COUNCIL MEMBERS
The Sandford-on-Thames Parish Council consists of seven elected members, who
stand in a purely voluntary capacity.
They carry out their duties, giving their time and energy freely,
on behalf of the Parish.
The Council employs a Parish Clerk to administer the decisions of the Council
and tend to the Councils legal obligations.
The current Parish Council members are:
| Mick Hills | |
| Michelle Robson | |
| Stephen Paine | Chair | (xxxxxx) |
| Kevin Welch | Vice-Chair |
| Susanne Wilson | |
| Andy Hackett | |
| Joyce Markham | |
| Liz Shatford | Parish Clerk | (772598) |
May 2010: John Howell (Conservative) was re-elected our MP in the General Election.
June 2009: Lorraine Lindsay-Gale (Conservative)
was elected
as our County Councillor (the Dorchester Berinsfield division).
June 2008: Our MP (Henley Constituency) is now John Howell.
May 2007: Pamela Tomlinson (Conservative) was elected as our District Councillor.
COUNCIL MEETINGS
NOTE: currently the Parish Council are no longer meeting in the Village Hall -
all meetings are now being held in the Welch Room
which is situated immediately to the side of the church tower.
(The church is just round the corner from the hall, in Church Road -
turn right out of the hall, take the next right and the church is on your right.
The Welch Room is round to the left of the main church door.)
Meetings are normally on the first Monday of every month at 7.00 pm.
however if this turns out to be a Bank Holiday,
then the meeting is deferred to the following Monday.
Hence the following dates should be correct:
| 2010 |
| Minutes | Monday | 11 | January |
| Minutes | Monday | 1 | February |
| Minutes | Monday | 1 | March |
| Minutes | Monday | 12 | April |
| Minutes | Monday | 10 | May - - - | Annual Meeting |
| Minutes | Monday | 7 | June |
| Minutes | Monday | 5 | July |
| Minutes | Monday | 2 | August |
| Minutes | Monday | 6 | September |
| Minutes | Monday | 4 | October |
| Minutes | Monday | 1 | November |
| Minutes | Monday | 6 | December |
An archive of older minutes can be found on the site map page.
The official date of the next meeting is always displayed,
along with the minutes of the last meeting, on the village notice boards.
One of which is located in the corner of the recreation ground at the top of Church Road
(by the phone box) another notice board is 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
Lorraine Lindsay-Gale (Conservative).
The last County Council election was held in May 2009 (the next is due in 2013).
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.
At the annual meeting in May 2009, Irene Reveco stood down from the Parish Council,
and at the July 2009 meeting Susanne Wilson was co-opted.
Also in July 2009 Hazel Hutton tendered her resignation, to retire after many years serving the village as a Parish Councillor.
In April 2010 Andy Hackett was co-opted on to the parish council.
At the end of the April 2010 meeting, Nigel Northcott formally resigned from the Parish Council as he was moving to Abingdon
(see Link117).
At the May 2010 meeting Steve Paine was elected as the new chairperson and
Joyce Markham was co-opted on to the parish council.
This is how the Parish Council stands today.
PARISH MAPS
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:
Lorraine Lindsay-Gale (Conservative).
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.
May 2010: John Howell was re-elected our MP in the General Election.
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.
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