News Update no 47, January 29th

Snowmen in the village!

Villagers, exercising and social distancing, in Mill Road last weekend (adapted photo courtesy of Carolyn Goss)

 

 

 

 

 

Local COVID-19 Update
Rates of new infections continue to fall in Oxfordshire as a whole, although they are still above the national average.

For those who are interested in more precise information on infections, area by area, the link below is useful:

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map

For full details on the rules and regulations visit:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know#high-alert

Interest in a Village Allotment

So far about a dozen people have expressed interest in having an allotment in the village. If you are interested and have not responded please do so soon.

The Parish Council has made enquiries of the OCC to establish whether there is any public land bordering the village that could be utilised although none is immediately apparent. Discussions will be held with land owners/farmers to see if any suitable land could be gifted or leased.

Police Consultation on Removal of Front Desks including Bicester

Earlier this month Thames Valley Police launched a public consultation to hear what people think about plans to adapt to the different ways in which people contact the police, to meet the changing needs of the diverse communities served and to make necessary savings.
According to TVP, “the consultation seeks views on a proposed reduction in the number of front counters in the region from 16 to 11, which would save approximately £1.4m. Since March 2020, due to Covid-19, TVP has actually operated with just five of its 16 front counter sites open. The proposal does not affect police officer numbers nor the number of operational police bases, so the public will not experience any difference in officer visibility in our communities”.
If you want to have your say just click on the link here https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/police-forces/thames-valley-police/areas/au/proposed-front-counter-provision/

And when in the site, at the bottom of the page there is a link to a brief survey which will take just a couple of minutes. The consultation ends this Sunday 31st January.

Flooding and Foul Water

An on-site meeting was held with an executive from Cherwell District Council this week to consider ways to alleviate flooding in Mill Road from a combination of surface water and the stream running under the road. Ideas were discussed and a report is to be prepared.

Foul water flooding continues to affect a number of properties in Mill Road and Launton Road where manhole covers are lifting and sewage seeping out.

Thames Water have had pumping vehicles on site and accept that the situation is unacceptable. Their engineers maintain that the pumping station and the pipes leading to and from it are adequate for the size for the village and that water ingress through damages pipes is a key source of the problem. Camera survey work has been undertaken over the last year with some successes but it seems unlikely to be the root cause of the persistent problems.

The Parish Council has therefore asked for the matter to be taken to a higher level and suggested that an independent engineering consultant should be brought in to provide a fresh view.

East West Rail Local Update

The Bicester Road that leads to Marsh Gibbon from the crossroads at Billy Evans farm remains closed. A further works order has been published showing that the road will be closed again from 11 February until 12 March in order to demolish the existing railway bridge.

EWR have also issued a new closure notice for the Bicester Road at Launton (the main road from Launton to Bicester) which will now be closed for some two months from 08/02/2021 to 01/04/2021 for bridge replacement works.

Looking further ahead, Station Road from the crossroads at Billy Evans leading to Launton, will be closed for nearly a year from 03 March 2021 to 22 April 2022.

Tree Planting

A few more residents have confirmed their support for tree planting next to roads leading to and from the village. More information as to how to go about this is being gathered and the idea is being investigated further.

Shelswell Parishes Church Service

There will be the usual 10am service on Sunday morning which will be available on-line. Find it on Facebook Shelswell News Group or YouTube Shelswell Parishes channel. It will actually have been recorded (rather than livestream) to try and get round some of the technical issues they have been having with the signal needed for livestream.

 

Grit Bins for Village Use

Just another reminder with temperatures falling to below zero, that there are three yellow grit bins located in the village as shown below. These are not locked and are there to be used by residents as required. Someone in Cherry Street has recently put some grit on the pavements and the road which is to be applauded.

 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