Budget Consultation and Children's Centres

The County Council is currently consulting on its budget proposals for 2016/17 until 2019/20 where £50m of savings will have to be made on top of those already announced in previous years' budgets.  This consultation has started on 20th October and details can be found at the County website at

www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/budget

Public events are being held from 7 - 8.30pm on the following dates and venues:

27th October at County Hall

2nd November at Banbury Town Hall

5th November at the Regal Centre, Wallingford

However, one of the proposals which I need to alert residents to, is the potential threat to our Children's Centres, especially those which are run locally to support families in the community.  Our Grove and Hanneys Children's Centre meet at St. John the Baptist Church meeting rooms and in Wantage meetings are held at the Butler Centre in Church Street.  If you wish to have your say on these services and how they will affect you please go to the following link.  

All details on the options proposed are available to read at the above link.  As you will see if you click on the appropriate file for our local centres, there are a considerable number of families using these services managed  by Action for Children on our behalf.  I am sure that these services will be sorely missed if we lose them now, especially as new families move into the area due to the housing development planned.  Please make sure you send in your comments whilst this consultation is live.

Cow Lane Closure

I should like to notify residents about the forthcoming closure of Cow Lane which is coming up on 13th October.  The duration of the closure is expected to be for about 35 weeks, which the notice (shown above) claims takes up until 15th June 2016.  I expect much will depend on the weather and the other works going on in the area by Network Rail.  

This work aims to replace the railway bridge at the Hanneys crossing because of the rail electrification project.  As I previously reported here, some time ago, the replacement bridge at the A338 is currently going ahead and due to be completed at the end of this year.  

As this by-way is currently only used by horse-riders, cyclists, dog walkers and pedestrians, I hope everyone manages to find alternative recreational routes in the area during the time of the closure.