CLP

Village Questionnaire Reminder

It has now been just over a week since the questionnaires were distributed and to date we have received about 70 returns. This represents a third of all households and in order for the survey to have validity we need to reach a return rate of two thirds or 140 completed surveys.

So could we please ask those who have put it to one side to complete it and return to one of the Parish Councillors over this weekend, in order for the analysis to be carried out before the village meeting on 6^th April (less that two weeks time!)

Hot News from the Red Lion
The following information is from Dillie:

“Please make sure you book your Mother’s Day lunch which is this Sunday – either at 12 noon or 2.30 pm.  Special menu.  01869 277225.

Coffee Morning every Wednesday.  Lunch and coffee morning has gone up, apologies, but I’m sure I don’t need to tell everyone that the cost of living is rocketing. 

The next Quiz Night with Richard Walsh is on  7th April”.

Red Cross Appeal for Ukraine

The Red Lion who organised and ran a Pledge Auction for the Red Cross Ukraine Appeal last Sunday evening was a truly great success. Just over £4500 was raised from the auctioning of some 30 or so items by local geezer Tony Jones. Congratulation to Dillie and everyone else who helped and to those who provided the items from cakes to flights and of course the bidders who packed out the pub. ALL the money raised. Goes to the appeal fund.News from Stratton Audley Church
The follow information is from Becky Adams on behalf of the Shelswell Benefice:
“This coming Sunday, 27^th March, there will be a 9.15am service of Holy Communion in Stratton Audley Church – all are welcome.

Please check our website for details of services elsewhere in the benefice http://www.shelswellparishes.info/services.php “
‘Little Lambs’ baby and toddler group continues in Stratton Audley Church every Wednesday in term time (10am – 11.30am) – Just turn up.

Stratton Audley Barn
The following is from Richard, Sara and the Barn team:
“Treat Mum to a special Afternoon Tea at the Barn on Mothering Sunday, 27th March. Standard afternoon tea £19.50pp, add Prosecco for £5pp. Children’s Afternoon tea £9.95.
Limited places and booking essential, give us a call to find out more or reserve your place on 01869 278184.
Easter stock has also arrived, from gorgeous Easter bunnies to egg for your tree, come browse the cute selection and have a cup of tea!!
Follow us on Facebook for more news and updates. From the Barn Team!”

EWR Road Closures

Just to remind everyone that the road that runs from Stratton Audley to Marsh Gibbon from the crossroads intersection with Station Road that goes to Launton is closed for the next 3 months until 17^th June for the bridge works.

However, the good news is that Station Road to Launton is now fully open ahead of time. (see below photos)

Additionally, and although it doesn’t affect us directly, this is just to draw your attention to the other significant road closure. The Bicester Road that connects Bicester to Launton will be closed on Monday 28^th March for a couple of months until Friday 27 May 2022, between the hours of 7am and 6pm. Access will be maintained for pedestrians and cyclists.

Annual OPEN Meeting of the Parish is on 6^th April
The Annual Assembly of the Parish of Stratton Audley will be held at St Mary and St Edburga Church on Wednesday 6th April at 7.30pm.
This is not to be confused with the Annual Parish Council Meeting but an OPEN meeting of the Parish. The Parish Council traditionally facilitates the meeting and creates a running order to include current matters known to be of interest to the community. However any relevant matters can be raised for discussion at the meeting by any member of the Parish.
Do try and come as the results of the village survey and recent speed checks will be presented and outcomes discussed.

Hosting Ukrainian Refugees

Understandably, there is a great deal of interest in hosting refugees from Ukraine and you will be aware of delays in getting the scheme functional so here is an update. For those that are interested read on:

Late last Friday, the government published outline guidance for local authorities in England. Although detailed guidance is still being developed, this outline helps to confirm a few key points:

The Homes for Ukraine scheme will support the sponsorship of Ukrainian individuals and families coming to the UK in two phases.

Phase one is where individuals in the UK sponsor named guests to come and live with them in their home. Both the sponsor and guest can use a number of channels to find a match – direct relation, friend, friend of a friend or contact from an NGO, charity or other contact. This is the only official housing scheme currently operational. The only route for people to enter the UK is through a visa process administered by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Home Office. It is this system, and only this system, that will trigger requests to local authorities for support. At this stage our involvement, is linked to the timing of that activation and to those individuals successfully registering through that route.

It is clear that a wide range of services from local government and key partners will be required, including initial checks and visits to sponsor homes, benefits advice and payment, finding school and early years placements and health provision.

The second phase is where the scheme will be expanded to enable organisations and community groups to sponsor multiple guests. This scheme is still being developed by the government.  While communities will be key in welcoming and supporting our Ukrainian friends, councils do not have these answers yet. I am sure this will become an equally important route, but for the moment the focus will be on phase 1 and as soon as we know more about phase two, we will be in a better position to answer questions from wider organisations and community groups.

