Cllr Keith R Mitchell CBE
This page was last updated
29-01-2011
The views expressed in this Blog are mine and do not necessarily represent County Council policy
Adderbury Parish Council meets tonight. I hope to attend as County Councillor between 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm. Here is my monthly report to the Parish Council.
Cherwell District Council Planning Committee turned up trumps last evening. They refused Application No 10/00270/OUT for 65 houses to the south of Milton Road in Adderbury. I didn't think they had the balls! well done, Cherwell!!
Cherwell District Council Planning Committee meets at 4:00 pm this afternoon. I will be in London still but I know Cllr Rick Atkinson plans to attend and to address the Committee on Application No 10/00270/OUT for 65 houses to the south of Milton Road in Adderbury. I fear for the outcome because I think Cherwell lack the courage to do the right thing.
Bodicote Parish Council met tonight at Church House. Again, I was unable to attend because of urgent work I have to complete at home tonight before a full day of meetings in London tomorrow.
Lynda and I had no report to make to them because we had recently reported to the Annual Parish Meeting on 28 April (see April Blog).
Milcombe Parish Council met tonight at the Village Hall. This was the first meeting of the new Parish Council and they had to elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman.
I am afraid I was unable to attend because I had urgent work to complete for Bodicote Parish Council meeting on Wednesday and I complete their accounts for them and carry out an internal audit. Lynda and I had no report to make to them because we had recently reported to the Annual Parish Meeting on 4 May (see below).
Losing the will to live
Within a few days of one another, Cherwell planners have determined refusal
of one planning application under their delegated powers and recommended
approval of a second one to the elected members on the Cherwell
Planning Committee when they meet on 20 May 2010.
The refused application (No
10/00430/F) was for the
householder at Pine Trees in Berry Hill Road to extend his garden into
agricultural land in his ownership beyond the garden. The reason given
for refusal was as follows: That the change of use of this
agricultural land to garden land and the associated domestic activity and
paraphernalia would detract from the visual amenities and open and
agricultural character of this part of the Conservation Area and Area of
High Landscape Value. It would also set a precedent for further encroachment
into the open countryside that the Local Planning Authority would find
difficult to resist and which would cumulatively be damaging to the
character of the Conservation Area and the Area of High Landscape Value,
contrary to Policy HE9.1 of PPS 5, Policies C4, CC6 and BE6 of the South
East Plan 2009 and saved Policies C13, and C28 of the adopted Cherwell Local
Plan.
By contrast, planning officers are recommending
members to allow an application (No
10/00270/OUT) which involves building 65 houses on agricultural
land immediately behind the gardens of some 40 householders in St Mary's
Road and Norris Close.
What differentiates these two planning applications?
I can only conclude it is the fact that the latter application enables
officers to notch up a further 65 houses against their centrally imposed
housing targets, regardless of the suitability of this village and this site
for a large housing estate, its clear non-sustainability in transport terms
and the fact that there are no places for children at the local primary
school. I fear we have a planning system of which local people and
their elected representatives have lost control.
Milton Parish Meeting Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this meeting due to a prior engagement. Here is a copy of my report as County Councillor which I have e-mailed to the Parish Chairman.
Bloxham Parish Council Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this meeting due to a prior engagement. Here is a copy of my report as County Councillor and that of Lynda Thirzie Smart as District Councillor.
Bloxham & Bodicote Ward Election Results: Bloxham & Bodicote Ward comprises Bloxham, Bodicote and Milcombe. It is a two-member ward and the two councillors were Eric Heath and Lynda Thirzie Smart. Eric Heath was up for election this year and has decided to stand down for health reasons. Lynda Thirzie Smart is up for election next year.
This was a two-horse race. Eric Heath's wife, Chris, stood for the Conservatives and Peter Davis stood for the Liberals. The result was: Chris Heath (Cons) 2,025; Peter Davies 1,461
Milcombe Annual Parish Meeting This was held in Milcombe Village Hall tonight. There was a tiny turnout of villagers but it was a good opportunity to air some village issues.
