outline plans at their meeting last September and were initially supportive. They can still see advantages to the proposals as can villagers in Middle Aston. The site is an eyesore. The current chicken sheds are collapsing and can’t be let. Only 15 people work on the site.  A new development could bring jobs as well as greater use of the shop, the pub and the bus.

The site is in Middle Aston, which doesn’t have a parish council. Edward Dowler is the Chair of Middle Aston Parish Meeting. Because of the lockdown, he’s had to canvass the views of villagers by email.

He said that that the increase in traffic is the number one concern for villagers. The same is true in Steeple Aston.  Initially there will be heavy construction traffic needing to travel to the site either via Southside and Paines Hill in Steeple Aston or via Middle Aston.  Then the daily arrival of at least 100 employees’ cars and 50 bicycles in addition to clients visiting the site and deliveries would lead to an enormous increase in traffic. The proximity of Dr Radcliffe’s School, where there have already been worries about road safety for children, is of particular concern.

The parish council discussed ways in which the traffic impact could be reduced. Edward Dowler believes the traffic information included in the planning application is incorrect, and has spoken directly to the developer Charles Sandy of Middle Aston Limited about traffic mitigation measures, not just during construction but also for the long term. He wondered for example whether traffic could be limited during school pick up and drop off times, or whether perhaps employees could travel to the site by minibus. The Parish Council also want to speak to the owners and get more detail about what’s intended.

In addition, there is also concern in both villages about the appearance of the site, and whether it will be in keeping with its rural environment.  The plans show buildings that are 50 per cent higher than the current ones and look quite urban.  Some thought that judicious tree planting could help.

Both Steeple and Middle Aston have asked for an extension to the time allowed for comments. This has been granted and their comments now have to be in on 20th June. SAPC will discuss it again at its next meeting on Monday, 15^th June. Members of the public are welcome to join the council meeting which starts at 7.30pm. Contact the Parish Clerk, Cathy Fleet on 01869 347000/07989 398838 or email parishclerk.steepleaston@gmail.com for  a Zoom invitation.

Originally the application was to be considered only by officials, but now it has been decided to bring it before the CDC Planning Committee.  A decision is scheduled for 6^th August. You can view the application, and comment on it if you want to, on the Cherwell District Council website ref: 20/01127/F.

APRIL

Parish Council Update

CDC says bonfire smoke is a threat to health

Message from Deddington Health Centre

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, there are likely to be a number of changes to how you access care over the next days and weeks. Now all same-day appointments will start with a telephone call. We are aiming to see as few patients face to face as possible to protect vulnerable patients and our staff. Rest assured we will do our very best to provide a high level service as usual. It will just be different for a while. Do not attend or call the surgery if you have a new cough or fever. Follow the advice here which will be updated regularly
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

For the protection of our patients and staff we have divided our surgery into two zones. The main entrance is now out of bounds. Do not enter via this entrance. You will see the sign shown in the picture – please do not ignore it.

Thanks to S&J for food deliveries in the village

S&J Cuisine have already stepped in at very short notice to help the Parish Council make sure the over 70s, vulnerable and self-isolating have meals delivered to their door during this uncertain time. Nearly 50 people are so far having three meals delivered to them every Wednesday and our warm and sincere thanks go to them for that.
If anyone else in this over-70s, vulnerable and self-isolating group would like more details about the scheme or to sign up, please contact Charlotte Bartlett on 01869 347347.
For anyone else not in this group but who would also like meals delivered in this lockdown period, S&J are happy to deliver to them also. 3 meals (main and pudding) delivered to the door for £15. Contact Jasmin on 07801 975210.

Parish Council supports Beeches development again

Steeple Aston Parish Council has once again decided by a majority to support the application by owner Adrian Shooter to build up to eight houses at The Beeches in Steeple Aston, despite a conflict with the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan.

The Plan states that there are houses, mostly on the edge of the village where it would be inappropriate for large gardens to be developed because such sites are characterised as ‘backland’ never intended to be covered with houses. The developers at The Beeches are arguing that the MCNP view is not relevant to their planning approval.

