Revised MCNP Plan open for consultation
From the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum:
We’re pleased to inform you that the Review of the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan has now been published, and we would welcome your comments and feedback on it. The Consultation remains open until Friday, 23rd May 2025. Please click here to go to the consultation website.
The updated Plan includes several important new planning policies, including the allocation of housing sites in some of the villages, aimed at meeting the needs of local people. There are also policies protecting the Mid-Cherwell environment, its landscape and biodiversity, and we’ve added more Local Green Spaces and more Local Gaps for protection from possible future development.
We want to know what you think about the new Plan: we have tried to make it as easy as possible for you to respond with our online questionnaire. If you prefer to use email or post to respond, a downloadable form is available on the website.
We have also printed a limited number of copies of the Plan document – your Parish Clerk has copies of these if you would like to see one. Copies will also be available at Deddington, Bicester and Banbury Libraries.
Thank you
MCNP Forum
Lots of new talent on show for Spring
Vicky Clifton, Show Secretary writes:
Sunday 23rd March saw the first show of the year for the Steeple Aston and Middle Aston Horticultural Society . With 80 exhibitors entering over 300 exhibits, the Village Hall was brimming with Spring blooms, blossom and talents. We had lots of new names taking part and quite a lot of change in the cup winners. Please do take a look at the results. I am always delighted when children transition from their age category in to the territory of the ‘adult’ divisions and win prizes – full credit to them for taking the plunge, certainly keeps us old timers on our toes. Sadly there were a few classes that had no entries at all, so next year, if you have a cactus or spring planters please do take part and enter them, it all adds to a beautiful display.
Whilst we as a committee enjoy a few days rest, we’re already formulating some exciting plans for our Summer Show on Bank Holiday Monday 25th August. The schedule for this event is already live here and printed paper copies will be available in the village shop from the end of July. If you’d like one sooner please get in touch. Email vmcstedman@btinternet.com
Once again thank you to all that took part and came along to the show during the afternoon.
Spring Show 2025 photos. Many thanks to Nigel Francis. Click on the first picture to enlarge and then scroll through using the arrows.
Village Hall ‘in jeopardy’ without a Chairperson
A few weeks ago, Richard Preston made a heartfelt appeal for someone to step up and take over the role of chairperson of the Village Hall from Barbara Brewer who retires in May.
To say the least, he was very disappointed with the response from villagers. So, he is trying again!
He writes:
It is always easier to “leave it to someone else”, especially when you think it might incur some effort. We have all been in this situation and spare time is becoming so valuable these days that it is not always possible to “volunteer” for something. On saying that, following my plea for help a month ago via both SAL and the village website, the response to find a new chairperson for the Village Hall served up a ZERO response.
It might have been the way I wrote the article, or maybe you guessed someone else would jump at the opportunity. Whichever it might have been, it leaves the Village Hall in real jeopardy. Can it continue? Does the village actually want a Village Hall? These are just a couple of questions that could be asked.
The position of chairperson for the Village Hall is not that demanding. It will enable you to meet other community volunteers and be part of a team that enables this wonderful old building to continue in its present form and we are able to retain a Village Hall. I can promise you, the amount of work involved is entirely down to you and with a wonderful team working alongside, it does not have to be in any way demanding.
If you think you might be able to help, give me a call and I will try and answer any questions you might have. Absolutely no obligation!
Richard Preston – a Village Hall trustee and retired VH chairman.
Richard.preston5@btopenworld.com or telephone 01869 340512.
Poppy Cascade update – Brownies now making poppies
A group of villagers are creating a commemorative cascade of poppies to tumble down from the church tower to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
The WI got started making poppies before Christmas and they have now been joined with enthusiasm by other village groups. Their first big count up has shown that over 1,000 poppies have already been made.
Earlier Poppy Committee reported:
The first big count up at the end of February has yielded a magnificent 1,105 poppies of various sizes shapes materials and all consistently red with the black centres. Absolutely magnificent!
We have had hundreds of poppies from the WI – (well they did start first) a steady flow from the Church – a colossal bag from the Valentine Club, a bag from the Brownies and miscellaneous bags simply donated anonymously in the box at the back of Church. A very big thank you!
Thanks to all of you who have donated so far. Lots more Please – keep them coming…….
Those not yet started – do please have a go we need your poppies too! Patterns available in the Poppy box in the Church or design your own.
We had an impromptu Poppy making session at The Grain Store on the Chatty Table – (first Monday of the month). Definitely chatty, but we had a crocheting learning session and of course some more knitting. We will go again on Monday, 7th April 10am – care to join us?
If you need any help advice or information about how to get started, please contact us and we can help.
Eileen – eileen@baglinjones.com Hildy, Kay or Merrill – 01869 347802, merrill.bayley@gmail.com
Time to report those pesky potholes
Graham Porcas, our local pothole expert, writes:
Now the weather is starting to improve we can get on with tidying up after winter and fixing potholes again.
