Apologies for absence  Mrs I Reveco.   Mrs H Hutton.   Cllr J Howell,   Cllr. P Tomlinson.

Minutes of meeting held 14 May 2007  These had been posted on the parish notice boards prior to the meeting and were agreed by the meeting and signed by the Chairman.

Matters arising  - There were none.

Chairman's report  2007-2008

Traffic  -  The County Highways Authorities put in the first speed indicator sign in Henley road for traffic travelling South. It demonstrated that without doubt the majority of cars passed it exceeding the 30 miles speed limit! However, within weeks of being erected it has been vandalised and no longer works! A second sign is due to be erected nearer the main road junction for traffic travelling North - the pole is there! A mini roundabout at the Brick Kiln lane junction is to be built imminently!

Hall  -  the village hall is in good decorative order and plans to refurbish the toilets and kitchen are welcomed by the Parish Council. The fencing around the green by the hall has been replaced following damage by vandals.

Police liaison  -  Police activity within the village has improved considerably and effective dialogue with our Community Support Officer is welcomed. The 'surgeries' offered by TVP are a good sign and hopefully this increase in activity will lead to the traffic, fly-tipping, vandalism and other criminal behaviour being addressed.

Recreation/play areas  -  The hand over of the play equipment in Janaway has still not happened! Regrettably vandals damaged the swings and play feature on the main field - however, our insurance policy has enabled these to be repaired fully. The youth shelter once again was vandalised. Plans are well advanced to upgrade the Fox Furlong play area. During the next month the first of 3 planters will be built at the entrance to the village - near the Heyford Hill sign.

Appraisal  -  The village appraisal has been considered and we feel we have done well to reflect villagers' wishes.

Greenbelt  -  The debate about house building South of Grenoble road has moved to a possible eco town off the A34 near Bicester! - But SODC remains adamant re hands off the greenbelt.

Mobile Home site  -  the residents of the site seem at long last to have a more optimistic view of their tenancy with their landlord. The Parish council has contributed to a hard standing by the bus stop - which was completed last week.

Orchard House -  The house remains closed and boarded up, although I understand there are negotiations on-going.

'Lock path' -  The hand rail over the river through the King's Arms is looking rather tired and it is intended to re-paint it if the owners fail to do this. The area around the lock is nearing a refurbishment and resurfacing blitz.

Fly-tipping  -  In a few places the village is being spoilt by fly-tipping - this is mainly dumping garden waste on public land - including play areas; residents should be aware that the maximum fine is £2500. In additional some householders persist in depositing their household rubbish on the highway too early - this is again illegal.
In due course we will hear from the SODC about new waste collection procedures - the PC have pressed to add to the excellent current service and not fix what isn't broken.

Appreciation  -  is extended to the council for its hard work over the past year and thanks to the villagers that attend meetings and help represent views. A special thanks to our new councillors who have taken to the role so ably and to John Howells our county councillor.

District Councillor's report   Appended:
From John Howell, County Councillor
Public health
Dr. Jonathan McWilliam, often referred to in the press as the county's top doctor, is Oxfordshire's Director of Public Health. This is a joint post shared between the County Council and the PCT. His second annual report has now been published and is available on the County Council web-site. The report details progress on five main threats to the future health, wellbeing and prosperity of Oxfordshire. These are: breaking the cycle of deprivation; an ageing population; mental health and wellbeing; preventing obesity; and fighting killer infections.
There has been some real progress in the past year. For example:
* Teenage pregnancies fell substantially to the lowest rates for ten years.
* Cases of the super bug MRSA have fallen. Last year there were around five cases on average per month in the county, compared with double that number in the previous year.
* More people have quit smoking than ever before.
* The odds of dying early from circulatory diseases have fallen over the last decade by almost 40%,

County Councillor's report   Appended:
From Pamela Tomlinson, District Councillor
Following the elections in May 2007 there were 20 new councillors; I was one of them!
The Council is now made up as follows: Conservative 38, Liberal democrats 6, Independent 1, Henley Residents Group 1 and Labour 1.
The Council was delighted with the excellent status awarded by the Audit Commission, staff and councillors had worked hard to achieve this. The Council will continue to work for a high standard to improve customer satisfaction.
The South East plan has yet to be confirmed by the Minister, in the meantime we are working to the draft number of 10,950 houses for South Oxfordshire with the bulk, 6,050, being in Didcot.
A consultation on the Local Development Framework has just finished, where all parish councils, residents, stakeholders have had the opportunity to look at developments in their area. It is too early in the process for details but there are a number of villages and larger settlements requesting development.
Following a consultation on waste plus the present contract ending in 2009 the council is now writing the tender document. The collection of waste will change.
Wheelie bins will be provided by the Council. Recyclables, residual and glass will be collected alternative weeks with food collection weekly. The brown bins collection will not change although the cost will increase by £1 per annum.
We already collect 33% recyclables but need 50% and must reduce anything going to land fill. The Council will have heavy fines if we continue to use land fill.
Environmental health has had success regarding the no smoking policy, it is mainly self controlled, there have been planning applications for smoke shelters at pubs etc. The Licensing Act has meant hearings of less than 10 where landlords broke the rules.
Taxi licensing has increased work due to the Council working with Thames Valley Police and have found vehicles to be below the necessary safety standard. More checks are to be carried out this year.
The Council has spent £26m upgrading sports centres, Cornerstone (Art Centre) in Didcot which opens shortly. The four towns have all had considerable amounts of investment. The sports development office works with clubs and organisations to help increase the number of activities.
There are a number of issues facing the Council. The Council received the lowest Government grant ever of 1.9% increase with 0.5% 2009/10 and 0.5% 2010/11, savings will need to be made across the council to enable us to keep a low council tax. There are fewer staff than other Oxfordshire Councils; however, we have contracted our services with set costs. Joining services with the Vale of the White Horse District Council has given savings and we will look at more joined up services.
The costs of the bus pass scheme introduced in April are unknown as we pay for all journeys started in South Oxfordshire. The Government has given us a travel grant of £317,000 this year, which we have budgeted as covering the actual costs.
Car parking charges will increase from April but remain one of the lowest in the area. Some car parks still have one hour free.
I have enjoyed my first year working with you and look forward, with less trepidation, to the next year.
Pamela Tomlinson

Statement of accounts 2006 - 2007
Before presenting the accounts, the clerk expressed the thanks of the parish council to Mr N. Mackisack who so generously acted as the parish hon. internal auditor. The accounts were presented by the Clerk and adopted by the meeting.

Matters raised by parishioners   There were none

Meeting closed at 8.10 pm