Speed reduction measures
One of the CLP actions on the Parish Council was to consider speed reductions on roads within the village. In 2016 we installed measuring devices for a week in three areas – Fawler Road, High Street and White Horse / Broad Street. These told us that there was no serious incidence of speeding (that is to say, driving at speeds in excess of 30 mph) on High Street and White Horse / Broad Street, but that vehicles were entering and leaving the village on Fawler Road at speeds of up to 60mph.
Those who exceed the 30 mph limit coming in from the Fawler direction will have noticed that a Vehicle Activated Speed Warning Sign was installed on 22 January, some 100m inside the 30 mph limit. It has been funded from the S106 contributions from the developers of the Jacksmeadow estate. This is a stretch of road on which it is all too easy to allow the speed to creep up, but you are approaching a junction and a built-up area with houses, and children, on the side of a road which has no pavement, so the Parish Council urges all motorists to be aware of their responsibilities and the dangers to pedestrians of speeding, and to drive with due respect to the location and prevailing conditions.
WHITE HORSE GARDEN CLUB
TALK: The Creative Shrub Garden: how to create lasting plant combinations using shrubs.
BY: Andy McIndoe, former MD of Hilliers. www.andymcindoe.com
DATE: Thursday 1st February 2018
TIME: 7.30pm
VENUE: Thomas Hughes Memorial Hall, Uffington, SN7 7RA
Members - Free. Visitors - £2.50 Raffle - £1.
Further information from Pamela 01367-820251 or parrottspreene@aol.com
Baulking railway bridge – night time closures
Network Rail have notified: As part of the electrification upgrade, the parapets of Baulking railway bridge have to be raised, using a steel extension. Due to the width of Baulking road, the bridge will have to be closed whilst work is in progress. Work will be undertaken between Monday 5 February 2018 and Friday 1 March 2018 and will be carried out during night shifts. Midweek night shifts will be undertaken from 22:00 to 06:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. Pedestrian access will remain throughout the duration of the work.
It is worth noting that we may not be working every single shift during this period and therefore this is a general outlook to the period mentioned above. There will be additional works that need to be carried out on a Saturday night, but dates are not yet known.
From the Vale
Our food waste trucks need a name - vote now! Vale residents are being invited to vote for their favourite names put forward by local schoolchildren for our new fleet of food waste recycling trucks.
See the Vale website here: http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/news/2018/2018-01/our-food-waste-trucks-need-name-vote-now
(Try this later; the Vale website seems to be down at present)
Save the date - The Peter O'Sullevan Lambourn Open Day - Good Friday 30th March, 2018
See attached for more information: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/images/90e90b2b-7ce2-4cd0-a4ff-1a7cb7f76b22.jpeg
Uffington benefice
The weekly sheet for Sunday 28 February is here: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/da9e38dd-06ab-473d-9b93-c65be938c67c/wsh_2018_01_28.pdf
I have been asked by Andy Foley to circulate this:
Sheep at White Horse Hill
I am writing to request that parishioners who might visit the Hill at weekends (or any other time) keep an eye out for the irresponsible owners of dogs which have caused the deaths of two sheep this year already. One animal was driven into a corner in the Manger and literally torn to shreds whilst the victim we found today on Dragon Hill had had both its ears ripped off as well as other superficial wounds that have meant it has had to be destroyed. The biggest fear is that somebody is training their dog for fighting or some other despicable practice I don't even want to imagine.
Similarly, the parking machine was attacked again over the weekend and is now rendered out of service. The police have of course been informed but are unable to spend all day/night vigils as you might expect. If anybody sees anything remotely suspicious they are advised to call 999 or 101 or myself on 07721 671024.
Andy Foley, Area Ranger, White Horse Hill and Ashdown Park
Village of the Year
On a more cheerful note……The Uffington programme is due to be shown tomorrow on Channel 4 at 3pm.
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Village news 19 January 2018 The Uffington players present – Mother Goose
At the THMH on February 15, 16 and 17. More information here: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/b5940ff1-58de-4a72-80c1-b866fc1bbc2a/Mother_Goose_Poster.pdf
Give Blood!
A local resident donated this week in Faringdon and the nurses were extremely grateful. Apparently stocks are very low so every donation counts. The actual process of giving blood takes about 5 to 15 minutes and is painless. The NHS donor team make regular visits to Wantage, Faringdon and Shrivenham. The website is https://www.blood.co.uk/ for those who require more information and the telephone number to book a slot and make enquiries is 0300 123 23 23.
Swire Ridgeway Arts Exhibition / The Leprosy Mission 20 - 22 April
The Swire Ridgeway Arts Exhibition will again be held in the THMH this year, and The Leprosy Mission is once more being given the opportunity to raise funds by providing refreshments, as well as having a raffle and plant stall and showing films in the small hall.