The majority of the Councillors are not against the Beeches development seeing it as an acceptable way to help meet our limit of new homes by 2030. But they recognise the importance of not undermining the MCNP as it is a vital element in our arsenal to prevent unsuitable developments

This is the third time that Mr Shooter has applied to Cherwell District Council to develop the site. His first application was withdrawn following objections from Steeple Aston Parish Council and several others. A modified plan was submitted which took into account some of these objections. This time, the parish council decided by a majority not to object to the revised plans. However, the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum still had several objections and said the plan should be refused.

The plan was rejected by Cherwell District Council. The district council give two reasons for the refusal, both on the basis that the proposals are contrary to the Cherwell Local Plan and government guidance contained in the National Planning Policy Framework. The council’s case officer who recommended the refusal judged that “the proposals represent an inappropriate form of development beyond the built-up limits of the village, for which no essential or identified need has been demonstrated.”

This latest third application is exactly the same as the second one, but with the addition of a lengthy legal counsel’s opinion. The lawyer Peter Goatley looks in detail at the case and makes the point that the refusal of permission last time was delegated to a planning officer and never considered by the council’s Planning Committee.

He argues that the officer made an incorrect decision and that the relevant development plan policies, Council guidance and strategies have been misinterpreted and misapplied.

He concludes that “there would be a sound prospect for members of the planning committee,  properly informed, to reach a different view to that expressed in the officer’s delegated report … Clearly, if that approach is not successful then Mr Shooter will have little option but to appeal.”

The target decision date for the application is 1^st June, and you can see the plan and supporting documents and comments on the Cherwell District website planning register.

 Temporary closure of Village Shop and Post Office

Sadly the Village Shop and Post Office have closed temporarily. The Parish Council has put measures in place to support those who will be affected by the closure. See below. 

SHOP CLOSURE – A PARISH COUNCIL PERSPECTIVE

First we would like to thank Raj and Pari for keeping the shop open for as long as they have done in very difficult circumstances. They are well aware of how important the shop is to the village and have been doing their very best for us. To close it was an extremely difficult decision and not taken lightly.

The main and overriding reason for this temporary closure is that the shop is not a ‘safe’ place for anyone in terms of social distancing. Raj and Pari have tried all sorts of measures to make it work: having the till at the back of the shop, having a screen by the main till, card-only payments. But, the shop is very small and it is virtually impossible to keep 2 metres away from anyone else. They felt that this was compromising not only their health and that of the members of their families who work there, but also the health of their customers.

We appreciate that this move might cause stress to the vulnerable and the elderly. However, under current guidelines the vulnerable and the elderly should not be going out at all, let alone to the village shop. The Parish Council were aware from the outset that this particular group of people would need a lot of support during this crisis. That’s why three weeks ago we put out a village-wide appeal for volunteers, and a request for those who needed help to let us know.

There has been an amazing response to the appeal. Over 50 people have already volunteered to help, and many of them are already running errands, shopping, and picking up medication for those people who are unable to leave their homes. The closure of the shop will obviously increase the workload on these people. We are hoping that 50 plus will be enough. But, if there are any more people who would like to volunteer, please get in touch. Similarly, if you are having difficulty, or you know of anyone who is, do let us know. We are here to help.

We are also aware that many people used the shop as a pick-up point for their prescriptions. We have been in touch with Deddington Health Centre about this. While the shop is closed, the Parish Council will arrange for your prescription to be delivered to your door. If you have any concerns or questions about this, please contact Anna Thatcher on 01869 340672 or 0797 156 1493 or annawhybrew35@hotmail.co.uk. This service will commence from this week: Thursday 9th April.

While we appreciate that the closure of the shop is of great concern, we are also mindful of the position that Raj and Pari find themselves in. It has been a difficult decision for them to make, but the Parish Council are supportive of that decision as being the right one, and the most responsible one in the circumstances. We trust that you will understand, and support them too; and we hope to see them back in Harris’ Stores as soon as they feel able.

