WaGCG : Wantage and Grove Campaign Group
The Campaign Group was dissolved on 6th November 2025.
In accordance with the Constitution it was agreed to divide the funds of the Group between the October Club and the Vale and Downland Museum.
This website will be retained for the present for information purposes only.
Wantage and Grove Campaign Group (WaGCG)
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Our columns in the Wantage Herald

27 September 2023  Goodbye and Thank You
20 September 2023  Slightly fake and not very energy efficient
13 September 2023  Changes to the pedestrianisation
6 September 2023  Despite numerous objections the Reservoir plans are back to full size
30 August 2023  Should there be 30 more homes on AONB in Ardington?
23 August 2023  Is Grove Gateway just pie in the sky?
16 August 2023  County Council Policy means parking fines
9 August 2023  Britain’s house-building capital.
2 August 2023  More indecision will affect the Local Plan
26 July 2023  Bridge over Letcombe Brook
19 July 2023  Government procrastination
12 July 2023  A shortage of Senior Housing?
5 July 2023  The worst potholes in the County?
28 June 2023  A s106 explanation
21 June 2023  Why are they sitting on the money?
14 June 2023  Grove Business Park plans revived and updated
7 June 2023  Revisions to Crab Hill Plans
31 May 2023  ARC development plans
24 May 2023  Where has all the money gone
17 May 2023  Only 20p in every £ we pay to Thames Water goes towards operation and maintenance of the network
10 May 2023  Holes grow as budget is limited
9 May 2023  Lack of parking will affect usage at planned community hub
3 May 2023  Disconnected Highway Design Team
26 April 2023  No Cafe in the Beacon
19 April 2023  What is a Patient Participation Group?
12 April 2023  Ideas to improve your health and wellbeing
5 April 2023  Whats wrong with working from home?
29 March 2023  Raw Sewage in the Letcombe Brook
22 March 2023  Confused by percentage increases in tax
15 March 2023  Time running out for your say on the reservoir
8 March 2023  Aren't priorities for Health and Care obvious?
1 March 2023  Is 20 plenty? Bus companies don't think so
22 February 2023  How to help to change the Law
15 February 2023  Consultation closing soon
8 February 2023  Leisure funding still not spent in OX12
1 February 2023  Pathetic changes to Planning Policy
25 January 2023  Unless parking restrictions are enforced - what's the point?
18 January 2023  The largest bunded reservoir in the Northern Hemisphere.
11 January 2023  Surely not an Anaerobic Digester as well?
4 January 2023  A dumping ground for a Mega-reservoir
28 December 2022  Annual Update
21 December 2022  Face to face appointments with a Doctor
14 December 2022  Is Your Organisation listed?
7 December 2022  The argument for the reservoir continues
30 November 2022  Maintenance responsibilities
23 November 2022  Christmas countdown as Fayres and Fairs take place
16 November 2022  Will PM pledges be kept?
9 November 2022  Forgotten Wantage
2 November 2022  Will developers deliver to their promise?
26 October 2022  No investment in Sport in Wantage
19 October 2022  Uncertainty in the only certainty in planning
12 October 2022  Being a Councillor is a thankless task
5 October 2022  Is it too much to ask to turn a Zebra into a Puffin?
28 September 2022  Anything but a reservoir
21 September 2022  Drastically reducing the access to Oxford by car
14 September 2022  Why can't Persimmon deliver football pitches?
7 September 2022  Will double yellow lines change behaviour?
31 August 2022  Consumer warmth and security versus political donations?
24 August 2022  Will Oxfordshire transport plans for cycleways get this far?
17 August 2022  What will the abandonment of the Oxfordshire 2050 plan mean for OX12
10 August 2022  When is a drought not a drought?
3 August 2022  A new transport plan - will it achieve anything?
27 July 2022  Could a new supermarket be combined with a school?
20 July 2022  The Mystery of the Disappearing Leisure Strategy
13 July 2022  Do they care?
6 July 2022  BOB ICB replaces OCCG - so what does it mean?
29 June 2022  Are politicians omniscient?
22 June 2022  Oxfordshire Plan 2050 delayed
15 June 2022  How easy is it to contact the GP Practice?
8 June 2022  The Consultation on Wantage Neighbourhood Plan is now open
1 June 2022  Has planning changed since the Coronation?
25 May 2022  What’s the future for OX12?
18 May 2022  Local plan and the Levelling Up Bill - is local democracy dead?