TLM is additionally providing drinks and canapés for a private viewing on the Friday evening, and needs volunteers to help on Friday and Sunday, and to prepare cakes, soups etc. If you are able to help in this excellent cause, please contact Mike Thomas or Sue Jennings – more information on the attached poster: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/d1caec04-7c7d-4650-84ef-927533c35b23/TLM_appeal_to_village18_MT.pdf
The Ridgeway
The Ridgeway National Trail Winter Newsletter is on the village website here: http://www.uffington.net/visitor-info/local-walks/
Uffington footpaths
Two new maps of the footpaths in and around Uffington have been created and are available on the website here: http://www.uffington.net/visitor-info/local-walks/
Some printed copies will be placed in the Shop and Museum as a pilot; comments to any member of the Parish Council are welcome.
Oxfordshire Waste Consultation
Raising the bar in recycling: Your chance to talk rubbish and recycling with Oxfordshire's councils. Do you know that each household in Oxfordshire produces one tonne of waste each year? We are amongst the best in the country at recycling and composting for a few years now at about 60% but recycling rates have started to drop in Oxfordshire. Residents are being given the chance to talk rubbish and recycling and tell Oxfordshire's county, city and district councils how they can help them recycle more and create less waste.
This consultation will inform the review of the joint countywide waste strategy. This sets out shared priorities across Oxfordshire for waste and recycling until 2030, that will be approved by the Oxfordshire Environment Partnership over the summer. Then, each council partner will adopt changes later in the year.
We want to do better at recycling and the new joint countywide waste strategy is critical to this. We know that on average over half of the items put in the general waste bin could have been recycled by placing them in the other bins available.
Through this consultation residents are being asked what would help them to reduce their overall waste consumption and recycle more. This includes expanding the range of materials that can be recycled at the kerbside and tips and advice on left-over food, upcycling clothing or donating or buying second hand goods. The councils are also seeking views on more radical schemes that have been implemented elsewhere in the country, such as changing bin sizes and collection frequency.
Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment at Oxfordshire County Council said: "We want to help residents to increase the amount they recycle and have looked around at what other councils are doing. This is a long-term strategy and we will not be making any immediate changes however we are interested in which of these the residents of Oxfordshire think may work for them as we seek to minimise the overall amount of residual waste produced in the county." Do you want to help us recycle and reduce waste? Take part in the online survey at www.recycleforoxfordshire.org.uk. The survey runs for six weeks until 18 February.
We want to ensure that as many residents as possible know about the changes. If you have any questions please let me know
Rachel Burns MCIWM
Waste Strategy Officer
Waste Management Group: 01865 816043
Mobile: 07789 877310
Fax: 01865 713930
From the Police – Shock discovery of dead raptors
Five red kites, a raven and a buzzard have been discovered dead in a village in Oxfordshire. The birds were discovered by a family on Sunday 17 September near the village of Pyrton, on the edge of the Chilterns who reported them to the RSPB. (Editor's note: Why so long?) With their six-foot wingspan, red kites are Britain's third-largest bird of prey and feed mainly on carrion.
All the birds were recovered and x-rayed by a local vet. The x-rays revealed no signs of shot. However, the birds have now been sent off for toxicology testing by Natural England as part of the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS). All birds of prey and ravens are protected by UK law, making it illegal to kill or harm them. Those found to have done so could face six months in jail or an unlimited fine.
Thames Valley Police, Natural England and RSPB are working together on a joint investigation and are appealing to be public at this stage. If you have any information relating to this incident, call Thames Valley Police on 101.
If you find a wild bird which you suspect has been illegally killed, contact RSPB Investigations on 01767 680551, email crime@rspb.org.uk or fill in the online form: https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/our-positions-and-campaigns/positions/wildbirdslaw/reportform.aspx
Avian flu latest advice and guidance
Cases of bird flu have recently been confirmed in Dorset and Warwickshire, which has resulted in a national response led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). At this moment in time no cases have been reported in Hampshire or the Thames Valley region. For the latest update, including the current situation and advice for bird owners, please visit the DEFRA website here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-influenza-bird-flu-in-winter-2017-to-2018
Wild Birds
If you find dead wild waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks) or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, you should report them to the DEFRA helpline 03459 33 55 77.
Community Café
Just a reminder that the Cafe is now closed till Saturday 3rd March. My Trip Advisor listing is available for reviews, or check out my website: http://www.uffingtoncafe.co.uk/ Chris Higgs
Uffington Benefice
The Weekly Sheet for Sunday 21st January is here: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/d3b46089-0c2b-4984-9b3b-0b2e527bc78f/wsh_2018_01_21.pdf
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