Steeple Aston Parish Council

Getting your prescriptions from Deddington Health Centre

If you usually collect your repeat prescription at the shop …

While the Post Office is closed, the Parish Council will arrange for a volunteer to deliver your prescription to your door. This is what you need to do:

• Place your order in the usual way with Deddington Health Centre before midday on Monday. It is best if you can do this online. If you can’t, leave your message on the Repeat Prescription phone line between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The number is 01869 338847.

Your prescription will be delivered to you on Thursday or Friday. If you have any concerns or questions about this, please contact Anna Thatcher on 01869 340672 or 0797 156 1493 or annawhybrew35@hotmail.co.uk.

If you usually collect your repeat prescription at Deddington Health Centre …

You can still do this; but, if you are self-isolating or not wanting to leave your home, the Parish Council can arrange for a volunteer to do it for you. This is what you need to do:

• Place your order in the usual way with Deddington Health Centre before midday on Monday. It is best if you can do this online. If you can’t, leave your message on the Repeat Prescription phone line between 10 and 3. The number is 01869 338847.

• At the same time tell Katie or Mitch that you would like your prescription collected. Make sure you give them your name and address and a contact telephone phone number. Call them on 0781 276 8690 or email katiecrawshay@hotmail.co.uk.

• They will collect your prescription on Friday, and deliver it to you on Friday or Saturday.

If you have a new or urgent prescription to collect from Deddington …

You can still collect this yourself. But if you cannot leave the house for any reason, call Richard MacAndrew on 01869 347209 or email richardmacandrew.steepleaston@gmail.com and we will arrange for a volunteer to collect it for you.

Steeple Aston Parish Council

No increase in Parish Council charge for this year

Steeple Aston Parish Council has managed to hold its part of the council tax bill, known as the precept, to the same level as last year. There will be no increase in the charge for the year 2020/21.

On behalf of the Parish Council, Stuart Ferguson explains how the Steeple Aston element of the council tax bill is spent:

“At about this time for each of the past few years, the Parish Council has published a commentary on the Parish ‘precept’ or element of the overall council tax bill. The good news for 2020/21 is that the Parish Council has managed to avoid any increase whatsoever over the charge levied in 2019/20. Despite ever rising costs, this 0% change has been achieved through a rigorous analysis of all our necessary expenditures.

“Precepts vary between villages depending upon what has to be paid for in a given year. In general, the precept levied for a relatively urban area will be larger than for villages, a reflection of the greater responsibilities of those areas.  The Steeple Aston precept is not one of the smallest, but we do have more facilities to maintain than many villages. At one extreme, for example, Middle Aston has no facilities and thus no expenditure or precept. (I understand that Middle Aston has a Millennium Fund, fed by voluntary contributions, which were also used to purchase their defibrillator. In Steeple Aston the defibrillator, now attached to the Sport and Rec building, was purchased using Parish Council Funds).

“Prominent amongst the responsibilities of the Steeple Aston PC are the Playground and Village Hall.  The playground was established after very successful fund raising campaigns led by Richard Preston. The first section opened in 1994 (cost c£80K), the teenage area including the MUGA followed in 2009 (cost c£100K). Everyone knows that it is almost impossible to acquire funding for ongoing running costs. So costs of repairs, general maintenance, tidying, ROSPA reports etc are borne by the Parish Council. As the years go by, replacement fencing and equipment will be needed, quite probably at short notice, so the PC needs reserves to meet such immediate needs. The layout of the playground is such that it cannot be ‘locked up’ and thus the option of leaving time-expired/broken equipment behind a secure gate and fence does not exist. When the playground was first opened there was an army of volunteers which enabled regular Saturday maintenance/cleaning/tidying work to be done. Now we are reliant on paying for these things, except that the village is very fortunate in having one councilor who possesses the skills (and equipment) to do many repair jobs on a voluntary basis. There have been a few comments recently about how many of the notices are looking grimy. Fair point, but there have not been volunteers to do weekly cleaning and so now pressure washing of the MUGA area is needed. When the current crisis is over the PC intends to do this work but quotes suggest that there may not be much change out of a four figure sum.

