Didcot Diary Issue 15 December 2014 Christmas Opening Times Didcot Town Council Awards Evening World War I Commemorative events
Didcot Town Fayre Christmas Street Fair Didcot Town Council Awards Evening
Welcome to the December issue of the Didcot Diary. It has been reported that the weather this Autumn has been unseasonably warm but as I write this it is bitterly cold outside, the trees have lost their leaves and there is talk of snow so the winter is well and truly with us. However, winter brings it’s own pleasures and this issue contains information about carol services, a pantomime, a New Year’s Eve disco and the Christmas Street Fair. The Council office and Information Centre will be closed over the Christmas period and our opening hours can be found on page 3. In this issue we also look forward to 2015 with information about the Civic Ball and WWI commemorative events in February, elections in May and the possible refurbishment of Loyd Rec. 2014 has been a busy year in Didcot and 2015 looks like being equally as busy. The Didcot Town Council members and staff wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year.
Contents Didcot Civic Ball
2
Christmas Opening Hours
3
New Year Family Disco
3
Pantomime
3
Didcot Town Council Awards
4
Allotment News
5
Parks and Gardens
2
6&7
Citizens Advice
8
Christmas Carol Service
9
University of the 3rd Age
9
WWI Commemorations at the Library
9
Elections 2015
10
Remembrance Sunday
11
Commemorative Tree Planting
11
Christmas Street Fair
12
Big Plan
12
Frequently asked questions
13
Didcot Civic Hall
14
What’s on at the Civic Hall
15
Didcot Town Council
16
Save the date The Didcot Civic Ball will take place in the Civic Hall on Friday 27th February 2015. Starting at 7pm the ball promises to be a fantastic evening with a five course meal and dancing until the early hours. All proceeds from the ball will go to the Mayor’s Charity, the Didcot Railway Centre, so you can help support this unique Didcot attraction while having fun. More details will be available from the Information Centre soon but until then save the date!
Christmas Opening Hours
The Didcot Town Council office and Information Centre will be closed from 12 noon on Wednesday 24th December 2014 until 8.45am on Monday 5th January 2015. All emails and phone messages will be answered as soon as possible on our return. In the event of an emergency please contact the South Oxfordshire District Council out of hours service on 01491
824033. The non-emergency police number is 101. OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL RECYCLING CENTRES will close at 3pm on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, and be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day
3
Didcot Town Council Awards Evening The Didcot Town Council Awards Evening took place on Wednesday 5th November 2014. Prizes were awarded for the best kept allotments, more information is on the allotments page, and the work of grant aid recipients was acknowledged. The evening was hosted by the Mayor, Councillor Scott Wilgrove, and included the presentation of the John Eldridge award for voluntary service.
This year the award was presented to Karen Waggott, pictured above with Mrs Eldridge and the Mayor. When presenting the award the Mayor said: “I have chosen Karen to be the recipient of the John Eldridge Award this year because she has campaigned tirelessly to get the archaeology discoveries at Great Western Park in to the public domain. As a result of her work there will be a history trail and information boards on the Great Western Park and Didcot’s 7000 year history will be there for future generations to see.” The recipient of the award for voluntary service is chosen from nominations made by the public. If you would like to nominate someone to be the recipient of the award in 2015 please contact us on council@didcot.gov.uk or 01235 812637. This year the evening included two special awards for sporting achievement which were presented to Dan Rivers and Ben Watson for their success at the Commonwealth Games. Both sportsmen are pictured right with the Mayor.
4
3
Allotment news Best kept allotments 2014 The prizes for the best kept allotments in 2014 were awarded at the Didcot Town Council Awards Evening on Wednesday 5th November 2014. For many this was the culmination of a lot of hard work on their allotments and recognition of excellence. The winners were judged by the Town Council’s Outdoor Services Manager, Brenda Andrews, who inspects plots throughout the year. Each site has a best plot winner; there is also an award for the best crops on a plot and an overall winner. Pictured above are all the allotment prize winners who attended the evening, with the Mayor, Councillor Scott Wilgrove. This year the best plot winners were: • Ms Hunter at New Road • Mr Phillips at Mereland Road • Mr Gilbrook at Cockroft Road • Mrs West at Wantage Road • Mr Mason at Broadway The plot worked by Mr Phillips was also judged to be the best overall for excellent use of companion planting to produce a good mix of crops and flowers. Mrs Holt won the prize for best crops for growing a variety of crops to a high standard.