Oxfordshire, has mobilised a system wide team (including county, district and city councils and health partners etc), which builds on the Covid response and mean we are better able to support such initiatives together.  You can find more detail here

Queens Platinum Jubilee Celebration
Planning for the village street party is progressing well and as you know is confirmed for Sunday 5^th June from 12 noon to 5pm. Chruch street will be closed for the afternoon and the great news is that the Manor residents have very kindly agreed for the Manor lawn to be utilised for children and adult soft games.

There is a monthly committee meeting and if you want to help or join the committee, please email Abbey Short Abbey.Short@olympia.london
More details to follow, but please save the date now if you haven’t already put it in your diary.

Refurbished Road Markings in the Village

The Parish Council asked OCC for the road markings throughout the village to be refurbished and this week the work was carried out, within a month of putting in the request.  Thanks go to Highways team in OCC.

Defibrillator Training – Date to be confirmed
We have a dozen or so people who have asked to participate in defibrillator training which will take place in the Church building on a Saturday morning (likely 10-12noon). The Parish Council are arranging for South Central Ambulance to run the training session and apologise for the delay in fixing a suitable day.
New residents may not be aware that there is a public defibrillator located in the Church Porch which is accessible at all times even when the church is locked at night. It is in a contained in a yellow metal box secured to the wall on the right hand side and ready for use at all times. The general rule is to phone 999 so the emergency services can locate the position of the box. The moment the defibrillator box is opened you get automatic instructions so that most people can use it without fear of doing the wrong thing.

Don’t Forget – Fresh Fish every Thursday 
Jack from Grimsby continues to come to the village on Thursday’s between 6.30-7pm and parks his van outside the Red Lion. He has a wide selection of fresh fish and shellfish. You can just turn up or place orders in advance by text and his mobile number is 07535 935119.

Fish & Chips Van in the village on Saturdays
For those new in the community, a Howe’s Fish and Chip van comes to the village every Saturday lunchtime from 1.30pm to 2pm. You will hear a bell (like a school bell) and his first stop is in Cherry Street. He then drives along Cavendish Place and stops again at the junction with Mill Road.
Howe & Co was established in 1930 and now has over 100 vans serving villages. You can track each van by going to their website and you need to look for van no 4:
https://howeandcofishandchips.co.uk/#findvan
They also have a general number you can call 07809 901761.

And some reminders from the previous newsletters for those who missed them previously:

Children’s Road Safety Posters
These have now been posted around the village and there are 19 posters in total. If there are any other children, including grandchildren who would like to create a new poster then please email Kathryn Walker at strattonaudley.kw@gmail.com

Shelswell History Festival advance notice Save-the-date
The Shelswell Benefice has decided to once again run the Shelswell History Festival and this is due to take place on Saturday 16th July 2022. They are looking for volunteers to help organise it and especially anyone with marketing expertise. Contact Alice Goodall by email alicegoodall313@gmail.com

Time to get walking again!
At this time of year we start to think about the mud drying up and getting out to walk in the beautiful English Countryside again, but where to find new and interesting walks?
John Harris has the answers! Walking in Oxfordshire
https://www.walkinginengland.co.uk/oxfordshire has hundreds of walks to download and print, free of charge. It also has books of walks, details of all the walking groups in the county, and much more. Whether you want to walk on your own or with a group, all the information is there in one place.
John Harris (the custodian of the website) said ‘There is so much walking information on the web but it is difficult to find. Walking in Oxfordshire (part of the Walking in England website) has brought it together in one place so whether you are walking from home, or away on holiday, you will be able to find a walk suitable for you’.
With walks from half a mile to twelve miles plus long, and a note of suitability for pushchairs and wheelchairs, everyone can find a walk to enjoy.
So home or away, check out his websites and get walking!
www.walkinginengland.co.uk

Local Police Bicester and Kidlington Rural Team News
To report a crime or contact the police there are now three options:
·       Call 999 if you see a crime being committed or in an emergency
·       Call 101 to report anything else to the police – or go online to do so
·       And now police are partnering with CrimeStoppers to remind everyone of ‘The 3rd Number – 0800 555 111’ that enables you to report your information totally anonymously if you prefer.
Finally for the latest crime statistics there is a useful national site into which you can put your post code. Click on this link  Bicester Rural | Police.uk (www.police.uk)

Collection Point for Disposal of Ink Jet Cartridges
Please continue to pop your ink jet cartridges into the basket in the Glen Close bus shelter.  Please don’t drop larger toner cartridges off as these are not recycled by the RSPB. If you are not sure if your cartridges are suitable for recycling, you can contact Rachel Dewhurst by email at treehouse0@sky.com

Hopefully the power cuts experienced recently will soon be behind us but should another prolonged one occur, this is just to remind everyone that Stratton Audley Church also acts as the Community Centre. Should there be an extended period of outage (6 hours or more), then members of the Parish Council with the help of Stewart Hopkins, will arrange for the generator to be fired up to provide some warmth and electricity to charge mobile phones and make hot drinks.  Last Friday, after a few issues with the battery there was power in the church during the evening prior to the supply being reconnected. Although the village was without power for some 10 hours, we were more fortunate than some like Fringford who remained without power for several days.

