Dear [Forename]

This is usually the week that I would be writing the column for the Herald for Christmas week but as the Editors decided that they needed the space (usually filled by unpaid contributors like me) for paid advertising, I should have plenty of free time to do other things but it never seems to work like that does it?
Anyway, if you get a quiet moment sit down and read on...

This is the December update so it's usually a time when people try to slip things past me without me noticing (or am I just paranoid?).

First Lidl. Lidl have submitted another planning application to try to increase the floor space of the store by an extra 4 sq metres. The reason for the change to their store format is principally to provide qualitative improvements, including the creation of wider aisles and additional checkouts (both manned and self-serve) to provide a better shopping experience for customers rather than a significant increase in display space/the range of goods.
This application has only just gone in so don't expect any quick decision or any building works to start soon. The Target date for a decision by the Council is shown as 6 March 2024. Even if this application is rejected, Lidl could build the store that they have permission for so we are still likely to get a store on the site, the only question is size.

Now the Resevoir. Even though Thames Water is likely to run out of money in months and the Government is wondering if they could take it into administration, the South East Strategic Reservoir Option is still being considered. If Thames Water could borrow the £ Millions it would take to build, they would have an increased income stream from the increase in all of our water bills so might be viable again (and the shareholders would get even more money). Thames are currently trying to get the Government to make a decision and avoid the need for a public enquiry.
In case you've missed it, this is a 150 billion litre reservoir earmarked for an area of low-lying ground near Abingdon between the villages of East Hanney, Steventon, Didcot and East Marcham. It would be 25m high and two miles across, which is 50 per cent larger than the proposal the company consulted on earlier this year. It would also be 50 per cent larger than the planned reservoir that was rejected at public inquiry in 2010.
Building work would begin in 2028 and would take at least 10 years. Nothinig like this has been built before, the technology is untested and most of us are in the area at risk if anything goes wrong.
Of course we all trust Thames Water to be able to manage a project like this don't we? After all, they have the worst record on leakage of any water company and have dumped at least 72 billion litres of sewage in the River Thames since 2020. And we know how good Government monitoring of major projects is - just look at HS2!

Wantage Community Hospital. We hope that the "Co-produced" report recommending a solution to the temporary closure of inpatient beds in the Hospital will go to the Oxfordshire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 16 January. The report has been co-produced by the Oxford Health Foundation Trust, Oxfordshire University Hospitals Trust, some local Councillors and one or two others (including me).
In case you've missed the background, the beds were closed temporarily in 2016 because legionella was found in some water pipes. Maternity (with a birthing pool) remained open but it took until 2020 for any work to be done to make the water system safe. By then the economics of replacing the beds had changed and the only way they are likely to reopen is if a similar number of inpatient beds were closed in a community hospital somewhere else in Oxfordshire.
They have been piloting some outpatient clinics in our Community Hospital for the last year or so, and the opthamology clinic seems very successful. Perhaps if they found enough other suitable clinics which could fill the space we wouldn't feel so bad about losing our inpatient beds by stealth?
We have been talking about the possibility of a minor injuries unit but it's very unlikely that there is the money to pay for an x-ray machine and the staff to operate it.

Joint Local Plan.  We were promised a draft Joint Local Plan this summer but I'm told that it will now be sometime in the new year. This could be complicated by the much heralded (and likely to be released this week) changes to the so-called National Planning Policy Framework. It is possible that that current emerging local plans would need to be submitted for examination no later the 30 June 2025 and adopted by 31 December 2026 to avoid being subject to the changes (which could mean policies set nationally not locally).
The plan aims to help transition to net zero carbon districts by 2030 for South Oxfordshire and 2045 for Vale of White Horse, mindful of the districts’ carbon budgets, by locating new housing and employment development in places which minimise the need to travel by private car, requiring buildings to be designed to the highest achievable standards for reducing energy and water use, encouraging suitable renewable energy generation, and supporting nature-based carbon and stormwater storage.
It should help communities lead healthy and more active lifestyles, by providing high-quality greenspace, promoting safe and active travel, and controlling air, water, light and noise pollution from new developments, so that people and nature can be safe, healthy, and thriving.
It wants to cherish and protect natural and built heritage, with policies that make sure the location and design of development respects landscape character and the local distinctiveness of towns and villages.
It will plan for enough new homes to meet our needs, including significant numbers of homes that are genuinely affordable to rent or buy, and different kinds of homes to meet the needs of our communities, including older people, those with care needs and younger people getting their first home.
And for infrastructure in the right places and built at the right times to serve our growing communities, like transport, water, energy, and digital networks, along with health, education, and cultural facilities.
There are lots of other aims but too many to mention here ...
Housing targets will be separate for each District and most of the housing requirement will be met by sites already identified. I don't believe that the possible sites in East Challow and between Grove and East Hanney are included. We'll have to wait and see ...

Leisure Strategy. We hear that the Leisure Strategy has been delayed again. After the Lib Dems took over the District Council they cancelled the plans for the new Leisure Centre in this area. In early 2020 the Council stated that it was committed to producing an Active Community Strategy and hoped that this would be completed by the end of March 2020 so that the developer contributions could be spent. It never happened.
The new leisure strategy should be part of the draft local plan but is conspicuous by it's absence. Grove Council is concerned that none of the local sports clubs seem to have been contacted yet as part of the strategy review.
We're still waiting for the promised enhancements to the existing Leisure Centre. Let's just hope the money doesn't disappear before it gets spent.

You may alread know that there is a New Bus Route which started on Monday 27 November, the 68 service runs from Faringdon to Wantage via Longcot, Fernham, Uffington, Kingston Lisle, Westcot, Sparsholt, Childrey and the Letcombes. This runs from Monday to Saturday through Pulhams Coaches. The bus will operate 3 times in each direction and take about 55 minutes to complete each journey.

We also hear that Wantage Town Council has set up a Wantage and District Community Transport Community Interest Company. The Officers of the Company are Paul Barrow, Iain Cameron, Tony Gilhome and Jenny Hannaby. They are applying for a licence to run a bus service and applying for developer contributions from the Kingsgrove development. Given the Council's policy of not taking responsibility for any open space or comunity building, this seems like quite a departure (no pun intended).

I'll finish with a simple Happy Holidays and hope that you get to enjoy it with family and friends. I'll get back to planning issues in the new year.

As you know, you can read previous newsletters at https://wantageandgrove.org/newsletters.php and find a list of many of the sports, cultural and community organisations in OX12 at https://wantageandgrove.org/organisations.php
For roadworks see https://one.network/.

Thanks for reading.

Best wishes
Julie

Julie Mabberley
Campaign Manager

Wantage and Grove Campaign Group
www.wantageandgrove.org

https://www.facebook.com/groups/wantageandgrovecampaigngroup