In Steeple Aston we use the Fix My Street system and as your Parish Council was an early supporter of the scheme we are well established with the Highway Authority and are very fortunate to have excellent support from them to get defects fixed quickly. But how does it work?
The FMS system is very effective, either go online and enter details of any potholes yourself or contact Cathy, our parish clerk, with details which she will pass on to me.
I am what is referred to as an FMS SuperUser and can then carry out the necessary checks to make sure the pothole can be repaired using what is now the standard cut and fill repair process. Provided it complies with the criteria then I can directly action the repair by council contractors without requiring a highways department inspection making the process quick and simple.
Repairs will then be made within 28 days, usually much less, the record is same day!
When filling in the FMS report please try and keep the details concise and most importantly accurate, exaggerating the severity of the problem does not help, nor does making extravagant claims or wild accusations, short and simple is best and will ensure the quickest response.
The minimum criteria for a fault to be actioned on the FMS system is that it must be more than 40mm deep and at least 150mm across, if less then it will not count although we do have other facilities for filling less severe defects in special cases. If you believe that yours is one of these special cases then please let Cathy know rather than wasting an FMS report as if it does not comply it will be rejected immediately.
Let’s get reporting!
Contact Parish Clerk, Cathy Fleet on 07989 398 838 or email parishclerk.steepleaston@gmail.com
South Side parking stops bus again!
The village bus being held up by cars badly parked on South Side has been a long-running concern in the village. It got particularly bad a while ago when there was a lot of building work going on.
But the problem hasn’t gone away. One villager tells us of a recent incident and her worry that we will lose our bus service if it’s impossible for the bus to travel freely through the village. Others have expressed their concern about other vehicles including ambulances and fire engines getting through in an emergency.
But if cars park on the pavement to leave more space for the bus, then there’s a problem for pedestrians, especially those with buggies or wheelchairs. One villager suggested a one-way system round the village. Perhaps the Parish Council might need to consider drastic measures.
Marion Ganthony has written to tell us of the latest incident on Thursday, 20th January:
“I know – yet another letter about people parking on South Side without leaving enough space for buses and other large vehicles to drive down the road.
“I was on the bus from Oxford this lunchtime and had just signalled the driver to stop at the Red Lion bus stop, when we came to a halt in front of Staithe Cottage. The driver said he did not think he was able to get through, past a silver car parked with its nose out from the kerb. He sounded his horn to no avail, then managed to get out of the bus to knock on some doors. Fortunately, two residents came to see if they could guide the bus through the narrow space, and succeeded. The way past was bumpy as the bus had to mount the kerb and drive partly on the steep embankment. The grass will soon look a mess because of the heavy tyre tracks.
“Can I please be another voice asking people to take care and park thoughtfully, especially at the narrowest parts of the road. When we first moved to Steeple Aston, our criteria for a good village to live in were: a school, a bus service, and a shop. I am sure many other people have a very similar list. I don’t want the bus service to be the first service we lose because buses can’t make their way through the village.”
Council responds to criticism around Emergency Plan
Steeple Aston Parish Council has responded to criticism from villagers about their lack of response when there was a power cut in the village of over 24 hours.
Former council chair John Coley wrote to Steeple Aston Life magazine asking whether the village’s Emergency Plan was activated, as intended, to help elderly and vulnerable villagers to keep warm and safe in the event of a prolonged power cut. In particular John and two other villagers who responded to his letter were concerned that SSE provided hot food from a van in the Village Hall car park but villagers, some without phone or internet access, were not informed about it.
The Emergency Plan is out of date as you can see on the homepage of this website. Now the council says it will be updated and are asking for villagers to volunteer to help out if it needs to be activated in future.
Here is the statement from the Parish Council:
At the January meeting of Steeple Aston Parish Council one agenda item was a conversation around the current emergency plan. We wanted the chance to discuss this as a group before responding to recent letters printed in Steeple Aston Life.
In the past year our village and surrounding area has suffered from multiple power outages and even a water shortage. These have ranged from short periods across a handful of houses, to longer stretches such as the recent power cut caused by Storm Darragh. This affected approximately 15 per cent of the population in and around Steeple Aston. That population included more than Steeple Aston residents impacting both Middle Aston and local businesses. In total 75 households and businesses were without power for approximaately 29 hours.
Having reviewed our Emergency Plan against those supplied by the Joint Oxfordshire Resilience Team, the processes outlined within it are in line with common practice. The plan does however need updating in terms of contacts and roles and responsibilities which the Parish Council are now working through. One such improvement is a notification system whereby, in this case, SSE should have contacted the PC, which did not happen, and in turn the PC would activate its network of local residents to check on neighbours.
As a village we are powered (pun intended) by our community, the Parish Council are one small part of this giving of their time to help maintain and improve our spaces and community. Whilst we navigate updating the Emergency Plan, we will be keen to hear from those within our community who are willing to take their small role should an Emergency Plan need to be actioned.
Your Parish Council