Some people have asked about compensation from SSEN, which is governed by Guaranteed Standards of Service set by the regulator, Ofgem. Although it does not apply to any of us on this occasion, it is perhaps interesting to note that under the scheme, customers who have been without power for over 48hrs will be eligible for a payment of £70. A further £70 is due for each additional period of 12 hours in which supply is not restored, up to a cap of £700. And no one needs to contact SSEN to receive this compensation! A cheque will automatically be issued to the address that was impacted by the storms based on the data held.

New Brown bin and food waste collection scheme Starting Next week

The new scheme comes into being next on March1st. From next week you are allowed to put out your silver grey food waste box on a weekly basis. Brown garden waste bins will only be collected if you have signed up to the new scheme. For more details see further down this newsletter.

The Red Lion Update
The following information is from Dillie:

“Following the storming success of the Valentine’s Night Supper club and Verity Taylor’s fabulous cooking, we’re teaming up once more to put on another Monday night supper club on 21st March.  Price and menu to be announced later, but the theme is SIGNS OF SPRING – so get booking!

Immediate news –

Saturday breakfasts – 11-1pm.  A full fry up for £12.95.  Get your stomachs lined for the weekend.  

Sunday lunch as usual – 12-3.  Beef or pork and the usual trimmings.  

Coffee morning is on Wednesdays as usual, and Christine does a wonderful lunch for those who want to stay on.  Please note that we will have to put the price up very soon, we’re very sorry but we have no choice.  

Six Nations Rugby – come in and cheer on your teams – the matches will always be shown at the pub. Sapphy is in charge of the kitchen on Saturdays if you need sustenance during the match. 

Tuesday March 1st is St David’s Day, come in and celebrate with us.  

Thursday March 3rd – another brain-frying quiz from Rich Walsh, starts 7pm.  

Thursday March 17th – it’s St Patrick’s Day AND the Cheltenham Festival and we hope you’ll come and enjoy the racing.  £15.00 for a full Irish fry and a pint of Guinness or a glass of Prosecco from 12 noon onwards. (If you don’t fancy the Guinness or the Prosecco, the full fry will be the normal price of £12.95.) For that you get £100 in fun money and Jonesy the Book will be on hand to take your bets.  Prizes for the three people who end up with the most “cash” at the end of the day. Prize for the person with the best home made hat! Home made tea for two – scone, sandwich, cake – £10. 

News from Stratton Audley Church
The follow information is from Becky Adams on behalf of the Shelswell Benefice:
“This coming Sunday, 27^th February, there will be a 9.15am service of Holy Communion in Stratton Audley Church – all are welcome. 

‘Little Lambs’ baby and toddler group continues in Stratton Audley Church every Wednesday in term time (10am – 11.30am) so will be meeting next Wednesday (2^nd March) There’s no need to book – just turn up! 

Please check our website for details of services elsewhere in the benefice http://www.shelswellparishes.info/services.php “

Stratton Audley Barn

The following is from Richard, Sara and the Barn team:

“Full steam ahead at the Barn, now back open 10 – 4pm Tuesday to Sunday, booking advisable for our busy lunchtime period, call ahead to reserve your table. Exciting news well behaved and clean dogs are now allowed in designated areas of the cafe and also in the shop. Lots of new spring stock arriving daily, look forward to seeing you soon. Check out our Facebook page or message us for more information. Our number is 01869 278184 or email info@strattonaudleybarn.co.uk”

Stratton Audley Parish Questionnaire

A parish wide survey will be circulated in the next few weeks and al residents will be invited to give their views on a number of topic, in particular with regard to vehicle speeds and traffic calming measures. This will be printed and hand delivered to each household and also distributed via email.

Queens Platinum Jubilee Celebration
National celebrations will take place from 2-5^th June 2022 and in line with the Big Lunch being organised across the country for Sunday 5^th June, Stratton Audley is in the process of organising an event to join in the celebrate. If you want to help or join the committee, please email Abbey Short Abbey.Short@olympia.london

More details to follow, but please save the date now – Sunday 5^th June.

Bicester Heritage Scramble 23^rd & 24^th April

Bicester Heritage are once again hosting a scrabble meeting in April and have advised that due to heavy demand for tickets for the Sunday, they have decided to also open up the site on the Saturday for an additional day of family-focused activities. As previously, there is a local residents discount which for Saturday is: SaturdayFlyingBrevets and for Sunday is: FlyingBrevets.

For those who have already purchased passes for the Sunday and would like to switch to Saturday you will need to purchase for the new day and then apply for a refund for your current pass. Refunds can be requested up until seven days before the event is held. Should you wish your Pass to be refunded, please follow the steps set out by Eventbrite by clicking here.

The Parish Council have expressed legitimate concerns regarding the whole weekend after the traffic congestion cause by the last Scramble event. In particular, what additional measures are being taken to avoid the long delays that occurred on the A4421 Buckingham Road at the entrance gates to the airfield?

