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Bloxham Annual Parish Meeting  To Jubilee Pavilion, Bloxham for the Annual Parish Meeting.  There was not a large turnout tonight.  Take out the parish councillors and I guess there were 20 villagers present.  There were plenty of questions, particularly focussing on anger at Cherwell's planning permission on the south side of Milton Road.  Talking with villagers after the meeting, some had been present at the Planning Committee and had been shocked to hear the agent for the developers boast openly before the meeting that the Leader of Cherwell Council (Cllr Barry Wood) would  be promoting approval for the application. 

There was also anger at the opening of a Chemist shop which had forced the Bloxham GP practice to stop dispensing to Bloxham patients because of some arcane NHS rule.  It was clear that those present do  not welcome the arrival of the Bloxham chemist in the High Street and there were those present who were promoting a total boycott of the shop in support of the Bloxham GP practice.

Bodicote Annual Parish Meeting  To Church House, Bodicote for the Annual Parish Meeting.  In addition to the Parish Council, the County Councillor (me) and two District Councillors (Cllrs Eric Heath and Lynda Thirzie Smart) there were some 60 parishioners present.  What was the draw?  It was the presence of the Cherwell Executive Member for Planning & Housing (Cllr Michael Gibbard) and a Cherwell planning officer to explain why so much housing seems to be being dumped on Bodicote.  Those present were not impressed by the Cherwell arguments.  While the Cherwell member and officer escaped from Church House unscathed, they were left in no doubt that Bodicote residents have lost confidence in the democratic process and the ability of elected members to say NO to unsuitable developments. 

Adderbury Parish Council  I am feeling guilty because I totally failed to send either my apologies for absence or my monthly report to the Parish Council.

St George's Day  I raise the Red Cross of St George on my flagpole at Nell Bridge House this morning. 

Bodicote Parish Council  On to Church House, Bodicote for the monthly meeting of Bodicote Parish Council.  This is the first time I have seen the refurbished Church House which has been closed for extensive building work since November last year.  It is looking greatly improved.  The Parish Council has decided to add a Public Form item to the Agendas of their main Parish Council meetings every month and also to their Committees.  This will allow members of the public to raise issues of concern.  Here is my monthly report as County Councillor and Lynda Thirzie Smart's report as District Councillor.

Adderbury Annual Parish Meeting  This was held in the Methodist Chapel this evening.  The Parish Council is required to hold this meeting once a year, called the Annual Parish Meeting, open to all electors, at which parish councillors can be held to account by their electors.

I was late arriving due to my meetings at County Hall over-running.  I counted four members of the public as well as the ten parish councillors plus the clerk. 

The formal items on the Agenda were Minutes of last year's meeting; Matters Arising from the Minutes; Chairman's Report and discussion thereon; Financial Report; Any Other Business. 

86 more homes for Bodicote:  I see there is a planning application for 86 houses at Cotefield Farm, Bodicote.  The application reference is 10/00558/OUT.  I am afraid this is no surprise.  The owners telegraphed their intentions when they built what looked like a slip road to a motorway next to their farm some years ago and I suspect a lot of us have been waiting for the resulting application to follow. 

Bodicote is facing 1,000 houses to the east of the Oxford Road (Cherwell insist on describing this as "Bankside" when almost all of the houses will be built in the Parish of Bodicote).  They have more recently added another 400 houses plus the relocation of Banbury Football club to an area behind the rugby club and fitness business that is already there.

For the record, I opposed the 1,000 houses to the best of my ability but lost.  I also opposed the building of the original rugby club in this location and the fitness business after the original rugby club apparently went bust.  I had no chance to oppose the 400 additional houses nor the relocation of the football club because this was waved through by the Cherwell executive without any consultation or normal planning process.

Adderbury Parish Council does not have elections this year. 

The Annual Parish Meeting is on Wednesday 21 April from 7:30 pm in Church House.  All Adderbury electors are entitled to attend. 

Bodicote Parish Council does not have elections this year. 

The next meeting of the Parish Council is on  Wednesday 21 April from 7:30 pm in Church House.   It is open to members of the public.

Milton Parish Meeting  Milton does not have a Parish Council.  Instead there are occasional meetings of a Parish Meeting to which all electors of Milton are invited.

Once a year, the Parish Meeting elects a Chairman to preside over the meetings.  Currently, the Chairman is Patrick Plunkett.

Milcombe Parish Council was up for election this year.  There are six places on the Parish Council but only five nominations have been received and there will therefore be no election.  However, there have been some changes;  two members have stood down, one new member has come forward and there is one vacancy which the Parish Council can fill by co-option if it wishes.

The two outgoing Parish Councillors (in alphabetical order) are: Ivor Howse and James Smith

The five continuing Parish Councillors (in alphabetical order) are:  Mary Clifton, Myra Peters, Clifford Potter, Tina Tibbetts, Christine Turner

The new Parish Councillor is: Richard Bailey

The last meeting of the old Parish Council is on Tuesday 20 April from 8:00 pm in the Village Hall.  It is open to members of the public.

The Annual Parish Meeting of the old Parish Council is on Tuesday 4 May from 8:00 pm at the Village Hall.  All Milcombe electors are entitled to attend.  Light refreshments will be served after the meeting to allow members of the public to chat to Councillors.

Bloxham Parish Council was up for election this year but fate has managed to fill the eleven places precisely without the necessity for an election. However, there are some changes to Bloxham Parish Council.  Five members have stood down and five new ones have put themselves forward and the whole new Parish Council has therefore been elected uncontested.

The five outgoing Parish Councillors (in alphabetical order) are Paul Christmas, David Gibbard, Debbie Matthews, Nick Rayner and Annette Thomas.

The five continuing Parish Councillors (in alphabetical order) are: David Carr, Phillip Cavill, David Chapman, Tracy Cuthbert and Alan Miller.

The five new Parish Councillors (in alphabetical order) are:  Richard Baggaley, Gloria Lester-Stevens, Vikki Owen, David Tyrrell and Jenny Yates.

The Annual Parish Meeting of the old Parish Council is on Friday 30 April from 7:30 pm at the Jubilee Hall.  All Bloxham electors are entitled to attend.