Library Update

I had a very constructive meeting this week with the FROGs (Friends of Grove Library) and officers and Cabinet Member from Oxfordshire County Council.  We discussed how to plan for using volunteers to keep Grove Library open.  There have been some guidelines published setting out how volunteers can be trained and supported for this role and I hope that many of the people who came along to the public meeting back in January reported here will still be willing to come forward to help. 

There will be a public meeting on Thursday 15th September at 7.30pm at The Old Mill Hall to hear the latest news and proposals on this.  Meanwhile the public consultation period is still open until the end of September so please  fill in the form here if you haven't already done so. 

Watery Grove

Returning home tonight, I was met with a flooded road at the junction of Brereton Drive with Denchworth Road. At first, it reminded me of the memorable Grove floods we had on 20 July 2007, but then it became clear that it was a burst water main. Thames Water were duly contacted and I could hear them making repairs late into the night. I hope that residents were not incovenienced too much by any disruptions to their water supply.

Armed Forces Community Grant Scheme

The Ministry of Defence has launched the Community Covenant grant scheme to provide financial support for projects that strengthen ties between members of the Armed Forces Community and the wider community in which they live.  If you recall, I was one of the signatories to this covenant for Oxfordshire County Council as reported here.

Up to £30M over 4 financial years has been set aside to help communities undertake projects that promote greater understanding between the military and civilian populations.  In May this year, the Government published the Armed Forces Covenant which, amongst other things, aims to improve the support available for serving personnel, their families and veterans.  Full details of the scheme can be seen here.

This is only available to areas that have already established a Community Covenant, with Oxfordshire being the first to do so. If you have any ideas, please let Claire Moore know (Claire.Moore@oxfordshire.gov.uk).  Grove has had a long connection with military personnel both with the RAF and more recently with those who work at Dalton Barracks, so it would be good if we could establish something locally for our community.

Science Vale UK announced as New Enterprise Zone

The Government announced today that there would be a further 11 Enterprise Zones across the country, designed to boost local growth and create more than 30,000 new jobs by 2015.  One of these zones will be based around our area of Harwell Oxford and Milton Park - known as Science Vale UK.  

These zones have simplified planning rules and over £100m tax breaks for new businesses over the next four years. It is estimated that there will be over 200 businesses and between 6,250 - 10,500 jobs created locally by April 2015.  This is excellent news for our area and I look forward to working with our Local Enterprise Partnership to ensure this zone is a success and at the forefront of the growing economy.

Fairport's Cropredy Convention 2011

At the end of a disturbing week, it was good to see thousands of people relaxing and enjoying themselves at the Cropredy Festival today. The picture on the left shows Horslips - an Irish Celtic rock band - getting the crowd in the mood with their rousing set. The photo on the right shows the finale with Fairport Convention and friends on stage.

Amazingly, this is the 36th festival - it has taken place every August since 1976. Despite the closure of a section of the A361 Banbury to Daventry road for a flood alleviation scheme, the traffic control and parking seemed to work with the usual efficiency - thanks no doubt to the planning of all involved.

Nick Clegg in Newbury

Nick Clegg came to Newbury last night on one of his Town Hall visits.  He faced a number of questions from members of the public ranging from tuition fees to the current riots which are going on all over the country. 

I asked him to make sure that the police have the resources and tools to do the job to keep all of our communities safe.  The scenes on the streets seen on the television have been distressing to us all.   Meanwhile I have been assured by Thames Valley Police that police presence has been increased around the county and the whole force area.

Oxfordshire Electoral Review

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is conducting an electoral review of Oxfordshire.  The broad purpose is to decide on the appropriate electoral arrangements - the number of councillors and the names, number and boundaries of wards and divisions.  Oxfordshire County Council is looking at proposals to provide improved levels of electoral equality across the county.  The review aims to ensure that the number of voters represented by each councillor is approximately the same.  You can see the current proposals at their website.

If you recall the last time this was conducted it resulted in Grove and Wantage being put together as a single division represented by 2 councillors.  The current proposal suggests that this arrangement works well and should continue.  If the divisions were to be split into single-member divisions it would entail a small part of Wantage having to be included within Grove to help proportionality.  The proposal also recommends reducing the total number of county councillors from 74 to 63.  Consultation is underway at the moment, so any submissions need to be made before 10th October.  This can be done online at the link shown above.