Current waiting lists Didcot Town Council has five allotment sites in Didcot, with an total of 439 plots. Growing your own fruit and vegetables is increasing popular and demand for allotment plots is high. All our plots are currently taken but plots do become vacant so if you are interested in taking on an allotment please contact Sue Atkins on 01235 812637 or satkins@didcot.gov.uk. The current waiting lists are shown below. • • • • •
Broadway Cockcroft Mereland Road New Road Wantage Road
7 1 2 1 8 5
Parks and Gardens Park News The mild autumn weather was enjoyable but the weather has got much colder now, turning the green open spaces into frosty white wonderlands in the early morning as the sun rises. As the temperature has dropped so have all the leaves and the gardeners have been busy tidying up the parks and cemetery collecting the leaves to make leaf mould for the allotment holders to use. The pressure of grass cutting has eased for now but there is always plenty of work to be done during the winter in preparation for spring. During the colder months it is planned that a top dressing of the paths will be carried out at the Cemetery, Millennium Wood and Edmonds Park; the area around the lakes will be tidied up and the paths will get a fresh top up with gravel. The Ladygrove Fishing Association will be helping us with the work at the lakes which is much appreciated. The lakes are always busy during the fishing season with competitions, many of which are fund raisers for various charities. Earlier in the season Tesco raised £1000.00 for their charity of the year, Diabetes UK and the Ladygrove Fishing Association has an annual competition to raise money for Cancer Research, they have donated over £1000.00 to the cause. Fishing at the lakes is not allowed without a permit but they are very reasonably priced and can be purchased from Acorn Angling in Brasenose Road. Day tickets are available from the Didcot Angling Centre on Wantage Road.
Outdoor Gym The outdoor gym in Edmonds Park was formally opened by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Des Healy, on Thursday 30th October 2014. The Deputy Mayor is pictured left with Mr Newby from the Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd (WREN). The Deputy Mayor thanked WREN for the grant of £50,000 towards the cost of the gym.
Mr Newby commented that it was great to see the gym in place and being so well used; Councillor Healy added that the gym was a fantastic facility for the town.
6
Millennium Wood Chalara dieback of ash, more commonly known as ash dieback, is a serious disease of ash trees caused by a fungus. The disease causes leaf loss, crown dieback and bark lesions in affected trees. Once a tree has become infected it is usually fatal, either directly, or indirectly by weakening the tree to the point where it succumbs more readily to other pests or diseases. Ash die back has caused widespread damage throughout Europe and has potential to cause significant damage to UK trees. The disease is not in Oxfordshire at present but it is slowly affecting trees across the country so in preparation some Ash trees have been removed from the Millennium Wood. This will allow the Oaks that are growing near by more space to spread their canopies freely. The cut wood has been used by a local volunteer group who help with coppicing on site. Volunteer workers cut back the Hazel regularly and the bean poles harvested are used on the allotments.
Cutting the trees back regularly also helps to keep the growing crown healthy.
Loyd Rec Play Area It is planned that next year the Loyd Rec play area, off Brasenose Road, will undergo some refurbishment. Before any work takes place public consultation will take place on site and through the local schools. If you have any views on the sort of play equipment that should be installed please look out for us in the park, or you can contact us direct on council@didcot.gov.uk or by calling 01235 812637. It is hoped that the refurbishment will be completed before the summer holidays – so something good to look forward to!