Defibrillator Training – Date to be confirmed

Nine people have so far asked to participate in Defibrillator training which will take place in the Church building on a Saturday morning (likely 10-12noon). The PC are arranging for St John’s Ambulance to run the training session and there are still a few places remaining – date is yet to be confirmed.

Please email jhonsinger@btconnect.com if you want your name added to the list.

New residents may not be aware that there is a public defibrillator located in the Church Porch which is accessible at all times even when the church is locked at night. It is in a contained in a yellow metal box secured to the wall on the right hand side and ready for use at all times. The code is printed on the box for quick access but the general rule is to phone 999 so the emergency services can locate the position of the box. The moment the defibrillator box is opened you get automatic instructions so that most people can use it without fear of doing the wrong thing.

Time to get walking again!

At this time of year we start to think about the mud drying up and getting out to walk in the beautiful English Countryside again, but where to find new and interesting walks?

John Harris has the answers! Walking in Oxfordshire

https://www.walkinginengland.co.uk/oxfordshire has hundreds of walks to download and print, free of charge. It also has books of walks, details of all the walking groups in the county, and much more. Whether you want to walk on your own or with a group, all the information is there in one place.

John Harris (the custodian of the website) said ‘There is so much walking information on the web but it is difficult to find. Walking in Oxfordshire (part of the Walking in England website) has brought it together in one place so whether you are walking from home, or away on holiday, you will be able to find a walk suitable for you’.

With walks from half a mile to twelve miles plus long, and a note of suitability for pushchairs and wheelchairs, everyone can find a walk to enjoy.

So home or away, check out his websites and get walking!

www.walkinginengland.co.uk

OCC Local Transport & Connectivity Plan

Anyone interested in finding out more about Oxfordshire County Council’s new Local Transport Plan proposals should visit  https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/LTCP?fbclid=IwAR2zsGi3hJDi77rdLxDyKoeVRZiA32pm8t5bXdQwX8LT2dqSljh0UM9zqmM

Thy are interested in local views and you can register to participate.

Don’t Forget – Fresh Fish every Thursday 
Jack from Grimsby continues to come to the village on Thursday’s between 6.30-7pm and parks his van outside the Red Lion. He has a wide selection of fresh fish and shellfish. You can just turn up or place orders in advance by text and his mobile number is 07535 935119.

Fish & Chips Van in the village on Saturdays
For those new in the community, a Howe’s Fish and Chip van comes to the village every Saturday lunchtime from 1.30pm to 2pm. You will hear a bell (like a school bell) and his first stop is in Cherry Street. He then drives along Cavendish Place and stops again at the junction with Mill Road.
Howe & Co was established in 1930 and now has over 100 vans serving villages. You can track each van by going to their website and you need to look for van no 4:
https://howeandcofishandchips.co.uk/#findvan
They also have a general number you can call 07809 901761.

And some reminders from the previous newsletters…..

The 100 Club

Just to repeat, the winners in the 100 Club draw for the month of February 2022 are:

£30                             Mhairi Smith            (87)

£20                             Davies family           (121)

£10                             John James              (126)

£10                             Hook family             (111)

Application to become a 20mph village

The Parish Council has registered interest in becoming a 20mph village along with many other villages. This does not mean we will become one but puts us on the Oxfordshire County Council list for consideration. Registration is important so as to have the option to go down this route later on.

Speed Checks in the village

The Parish Council have organised and paid for a speed and traffic volume survey to be put in place at the beginning of March. Monitoring equipment will be set up on all four entry/exit roads just inside the 30mph zone. The data collected will record the number of vehicle movements in each direction and also the speed of vehicles. The Parish Council will be responsible for analysing the data and will circulate the results.

Children’s Speed Awareness Poster Campaign
The children’s speed awareness posters have now been printed onto boards and will be displayed around the village following the completion of the speed check exercise above. So expect to see them mid March.

If there are any children who missed the deadline and would still like to participate just let the Parish Council know.

Conservation Area Review
Some of you may remember that a consultation and review of our Conservation Area was undertaken in Autumn 2018 and by now you will have received a letter from CDC advising that the report has finally been adopted and published.

The public consultation on the document was undertaken from 9^th April 2019 to 17^th May 2019 and the responses and comments received were subsequently taken into account when the Conservation Area boundary and the appraisal document were finalised.  The final document can be viewed by clicking on this link: https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/directory/34/conservation-area-appraisals. Hard copies of the document can be viewed at Bodicote House as well as Banbury and Bicester Libraries.

New Charge for Garden Waste
As you know Cherwell District Council are introducing a charge for the brown bin (green waste) collection. There has been a good take up already but please note that the start date has been put back from 1^st February to the 1^st March, so there is still time to sign-up.
For more information and to sign up visit: https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/info/10/rubbish-and-recycling/825/weekly-food-waste-collections

The district’s current recycling rates are ranked in the top 25% of the 340 local authorities in England.  Currently, one third of the waste going into general waste is recyclable.  The initiative to charge for brown bins is to improve the districts recycling rates and reduce our carbon emissions.

Changes to Food Waste Collection

Food waste should no longer be put in the brown bin and in future will be collected weekly by using the small green caddies that most people have and putting these out beside your other bins. There is no charge for this service.

