District Councillor Report

Cllr Sam Casey-Rerhaye August 2023

‘HIF1’ roads and bridges planning application
The planning committee at Oxfordshire County Council turned down the application (presented
by the Highways department of the same council) for the roads and bridges that are proposed to
run from the A34 Milton Roundabout through Didcot to Culham and Clifton Hampden, coming out
on to the B4015 just north of Clifton Hampden. They voted 7-2 to reject this. The meeting was
held on 17 th & 18 th July. On July 25 th the Secretary of State (SoS) Michael Gove wrote to OCC to
call in this application and has appointed a planning inspector to hold an inquiry on the decision
and make a recommendation to the SoS. This means that at the moment, the planning decision
has not formally been issued so any planning applications in South Oxfordshire will be judged on
that basis.

Councillor community grants funding now open
The new round of funding from the Councillor Community Grant scheme has now opened.
Organisations, including Town and Parish Councils, can now apply for grants from me as your
local ward councillor from £250 up to a maximum of £5,000.
If you are thinking of applying, please get in touch with me first to discuss the project and then
visit the South Oxfordshire Councillor Community Grants webpage for further details on
eligibility. Applications are made online and are open until midday on Friday 20 October 2023.
For more information, contact the Community Enablement team at
grants@southandvale.gov.uk

Improving energy efficiency online events 
The climate and biodiversity team held an online event in July for town and parish councils and
community groups on “Improving Energy Efficiency in Community Buildings”.  Recordings and
copies of the presentations are available on our website South Oxfordshire The team is
planning a similar webinar on Tuesday 10 October. For that event the focus will be on how town
and parish councils (and other community groups) can enable more retrofitting of residential
properties in their areas. Keep an eye out for more information coming soon. 

‘Move Together’ nominated for an award
Move Together, the physical activity programme co-ordinated by our Active Communities team
that supports people with long term health conditions, has made the final six of the national
APSE Awards for Best Health and Wellbeing Initiative. The winner will be determined at an
awards ceremony in September. 
You can find out more about Move Together and how it helps residents to get active via the
South Oxfordshire Move Together webpage:

https://www.southoxon.gov.uk/south-oxfordshire-district-council/sports-and-activities/active-communities/move-together/#:~:text=Move%20Together%20is%20a%20county,health%20conditions%2C%20such%20as%20diabetes.

River Thames water quality updates
Anyone planning to use the River Thames at Wallingford and Henley for swimming, boating or
fishing this summer will be pleased to know that the environmental charity Thames21 is doing
regular water quality sampling as part of its campaign to improve water quality and gain bathing
water status in those areas. The charity is publishing its water quality updates on its website. The Thames 21 website has details for Wallingford and for Henley: 

https://www.thames21.org.uk/

Cornerstone Arts Centre events and activities
Didcot Garden Party launched on Saturday 22 July at Cornerstone Arts Centre and more than
200 people came on the first day in spite of the rather wet weather. The party continues until 30
August with lots of activities for children, families and adults - including Community Days, family
yoga, live music and comedy at Cornerstone.
Check out the Didcot Garden Party page on the South website where you can download
the free brochure for more details:

https://www.southoxon.gov.uk/garden-communities/free-shows-performances-and-sports-sessions-in-didcot-garden-town-this-summer/

Fun for babies and toddlers
And for the autumn season, there will be classes and workshops just for those early years and
their parents and/or guardians. The fun starts in September with weekly classes Baby Boppers
and Story Time With Laura. These classes focus on providing tots with fantastic sensory play
experiences and socialising opportunities. Parents and/or guardians can also book children aged
up to 7 on their workshop Riddle and Rhyme Time on Thursday 26 October. Join acclaimed
children’s poet James Carter in an interactive session with soothing music, rhymes, and the
opportunity to write a poem with the special guest at the end.


Contact me at
Sam.casey-rerhaye@southoxon.gov.uk
01235 635566

SODC website: https://www.southoxon.gov.uk/