11 May 2022  Is the Government unwilling to deal with sensitive issues?
4 May 2022  What will our councillors achieve before the next elections?
27 April 2022  Where's the plan for Grove?
20 April 2022  Lies, damned lies and statistics
13 April 2022  How much of our green space is private land?
6 April 2022  Health Centre Extension approved
30 March 2022  300 homes not in the Local Plan
23 March 2022  When is a cycleway not a cycleway?
16 March 2022  Must someone die to improve road safety?
9 March 2022  Oxon Zero-carbon doesn't include HGV's
2 March 2022  Reservoir plans myth busting
23 February 2022  One conurbation
16 February 2022  Electricity is our life blood
9 February 2022  Gaining consensus on housing numbers is a formidable task
2 February 2022  Houses suitable for working from home
26 January 2022  Has the infrastructure kept pace with the increased population?
19 January 2022  No new leisure centre so will we get anything?
12 January 2022  Parliamentary debate keeps up the profile of housing and infrastructure problems
5 January 2022  What, if any health infrastructure are we expecting?
22 December 2021  Cycleways and new developments
15 December 2021  Let's make a footpath accessible to everyone
8 December 2021  What new schools and roads will we get?
1 December 2021  How to decide how many homes we need
24 November 2021  What will be the impact of a new Local Plan on Wantage and Grove?
17 November 2021  What is the so-called need for new housing?
10 November 2021  Intrusion into an open rural landscape and AONB
3 November 2021  Parking fines may be much more common
27 October 2021  Check planning applications carefully
20 October 2021  People vote no for the Arc
13 October 2021  What good does a name change do?
6 October 2021  Planning is a scapegoat for failing the Housing Crisis
29 September 2021  One new home for every two there now.
22 September 2021  Conspiracy theories around reservoir plans
15 September 2021  Good news about the Health Centre Expansion
8 September 2021  Home or Cars? Which are most carbon guzzling?
1 September 2021  I don't want any of these growth options
25 August 2021  An infrastructure Strategy without Health and Social Care?
18 August 2021  Government ambition versus a realistic vision for the Future
11 August 2021  Infrastructure would be better if it was timely
4 August 2021  Infrastructure late on Grove Airfield
28 July 2021  Who influences government planning policy?
21 July 2021  Roads restricted because of land ownership
14 July 2021  New NHS data sharing scheme coming soon
7 July 2021  Appeal dismissed for the Lidl store near Mably Way
30 June 2021  ‘Test and learn’ pilots of outpatient services at Wantage Hospital replace the in-patient beds
23 June 2021  What is the purpose of the Growth Board?
16 June 2021  Laws to modernise the planning system so that more homes can be built?
9 June 2021  I don’t believe any promises that we get from our NHS authorities
2 June 2021  Will there be any changes to housing plans as a result of the Election?
26 May 2021  A final decision on plans for Lidl between Wantage and Grove are a step nearer
19 May 2021  Options to resolve parking issues in Wantage Town Centre
12 May 2021  Too many cars and not enough parking spaces - are permits the answer?
5 May 2021  Active cycling is not easy on our oxfordshire roads
28 April 2021  Wantage Hospital In-Patient beds to remain temporarily closed
21 April 2021  Lack of communication with residents from health administrators
14 April 2021  Developers always want more
7 April 2021  Will we notice if Council Meetings don't take place again?
31 March 2021  Improving heart health?
24 March 2021  What the Pandemic is doing to our brains
17 March 2021  Erroneous plan gets developer space for additional bedroom
10 March 2021  Getting active with travel needs proper support - not words
3 March 2021  Care home facilities reduced from the planned levels
24 February 2021  How to complete the Grove Northern Link Road
17 February 2021  Will we finally see new leisure facilities in Wantage and Grove?
10 February 2021  Where are the staff for adult social care at home?
3 February 2021  The Council is more interested in funding highways than health services
28 January 2021  A conundrum for the District Council
20 January 2021  Covid vaccinations in Wantage
13 January 2021  Groundhog day (covid style)
6 January 2021  What will happen to Wantage when Civil Parking Enforcement takes effect?
30 December 2020  When exactly is New Year? and Why?