The changes are part of Cherwell District Council’s drive to accelerate their program to help meet UK targets on halving carbon emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050.

By separating out our food waste it can now go for anaerobic digestion which will be converted to valuable resources such as bio-fertilisers or green power. It will also make us all more aware of how much food we really waste on a weekly basis. Businesses in the Parish will also need to do their bit by registering their food waste collections and signing up to WRAP: https://wrap.org.uk/taking-action/food-drink/initiatives/food-waste-reduction-roadmap#

To see more on the net zero pledge and actions the council are taking  visit: https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/9828/climate-action-framework-2020.pdf

Bicester Motion ‘Experience Quarter’ Planning Application APPROVED
Outline planning permission was given for the Bicester Motion Experience Quarter at last night’s CDC Planning Committee meeting. The Parish Council was represented by our councillor Martin Arroyo and he did an excellent job in presenting the views of the community. All committee members were personally made aware in advance of our concerns particularly with regard to road safety and congestion, noise pollution and a safe route for pedestrians and cyclists through the site, 24 hours a day. A significant number of them including our own local representative Ian Corkin, spoke up for Stratton Audley and supported our concerns.
It is now a question of further discussions over the plans as they are developed and to what extent the Parish Council can persuade Bicester Motion to come up with satisfactory remedies that meet our concerns, in particular a path access via the site open 24 hours a day. It was agreed that the Chairman of the CDC Planning Committee is to be consulted on the conditions that are applied as they progress and this is good news because normally it would be left at the sole discretion of the Planning Officer to make such decisions.
The CDC Planning Committee meeting has now been archived and you can watch the full discussion by putting the following link into your web browser:
https://cherwell.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/633845?from=meeting_update&update_type=archived&email=jhonsinger%40btconnect.com&h=60ae389f86e8b4b2580d0153367e0094&mail_target_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcherwell.public-i.tv%2Fcore%2Fportal%2Fwebcast_interactive%2F633845
Finally, and just for clarification purposes, no planning application has yet been submitted for the development of the old quarry site. An application for this development known as the Wilderness Quarter is likely to be submitted later this year.

Stratton Audley 100 Club
The following information is from Maggie Woodward:
The club is now up and running for the next 12 months, 158 subscriptions having been taken.  Thank you villagers for your generosity and support.  Special thanks to the amazing team who collected the subscriptions in the rain, wind and freezing cold. Viv, Jeremy, Sally, Angie, Margaret, Emma and Stewart.  The profit this year amounted to £670 which will go towards buying a new noticeboard outside the Church.  The draw takes place at coffee morning in the Red Lion on the first Wednesday in the month, results are posted on the village, pub and Church noticeboards and are published in the Shelswell News and the village newsletter.  If you missed your collector and wish to join the “club” please get in touch with Maggie and, if you wish to know your allocated number please ask your collector. Good luck to you all.

Litter Picking
The Parish Council organise litter picking days from time to time but this is just to thank those that go out and litter pick by themselves or with their partners at other times. Amongst them John Woodward frequently does this on Mill Road leading up to the crossroads and Janet James has been doing this recently on Stoke Lyne Road leading to the junction with the A4421 (the Buckingham Road). I am told there is quite a lot of litter on both the Bicester Road and Launton Road and if anyone is inclined to do something similar, we do have spare black litter bags, so just ask (jhonsinger@btconnect.com).

Helping homeworkers with their wellbeing this winter
Homeworkers in north Oxfordshire are being invited to take part in free online workshops this winter, aimed at supporting mental health. Cherwell District Council is working with Oxfordshire Mind to deliver the group sessions, offering tips on wellbeing as well as how to spot the warning signs if a colleague needs help.
To find out more visit the Cherwell District Council site:
https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/news/article/924/helping-homeworkers-with-their-wellbeing-this-winter?fbclid=IwAR0EF6xfiMhTUY8UJySIOAo3gTKzKOIe8_50-Kra9Aah7koMB3H0L1MCbuw

Local Police Bicester and Kidlington Rural Team News
To report a crime or contact the police there are now three options:
·       Call 999 if you see a crime being committed or in an emergency
·       Call 101 to report anything else to the police – or go online to do so
·       And now police are partnering with CrimeStoppers to remind everyone of ‘The 3rd Number – 0800 555 111’ that enables you to report your information totally anonymously if you prefer.
Finally for the latest crime statistics there is a useful national site into which you can put your post code. Click on this link  Bicester Rural | Police.uk (www.police.uk)

Shelswell History Festival advance notice Save-the-date
The Shelswell Benefice has decided to once again run the Shelswell History Festival and this is due to take place on Saturday 16th July 2022. They are looking for volunteers to help organise it and especially anyone with marketing expertise. Contact Alice Goodall by email alicegoodall313@gmail.com

Collection Point for Disposal of Ink Jet Cartridges
Please continue to pop your ink jet cartridges into the basket in the Glen Close bus shelter.  Please don’t drop larger toner cartridges off as these are not recycled by the RSPB. If you are not sure if your cartridges are suitable for recycling, you can contact Rachel Dewhurst by email at treehouse0@sky.com