7
Question: HMRC has just contacted me to say that I owe them money as they have overpaid my Tax Credits. I didn’t realise that this could happen, and I don’t have enough money set aside to pay them back. What should I do? Tax Credits are designed to give working people a little bit of extra income to help guarantee a decent standard of living from work. Unfortunately, the system by which entitlement to Tax Credits is decided is complicated and can often lead to people falling into debt when they are asked to repay money they’ve wrongly been given by HMRC. Tax Credits are gradually being phased into the Government’s new Universal Credit system, which is intended to reduce Credit miscalculations and overpayments. However whilst we wait for the system to change, problems with the current process seem to be getting worse. Last year, Citizens Advice across England and Wales saw a 14 per cent increase in problems relating to debt caused by Tax Credit overpayments. The combination of pressures on people’s living costs means that being asked to repay Tax Credits at the end of the year can be a real blow. Sky-high energy bills, expensive childcare and wages which are still failing to keep up with costs mean that it can be a real struggle for households make ends meet. The last thing hard-pressed households need is for HMRC to put them in more debt. Often, HMRC will be willing to work with you to see what you can afford to pay back, but in many cases, poor communication and delays by the agency have led to our clients struggling to get a fair outcome. If you’re struggling with debt then it’s important to take steps to get on top of your bills. Debt can seem impossible but there’s always a way out of problems. If you come to us, we will be able to work out a debt management plan with free and impartial advice.
Further information is available from Didcot CAB at: Dales, 9-15 High Street Didcot OX11 8EQ or 08444 111 444
8
WWI Commemorations In February 2015 the Didcot Library is organising a commemorative event, in conjunction with the Council and Royal British Legion, to mark the centenary of the First World War. It is planned that the event will include readings from World War I themed novels, diaries, news reports or poetry as well as children’s activities. More information will be available in the New Year. A Ceramic poppy from the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation that was created at the Tower of London has been purchased and will be displayed in the Civic Hall.
DIDCOT & DISTRICT UNIVERSITY OF THE THIRD AGE meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 2pm at Didcot Civic Hall. Visitors are welcome to come to a meeting as a taster before joining. On Tuesday 20th January 2015 Alistair Lack will be giving a talk about ‘Travels with Auntie’ (BBC World Service). For more information call 07804159993 or email: didcotdistrictU3A@virginmedia.com or visit or visit http://u3asites.org.uk/didcot.
Christmas Carol Service A Christmas carol service took place in the Civic Hall on Monday 8th December. The service including carol singing from Didcot schools, local Guides and Brownies and Didcot Sings. Refreshments were served after the service and there was a retiring collection for the Mayor’s charity, the Didcot Railway Centre. The Mayor thanked everyone for attending and for their generous donations. 9
Elections 2015 Have you ever thought why do they do that? Why is that allowed to happen? Or even What are they thinking!!!! Perhaps you should consider joining Didcot Town Council On Thursday May 7th 2015 elections will take place for Didcot Town Council. This is not only your opportunity to vote for representation but to stand for election to the Town Council and take an active part in helping to influence what goes on in our town. The criteria for qualifying to stand is very simple; if you live within 3 miles of Didcot and are aged over 18 years and are on the electoral roll you can stand for election. Ideally you will also be interested in local issues and be willing to represent the views of the community. There will be a commitment to attend meetings, which are usually on either a Monday or Wednesday evening. Full Council usually meets 8 or nine times a year and it perfectly acceptable, with reasons, to miss one or two. There are committee, working group and liaison meetings in between but not all members are expected to attend and no-one is expected to commit to more than they are able to comfortably manage.
It is understandable to feel a little daunted at first but help and training are available and before you know it you’ll be up to speed with the processes and procedures of local government. In May 2015 local elections are due to take place, this could be the perfect time to take the first step and get involved with your local Council. If you would like to know more please contact the Town Clerk, Dominic Stapleton on 01235 812637 or townclerk@didcot.gov.uk . Alternatively you can speak to any member of the council. Contact details are available on the council website, www.didcot.gov.uk or by calling 01235 812637.
On Thursday 7th May 2015 3 elections will take place for: • Parliamentary MP • South Oxfordshire District Council • Parish Councils Don’t miss your chance to vote by making sure you are registered with the local elections Office. You can check by calling 01235 547622 or you can register on line at: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. 10
Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service The annual Remembrance Parade and service took place on Sunday 9th November. The parade left the Edinburgh Drive car park at 2.45pm and a service took place at the war memorial at 3pm. A large group of people gathered to attend the service and the Mayor, Councillor Scott Wilgrove, commented that he was honoured to lay a wreath at the memorial and that it was good to see so many people there. The Mayor is pictured at the war memorial after the service. With him, from left to right, is the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Des Healy, the Mayor, The Mayoress, Penny Wilgrove and the Deputy Mayoress, Margaret Healy, Refreshments were served in the Civic Hall after the service and some WWI related artefacts were on display in the hall. The parade and service are organised by the Royal British Legion on behalf of the council.
