COUNCIL MEMBERS

The current Parish Council members are:

Nigel Northcott	Chairman   (773569)
Hazel Hutton
Mick Hills
Stephen Paine
Irene Reveco
Michelle Robson	Vice-Chair
Kevin Welch
Liz Shatford	Parish Clerk   (772598)

Pamela Tomlinson (Conservative) has been elected with a majority of 76 votes over our last District Councillor, John Stimson.

COUNCIL MEETINGS

The official date of the next meeting is always displayed, along with the minutes of the last meeting, on the three village notice boards. One of which is located on the old wharf site (opposite River View), another is in the corner of the recreation ground at the top of Church Road (by the phone box). Also a new notice board has now been placed next to the post box by Janaway.

Parish Council meetings have been recorded in The Link since 1981, a full list of reports can be found in The Link Subject Index.

Parish Council meetings
The Council works on behalf of the Parish to maintain and improve various aspects of the village that come within their control. As such, members of the public are always welcome to attend and observe the workings of the Council at any of the public meetings.
In order to run the meetings in a timely and efficient manner, the Council Chairman follows the published agenda, which is usually displayed on the village noticeboards a week before before the meeting.
The public may only raise matters by prior notification to the Chairman or the clerk. The Chairman may invite members of the public to speak, to provide specific information to the Council, or to inform the Council of matters of immediate concern.
The local representatives from the South Oxfordshire District Council and the Oxfordshire County Council (see below) often attend meetings to report on matters affecting the Parish from the wider local government perspective.

Every year, in May, there are two special meetings:

The Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council.
Which, as always, is open to the public. Along with normal business, the Council members at the AGM elect a Chairman and vice-Chaiman, who act for the following twelve months.

This meeting is directly followed by:

The Annual Parish Meeting.
This is where the Chairman presents his annual report giving a summary of Council activities in the village during the previous year. A statement of the previous years accounts is also produced by the Parish Clerk.
Members of the public are particularly welcome at this meeting, where they will be able to ask any questions and raise matters of concern, via the Chairman, directly to the Parish Council.

THE PARISH CLERK

The Parish Clerk is chosen by the Council, whenever a vacancy arises, by a formal process of interview and appointment. The position of Parish Clerk, has certain legal obligations attached to it, and acts as a focal point for all official correspondence. There are responsibilities for recording the minutes and the keeping of the Council financial records. Also the Clerk assists the Council on matters of protocol and provides procedural information, advising the Council discussions on what can be done within the areas of Parish control. The clerk has no vote on the Council, the role is purely administrative.

COUNCIL DUTIES

The Parish Council has very limited powers at the local level, but it can have some control over a few public areas within the village. The Council can voice its opinion and pass on its requests or preferences, concerning matters which directly effect the village, that are controlled by other higher councils.
Some areas under the Parish Council influence are: Planning, Churchyards, Crime prevention, Halls, Litter, Open Spaces, Playing Fields, Rights of Way, Roadside verges, Seats, Shelters, Signs, Traffic calming and Transport.
(The NALC web site has a full list for download)

The District Council (SODC) is the next tier of local government and is responsible, amoungst others, for environmental health, housing, leisure & recreation, planning applications, and waste collection.
We reside in South Oxfordshire District, "Sandford Ward" which includes the parishes of: Clifton Hampden, Culham, Nuneham Courtenay and Sandford On Thames.
The last District Council election was in May 2007 (the next is due in May 2011) and our new District Councillor is now Pamela Tomlinson.

The County Council has responsibility for many services for Oxfordshire. These include schools, social services, the fire service, roads, libraries and the museums service, trading standards, land use, transport planning and waste management.
We come within the 'Berinsfield and Dorchester Division' of the Oxfordshire County Council, which includes "Berinsfield Ward" alongside "Sandford Ward" and covers all the parishes of, Berinsfield, Clifton Hampden, Culham, Dorchester, Drayton St Leonard, Newington, Nuneham Courtenay, Sandford-on-Thames, Stadhampton and Warborough.
Our County Councillor is John Howell. The last County Council election was held in May 2005 (the next is due in 2009).

ELECTIONS

There are seven members elected on to the local Parish Council. The whole Council has to stand for re-election every 4 years, the elections are next due in May 2011.
If a member leaves the Council, then the vacancy is published and anyone who qualifies under the election rules, can put their name forward as a candidate. Full details are available from the clerk.
If more candidates apply than there are positions vacant, then a full election ballot can take place. However if only one candidate applies, then they can be co-opted on to the Council without a ballot.
A vacancy can remain open until a suitable candidate becomes available.

( The Quorn Parish Council web site has a full description of Elections )

BRIEF HISTORY

The Sandford-on-Thames Parish Council has been looking after Parish affairs for many years now.
Most of the later Parish Council meetings have been recorded in The Link, since the very first 1981 issue (see Ar01), a full list of reports can be found in The Link Subject Index.

