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The Bank Holiday commemorating VE day, 75 years ago last Friday, provided some simple fun and light relief in the current circumstances. It turned out to be a great success for many around the village and one of the surprising aspects was how convivial everyone managed to be whilst exercising good social distancing. In the afternoon (and into the evening) groups of neighbours gathered all around the village in their front gardens to remember the day and raise a glass or two to the memory of that generation. Generosity in kind and generosity of spirit was much present.

For those who did not have the chance to walk the streets here are some photos (34 in total).

Due to Coronavirus, the Shelswell News is not being printed and distributed  by hand until further notice. Under normal circumstances it is a monthly subscription magazine for the Shelswell Group of churches. However  Alice Goodall, the Rector for the group of churches has asked for it to be made available on line, so this is your chance to sample it for free by clicking on this link.

May issue:  here

April issue: http://www.shelswellparishes.info/documents/Shelswell%20News%20April.pdf

The Shelswell News is published monthly and covers ten villages. It is much more than just a church magazine as it features all the latest news  and stories from the villages and also carries many useful advertisements for local traders. It is in effect a local noticeboard for the parishes of Cottisford, Finmere, Fringford, Godington, Hardwick, Hethe, Mixbury, Newton Purcell, Stoke Lyne and Stratton Audley.

So this is a great opportunity to browse through it and if you like what you see, maybe think about taking out a subscription. It is another great way to stay in touch.

To subscribe, contact Becky Adams, Benefice Administrator, The Rectory, Water Stratford Road,
Finmere, Buckingham MK18 4AT . Tel 01280 848192. Email admin@shelswellparishes.info

If you are self-isolating & cannot get to the shops, needs some other help or just want to have a chat, just pick up the phone to one of the people listed in the pdf attached. If a zone coordinator is not available then phone one of the others for help.

Most people are already in touch with their neighbours with some even setting up Whatapp groups for their street . However please know that with so much goodwill in these difficult time, all you have to do is ask.

Click on this pdf to see the full list of supplementary volunteers. Covid 19 Volunteers 30.03.20

View the map here

LATEST PUBLIC HEALTH UPDATE

We are now seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases every day and are approaching the peak of epidemic. It is therefore important all of us do our utmost to follow the government’s guidance, to protect ourselves, the NHS and save lives.

• Everyone should stay at home
• Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (where this absolutely cannot be done from home)
• Stay 2 meters (6ft) away from other people
• Wash your hands as soon as you get home

If you need more information on COVID-19 please visit: www.gov.uk/coronavirus which provides up to date reliable information.  As the situation evolves further new information will be added to this website.

Please continue to take sensible precautions to help slow the spread of almost any germs, including Coronavirus:

• Always carry tissues to catch your cough or sneeze
• Bin used tissues as quickly as possible

Wash your hands often with warm water and soap.

Previous Message from Director of Public Health – 15^th March 2020

As a result of increasing number of cases, the government have announced the move from containment to delay phase of our response to COVID-19.

This leads to significant change in the way we identify and manage potential cases of COVID-19.

The updated advice for people who suspect they have coronavirus is as follows:

1. You must stay at home (self-isolate), regardless of the travel history or contact with confirmed cases, if you  have:
   1. A new continuous cough
   2. High temperature (of 37.8c or higher)

2. The geographic element of the case definition has now been removed. Travel and contact history are no longer important for diagnosis, which is on the basis of symptoms alone. If people who have travelled do not have symptoms they do not need to stay at home, regardless of their travel history.

Symptomatic Individuals should stay at home (self-isolate) for 7 days from the onset of symptoms following the current advice. People who have the above symptoms and suspect they have Covid-19 will no longer be tested.

If someone has serious symptoms they cannot manage at home they should use NHS 111 online (people should only call NHS111 if they cannot get online).

After 7 days of self-isolation, people who feel better and no longer have a high temperature can return to their normal routine.   If they have not had any signs of improvement after 7 days and have not already sought medical advice, they should use NHS111 before they leave their home or let visitors in. Cough may persist for several weeks in some people, despite the coronavirus infection having cleared.   A persistent cough alone does not mean someone must continue to stay at home for more than 7 days.

If you are a  suspect case and self-isolate, the public and the organisations concerned do not have to take extra measures beyond this, for now.  The above measures have been put in place to protect vast majority of the public while causing minimum impact on the day to day business.