WWI Commemorative Tree Planting The Council is working with the Royal British Legion to organise a series of events to Commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. As part of the Commemorative activities an Oak tree was planted in Edmonds Park on Saturday 8 th November. Hugh Boorman delivered a very moving service and the Royal British Legion (RBL) Standard Bearer was in attendance.
Pictured above (from left to right) are Hugh Boorman, Bill Dagless and Peter Ryding (RBL) and the Mayor, Councillor Scott Wilgrove.
Pictured above (from left to right) are Mayor and the Mayor’s cadets, Lance Corporal Julia Kiely and Sargent Luke Goff.
11
Christmas Street Fair This year the Christmas Street Fair took place on Thursday 27th November. The theme this year was “Our Favorite Heroes” and the parade included many and varied superhero’s, the May Queen rode in Noddy’s car and the Royal British Legion Bikers from Harwell rode in the parade as well. The fair was well attended and had the usual mix of stalls and rides and many shops along the Broadway and in the Orchard Centre remained open providing an opportunity for late night shopping. Williams Martini Racing brought along one of their F1 cars, the Mayor, Councillor Mr Scott Wilgrove, is pictured below with the car. The Mayor said “It was a really busy evening for the Mayoress and I but we enjoyed every minute. It was great to see so many people enjoying themselves.” Jeanette Howse, one of the fair organisers said: “I really don’t know how we manage to make it better each year, but somehow we do. The atmosphere was great and there was a good crowd. I hope everyone enjoyed it.” The Christmas lights, which are funded by the Town Council, were turned on for the fair and added to the atmosphere on the night. The lights have all been upgraded to LED which provides a much better display and reduces the electricity bill too.
The Big Plan: Oxfordshire’s Learning Disability Strategy 2015 – 2018 Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) is asking for views on the draft Big Plan: Oxfordshire's Learning Disability Strategy 2015-2018. The plan sets out how services for adults with learning disabilities could be provided in Oxfordshire. The consultation on the Big Plan runs from 10 November 2014 until 9 February 2015. During this time you can give your views in many ways: More information is available on their website www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/bigplan or by calling 01865 894865. OCC have arranged some public meetings, Banbury, Wantage and Oxford as part of their consultation on the Big Plan. More information is available by calling 01865 894865. 12
Information Centre
In the Information Centre we have noticed that some questions tend to get asked more often than others. In this section we aim to provide answers to some recurring issues.
Q. Once the festivities are all over how can I get rid of my Christmas tree? A. If you have a brown bin you can just place your Christmas tree by the side of the bin on your collection day. Please note, however, that brown bin collections will be suspended for two weeks over the Christmas period and will recommence on 9 th January 2015. If you don’t have a brown bin a list of places where old trees can be dropped off for collection is on the South Oxfordshire District Council website: http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/news/2014/2014-12/dont-have-rubbish-christmas Q. W hat
are the rules on snow clearance? You hear so much on what you should and shouldn’t do! A. Contrary to popular belief there is no law to prevent the clearing of snow outside your house or on the pavement. Occupiers of properties have a legal responsibility to ensure their paths are safe to prevent injuries. Remember that people walking on snow or ice have the responsibility to be careful. You can pick up a snow clearing guide from the Information Centre, or call 01235 812637 to request a copy. Q. I recall that the Information Centre Manager used to collect used postage stamps for charity. Do you still collect them and can you remind me which charity it was for! A. Yes used stamps are still collected to raise funds for the RSPB. Q. How can I get my winter fuel allowance this year from the government? A. You could be eligible for between £100 and £300 if you were born before 5 th July 1952. You will need to claim the Winter Fuel Payment if you’ve not claimed before and either of the following apply: • you don’t get benefits or state pension • you only get Housing Benefit, Council Tax reduction or child benefit Details are at www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-to-claim or call 08459 151515
The Information Centre staff would like to wish all our customers a very happy Christmas and New Year and we look forward to helping with your enquiries in 2015.
