As this is probably the last email before Christmas, we\'d like to take this opportunity to thank you for supporting the Campaign Group and wish you best wishes for the festive season and health and happiness in 2019.

1. Older People Health Strategy
   Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group invite people to have their say on the final draft strategy document. Earlier consultations have identified loneliness and isolation as two of the biggest concerns. It is something that older people worry about and there is evidence that loneliness has the ability to shorten people’s lifespan. The strategy identifies being part of a vibrant, safe community with the ability to easily access services as one of the most important solutions, but does not mention the recent closure of day centres for the elderly at all or make any suggestion about re-opening them.
   To give your comments on the strategy, please go to the front page of our website at http://wantageandgrove.org/ and follow the link or phone for a paper copy.
2. Save Wantage Hospital
   The Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) met on 29th November from 10am and reviewed the plans for a formal consultation over the next 9 months which decides whether or not to reinstate the in-patient beds (doesn\'t mention Physiotherapy or any other services) or a study first to look at what health services we need in OX12 first. They didn\'t really like either option and thought that we had already been waiting too long. Unfortunately they can be ignored by NHS Oxfordshire but will be seeking legal advice after the Clinical Commissioning Group revealed a decision may now not be made until the end of next year – more than three years after the ‘temporary’ closure. 
3. Planning Applications
   There are a number of new planning applications to comment on since I last wrote so here goes:
   
   1. Grove Airfield (Wellington Gate)
      P18/V2870/FUL This is an amendment to the first phase of development (opposite the entrance to Savil Way) The changes sought under this application are an increase of the total number of units from 191 to 193 homes. The two additional units are both Affordable Shared Ownership Units. Also the number of 2 bed units has increased from 28 to 35 (+7) in lieu of 7x 3 bed units. They say that all proposed car parking remains policy compliant, but we haven\'t checked this yet. Comments can be submitted until 2 January.
      Mud on the Road We understand that after a great deal of prompting and complaints, Persimmon have now installed wheel washing facilities to stop us all using our wellington boots and skidding all over the road. Let\'s just hope they use it!
   2. Crab Hill
      P18/V2992/RM This is the application for 174 homes on a patch called \'Centre West\' which is about in the middle of the field, just west of Tom\'s Field and north of the footpath. We haven\'t looked at the detail yet but parking remains a priority as this is the area near the care home and community centre and if residents have to park in the public car parks there won\'t be space for visitors. Comments can be made until 20 January.
      P18/V2971/RM This is the application for building the new primary school on Crab Hill, so if you are a teacher or interested in the design of the school please take a look. Comments can be made until 13 January.
   3. East Challow
      P18/V3003/DIS This is an application to satisfy the condition that additional visitor parking should be added to the design for 88 homes at Park Farm. At the Planning Committee when this was discussed the developer announced that up to 32 additional visitor parking spaces could be added yet this application only adds 12 spaces to the original plans for 5 visitor spaces. This is not sufficient. Please write to the council and let them know what you think.
      P18/V2049/FULThe other application to amend this design and add an additional 28 homes on this site hasn\'t gone to committee yet.
4. St Modwen Properties PLC is to begin drawing down the funds from the £75 million Homes England infrastructure loan this month – supposedly unlocking and accelerating the construction of 1,500 new homes on Crab Hill over the next seven years. Aparently this will support St. Modwen to speed up the installation of vital infrastructure, such as roads and schools, we wait to see if anything changes.
5. Road works over the holidays:
   - Grove Street A338 will have temporary traffic lights for Thames Water from 19-21 December 
   - The road north from West Challow to the A417 will remain closed until 21 December while the water main is replaced.
   - BT will be working on the A338 in East Hanney until 20 Dec so there will be traffic lights.
   - Also in East Hanney there will be works between the Mill and the Sports fields until 20 December so please be careful.
   - The A338 near Williams F1 will have traffic lights until 20 Dec and again from 7-18 January so be prepared for delays.
   - the Camel Roundabout will have temporary traffic lights while Thames Water do remedial works in chamber and cover replacement from 2 - 7 January
   - The A415 Marcham Road from Howard Cornish Road to the A34 will have traffic lights from 7 January - 19 May 2019 (note revised dates) while SGN replace their pipes.
   - The junction of Brereton Drive and Cane Lane will have roadworks from 7-11 January for Thames Water.
   - There will also be temporary lights on Ham Road from 7-11 January.
   - The A417 at Stanford in the Vale may have temporary traffic lights from 11-15 January so be prepared for delays.
   - Broadway in Uffington will be closed from Uffington to Dragon Hill Road from 7 Januray to 15 February.
   - the A4130 by the Packhorse Pub will have traffic lights from 3-22 January. 

That\'s enough for now. Thanks for reading

Best wishes
Julie Mabberley

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