23 December 2020  Wantage Neighbourhood Plan needs a refresh to get up to date.
16 December 2020  Housing Policies not fit for purpose says MPs
9 December 2020  Will markets provide outdoor shopping for Christmas
2 December 2020  Is there finally some good news?
25 November 2020  The status of the 4,000 homes planned for Grove
18 November 2020  Update on Wantage building works
11 November 2020  Will Wantage become a food destination?
4 November 2020  Masks are not all the same and they will cost more
28 October 2020  Get a move on with giving us the leisure facilities we require
21 October 2020  Are we getting what we want from this 'New Homes' policy
14 October 2020  Is staying a home keeping me safe or affecting my sanity?
7 October 2020  Consultations allow us to express our views
30 September 2020  Current planning applications etc..
23 September 2020  How to get a flu vaccination and when to get a Covid test
16 September 2020  Can we really do nothing about speeding cars and motorcycles?
9 September 2020  Do we want more pedestrianisation in Wantage?
2 September 2020  New plans for a unitary Oxfordshire
26 August 2020  Government plans a Charter for Developers
19 August 2020  Could you get all your main day-to-day needs within a 15-minute walk?
12 August 2020  Say what you think about Boris's latest bid to change planning
5 August 2020  No regard for planning conditions
29 July 2020  Build, build, build should really be build the social housing that we need
22 July 2020  Your Council wants to know what you think it should do
15 July 2020  Is there any funding for a catch-up of Health and Care services?
8 July 2020  No consultation required and longer hours for builders
1 July 2020  Scrutinising health services in Oxfordshire
24 June 2020  How our money is spent by Wantage and Grove Councils
17 June 2020  Pedestrianisation could be trialled in post-covid plans
10 June 2020  Grassy patches are thorny issue for our range of authorities
3 June 2020  How vulnerable to development are the green spaces in OX12?
27 May 2020  New ways of doing things, but Council must look at leisure
20 May 2020  How should streets be used in the future?
13 May 2020  Electric vehicles or saving the ocean
6 May 2020  Resources dripping away as leakage tackled at slow rate
29 April 2020  Latest update from Mably Way Surgeries
22 April 2020  Early action required to respond to the Climate Emergency
15 April 2020  Repay dedication of key workers with genuinely affordable homes
8 April 2020  Ray Collins and the Wantage Advice Centre can help you
1 April 2020  What will our leisure centre funding be spent on?
25 March 2020  Last weekend was supposed to be Freedom Weekend
18 March 2020  GP Practices have changed how we make appointments
11 March 2020  Shires losing out to London when it comes to pothole cash
4 March 2020  Tangle of Trusts and backlog of big bills hamper our NHS
26 February 2020  Our Health Scrutiny Committee is just as powerless are we are
19 February 2020  This time CPRE simply haven't got green enough
12 February 2020  Wantage Hospital - would it not just be easier to keep it?
5 February 2020  Homebuyer beware - Rentcharge could bite you in the end!
29 January 2020  Why should the District Council take powers away from the Town?
22 January 2020  When are all these new school places coming?
15 January 2020  New houses are being built all across Wantage and Grove
8 January 2020  What's the balance between infrastructure, affordability and profit?
2 January 2020  What happened to the grand plans for the last decade?
26 December 2019  A short Christmas wish list from your local campaigners
18 December 2019  It could be better to give than receive if we can help charity
11 December 2019  Are we really planning to build a low carbon future?
4 December 2019  How wide do you think a parking space should be?
27 November 2019  Designing in access for lifetime with all our latest housing
20 November 2019  Ways to recycle you may not yet have thought of trying
13 November 2019  What can I recycle in the Vale of White Horse District?
6 November 2019  Green spaces and the link to health
30 October 2019  Could our Boat be downgraded to a bridleway?
23 October 2019  Why can't we get award-winning eco council houses?
16 October 2019  Which is the most considerate of the construction firms?
9 October 2019  Wantage hospital situation looks worse than ever
2 October 2019  Good news for pupils but road may take a wrong turn
25 September 2019  How can we keep people up to date with local events