Covid-19 
For the latest details on Covid data and other Government’s advice on Coronavirus can be found via these link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

Bin Collection – new charge for Garden Waste
As you know Cherwell District Council are introducing a charge for the brown bin (green waste) collection. I am told there has been a good take-up already but please note that the start date has been put back from 1^st February to the 1^st of March, so there is still plenty of time to sign-up.
The CDC website has this information on it:
“The collection frequency will remain the same but the service will be subject to a £40 per annum charge, discounted to £36 for those that join the scheme early. Residents who pay for the service will be given a licence sticker to place on their bins to show the bin men it can be emptied by them. Households will be expected to use their existing brown bin for the revised service. Residents who do not want to use the new service, can ask for their brown bin to be removed but only after June 2022. Households can retain their brown bin even if they do not wish to use the new service, however the bin will not be emptied unless a garden waste licence is attached”.
To clarify a further point, food waste that has been put in the brown bin up until now, will henceforth be collected weekly by using the small green caddies that most people have, and there is no charge for this.

News from The Red Lion
The following information is from Dillie:
“January opening times – closed Monday and Tuesday, open Wednesday to Sunday from 12am to 11pm. From Burns night onwards, the pub will also be back open on Tuesdays from 5pm-11pm.

The big event this month is Burns Night on 25th January.  Starts at 7pm.  For a mere £21.50, you can celebrate the great poet in company with fellow denizens of this charming village.  Villagers guarding what remains of their hearing will be relieved to know we’re not booking a piper, as much to keep costs down as anything.  Instead, you get a tot of whisky to drink or pour over your haggis.  Please book by 21st latest as we need to order the haggis specially.  Please also let us know if you would like to come but would prefer something else – I’m sure we can drum up a wee beef stew.  Note also that we can serve a vegetarian haggis (it’s pretty good).  Oh, and £2 from each dinner goes to support our local church.  01869-277225
Here’s the menu.  
Cullen Skink (a Scottish chowder style soup) or Vegetarian Cock-a-Leekie
~~~~~
Haggis, Needs & Tattoos or Vegetarian Haggis
~~~~~
Cranachan (toasted oats, cream and raspberries) or sorbet with shortbread or Glasgow Special Deep Fried Mars Bar
~~~~~
and a dram of Whisky for all!

It’s all yummy.  

Meanwhile Fish on Friday evenings is getting very popular, 6pm-8pm – takeaways are available. 

And don’t forget our fabulous Sunday lunches 12pm-4pm – Roast Sirloin of Beef or roast Pork from Bicester’s very own Lewis’s family butcher, family style service of local heritage vegetables and cauliflower and broccoli cheese.  If you book before Saturday we will even buy your first drink.  Enjoy the log fire over a winter berry crumble with custard before making tracks.  You’ll be happy to know we can prepare a plant based Roast lunch (suitable for Vegans) when booked by Friday in advance.  

To book, please call – 01869 277225. In our pledge to reduce food waste in support of COP26 Net Zero pledge and limited availability, bookings are encouraged before Fridays”.  

News from Stratton Audley Church
The follow information is from Becky Adams on behalf of the Shelswell Benefice:

“Some families who enjoyed the ‘Fun at Four’ Christingle on the Sunday before Christmas might like to join the next ‘Fun at Four’ event this coming Sunday (16^th January) at Stoke Lyne Church(see attached). 

And ‘Little Lambs’ baby and toddler group continues in Stratton Audley Church every Wednesday in term time (10am – 11.30am)

The next regular service in Stratton Audley Church is the 9.15am Holy Communion on Sunday 23^rd January.

On Sunday 30th January (10.45am) we have our popular ‘Plough Sunday celebration of Rural Life’ to which we extend a particular invitation to all those involved in the rural economy in our parishes. This year the service takes place at Finmere Grounds Farm MK18 4AT by kind invitation of the Brooks family. 

Please check our website for details of services elsewhere in the benefice http://www.shelswellparishes.info/services.php ”

News from Stratton Audley Barn
The following is from Richard, Sara and the Barn team:

“We are now open each day except Monday from 10.00 to 16.00 hours and are also now recruiting for new staff. Check out our Facebook page or message us for more information.
Wishing you and all your families a happy New Year from us all at Stratton Audley Barn. Our number 01869 278184 info@strattonaudleybarn.co.uk ”.

Don’t Forget – Fresh Fish every Thursday 
Jack from Grimsby is now back in the village every Thursday.  He comes between 6.30-7pm and parks his van outside the Red Lion. He has a wide selection of fresh fish and shellfish. You can just turn up or place orders in advance by text and his mobile number is 07535 935119.

Stratton Audley 100 Club
The following information is from Maggie Woodward:

The club is now up and running for the next 12 months, 158 subscriptions having been taken.  Thank you villagers for your generosity and support.  Special thanks to the amazing team who collected the subscriptions in the rain, wind and freezing cold. Viv, Jeremy, Sally, Angie, Margaret, Emma and Stewart.  The profit this year amounted to £670 which will go towards buying a new noticeboard outside the Church.  The draw takes place at coffee morning in the Red Lion on the first Wednesday in the month, results are posted on the village, pub and Church noticeboards and are published in the Shelswell News and the village newsletter.  If you missed your collector and wish to join the “club” please get in touch with Maggie and, if you wish to know your allocated number please ask your collector. Good luck to you all.