“Many in the parish pleaded that the PC installed a toilet at the playground and that was done. Requests that Cherwell DC contribute to that, and ongoing costs, were rebuffed. So we pay for daily cleaning, consumables and repairs, some of which are necessary as a result of anti-social behavior. All of this costs money.

“There are the Village Hall and Sport and Recreation buildings to maintain. The respective management committees do a great job in acquiring funds for some improvements, most recently to the kitchen in the Village Hall, but other things, for example exterior decoration, come out of PC funds.  The heavily requested exterior lighting is another example of relatively recent expenditure. Salutary was the cost of extensive repairs to the Village Hall roof in 2000. In the end, under the auspices of the then chair, Margaret Mason, we obtained a Lottery grant of 65K and the PC would have made an additional contribution. The anticipated life time of the new roof was said at the time to be c75 years. The original had lasted longer but it may have been luck that it had not started leaking. Repairs were expensive as it is in the Conservation Area and thus replacement tiles had to be essentially identical to the old tiles; use of new materials would have been cheaper no doubt, but not allowed. The Parish Council is being responsible in maintaining reserves with a view to expensive repairs and mindful that time flies. 55 years to go and no guarantee that there will in future be grants, or possibility of cheap loans, so it is prudent to put money aside.

“The foregoing illustrates some (not all) of the expenditures we have to meet. Let me finish by thanking our Clerk, Cathy Fleet. During my time (over 20 years? – nobody seems to remember!) on the Parish Council, the work of the Clerk, and associated things like auditing, have increased substantially. The clerk is paid in accordance with nationally agreed pay rates which in my view are not over-generous. In summary I believe that the PC is providing facilities that the villagers as a whole want. Yes, more could be done such as cleaning out bus shelters and general tidying around the village, but it would have to be paid for. My judgement is that we have things about right. I hope you agree; certainly over the years that has been the view of the village.”

MARCH

Police warning after arrest for burglaries

The police have warned villagers to be on alert after a series of burglaries and attempted break-ins resulted in the arrest of one man. But others are suspected of being involved.

Message from Thames Valley Police

Following a series of burglary offences in the Steeple Aston Area, detectives from our Priority Crime Team and uniformed officers from ICR Team 3 have arrested a 21yr old man on suspicion of burglary. That man has been released on bail whilst enquiries into a large amount of recovered property continues.

“Sadly some criminals will seek to take advantage of the current situation to commit crime, rest assured though that as busy as we may be protecting our community from the risk of COVID-19, we will always make time for the those who think they can commit burglary on our area.

“Please ensure that you are keeping garages and external outbuildings locked and secure, garden side gates bolted and make sure the doors and windows of your home are secure; even when you’re indoors.

“Report any suspicious activity and we will always endeavour to respond quickly.”

There have been several reports of burglary or attempted burglary starting on 29^th March  and continuing after the arrest. So more people may be involved. If you have any information including CCTV call 101 ref 43200100951.

Call 101 for anything suspicious, 999 if a crime is in progress.

Planners say no to Great Wolf development, but yes to Southside

Cherwell District Council’s Planning Committee has made decisions on two important applications for the local area. Steeple Aston Parish Councillor Martin Lipson, who is also Chair of the Mid-Cherwell  Neighbourhood Plan Forum, was at the meeting. Here is his report.

“The application from American company Great Wolf  to turn Chesterton into a Centreparcs-style theme park  was unanimously rejected by Cherwell’s Planning Committee on 12th March. About 60 local people turned up to oppose the application, and various district councillors spoke strongly against the scheme. No one spoke in favour of it, and the representatives of the applicants sat stony-faced listening to their plans being rubbished. It will be a while before we hear whether they are going to appeal against the refusal.

