The Annual Parish Meeting

 

 

This year the meeting was held in the village. In years past the event used to be held in the Horse & Harrow and more recently in Hagbourne School. Last year there was a request that this meeting should be held in the village if possible.

 

This was made possible by Marion Judd’s generous offer to use her garden as the venue. The weather was kind, sunny and dry, and people gathered in the Marquee kindly provided by the Village Association. About 35 parishioners attended and were given written reports from the Chair of the Parish Council, the West Hagbourne Village Association, the West Hagbourne History Group, the William Tyrrell Trust and the South Oxfordshire District Council and Oxfordshire County Council from County and District Councillor Patrick Greene.

 

Phil Taylor, Chair of the Parish Council, opened the meeting at 2.30pm welcoming everyone and explained the meeting had been planned to avoid long speeches but instead give the time to the people of the village to voice their views and concerns in the Open Forum…

 

Open Forum

 

The following topics were debated:

 

  • Parked vehicles at top end of Moor Lane, to monitor

 

  • Didcot Hospital – a temporary reprieve to closure

 

  • Land opposite Horse and Harrow – the area lets the village down. Owned by Brewery but the upkeep is the responsibility of the Landlord. One suggestion was to make it into a carpark and the carpark into a garden. It was also suggested that we should encourage it to be cleared and grassed and then kept regularly cut., Chris Lay offered help.

 

  • The small piece of ground next to the Bus Shelter needs attention. Ivy is growing over the roof. Volunteers needed to help clear area and keep it tidy.

 

  • Asbestos in the in ceiling of the bus shelter– has been investigated, and no action at present is needed.

 

  • Wheelchair access to Sustrans track – it is almost impossible to access path with a wheelchair. Church path is crumbling and needs attention. A link track from WH to access has been put forward to Sustrans and this could be from top of Foxglove Lane to the access to the path at the railway bridge. This will be pursued.

 

  • Trees along bank bordering Nappers land need attention. An electric fence or barbed wire to stop cows from damaging the trees was suggested. The landowner will be consulted.

 

  • Flooding in Brook Lane – Highways are responsible for clearing the drain – it has been cleared once this year.

 

  • The drain at junction of Foxglove Lane and Brook Lane is not adequate when there is a heavy downpour of rain. This will be pursued and monitored and pressure will continue to be applied on the Highways department.

 

  • General clear up of all drains/kerbsides is needed.

 

 

Traffic issues:

 

  • Increase of traffic through the village is still one of the greatest concerns for the parish.

 

  • Finance for improvement will not be forthcoming in the near future, from the Didcot Integrated Transport Study - other action is in progress

 

  • Large vehicles travelling through village is still a problem

 

  • Didcot expansion – traffic planning and possible bypass

 

  • Diamond Project – expansion will inevitably lead to further increase of traffic through village

 

  •  

Parish Plan

 

Initial copies of the Parish Survey were discussed and circulated for feedback before distribution to all households during the summer.

 

The meeting agreed that the venue and location was a good idea and it was hoped this could be repeated next year.

 

A formalised meeting of the Annual Parish Meeting commenced at 6.10 pm and Items raised at the Open Forum were duly noted for future consideration.