As we move further into the Delay phase, the government may consider other measures like social distancing in the future.  It is very important that we don’t deviate from the current government position, which is based on best scientific evidence available to us. It is also important that we take a longer term view on this.  We need to make sure the right measures are put in place at the right time, to ensure maximum positive impact.  Otherwise it can be extremely counterproductive.  

The evidence still indicates that most cases experience mild flu like symptoms.  If you do have any concern please do visit the public health website www.gov.uk/coronavirus which provides up to date reliable information.  As the situation evolves further new information will be added to this website.

Ansaf Azhar

Corporate Director of Public Health and Wellbeing

Oxfordshire County Council & Cherwell District Council

Mobile: 07967228813| PA: Christine Jones | 07393001235 | christine.jones@oxfordshire.gov.uk

There have been reports by residents of several people flouting the rules during this lockdown. A number of them appear to be people from outside the village who have driven here to enjoy the pond area in particular. In one case there were four large dogs who were allowed to play in and out of the water fetching sticks whilst their owners sat on the benching drinking. This meant that several villagers were sufficiently concerned not to use the path.

As a result a decision was taken to put up notices at both ends of the public footpath and by the bench and put out traffic cones to deter visitors.

Under normal circumstances such measures would never be contemplated but under the current rules it is against the law to travel to another place in order to go for a walk. The Parish Council discussed various other options such as temporarily removing the seat or closing the path completely but this would have been to the detriment of people in the village who enjoy a short walk and need to rest from time to time.

By taking this action the Parish Council is acting in the interests of residents and we hope that everyone will understand and take note.

Because of the Coronavirus it is very important to be extra vigilant when out for a walk and avoid touching surfaces wherever possible. The most frequently used path appears to be the Cross Bucks Way via the Pound. The gates have latches so surface contact is unavoidable, so please wear disposable gloves or use a tissue or piece of kitchen towel that can protect your hands and be disposed of immediately in the waste bin. If you are unsure about touching the gates please avoid going through them and take another route as it is vital that we all stay as safe as we can.

When you come into contact with other people remain at least two meters away from each other as virus droplets can travel through the air.

Please make sure that the gates on all walks are kept securely closed to prevent livestock from leaving the fields. In these difficult times we must all work together and be alert to prevent the spread of this deadly infection.

The Parish Council carries out quarterly door drops as well as regularly updating the website (www.strattonaudley.org) and noticeboard plus occasionally Facebook page. We do this to encourage involvement in the community and appreciate your feedback. Please keep this sheet as a reminder. Additionally the Parish Council hold meetings usually on the first Wednesday of each month in the Red Lion at 7pm and you are always welcome to attend.

Date for the Annual Parish Open Meeting (LIKELY TO BE DEFERRED)

This is planned for Wednesday 6th May at 7.30 in the Church unless cancelled due to Coronavirus. Prior to this, the regular monthly Parish Council meeting will be held at 6.30pm, also in the church.

Parish Vacancy

There has been a vacancy on the Parish Council ever since we increased the numbers from 5 to 7. We are delighted to report that Mike Gore has now filled this position. However a further opening has been created as a result of John Edwards’ resignation after 2 years. We thank him for his service and having advertised the position confirm that this vacancy will now be filled by co-option. Please contact the clerk if interested strattonaudley.parishclerk@gmailcom.

New VAS on Stoke Lyne Road

As promised the new 30 mph sign at the entrance to the village on the Stoke Lyne Road has been installed and is operational. This new solar powered sign can be rotated to face in the other direction. It has been located some70 meters inside the 30 mph zone and it activates about 10- 20m before a vehicle reaches the first static speed sign, depending on the size of the vehicle. In due course data will be captured and made available.

RE-OPENED PATH BY HUNT KENNELS. A disused public footpath off the Bicester Road just beyond the hunt kennels as you leave the village, has been cleared of vegetation and a new gate and footbridge installed to re-establish a short circular walk. Instigated by the Parish Council, the work was carried out by the County Council in co-operation with the Bicester Hunt, so that walkers can now easily access this old public right of way.

FOOTPATH ACCESS OFF STOKE LYNE ROAD.

A new gate has been purchased and installed in the path leading off the Stoke Lyne Road which replaces a stile and re-establishes easy access on this path for less agile walkers.