“Later in the meeting, Rectory Homes’ scheme for 10 dwellings in Steeple Aston was approved by 10 votes to 4, with one abstention – against the recommendation of their officers.

“The vote took place after the planning officer had explained that the main reason for recommending refusal was the capacity of the site to take more houses, thereby triggering the requirement for four of them to be “affordable homes”. This despite the fact that Rectory had volunteered to make two of the houses “shared ownership”, which means they would in effect be affordable homes.

“The views of Steeple Aston Parish Council and Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum were presented to the Committee by Martin Lipson, who said that the village had led the way in recent years in providing two rural exception sites for affordable housing (Shepherds Hill and Coneygar Fields), and that the officers’ view that the scheme should be refused was paradoxical, as without the support of SAPC and MCNPF the Committee would not be considering a scheme of any kind.

“Mike Kerford-Byrnes, our local Cherwell councillor, proposed a motion of approval. The Leader of the Council – Barry Wood – felt that Steeple Aston had done its bit. He said “Steeple Aston has championed rural exception sites and affordable homes, and was a classic and leading example that others should follow”. He thought that rural areas need not have the housing density that might be required elsewhere, and praised Rectory Homes for volunteering to have two affordable homes in their scheme.

“Approval will bring with it a Section 106 agreement requiring the applicants to fund a number of community benefits to the parish, the details of which will be discussed with the Parish Council.”

Playground and church closed

The village playground and the church are closed following the Prime Minister’s announcement on Monday, 23rd March.

A message from the Parish Council said: “As a result  of the Government announcement last night, the Parish Council have had to take the decision to close the playground and toilet in the interests of Health & Safety and to comply with instructions.  No safety checks on the playground equipment  will be carried out until the playground is able to be re-opened.”

Steeple Aston church is now closed as well. The Rector, Rev Marcus Green said: “We received notification from the Bishop last night following the PM’s broadcast. We have sadly closed all three of our buildings for the time being, but will be updating our Worship At Home video every weekend …..and also I am sending out three or four emails (“Rector’s Ramblings”) a week, and anyone who would like to be included on that list has only to ask me at steeplerector@hotmail.co.uk”

Church services on hold – a message from the Rector

The archbishops have called on all Church of England parishes to pause public worship for a season during the COVID-19 infection, and so for the time being there will be no Sunday services. Full info from the Church of England can be found by clicking here. 

So what do we do in Steeple Aston? Well, the church building will remain open daily for private prayer or reflection or for folk to come and find space for faith, hope and love.

I will be posting a short video resource, ‘Worship at Home’, every Sunday on the homepage of our church website, www.sntchurch.com . This is available for anybody who would like 15 minutes to pray, listen, seek God and feel connected to the community of faith in this place. 

In addition, because community matters, I am sending out regular emails to everyone on our benefice email list. These have offers of help from across our three churches, a little news of others, and some encouragement and hope along the way. If anyone who isn’t currently on that list would like to be – please let me know at steeplerector@hotmail.co.uk and I will gladly add you in. I am also (of course) available on the usual phone number, 340903.

And most of all, the church is here to care. The Church of England, as Archbishop Justin has said this week, is the church for England. We are here to serve everyone and anyone in any way needed. Sunday services may not be happening right now, but the church is far more than a weekly gathering on a Sunday morning. I hope I speak not only for myself but for the churchwardens, the PCC and every member of Steeple Aston Church when I say that (like everyone else) we don’t really know how to respond to these days; except we promise to try and help the person next to us that needs help, and to receive the help given to us when we need it. 

Revd Marcus Green, Rector

STEEPLE ASTON COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PLAN

We all know that we have Emergency Services who deal with most types of emergency, but a major incident may occur in our village when they could not reach us quickly (such as deep snow or a major incident elsewhere). 

This means the Community needs an up to date plan to provide effective, immediate support to those involved in an emergency, including any who have been injured or displaced, as well as to support the Emergency Services when they do arrive.