Here are the County Councillor (me) and District Councillor (Lynda Thirzie Smart) reports.
Boycott of SATs I am very pleased to report that the Warriner Partnership of Headmasters and Headmistresses has decided not to participate in the teacher union's boycott of SATs test. As I understand it, this means that Adderbury (Christopher Rawlins C of E) Primary School), Bloxham (C of E) Primary School and Bodicote (Bishop Loveday) C of E Primary School will continue to operate as normal and will be supervising SATs tests as they always have. SATs may not be perfect but I welcome their decision to support them.
Planning Applications: North of Milton Road: 10/00508/F - Change of use from agricultural use to recreational use; 10/00511/LBD - Demolition of 2 Dutch Barns; 10/00512/OUT - Construction of 35 houses.
These are three linked applications, made by Timms Homes. The developers are offering to donate an 11 acre site for recreational use - primarily for the Adderbury Football Club - with two pitches and a clubhouse. They are seeking permission for 35 houses with access arrangements agreed in principle with Oxfordshire County Council. They need to demolish two rather derelict barns behind St Mary's Farmhouse as part of the scheme.
I would normally be very hesitant about extending the village boundary, particularly given the present government's density requirements and car parking restrictions. However, in this case, and having worked closely with Timms Homes for years to try to develop adequate recreational provision in the village, I have written in support of this Application. I know this will not find favour with those villagers who would reserve Adderbury exactly as it is in aspic for evermore. It is my view that this is worth supporting for the benefit it brings to our local footballers.
I have already written to object to the Application from Berkeley Homes on the south side of Milton Road behind St Mary's Road and Norris Close and my support for this, north site is conditional on Cherwell Planning Committee refusing the south of Milton Road Application.
Village surgeries today:
Bloxham in the Ex-Servicemen's Hall. Barrie Blakey looks in for a chat and tells me about his great break in Taunton with his carer. Sounds like a lot of fun. Two clients visit; one with a county council issue that I will follow up; the other is a Cherwell housing problem. Housing is always a difficult one because it is not my council but Cherwell and demand for low-cost housing greatly exceeds supply. I do struggle with the housing allocation rules which consistently fail to favour local residents and generally seem to encourage exactly the behaviour society could do without. The best I can do is to keep hassling the Cherwell officer to consider this case. In between clients, I find there is a BT Fon wi-fi network and I log onto it successfully for the price of £3 for an hour's connection. It enables me to catch up with some e-mails. This is good news because Bloxham is notorious for having no mobile phone 'signal - at least on my mobile network!
Bodicote in a newly refurbished Church House. I have not been able to hold my surgery for several months so expect a patient queue of Bodicote residents. However, no-one comes. I press on with some of my ever-present paper work. The hall looks great after the refurb. There are still builders in the nether regions and they considerately ask if their drilling and hammering is disturbing - which it is not. No wi-fi here, I fear.
Adderbury in Church House Library. I open the door to ...... total bedlam .... the Friends of the Library are holding a fund raiser. I just miss the raffle ticket sales (shucks!) and squeeze on to a table with kids running around everywhere. No clients for the surgery in site but I exchange a few words with several villagers I know well and then open my laptop. No wi-fi here - I must tell the County Council it is missed! However, I can work away with laptop on offline mode and Blackberry for urgent stuff. After the raffle is announced and prizes distributed, the crowd thins and it feels a bit more like a library again!
Milton in the Black Boy pub. I take up my usual corner position with a pint and a snack. This hamlet rarely produces any problems but I like to be there when there is one. In the meantime, I talk with some locals and open up my laptop and logon to the pub's wi-fi - brilliant! This Blog has been crafted from the Black Boy and sent over the ether by their wi-fi - really good.
I ought to emphasise that I talk in general terms about my surgeries but I am very careful not to disclose any details about an individual who visits with a problem. I guarantee complete confidentiality.