Category: More News

RESIDENTS in Southern Oxfordshire can now confirm their right to vote by text message in a new service being offered by South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse District Councils.
The councils, increasingly working together to save money by sharing agencies, are two of the first in the country to provide this service

Both councils are currently sending out their annual electoral registration forms and are urging residents to respond as quickly as possible. The new service means residents can now confirm their details in one of four ways by text, post, telephone or through the internet.

Ann Ducker, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, says:”Text messaging is becoming increasingly popular as a quick and easy method of communication and we?re delighted to be able to offer this service to our residents for confirming their right to vote. By getting this information back to us as quickly as possible we can keep the costs of the service to a minimum.”

Jerry Patterson, Leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “In the Vale we are committed to making public contact with us as easy as possible, so even something as important as confirming your voting details are correct can be as simple as texting your friends and family. I hope as many voters as possible will take advantage of this innovative approach.”

WHAT is the forward plan and who is is available to?
The forward plan is a list of the key decisions the Council intends to take from 1 October 2006. The plan is updated monthly and available to the public on request.

What is a key decision?
Key decisions are defined as decisions which are likely:

? to incur expenditure or to receive income of more than

BORIS Johnson, Thame’s MP, is to address a meeting on the crucial issue of climate change at a public meeeting in Thame.
Boris recently signed up to an Early Day Motion in Parliament which, if it becomes Law, will force the Government to take action to slow down the effects of Climate Change.
The meeting, to be hosted by Thame and Chinnor Friends Of The Earth, will take place on Friday, September 15, 7pm, at Lord Williams’s Upper School, Oxford Road, Thame.
Joining him at the meeting and giving presentations will be Caroline Lucas, Green Party MEP South East, and Martyn Williams from Friends of the Earth.

Photo: Maureen Dyroff of Thame & Chinnor FOE

This meeting will give the public a chance to hear what local politicians have to say and to quiz them on the important issue of Climate Change.

“The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is nearing a threshold that could lead to uncontrollable Climate Change,” said local Friends of the Earth Co-ordinator, Maureen Dyroff.
“The time to act is now.
“Emissions of carbon dioxide ? the main greenhouse gas ? are rising. We are well aware of the technologies and policies needed to reduce them. However, the big question is whether our generation will summon the political will to take simple actions to protect people and wildlife from the dangerous consequences of Climate Change.”

Admission to the meeting is free and space is limited so it is advised to turn up early. Refreshment

THERE’S still time to be an Early Bird ? that?s the message from Oxfordshire Adult Learning Service which is offering discounts to people who enrol and pay ten days or more before their course starts.
The county council-run courses and workshops, which mostly start late September or in November, are booking up fast with many already sold out.

There are hundreds of courses – ranging from family history and forecasting the weather to gardening and Spanish ? all provided at centres across the county.

For more information, a brochure or to enrol call 0845 351 0646 or visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk /adultlearning. Alternatively pick up a brochure from your local library or adult learning centre.

SOUTH Oxfordshire District Counmcil is seeking views on its draft planning enforcement policy which sets out how we they will provide a planning enforcement service and what you can expect from them.
The council states: “The basis of the service as outlined in the policy, stems from a thorough best value review of planning enforcement and the forestry service. It sets out standards of service which we shall measure and report back to Councillors.”

You can view a copy of the document at your local library or on SODC’s website: [http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/environment/planning/planning-enforcement-and-appeals/].

The consultation is over the next six weeks and written comments must be in by Monday, October 9. Email: planning@southoxon.gov.uk or write to the Council offices at Crowmarsh (address on website)

Comments will be fed back to the task groups that considered the review of planning enforcement and forestry, before they are considered by Cabinet.

If you have any questions over this consultation please contact Alison Muceku, tel 01491 823756 or email alison.muceku@southoxon.gov.uk

SAVE-a-flush devices to help reduce water use in homes and public buildings across the county, are being made available.
The device is a small plastic bag of granules that swell up when placed in the cistern of a toilet, displacing around a litre of water. Water is then saved with each flush without loss of efficiency.

Oxfordshire fire crews have joined forces with the county council?s Future First environmental team and Thames Water to try to combat the threat of water shortages across the county.