As part of the Parish Council’s Emergency Plan we need to keep an up to date list of expertise and resources within the village. 

Please let the Parish Council know if you have any of the following skills:-

Paramedic / Doctor
Nurse, Retired Nurse / Midwife
Trained First Aider
Pharmacist/ Chemist
Radio Amateur
Electrician
Computer technician
Builder
Engineer
Vet
Farmer

Or if you have any of the following resources:-

Generator
Radios, walkie talkies
4 x 4 vehicle
Tractor and trailer
Van
Lifting Equipment
Minibus
Gas stoves/catering equipment
Chainsaw
Surface water pump
Wet Vac
Old-fashioned plug in telephone

PLEASE CONTACT:  Cathy Fleet on parishclerk.steepleaston@gmail.com or 01869 347000 if you have any of these skills, resources or anything else you think would be useful in an emergency.

SAL has not just one, but TWO new editors!

From this month there are two new editors of Steeple Aston Life, Angela Smith and Becca Coker. Both of them are on maternity leave and are pictured here with their babies. Angela on the left is holding  seven-month-old James, and five-month-old Imogen is with her mother Becca.

Angela and Becca both came forward individually as a result of the desperate appeal in SAL for someone to take on the editorship after Heather Sherkunov had to resign when she  moved away from the village. They are going to share editorial responsibilities, with one taking the lead on alternate months. Angela is going first and will edit the April edition.

Angela may be known to SAL readers for her ‘Ramblings’ articles, seasonal reports on walks and wildlife in the area. Brought up in Beaconsfield, she moved to Steeple Aston four years ago from Bracknell in Berkshire with her husband David, an accountant. The couple met at Birmingham University where they both studied biochemistry.

After graduation Angela backpacked across Asia and Africa, taught English as a Foreign Language, wrote travel guidebooks and sold safari holidays. She still loves travelling, and is currently on maternity leave from a job in marketing at Flight Centre in Oxford.

Becca moved to the village just under two years ago with her husband Tom, who is a cavalry officer based at the Defence Academy in Shrivenham. She knows the area well as she grew up in Barford St Michael, where her mother still lives, and, as a child, had some close friends in the village.

After studying philosophy and psychology at university in Durham and Cambridge, she went on to work in the City as a lobbyist for the financial services industry. Becca is on maternity leave from Keble College, Oxford where she is a major gifts fundraiser.

She says that everybody was so friendly to her when she moved here, she would like to contribute to village life by helping to keep SAL alive. Angela too loves the village and hopes to meet more people through her work on SAL. She has already made some local contacts at the Baby and Toddler group.

They both hope that by sharing the editorship it will take the pressure off just one individual. They don’t have any major changes in mind for the magazine to begin with, but over time we may see some additions as they get in to their stride. Becca would like to include more about activities at Dr Radcliffe’s School. Angela says she has found SAL really useful for suggestions of things to do and places to visit, and she might want to expand this to include recommendations for places to eat as well.

If you want to contact Angela or Becca with ideas, comments or even complaints about SAL, please use the new email address editorsalife@gmail.com.

NB There is an error in this address on page 1 of the March edition of SAL, the address above is the correct one.

Planning decision on Great Wolf Resorts imminent

Urgent Message from Chesterton Parish Council

The Great Wolf planning application 19/02550/F is to be decided at the planning committee meeting this Thursday 12 March at 4pm.  This does not give much time so may I ask you to do two things:.

1. 1. Please email your strong objection to ALL the councillors on the planning committee by this Wednesday 11 March (this can of course be your original objection).  Although Cherwell District Council has recommended refusal we cannot afford to be complacent or assume that more distant councillors are as well informed.  No doubt Great Wolf will have done their utmost to reach these councillors so we must adopt the same approach.

To make it quick and easy, here is the list of councillors’ email addresses on the Planning Committee. These can be copied and pasted into a Bcc address box to make it more personal.