The winners in the 100 Club draw for the month of January 2022 are:
£30                             Michael McCabe (156)                                         
£20                             Dewhurst Family (118)                                         
£10                             Claire McCabe (155)                                                          
£10                             Jeremy Parkin (24)

East West Rail Road Closure
There is going to be a temporary road closure on the Stratton Park Road that leads to Poundon on 2 February 2022 between 09:30 and 16:00 hours.

Bicester Motion ‘Experience Quarter’ Planning Application Approval
Outline planning permission was given for the Bicester Motion Experience Quarter at last night’s CDC Planning Committee meeting. The Parish Council was represented by our councillor Martin Arroyo and he did an excellent job in presenting the views of the community. All committee members were personally made aware in advance of our concerns particularly with regard to road safety and congestion, noise pollution and a safe route for pedestrians and cyclists through the site, 24 hours a day. A significant number of them including our own local representative Ian Corkin, spoke up for Stratton Audley and supported our concerns.
It is now a question of further discussions over the plans as they are developed and to what extent the Parish Council can persuade Bicester Motion to come up with satisfactory remedies that meet our concerns. It was agreed that the Chairman of the CDC Planning Committee is to be consulted on the conditions that are applied as they progress and this is good news because normally it would be left at the sole discretion of the Planning Officer to make such decisions.
The CDC Planning Committee meeting has now been archived and you can watch the full discussion by putting the following link into your web browser:
https://cherwell.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/633845?from=meeting_update&update_type=archived&email=jhonsinger%40btconnect.com&h=60ae389f86e8b4b2580d0153367e0094&mail_target_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcherwell.public-i.tv%2Fcore%2Fportal%2Fwebcast_interactive%2F633845
The subject is number two on the agenda and lasts for less than an hour.
Finally, and just for clarification purposes, no planning application has yet been submitted for the development of the old quarry site which some of us visited before Christmas. A planning application for this development known as the Wilderness Quarter is likely to be submitted later this year.

Litter Picking
The Parish Council organise litter picking days from time to time but this is just to thank those that go out and litter pick by themselves or with their partners at other times. Amongst them John Woodward frequently does this on Mill Road leading up to the crossroads and Janet James has been doing this recently on Stoke Lyne Road leading to the junction with the A4421 (the Buckingham Road). I am told there is quite a lot of litter on both the Bicester Road and Launton Road and if anyone is inclined to do something similar, we do have spare black litter bags, so just ask (jhonsinger@btconnect.com).

Fish & Chips Van in the village on Saturdays
For those new in the community, a Howe’s Fish and Chip van comes to the village every Saturday lunchtime from 1.30pm to 2pm. You will hear a bell (like a school bell) and his first stop is in Cherry Street. He then drives along Cavendish Place and stops again at the junction with Mill Road.
Howe & Co was established in 1930 and now has over 100 vans serving villages. You can track each van by going to their website and you need to look for van no 4:
https://howeandcofishandchips.co.uk/#findvan
They also have a general number you can call 07809 901761.

Children’s Speed Awareness Poster Campaign
Delighted to report that we now have some 20 children’s speed awareness posters that have been submitted.
All designs will be laminated and displayed around the village once printed. If in the meantime you have any questions please email Kathryn at strattonaudley.kw@gmail.com  who brought this programme together.

And some reminders from the previous newsletters…..

Helping homeworkers with their wellbeing this winter
Homeworkers in north Oxfordshire are being invited to take part in free online workshops this winter, aimed at supporting mental health. Cherwell District Council is working with Oxfordshire Mind to deliver the group sessions, offering tips on wellbeing as well as how to spot the warning signs if a colleague needs help.
To find out more visit the Cherwell District Council site:
https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/news/article/924/helping-homeworkers-with-their-wellbeing-this-winter?fbclid=IwAR0EF6xfiMhTUY8UJySIOAo3gTKzKOIe8_50-Kra9Aah7koMB3H0L1MCbuw

Local Police Bicester and Kidlington Rural Team News
We asked Sergeant Gavin Staniland to provide a local update:
“Hello to all residents of Stratton Audley Parish, I would like to take this opportunity to provide some updates regarding your police team which has undergone a recent restructure. Previously your community has been served by PCSO’s Thomas BAILEY and Louise BEAUMONT and I would like to reassure everyone that this will continue to be the case. However I have now created a larger Rural Neighbourhood team, which will provide a more consistent and resilient means of visible policing.
Cherwell and West Oxfordshire police area recognise the significant impact that rural crime has on the community. In response to this we have just launched rural crime All Crime Attendance. This means that all crime that is reported to us as a rural crime will have follow up and contact from either a Police officer or Police Community Support Officer. Whilst there may not always be investigative opportunities for us to explore it does provide a valuable opportunity to provide Crime prevention and safeguarding advice.
