Topics this week include

1. Joint Economic Forum (JEF):
   For a number of years, Wantage and Grove Councils, the Wantage Chamber of Commerce and the District Council have participated in quarterly JEF meetings. The benefits of the Forum have been focused on economic growth of the area and have been heavily focused on Wantage rather than Grove. The Town Team have been funded by this forum and their work helped us to win the Great British High Street Award for most improved town centre in 2014. You may have seen some of the "Love Wantage" bags around the town (available from the Town Council I believe).
   Earlier this year the District Council, without any consultation, decided to remove the funding for the town team and fund one officer to work with all the towns in the Vale, they also suggested that the Joint Economic Forum be disbanded. It held its final meeting last week so we wait to see what happens next.
2. East Challow:
   Dandara held their consultation in East Challow Village Hall last week. They believe that they can build the Western Relief Road if they are allowed to build up to 800 new homes. They suggested a green area of at least 80 meters between East Challow and the new development and another gap of a similar size along Woodhill Brook. The development will join up with the Grove Business Park to the north, the Gorva airfield development to the north west and Crown Packaging to the east. It will effectively Wantage, Grove and East Challow together as one community.
   Let us know if you think it would be worth it to have the Western by-pass? This will come up at the examination of the local plan below so please let us know what you think.
3. Local Plan Part 2 Examination
   The Planning Inspector will begin the examination of the Vale Local Plan Part 2 tomorrow and we will be participating to put forward our views on the plan. As the County Council mentioned in its letter to the Inspector, "we are not able to give reassurance that the necessary infrastructure has been identified and costed. We consider that the Vale of White Horse Infrastructure Delivery Plan, provided as evidence , appears to underestimate the infrastructure needs of the sites proposed for allocation." We'll let you know what the Inspector says.
4. Road works
   - Thames Water will be working on Grove Street near ATS until 5 July and will have traffic lights there.
   - Traffic lights on the A417 at Crab Hill should have finished for now.
   - The A417 traffic lights at East Hendred will start tomorrow until 9 July for gas works after this we believe that all untility work will be restricted to off peak hours for a while.
   - The A4130 Abingdon Road between Rowstock and Milton Heights will have traffic lights until 6 July for Thames Water.
   - Ickleton Road by the Brook and the Portway will have traffic lights on 10-11 July while carriageway coring takes place - so that OCC can work out how to repair the road (isn't this a roman road?).
   - Slightly further afield: Sutton Courtenay Lane (between Sutton Courtenay High Street and Milton Park) will be closed from 9 July until 16 November.
   - Advance notice that Featherbed Lane will be closed from 19th - 23rd July for Truckfest and Ickleton Road will be closed from Priory Road to Ham Road from 6th - 31st August while repairs are made to the retaining wall.

That's enough for now. Thanks for reading.

Best wishes
Julie Mabberley

Campaign Manager
Wantage and Grove Campaign Group
www.wantageandgrove.org