James.Macnamara@cherwell-dc.gov.uk; Andrew.Beere@cherwell-dc.gov.uk; Phil.Chapman@cherwell-dc.gov.uk; Conrad.Copeland@cherwell-dc.gov.uk; Chris.Heath@cherwell-dc.gov.uk;David.Hughes@cherwell-dc.gov.uk; Cassi.Perry@cherwell-dc.gov.uk; George.Reynolds@cherwell-dc.gov.uk;Les.Sibley@cherwell-dc.gov.uk; Maurice.Billington@cherwell-dc.gov.uk; Hugo.Brown@cherwell-dc.gov.uk;Colin.Clarke@cherwell-dc.gov.uk; Ian.Corkin@cherwell-dc.gov.uk; Simon.Holland@cherwell-dc.gov.uk;Cllr.Mike.KerfordByrnes@cherwell-dc.gov.uk; Lynn.Pratt@cherwell-dc.gov.uk; Barry.Richards@cherwell-dc.gov.uk; Katherine.Tyson@cherwell-dc.gov.uk; Barry.Wood@cherwell-dc.gov.uk

2.  A planning QC has advised Chesterton PC that attendance at the meeting would show the strength of opposition and could make a real difference to waverers.  In anticipation of a large turnout of objecting residents and PC reps, Cherwell District Council have booked additional car parking at Banbury Cricket Club whose entrance is almost opposite the entrance to the Bodicote offices on White Post Road.  There will be someone directing cars at the entrance to the Cricket Club from 3.15pm on Thursday.  

You can find out more about what’s planned by Great Wolf Resorts on their website, and the objections to it on change.org petition website

FEBRUARY

Award for Martin

Congratulations to Martin Lipson for winning a High Sheriff of Oxfordshire Award 2020. This award is given to people who have done great service to their community and has been awarded to Martin for his work on the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan. 

Pre-Schoolers appeal to dog owners

For years the Parish Council has been appealing to owners to pick up their dog’s mess. But there are always a few in the village who still take no notice.

Now the children at Steeple Aston Pre-School have joined in. Let’s hope they will have more success than the adults.

The three- and four-year-olds have been making posters asking villagers to “please pick up your dog poo”. You can see some more examples of their work below.

At Pre-School they also have a poem on the subject which pulls no punches! It goes:

Poo Poo on the street
Ends up on our tiny feet
We don’t know the consequence
But you do know it’s an offence
We tread it home and into school
Do you think that’s really cool?
You wanted a dog, you get the muck
So be the adult and pick it up.

Find out more about Steeple Aston Pre-School

JANUARY

Parish Council acts on mobile phone reception

Following its recent survey on mobile phone reception,  Steeple Aston Parish Council has called on the providers to “effect a significant improvement to the poor mobile phone reception in our village”. Its strongly worded letter to the heads of the companies asking for immediate action has also been copied to the local MP Victoria Prentis and the Communications Ombudsman.

The Council is also urging individual villagers to write to their mobile phone provider to add power to the council’s request.

In a message to villagers the council says:

“Thank you very much for completing our short survey on mobile phone reception. We had an excellent response from the village with over 50 replies. We have combined and anonymised the results, and sent them to the CEOs of the eight mobile phone companies currently in use in the village, with copies to Victoria Prentis MP, and the Ombudsman for Communication Services.

“Our letter, and the data we collected up to 15^th January, are available on this village website.

“The data speaks for itself.

“While we wait to see what the reaction is, please can we urge you to write individually to your mobile phone provider. It may be that companies are more inclined to respond to complaints from individual customers to their own provider, rather than a collective complaint to many different providers. If so, an individual letter from you can only add power to our request.

“Before you write, please first check the coverage for your post code here:https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/mobile-coverage

“Then:

• explain why you are writing: to ask for an improvement to the mobile phone service in the village.
• comment on how accurate the coverage checker is: say what the service is actually like in your home and garden.
• say how poor service affects you:

            – do banks send codes to your mobile phone?
            – do any of your shopping sites use pass codes?
            – if you use the HMRC website, how does coverage affect you?
            – if you run a business from home, how does coverage affect you?
            – have you been refused a smart meter because of poor coverage?
            – do you have any other difficulties?

