We now have two separate plans to respond to.

I've mentioned the Oxfordshire Plan 2050 before and the bus "roadshow" was in Wantage this week. It was a bit of a damp squib, but then the plan is at an early stage.
As CPRE state: "It takes as read the 100,000 houses our Local Councils have already signed up to deliver by the mid-2030s (in exchange for £215 million from the Government) – a 40% growth in housing stock. Although not spelt out in the Plan, after 2031, the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor proposals envisage another 250,000 or so houses - doubling Oxfordshire's housing stock and population by 2050. The inevitable conclusion is that this is not a plan for us – Oxfordshire residents of a rural county – but a plan for developers and big business."
The consultation document also explores the potential strategies for where to put all the additional new homes in the Plan. 
It suggests a range of options, for example, concentration on existing towns and villages, providing new towns or spreading growth across the county or a combination of these options. We are asked to give our views on which is most appropriate.
For more information see our website: http://wantageandgrove.org/oxfordshire_plan2050.php

The Vale Local Plan 2031 Part 2 is back again. The Inspector published his final comments in December and the Vale has now published a revised plan for consultation.
Local Plan Part 2 (LPP2) had to allocate land for 2,200 homes to meet the needs of Oxford City (apparently there isn't any land in the city to build enough homes). The new allocations include: 1,200 homes on Dalton Barracks, 600 homes on the eastern edge of Kingston Bagpuize (in Fyfield parish), 400 more homes in North Grove (north of the Airfield), 130 more homes in East Hanney and 90 more in Marcham.
The 600 homes in Fyfield can’t be occupied before the completion of the upgrade at Frilford Junction, because the County Highways Team say the current junction wouldn’t be able to cope.
The 400 in Grove are supposedly to assist with delivering the North Grove Link Road and may only be a start. See our website for more details: http://www.wantageandgrove.org/valeplan2031.php

And some good news: Grove Post Office will be reopening in the Co-op, Grovelands Shopping Centre, Savile Way. It should open around the end of April so you won't have to travel to Wantage or Charlton anymore.

Finally road works:
Let's start with the A417 near Charlton:

• There will be traffic lights on Reading Road near the Silver Band for Gas works from 4th March to 20th May for Gas works
• BT will be working on Reading Road near Scantlebury Way (the bit of Crab Hill already being built) on 5th-6th March so will have traffic lights
• And there will be traffic lights on Charlton Road near the Lord Nelson from 11 March - 8 April also for Gas Works

So if they don't work together there could be two sets of lights within half a mile!

• Mill Street could be closed from 18th March to 12 April for Thames Water but details are still being finalised (how many times can they dig up Mill Street?)
• There will be traffic lights on the A417 Challow Road on 27-28 February somewhere between Winchester Way and Warmans Close
• and further along outside King Alfreds West site from 11 March to 1 May
• Also traffic lights at three different spots are possible on the A417 at East Challow (Opposite Old School Lane until 31 May; Near the Church from 18 Feb - 1 March; the Letcombe Hill turning 25-27 February; until the end of May (once again several sets of lights within half a mile!)
• More traffic lights on the A417 Faringdon Road between the Esso garage and Circourt Road from 18th March
• Then traffic lights on the A417 just south of the Challow Station bridge from 25 February - 1 March
• And traffic lights on the A417 just south of Stanford in the Vale on 25 February

That was the A417 - now the rest...

• The A338 in North Grove will keep traffic lights until 17 March and
• Traffic lights on the A338 near the Garford turning from 26th to 28th February
• The Causeway in East Hanney could have traffic lights from 25th- 27th February
• The A338 Oxford Road just north of the Frilford lights will have traffic lights from 26- 28 February, then several patches either side of the Frilford junction from 4-6 March
• A415 Frilford Road Marcham just inside the 30 limit could have lights from 26-28 February 
• A415 Marcham Road about 400m west of the village could have lights from 26-28 February 
• Also in Marcham A415 Packhorse Lane by the Baptist Church could have traffic lights on 12 March
• In East Hendred, Fordy Lane will be closed from 4-6 March and Orchard Lane will be closed from 11-13 March for Thames Water.
• B4494 Wantage Road (near Newbury) from the A34 underpass to the Donnington Roundabout will be closed until 8 March
• Work on the A34 at Newbury will continue until 2 March and could cause some closures
• Also overnight lane closures on the A34 near the Chievely Interchange next week and near the North Abingdon Interchange the thefollowing week.

If you want to look at road news yourself then go to www.roadworks.org

That's enough for now. Thanks for reading.

Best wishes
Julie Mabberley

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