I understand having conducted an extensive ‘Have Your Say’ across the rural community that Speeding is a common concern.  In response to these concerns PCSO Thomas BAILEY has been conducting speed enforcement operations around the rural communities with the assistance of our colleagues from the Roads policing department. 
As a Team we are driven to continue these operations and PCSO BAILEY will be delivering training to the other members of the Team. PC David SCOTT and PCSO BAILEY are your Community Speed watch Contacts for our rural team and will be happy to advise or assist where possible.
PCSO Louise BEAUMONT is reigniting community Have Your Say meetings around all of the villages so please keep an eye on social media and advertisements through the Parish Council for when they will be coming to you”.
To report a crime or contact the police there are now three options:
·       Call 999 if you see a crime being committed or in an emergency
·       Call 101 to report anything else to the police – or go online to do so
·       And now police are partnering with CrimeStoppers to remind everyone of ‘The 3rd Number – 0800 555 111’ that enables you to report your information totally anonymously if you prefer.
Finally for the latest crime statistics there is a useful national site into which you can put your post code. Click on this link  Bicester Rural | Police.uk (www.police.uk)

Queens Platinum Jubilee – Join the Committee
A community wide street party will be held to celebrate the Queens Platinum Jubilee. National celebrations will take place from 2-5^th June 2022 and we have pencilled in Sunday 5^th June as our day of celebration. If you want to help or join the committee please let me know.

Shelswell History Festival advance notice Save-the-date
The Shelswell Benefice has decided to once again run the Shelswell History Festival and this is due to take place on Saturday 16th July 2022. They are looking for volunteers to help organise it and especially anyone with marketing expertise. Contact Alice Goodall by email alicegoodall313@gmail.com

Collection Point for Disposal of Ink Jet Cartridges
Please continue to pop your ink jet cartridges into the basket in the Glen Close bus shelter.  Please don’t drop larger toner cartridges off as these are not recycled by the RSPB. If you are not sure if your cartridges are suitable for recycling, you can contact Rachel Dewhurst by email at treehouse0@sky.com

Covid-19 
For the latest details on Covid data and other Government’s advice on Coronavirus can be found via these link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

The village arranged for a Nepalese food van to visit the village (Momotime), this Monday evening and set-up outside the Red Lion. People queued with correct social distancing and observed all the rules.

It was a great success, however he didn’t bring enough food and sold out of curry by 7.15pm! Sorry to those who came and were disappointed or  were only able to buy the dumplings. The good news is that he will be back next Monday with much more food and will prepare in advance so as to be able to start serving at 6pm. Because he was not ready this evening, some people who arrived on time had to place their orders and collect later which  gave the impression that pre-ordering in advance had taken place. This was no the case

Next Monday he will be serving to the queue only from 6pm.

After concerns raised by a number of people, the Parish Council took the decision some months ago to seek approval for white lines to be drawn on the corners of the road at each end of Church Street. The road markings have now been painted and there will be no further need to place traffic cones in the road, which some motorists have found difficult to navigate.

They are intended as a deterrent to those who may wish to park their vehicle on the corners of the road and who are not aware that they may obstruct other users in the process. They are less obtrusive but hopefully still as effective as the cones.

This is not the beginning of lines elsewhere in the village!

£4000 raised for local funds

Building on the successful Ferret Racing evening held nearly 2 years ago, the Village Fund Raising Committee decided to repeat the event making it bigger and better. The event held in the Hunt Paddock, was attended by over 300 people including some 37 children, all eager to join in the fun on what turned out to be a gloriously warm and sunny evening.

The Feisty Ferret Bar was the first port of call for many, serving beer, wine and soft drinks and a separate Gin Bar proved to be very popular. For the children there was an old fashioned sweet counter and also delicious locally made ice cream courtesy of Stratton Barn.  With music and a master of ceremonies making regular announcements, everyone was kept informed of proceedings which helped move the race programme along at a steady pace.

The first of 8 sponsored races got underway at 6.30pm with 4 ferrets taking part in each race (from a pool of 16). Everyone joined in with brisk betting on the Tote. At the interval tasty hot Fish and Chips were served courtesy of Barberry’s of Bure Park and a Heads & Tails game plus a draw for the Grand Raffle took place. Between races children and adults got up close to hold these cute little animals who seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as everyone else.

The event proved highly successful in doubling the amount achieved over the previous occasion and raising just over £4,000 which will all be distributed between The Church Fund, The Village Improvement Fund and Sobell House.

Our thanks once again to all the volunteers and sponsors of each race plus the overall co-sponsors Glebe Leisure Caravan Park and Finders Keepers for their support.

Anthony Flack & John Honsinger (On behalf of the Stratton Audley-CLP -Village Fund Raising Committee)

See us also on facebook https://www.facebook.com/StrattonAudleyParishCouncil/