April 1946 was the date of the very first Parish Council meeting, with Mr.N.Challenor as Chairman, along with Mr.Clapperton, Mr.Cooper, Mr.Clarke, Mrs.Hurst and Mrs.Mumford as Clerk.
It would seem some things haven't changed much over the years. Among the subjects under discussion then, were a 30 mph speed limit, the state of the footpath opposite the Catherine Wheel and the main drainage. Other topics of interest at the time were the ongoing events involving the new Recreation Ground and a long episode involving a new bus shelter.

In 1955 Mr.Clapperton was elected Chairman, other councillors were, Mr.Gunn, Mrs.Stone, Mr.Clarke, Mr.Naish, Mrs.Hurst and the Clerk, Mrs.Rolston
The Council was trying to get street lighting installed, and there was attempts to have a weekly refuse collection. Also on the agenda was the smoke from the Mill chimney, the old Reading Room, caravans at Temple Farm, Bullingdon Refuse Dump... and still, the new bus shelter.

More recent history.

Over the last few years there haven't been many changes in the Parish Council and members continue to take an interest in the Parish affairs, some have been doing so for many years.

The Link Parish Council report for May 1998 (see Link70) recorded that:

Janet Shepherd, who had been a Parish Council member since about 1988, retired (see Link14) and Michael Inston (Church Road) was elected as the new Chairman, he originally joined the Council in 1997 (see Link68).
Carol Leary also retired from the Parish Council (see Link70) in May 1998 and Liz Shatford, who was a member of the Parish Council in the mid 1970's, returned as the new Parish Clerk.

The remaining existing members were:
Hazel Hutton, (Main Avenue) a long serving Council member, who first joined the Council in April 1970
Michael Norton, (Henley Road) another long time member, since May 1983 (see Ar18)
Jacqueline Smithson, a member from Summer 1997 (see Link66)
Michael D'arcy, (Heyford Hill Lane) a member since Spring 1998 (see Link69)
they were all joined by a new member, Ray James, (see Link70).

Nigel Northcott (Church Road) joined the Council in September 1998 (see Link71) and made up the full total of seven members. In the Autumn of 1999 Ray James, resigned (see Link75), then in May 2001 Nigel Northcott took over from Mike Inston as Chairman (see Link82). In August 2002 Pat Tuson joined the council (see Link87), then lately in January 2003 Jacqueline Smithson stood down and Mick Hills (Rock Farm Lane) was co-opted in her place.

In May 2003, Michael D'arcy decided not to stand for re-election, the vacancy was filled in July 2003 by Irene Reveco.
In May 2004 Pat Tuson tendered her resignation (as she was moving away from the village).
At the August 2004 meeting Michelle Robson was co-opted onto the council.

In May 2007, Mike Inston & Mike Norton did not stand for re-election, all the other existing members were returned unopposed.
At the June 2007 meeting, Stephen Paine was co-opted on to the Parish Council and in September Kevin Welch was also co-opted, to makeup the full complement of seven members.

This is how the Parish Council stands today.

PARISH MAPS

'Division & Wards'

The Parish

Street Plan

LINKS to other Sites

There is also a list of local links to nearby web sites.



  South Oxfordshire District Council.
Our District Councillor is:   Pamela Tomlinson .
Who also covers the nearby parishes of Clifton Hampden, Culham and Nuneham Courtenay.
The District Council Planning applications.
We also come within the Oxford Fringe Area Forum.
and for details of the "Hands Off South Oxfordshire" campaign, to oppose development on the green belt and other proposals contained in the new County Draft Structure Plan.
There is also a calendar of the District Council meetings and the various Committees and some meeting are avalable to view ovet the new webcast system.



  Oxford City Council.
The Oxford City has a search page for Planning applications.



  Oxfordshire County Council.
Our County Councillor (Dorchester & Berinsfield Division) is:   John Howell.
There are Agendas, Minutes & Reports for the County Council meeetings.
Also a long list of other local Parish Councils and contact details for all of Oxfordshire's:
16 Town Councils, 63 Parish Meetings and 238 Parish Councils.

There are details of the current Oxfordshire Structure Plan review.

The County also manage the local Redbridge recycling centre (rather than a 'refuse tip' or 'rubbish dump') located just off the ring road.



Parliament.
Our MP (Henley Constituency) is: Boris Johnson (conservative).


European Parliament.




Details of the new South East England Regional Assembly   and the new South East Plan currently being developed by SEERA, covering our region for the next 20 years!



South Oxfordshire police area,
and we appear to be in the new Wheatley Neighbourhood
Please call   08458 505 505 to report a non-emergency crime,
or to give information to Thames Valley Police.
There is a page giving the latest Police News in South Oxfordshire.
and also an interesting section on Youth Shelters.


  The National Association of Local Councils.


    The Countryside Agency.


    Oxfordshire Rural Community Council.



    CPRE national site.     CPRE Oxfordshire site.


    Oxford Preservation Trust.


    Oxford Green Belt Network .


    Sunningwell Parishioners Against Damage to the Environment.



    Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.



    The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.


    Guide to Recycling.


  Community Group has many, very useful articles.




  There is also a list of local links to nearby web sites.