title="Baldons Parish Council in Oxfordshire">

Parish Council March 2020

Baldons Parish Council News

Last Tuesday was for our local councillors a sad day for democracy.  For despite the pressure from the Parish Council, the District and County Councillor, Oxfordshire County Council voted 39 to 16 in favour of accepting the invitation from the Housing Minister, the Rt Hon Robert Jenrick to remove powers from South Oxfordshire District Council and to give them to the department.  If this invitation is forthcoming, decisions to influence the Local Plan (including building on green belt land) will no longer be in the hands of our elected local representatives.  The local organisation, ‘A Better South Oxfordshire’ will continue to campaign for South Oxfordshire District Council to retain its responsibility for strategic planning in the county.

Locally, the trees along the ditch, which runs across the Green have been pollarded. Thankfully the work was completed before the recent storms and so trees have not been damaged or lost in the high winds.  In addition, much of the bramble around the ditch has been removed, thereby opening-up the view across the Green.  Meanwhile, following the work of a small group of volunteers, the village pond by the school is now full and work will continue, when the weather improves, to restore this village asset.  BBOWT will be advising the council on the correct planting and conservation of the pond.

No doubt the recent winds will have blown bits of rubbish and pieces of trees around the villages.  To help deal with this, the annual clear-up day will take place at 10.00 am on Sunday 29th March; please put this date in your diaries as we need as many volunteers as possible.  The necessary equipment will be provided by the District Council.

As reported before, the Parish Council will be taking steps to restore the Green to its original boundaries and make good the damaged caused by vehicles driving and parking across the Green.  This applies to the area outside the school and along by the Seven Stars.  The Parish Council has also written to those households having construction work on their properties that they have a duty to repair any damaged caused to the Green by construction vehicles.

For those living along the southside of the track, there will be a meeting to discuss the restoration and maintenance of the track at 7.30 pm on Tuesday 17th March in the Village Hall.  This meeting has been arranged in response to the questionnaire sent to all householders before Christmas.

Finally, the following planning applications have been approved by SODC:

Application No : P19/S4475/FUL
Provision of an all-weather horse arena at Penstemon House Baldon Lane Marsh Baldon OX44 9LS

 

Date of next meetings:          9th March, 7.30pm, Village Hall,

Annual Parishes Meeting: 20th April, 7.30 pm, Village Hall