18 September 2019  Bus stops were high on the agenda for Traffic Advisory Meeting
11 September 2019  What has Highways England ever done for us?
4 September 2019  A look back on the future, as we saw it in 2015's town plan
28 August 2019  Will a new housing ombudsman hold builders to account?
21 August 2019  At last, a planner thinking of bigger picture on housing
14 August 2019  Statue inveiling on Sunday will honour a great Wantage man
7 August 2019  Oxfordshire already has all we need to help save the planet
31 July 2019  Don't jump in deep end on reservoir bid before facts are known
24 July 2019  Patients are getting impatient with long delays in healthcare
17 July 2019  What forthcoming Prime Minister will do on housing need
10 July 2019  Are more people really interested in health than housing?
3 July 2019  When neighbours are no concern of the folks next door
26 June 2019  State of play for all the many housing schemes going up
19 June 2019  How heavy glider force got in training for invasion action
12 June 2019  Could continental festival be a glimpse of future Wantage?
10 June 2019  Continental fest could be glimpse of future Wantage
5 June 2019  An interesting first planning meeting with a new council
29 May 2019  How long would it actually take you to get to a hospital?
22 May 2019  Why are 30 percent of approved homes never even built?
15 May 2019  New council should stick with residents' wish list for future
8 May 2019  A note on realistic parking for all our new councillors
1 May 2019  Tell them about the health services we are keen to protect
24 April 2019  Make sure you have your say on the new reservoir survey
17 April 2019  Is it really so helpful to get a home with Help to Buy offer?
10 April 2019  Time to find out if we're getting ahead with transport plans
3 April 2019  Important time to explain your needs in healthcare survey
27 March 2019  Could we really get infrastructure ahead of this new housing?
20 March 2019  Protecting brook in time of flow change and off into the future
13 March 2019  Keeping track of numbers as house count grows again
6 March 2019  Lots to be decided, but infrastructure must be a key part
27 February 2019  It's our new school so why don't we get a say on the plans?
20 February 2019  If you won't fix the street lights, at least give us all torches!
13 February 2019  What Oxfordshire 2050 means for you
30 January 2019  Mystery of hold-up on our long-awaited neighbourhood plan
23 January 2019  GP phone appointments are not a panacea
16 January 2019  Match up growth in our population with better NHS funding
9 January 2019  Where is our share of Growth Board projects funding?
2 January 2019  Merriments in our market have been going on for centuries
26 December 2018  A swerk warning to be on the lookout for roukers in 2019
19 December 2018  Issues from mud or dust to garden grab need enforcement
12 December 2018  Time for change in a planning system lacking good sense
5 December 2018  Could we hold the key to opening up new housing stock?
28 November 2018  This waiting around for a decision is bad for our wellbeing
21 November 2018  Have your say now on reservoir project and consequencies
14 November 2018  Dear Mr Cox, can you explain lack of affordable homes?
7 November 2018  Could our housing target now be cut by several hundred?
31 October 2018  Could it possibly be that Abingdon is treated differently?
24 October 2018  Where should all the cars be parked on new developments?
17 October 2018  Sweatbox is great, but more options needed for youth
10 October 2018  Learning the rules of engagement for councils' meetings
3 October 2018  Why is Churchill hospital bug battle strategy not the same as Wantage?
26 September 2018  Wantage hospital ruling puts victory in sight - or not?
19 September 2018  Inspector assessing long discussions on village development
12 September 2018  Checking through the small print to find affordable housing
5 September 2018  Who is this Ray Collins we keep reading about?
29 August 2018  Could we finally get some answers on Wantage hospital?
22 August 2018  Guess how much we received in New Homes Bonus cash
15 August 2018  Politicians do not seem to see the same NHS as the rest of us
8 August 2018  Housing policy may yet come back to bite our politicians
1 August 2018  Should we really allow housing on Abingdon airfield?
25 July 2018  What exactly should your councillor be doing for you?
18 July 2018  If you're hungry for change, then there's some pie in the sky
