The Hook Norton Village Newsletter
December 2004 Series 29 No 6

Parish Council and Cherwell news




PARISH COUNCIL INFORMATION BOARD
               
  AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Following on from the report in the previous Newsletter the Parish Council has considered several potential sites and thanks to parishioners who have let us have their views on this matter. At this stage we are considering the small site behind The Bourne, currently owned by Cherwell District Council, but this will depend upon negotiations. We will obviously keep parishioners informed of developments and if anybody has any further thoughts on potential sites please contact either the clerk, Ken Porter, or Joe Williams, the Chairman. 		 
  MOBBS LANE
Many residents have expressed concern about the state of the footpath and we had arranged for Oxfordshire County Council to begin repair work at the end of November. However contractors are currently on site for the building work at Holly House and we are concerned that vehicles using Mobbs Lane are still mounting the pavement. As repair work will only add to the congestion we have asked OCC to defer the work until contractors have left Holly House, but we can assure
parishioners that we are conscious of the need for this remedial work to be completed as soon as possible. 		 
PLAY AREA
The recent RoSPA report on the Play Area has been very positive, although we are aware that the tyre on the chain needs to be either repaired or replaced. We also intend to renew the paintwork on the multi-play unit. Thanks to Nigel Matthews for supplying bark to renew the deficient areas. 		 
    MISUSE OF LITTER BINS
A reminder that litter bins are not to be used for the disposing of dog litter! Someone, possibly a newcomer to the village, is putting carrier bags in the litter bin at the bus stop at The Green. It is believed these contain dog waste. This is not a proper use of the litter bins. Special plastic bags, obtainable from the Post Office, should be used for dog waste so that it is identifiable, and used bags should be put in the special red dog litter bins. Those nearest to The Green are at the Memorial Hall and on the path between Rectory Road and Bourne Lane. A special collection service empties these bins. 		 
  CEMETERY
As previously reported it proved necessary to remove the large trees above the bank in Tite Lane. Incidentally the wood has been stacked in the cemetery and residents with open fires or wood burning stoves are welcome to help themselves.
We are conscious that the felling of any trees is regrettable but it is our intention to replace these with some more appropriate [and manageable] indigenous varieties. We are also aware that the path through the cemetery needs to be restored and hopefully this work will take place in the near future. 		   


TRANSPORT
Survey forms. Many thanks to the 74 households who took the trouble to return the Transport Survey form enclosed with the last Newsletter. I have passed these on to the Oxfordshire Rural Community Council, who designed the form and are undertaking the analysis and report on the responses, both for the Parish Council and the County Council. I have not looked at them in great detail, but I was surprised to see that 15 households replied No to the question whether local bus services are well publicised locally; 2 replied Don't Know and 7 did not answer the question at all. Timetables for the 488 service are permanently displayed on the bus stops near the Church and at The Green, and one has been on the notice board at the bus shelter by The Sun for most of this year; they are also usually available in the Post Office. The Parish Council's Thursday bus to Banbury is often mentioned in this column and its dates are always listed on the back page of the Newsletter and shown on the notice boards. I will agree that the Tuesday bus to Moreton is not well publicised; as mentioned in the last issue it runs every Tuesday at or just before 10.00. The weekly Wednesday minibus (10.00) is also little known, but is sometimes almost full.

Travel to Oxford. For travel to Oxford, the 9.42 and 11.42 to Chipping Norton connect with the 10.07 and 12.07 route 20 to Oxford (journey time about 55 minutes) from the far end of West Street (Malpass florists). If the bus to Chippy is running a little late (the 9.42 is more likely to be early), get off at the hospital and cross the road to a stop for the Oxford bus a short way up London Road past the Police Station. On your return, the 12.55 from Gloucester Green will get you to Chippy at about 1.45, with a short wait for the 2.05 to Hooky. The 2.55 from G.G. will connect you with the 4.05, and the 4.40 will get you to Chippy at about 5.30, with a half-hour wait - time for a little shopping in Somerfield - before the 6.05 (the last bus home). An Explorer ticket costing £5.50 will cover both parts of the journey, and includes other Stagecoach routes in and around Oxford; for Seniors (no card required) and children the cost is only £3.50.