• politely request again that something is done to improve the service.

We attach a list of addresses for you to choose from.

Once again, thank you very much for responding to our request for information.

Village defibrillator is now active

The defibrillator on the wall of the Sports and Recreation Centre is now active. It is registered with South Central Ambulance Service, who will issue the code for the cabinet if the circumstances of an emergency call indicate the use of a defibrillator

Villagers might also want to download the Save A Life App onto their phone. In the event of an emergency, this shows the nearest defibrillators to your location.

Parish Council Chairman, Richard MacAndrew explains how the installation of the new defibrillator came about, and most importantly how to use it!

He writes: “Last spring the village inherited a defibrillator from the first responders/South Central Ambulance Service. As there is now only one first responder in the village, the Parish Council volunteered to take responsibility for the defibrillator and mount a cabinet for it in a prominent place. However, further investigation, and discussions with the manufacturer, revealed that the machine was in fact 15 years old. Whilst the life span of a defibrillator is considered to be around 20 years, the warranty only is 10, so the Parish Council felt that it would be sensible to purchase a new one. The money to pay for this came out of the Parish Council reserves. The annual maintenance charge and funds for new batteries and pads, when needed, will come out of the precept.

“The new defibrillator is now mounted in its cabinet beside the entrance to the Sports and Recreation building, a site chosen for visibility, ease of access and the easy availability of an electricity supply. Since defibrillators have to be kept above a certain temperature, the cabinet is thermostatically controlled and therefore needs an electricity supply. ”

“The cabinet is locked to prevent theft. If a 999 call indicates that the use of a defibrillator might save a life, the Ambulance Service will give the key code to the caller. Using the defibrillator is very simple. You take it out of the cabinet, open it up and follow the spoken instructions. You cannot do someone harm using a defibrillator because it only works when it needs to. Or, as someone once said, the only way you can hurt someone with a defibrillator is to hit them with it!

“In order to reassure and inform villagers, we will be holding an `Awareness Session’, open to all, later in the year when a qualified practitioner will give practical advice on how to deal with an emergency, and demonstrate how a defibrillator should be used.

“To ensure that the machine is functioning correctly, the Parish Council will appoint two ‘guardians’ to inspect the cabinet and the machine on a regular basis and enter the results of their checks on an internet-based record system. The Ambulance Service can then be sure that they are directing callers to a working defibrillator.

“In the next few weeks a Village Emergency Telephone System (VETS) will be set up. This will enable someone who rings 999 to stay with the patient. If the Ambulance Service receives a 999 call and thinks a defibrillator is necessary, they will activate the VETS system, which will ring round a telephone chain of volunteers until it finds one who is able to collect the defibrillator and take it to where it is needed.

“The Parish Council is looking for volunteers who have a landline and who would be willing to add their names to the VETS list. If you are interested, please get in touch with the Chairman, Richard MacAndrew on 01869 347209 or richardmacandrew.steepleaston@gmail.com”

Parish Council supports revised Southside housing plan

Steeple Aston Parish Council has agreed to support an application to build ten homes on Southside opposite the entrance to Hill House. A revised proposal from the developer  was considered by the council at its January meeting. The council was pleased to see that Rectory Homes had addressed the issues they had previously raised and now unanimously supported the application.

“Whatever is the outcome of the application, Rectory Homes should be given credit for listening and responding to local views – something that not all developers are prepared to do.”

However, not all villagers are happy with the proposals despite the recent changes. There are objections by three residents living close by who continue to be concerned about the proposed development. They are mainly worried about safety of pedestrians such as schoolchildren leaving the site, particularly in the morning and evening when drivers often have difficulty seeing because of low sun.

The planners are expected to make a decision on this application by 9th April. The revised application along with associated documents and comments by members of the public and others can be seen on Cherwell District Council’s website.