News Update no 83, February 23rd 2022

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, 27th 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 (2nd 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 2-5th June 2022 and in line with the Big Lunch being organised across the country for Sunday 5th 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 5th June.

Bicester Heritage Scramble 23rd & 24th 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 9th April 2019 to 17th 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 1st February to the 1st 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/

News Update no 82, 11th February

So we all know it is Valentines Day on Monday but who invented it and caused all the fuss?
Apparently it was Pope Gelasius I, who technically invented it in AD 496 when he established The Feast of Saint Valentine, in memory of the martyred saint who died on that day over 200 years before. The first known link between Valentine’s Day and coupledom was February 14 in 1400 though

The Red Lion Update
The following information is from Dillie:

“Some new things afoot – we’re starting to serve Breakfast – well, Brunch, really, from 11am to 1pm on Saturdays.  A full English fry with tea and coffee for £12.95.  Breakfast baps £9.95 and takeaway baps £6.50.   

Valentine’s night approaches – 14th February of course –  and we still have a couple of places for Verity’s Supper Club – at least, as of the time of writing.  The extremely gifted Verity Taylor will cooking up a storm and we are bringing in some special wines for the occasion.  £30 per head.  Please call the pub 01869 277225.  From 7pm. 

  Creamy king prawn bisque with a dill oil, prawn beignets and samphire

  Roasted cannon of lamb served with a lamb bonbon, sweet potato purée, seasonal greens and a red wine reduction

  Winter Pavlova, poached plums, toasted almonds and mascarpone cream

This Sunday lunch, Christine is taking over the reins in the kitchen and if you’ve tasted her roast potatoes, then you’ve had a taste of heaven… 12-3.

Fish on Fridays as usual… 6pm-8pm, and lunch is now served every day of the week – not Mondays, of course, which is the day we’re closed.  

Meanwhile, it is my sorry duty to let you know that prices will have to go up shortly across the board.  I’m sure this comes as no surprise.  Wine importers in particular are having a hard time as the rules from HMRC keep changing and there are delays at Dover which cost money.  The transport costs have, I believe, gone up from approximately £125 per pallet of wine to about £405 per pallet.  We’d like to keep supporting Mike at North Oxfordshire Wine who is a very good egg, and so I hope you’ll support us in turn”. 

News from Stratton Audley Church
The follow information is from Becky Adams on behalf of the Shelswell Benefice:
“This coming Sunday, 13th February, there will be a 10.45am Morning Service 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 (16th February) but will be having a break for half term the following week.

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”The 100 Club

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.

Interested in Defibrillator and First Aid Training?

New residents may not be aware that there is a public defibrillator located in the Church Porch which is open at all times even when the church is locked at night. It is in a locked 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 unit is contained in a canvas bag for ease of carrying. The moment the defibrillator is opened you get automatic instructions so that most people can use it without fear of doing the wrong thing.

However, for those with concerns, in the past the village has held training sessions (approximately 2 hours long) which cover basic First Aid and cover the use of the defibrillator. These have been held in the church and funded by the Parish Council. If enough people show interest (whether you have had previous training or are completely new to it) the Parish Council is happy to arrange further training sessions. Please email jhonsinger@btconnect.com and wait for further news.

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

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 9th April 2019 to 17th 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.

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.

Queens Platinum Jubilee – Save the Date
National celebrations will take place from 2-5th June 2022 and in line with the Big Lunch being organised across the country for Sunday 5th June, Stratton Audley will hold a street party that day to celebrate the Queens Platinum Jubilee. If you want to help or join the committee, please email Abbey Short Abbey.Short@olympia.london

And some reminders from the previous newsletters…..

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 1st February to the 1st 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

Stratton Audley Council Precept

At the recent Parish Council meeting it was resolved not to request any increase in the parish precept from last year because the council holds sufficient reserves to cover any cost increases incurred.

A precept is a tax that Parish Councils charge their local electors to meet their budget requirements and is collected and incorporated into the District Council’s annual tax charge.

Dogs Under Control

On one or two occasions recently, unaccompanied dogs have been seen in Mill Road and I have been asked to remind owners that this should not be happening. Equally whilst dogs off leads in open spaces is allowable providing they are ‘under control’, there have been a few occasions reported recently where this has not been the case with the result that chickens and cats have been chased.

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
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)

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/