At the request of the Parish Council following suggestions from members of the community, OCC have carried out resurfacing works to the path that leads to the pond at the bottom of Cherry Street. Our thanks go to them for completing the work and for sharing the cost, with additional money provided from a discretionary fund managed by Cllr. Ian Corkin.

Camera Survey of Village Sewers by Thames Water

Thames Water, having completed an initial scoping exercise of the sewer network within the village, are in the process of carrying out a camera survey. The intention is to identify points of infiltration and repair them with liner tubes in order to reduce ground water entering into the sewage system and vice versa. This follows continual problems with foul water flooding the Launton Road and should help to negate the need for removal of excess sewage by lorries at the pumping station in the Launton Road. Thames Water have agreed to deliver a report at the next Annual Meeting of the Parish in May.

Resurface work on Launton Road

As a result of discussions with OCC, patching of the road surface in the village along Launton Road from the junction of Mill Road up to where the speed limit changes will be carried out, rather than the individual filling of pot holes that is usually the case. This is good news but will require the road to be closed for a short while. The work is likely to be carried out in June and warning notices will be displayed in advance prior to the disruption. In the meantime, any severe pot holes will still be filled as a temporary measure provided they are reported on ‘fixmystreet’.

East-West Rail Gets Go Ahead

This project has now received approval to proceed from the Secretary of State and at a recent launch further details on the work schedule was made public. However the assurances we were given two years ago about no LGV (Light Good Vehicles) coming through the village may not be as cast iron as we thought. Our clear understanding at the time was that LGVs would take the same routes as for the HGVs, either via the Bicester ring road for the Launton compound or the Stratton Park Road for the Poundon compound. This is now the subject of some serious conversations to establish the total estimated numbers of vehicles, those that will be diverted and those likely to officially or unofficially travel via the village. The EWR Alliance has been asked to attend the Annual Parish Open Meeting by which time there should be more clarity.

Promoting Food Waste for the Brown Bin Campaign
The Parish Council has been actively promoting the correct disposal of food waste, which should be put into the brown bin not the green general waste bin. The District Council are also keen to promote this and are offering a free small food caddy to store waste in the kitchen until it needs empting it into the outdoor brown bin. An action day took place in the village which resulted in at least 6 households taking up the offer and  if you would like one, please contact them on 01295 227003 or by email at customer.service@cherwell-dc.gov.uk .

Bicester Motion and Elm Farm Quarry

Bicester Motion (Heritage) are in continued discussions with Oxfordshire County Council regarding the former Elm Farm Quarry. Bicester Motion are preparing concepts to create a viable restoration scheme for the former quarry site that seek to promote the ecology on the site and are exploring the opportunity for public activities on the site. Consultation is planned to take place during 2020 and this is a priority matter for the Parish Council.

Village Improvement Fund

There is still approximately £1400 available in the Village Fund.

The Parish Council has agreed to fund improvement works to the rear gate access of the Church graveyard, to alter the depth of the steps and provide hand-rails. A plan has been drawn up and agreement reached with the PCC for the works to proceed in the spring, with the help of volunteers.

It has become apparent that works to repair the clock on the church tower are more extensive and may require greater funding than at first thought. The Church are carrying out further investigative work and in the meantime the Parish Council has offered to get quotes from specialist companies and investigate what grant might be available to help fund the repair, with the intention of getting the work done this summer.

Conservation Area Review & Update Plan
The new Stratton Audley Conservation Area has now been adopted. This follows a lengthy review and re-appraisal in 2018/2019 by Cherwell District Council which included discussions with local residents and land owners. It has resulted in some changes, but in the main the report updates and reconfigures the data from the previous review which was carried out in 1996.

An overgrown and consequently disused public footpath off the Bicester Road, just beyond the hunt kennels as you leave the village, has been opened up and a new footbridge built so that walkers can now easily access this public right of way.

Following discussions late last year between the Parish Council and the County Council’s Countryside Access Officer for this area, it was agreed that this long-neglected and inaccessible path should be restored. Villagers wishing to walk the path which  runs through the hunt kennels and fields are now able to return to the Bicester Road without accessing either of the two private drives owned by the BHWC closer into the village.

The work was carried out by Oxford County Council and as a community we thank them for their willingness to arrange for it to be carried out in a short space of time. At the other end of this short path a gate has been installed by the Hunt Kennels for which  we thank them as well. Please be extra careful to always secure the gate shut with the chain provided in order to prevent horses escaping.