11 July 2018  Can you pass the maths exam on our local housing plan?
4 July 2018  Getting the whole community behind our hospital needs
27 June 2018  Do the police in our area make you feel safe?
20 June 2018  We want to have a caring culture - but does anyone care?
13 June 2018  Doing the maths on our district council's housing promises
6 June 2018  Could councils be seeing sense over parking at last?
30 May 2018  How is pre-school provision meeting national guidance?
23 May 2018  This planning review's everything we've said for years
16 May 2018  New parking policy could give us all room to breathe
9 May 2018  Helping Thames Water with their reservoir maths
2 May 2018  Bovis Homes is a case study in how not to build a brand
25 April 2018  A quick way government could make homes £100k cheaper
18 April 2018  With house prices this high, how can we afford not to act?
11 April 2018  How much should we spend to save lives on our roads?
4 April 2018  Your guide to objecting to the reservoir
28 March 2018  Hospitals update sounds good but we must keep pushing
21 March 2018  What ramifications will Horton hospital decision have for us?
14 March 2018  Grove Airfield will make £25m for just three executives
7 March 2018  If pensions advice looks too good to be true, it will be
28 February 2018  Potholes continue to plague our roads
21 February 2018  The health service you were promised, and the health service you're getting
14 February 2018  Wantage hospital – plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose
7 February 2018  These new cycle path standards can widen our choices
31 January 2018  My efforts to get Wantage and Grove a better bus service
24 January 2018  There are occasional comets around Wantage
17 January 2018  If the county council are worried about it – we definitely are
10 January 2018  Speak out if you want to see our community hospital staying open
3 January 2018  A review of two years of progress (or not)
27 December 2017  The story of a Christmas Carol
20 December 2017  The German, French and English origins of madcap Mumming
13 December 2017  The latest GP plans aren't bad, but we need better
6 December 2017  How many times can you announce the same funding?
29 November 2017  Recent improvements (or not) to local GP services
22 November 2017  Your latest update on Wantage and Grove Planning
15 November 2017  Is Wantage Market Place becoming a bus station? + amendment to last week
8 November 2017  Planning applications aren't worth the paper they're printed on
1 November 2017  Is it just me, or is this town going to Hell in a handcart?
25 October 2017  The number of households has gone down, so do we need so many new homes?
18 October 2017  Why is our new leisure centre going to be half the size of Abingdon's?
11 October 2017  Maybe we should just get signs saying 'parking restrictions don't apply here'
4 October 2017  A new housing strategy, you say? Just let me at it...
27 September 2017  Call me one-track-minded, but why don't we have a monorail in Wantage?
20 September 2017  Slow progress on the future of Wantage Community Hospital
13 September 2017  Calculating how much care we need
6 September 2017  What exactly is the plan for our local GP surgeries?
30 August 2017  Alice's Adventures in Wonder-how-the-council-will-pay-for-that-land
23 August 2017  What has Grove Parish council ever done for you?
16 August 2017  Wantage Town Council doubled our council tax, so presumably we're getting double the service?
9 August 2017  How much debt do you think you are in? It may be more than you realise
2 August 2017  With Brexit looming, a twinning trip to France was called for
26 July 2017  Last call for passengers on the Grove Airfield development forum
19 July 2017  12,000 thank yous to our wonderful Wantage Independent Advice Centre
12 July 2017  This is one complaint we are not just going 'park'
5 July 2017  UK-wide planning review could finally give people a voice
26 April 2017  Use your vote
12 April 2017  Should the younger generation shack up with their elders to help tackle housing problems?
22 March 2017  66% of residents opposed the proposal for a single unitary authority
8 March 2017  Where will the staff come from?
8 February 2017  Is One Oxfordshire a good idea?
25 January 2017  Parking is a serious problem
18 January 2017  Further away from acute health services than 96% of the population
28 December 2016  Good News?
29 June 2016  Facts about Wantage Hospital

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