A holiday from the village. A holiday in Scarborough is being planned, from Saturday 30 July to Saturday 6 August 2005, picking up and returning to the village. Outings to places of interest will be available. For information contact Barry Wood.
Peter Fry, Parish Transport Representative


FIREFIGHTING
As we are now in the winter months and the nights are drawing in, it is a time when you'll want to be warm and cosy sitting by the fire watching your favourite television programme. This is where safety comes in. Remember;

Be prepared – Do you and your family know what to do in case of a fire! Here are some points to remember:
If you require any more advice drop us a line, it's a free phone number and a free service. Tel 08000 325 999 or e-mail community.safety@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Finally a plea to parents. You've bought the Children's Christmas Presents but what about the batteries to go in them? – We ask you please, don't use the battery in your smoke alarm even for 10 minutes; it can cost lives. Thank you.

CALLS - Thankfully it's been a bit quiet on the fire front. In total the last 2 months, Hooky firefighters have responded to 15 calls. Out of these there were 6 standbys at Banbury, 5 false alarms, a garage fire at Milcombe, a car fire in Hook Norton, a chimney fire at Sibford Ferris and a road traffic accident at South Newington.


OUT OF THE BLUE
As you may all be aware from local chat, the notice board in The Village Shop and the Banbury Guardian, we have suffered four burglaries in the village in recent weeks. Our enquiries are still continuing into these crimes. However any help or information that can be offered by your good selves is always welcome.
Two of the burglaries occurred during the daytime where locked windows were forced open. We need to know if you saw anyone hanging around the village, possibly looking at properties. The burglaries occurred just before the last school holiday, so please cast your mind back.
It is always important for us to notice people and incidents that seem out of place; Hook Norton is not so large that strangers can go unnoticed and it is up to you to report these incidents to us no matter how insignificant they may seem. I cannot stress enough how important it is for us to work together to protect that which we hold dear. Of course, it is also possible that the persons responsible for these crimes were not strangers to the village. If you have any information, our telephone numbers are always displayed on my notice board in The Village Shop window and there is also an e-mail address should you prefer. Your information will be treated in strict confidence.
On a more cheerful note crime has been low apart from the above. Of course we are fast approaching the season of Good Will and by the time you receive this magazine we will be overflowing with Christmas lights and sounds. Christmas seems to come earlier every year, so let us make this a good one. Make sure we keep ourselves and our loved ones safe; know where your children are and make sure they are aware of the dangers when out in the dark.
Car drivers, make sure your lights are working and your vehicles are in road worthy condition. As Christmas gets nearer Thames Valley Police will be operating their annual Christmas Drink Drive campaign. If you go for a drink within the village, WALK. If you go further a field GET A TAXI. Please, don't become a statistic.
I can be reached at Chipping Norton Police Station on 01608 648715 – 0845 8 505 505 – or e-mail at rosemary.dilsaver@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

I wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas season and may The Force be with you.
Rosemary H. Dilsaver PC 818


2005 Directory of Services

Would you like to be included in the 2005 Hook Norton Directory of Services? This brochure of names and numbers for local businesses and places of interest is distributed along with the February Village Newsletter, so entries need to be in by 31st December. As well as the obvious advantage of advertising our ever increasing number of local businesses, this brochure is intended to inform villagers of contact names and numbers for the many local organisations that we have, under headed categories.

Please print and fill in the form below, if you would like to be included in the next directory or to have any current details altered. The form is also available in MS Word format, or plain text, (right click and choose (Internet Explorer) 'Save Target As ...' or (Netscape) 'Save Link As ...').
Please deposit the completed form in the box in The Post Office, or send it to:-
Diana Barber: Dove Close House, Scotland End, Hook Norton.

To help with the printing costs, a donation of £3 for the Hook Norton Newsletter should be attached to all forms. Thank you for your support.


2005 Directory of Services

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