13
14
What’s on at the Civic Hall
Did you know that the Civic Hall is fully licensed and a unique venue for weddings, civil partnerships and parties. The Civic Hall can cater for functions of all sizes so whether your guest list is 20 or 200 the experienced team at the hall will guide you through the options and help ensure your event is just as you want it to be. The Civic Hall is also the ideal venue for conferences and training. The hall is situated close to the town centre and the Didcot Parkway railway station. The Civic Hall is also used by many local clubs and groups from Music and Movement for under 5’s to Ceroc, yoga and Zumba. The University of the Third Age, the Women’s Institute and Hand of Friendship are just some of the groups that meet regularly in the hall. For more information about the events shown or to enquire about booking a room please call the Civic Hall Management Team on 01235 512436 or email civichall@didcot.gov or visit the website at www.didcotcivichall.co.uk
15
Didcot Town Council All Saints Ward Annie Birchall Nick Hards Margaret Turner Robert Bulman John Ord
07788 645989 01235 510146 01235 812958
29 High Street 184 Abingdon Road 18 Bosleys Orchard 61 Oxford Crescent 4 Dunnock End
OX11 8EQ OX11 9BP OX11 7NY OX11 7AL OX11 6AD Ox11 6BJ OX11 9BP OX11 7SU
01235 510810
4 Lisa Head Avenue 180 Abingdon Road 21B Wessex Road c/o Didcot Town Council c/o Didcot Town Council 15 Nunney Brook
OX11 7FW
Tony.harbour@southandvale.gov.uk nevhar@aol.com chris.harrison.didcot@mail.com rogerhawlor@yahoo.com.uk philhayward@live.co.uk bill.service@hotmail.co.uk
07957 287799 01235 811806 07425 176404 01235 211754 01235 812181
1 East Street 1 Loyd Road 56 Campion Hall Drive 6 East Street 130 Wantage Road
OX11 8EJ OX11 8JX OX11 9RN OX11 8EJ OX11 0AJ
david.rouane@btinternet.com bcooper@ntlworld.com councilloraxel@gmail.com millliways@ntlworld.com scott@wilgrove.net
01235 816496 01235 510146 01235 212102 01235 811596 01235 210242
15 Evenlode Drive 184 Abingdon Road 19 Collingwood Avenue 195 Broadway 63 Norreys Road
OX11 7XG OX11 9BP OX11 0AL OX11 8RU OX11 0AW
mldaviesbb@btinternet.com eleanorhards@aol.com
07533254711
am.birchall@ntlworld.com nickjhards@aol.com
Maggieann.turner@gmail.com John_ord1@hotmail.com
Ladygrove Ward Tony Harbour Neville Harris Chris Harrison Roger Hawlor Phil Hayward Bill Service
07771594368 01235 511363 07531 025403
Northbourne Ward David Rouane Bernard Cooper Axel Macdonald Peter Read Scott Wilgrove
Park Ward Margaret Davies Eleanor Hards Des Healy Catherine Kiely John Moody
Council and Committee meetings in January and February 2015
Staff Dominic Stapleton Karen Dodd Brenda Andrews Sharon Hickman Sue Atkins Paul Copley Steve Andrews Richard Dowling Justin Strong John Jones Neressa Copley Jed Allan
cmekiely@yahoo.co.uk Jmoody.dtc@virginmedia.com
Town Clerk Deputy Town Clerk Outdoor Services Manager Finance and Administration Information Centre Manager Grounds Supervisor Gardener Gardener Gardener Gatekeeper Pavilion Cleaner Gardening Apprentice
January Planning and Development 7th Council (Budget) 12th Environment 19th Council (if budget not agreed on 12th) 26th (6pm) Finance and General Purposes 26th Planning and Development 28th February Personnel and Administration 2nd Planning and Development 18th Finance and General Purposes 23rd All meetings commence at 7.30pm and are held in the Civic Hall. The Council operates a policy of public participation at meetings. For more information please contact us by calling 01235 812637 or email to council@didcot.gov.uk or write to Didcot Town Council, Civic Hall, Britwell Road, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 7HN or visit our website www.didcot.gov.uk. 16