Water is a big issue in Oxfordshire at the moment with water use increasing at a rate of 2% each year so residents could be facing major shortages within five years.

Save-a-flush devices will be offered to staff across the county council and used in all the toilet cisterns in each of the Oxfordshire fire stations. They will also be widely available to members of the public from collection points in council-owned buildings, including libraries.

Oxfordshire County Council say: “Across the county, in homes and businesses, vast amounts of natural resources such as paper, water and fuel are used to power lights, computers, heating and vehicles. Our use of these resources and the waste materials and gases produced, all has a detrimental impact on our living environment. This is known as our environmental footprint.
“In April 2005 the county council developed Future First – a project aimed at helping to reduce the county council?s environmental footprint.”

Kerry Blair, a station manager in the Emergency Response Team of the Fire and Rescue Service said: “We have a good supply of Save-a-flush devices from Thames Water that can be distributed throughout Oxfordshire. County council firefighters will be handing them out to residents when they carry out home fire risk assessments, too.
“The Fire and Rescue Service is always looking at ways to save water, including during its own training exercises when water is recycled at every opportunity.
“The amazing thing about these devices is that by saving a litre of water per flush; for the average family this can amount to 2,000 gallons of water a year, or 35,000 cups of tea! So, it?s definitely worth putting one in your cistern!”

Lynn Launchbury, Water Efficiency Campaign Manager at Thames Water, said: “It’s great to see more organisations taking an active interest in conserving supplies. Toilets are among the biggest users of water in the workplace and in homes, so the free devices could play a major part in reducing usage, as well as saving money for customers with meters.”

OXFORDSHIRE’S Fire and Rescue Service is warning farmers throughout the county to be on their guard against acts of arson in barns and outbuildings.
Julian Green, Risk Reduction and Strategic Partnerships Officer with the Fire and Rescue Service said:”Although the weather is no longer as hot, farmers? crops and hay barns are still vulnerable. Fires on farms cause devastation and great expense to the local farming industry.
“Farm fires are also very resource intensive for us ? sometimes it takes days to put a barn fire out. This takes away valuable fire cover in the county while our firefighters are involved in these incidents.”

Farmers and other members of the public who need advice or information about fire related issues should ring the central Community Fire Safety Helpline on: 08000 325 999.

County Councillor Ray Jelf, the Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said:”The cost to farmers is high at this time of year because they are bringing in their crops and storing them for winter feed and bedding for their livestock, so their barns are full of valuable produce. Mindless acts of arson can be a disaster for them.”

THAME Town Council is hoping for a repeat of last year’s very successful Christmas party for the town’s senior citizens.
All senior citizens of Thame and Moreton, are being invited to the party which will be held in the Upper Chamber of the town hall on December 1, between 2-4pm.

As this is the year of the Queen’s 80th birthday, places will be allotted first to anyone born between January 1, 1917 and December 31, 1926.

The list will close on September 28. There are 100 places – 90 and 10 reserved.

Applications are available at The One Stop Shop in the town hall.

LANDMINE amputee, Chris Moon MBE, is planning to cycle Cambodia to raise funds for a Thame-based charity.
Chris, who lost an arm and a leg while clearing landmines in Mozambique, is setting off to cycle across Cambodia on August 31, hoping to raise thousands of pounds in support of Thame charity, the Cambodia Trust.
Chris’s fundraising will help the Trust to provide artificial limbs for Cambodian landmine survivors. He explained: “In 1993 I was clearing landmines for a charity in Cambodia and I saw the terrible circumstances in which Cambodian, disabled people
struggled to survive.
“In 1995 I learned the importance of artificial limbs when I lost my lower right arm and leg walking in a supposedly clear area in a minefield in Mozambique.”

Chris Moon has undertaken a number of extreme challenges to raise funds for the Cambodia Trust, including a 300-mile run across Death Valley.
“I?ve witnessed the work of the Cambodia Trust first hand for more than ten years. It?s a very worthy organisation doing excellent work,? he says.

FIVE years after the Great Wall of China charity bike ride, a little older, five stone
heavier, five times wiser? I don