A brief report this month, as things have slowed down at County Hall during the election period and as it would be wrong to use this report for electioneering!
Firstly, can I thank Eynsham Parish Council members, past and present, for their hospitality over the last four years. I very much hope that the residents of Eynsham, Cassington, Stanton Harcourt and the other villages in the division choose to re-elect me but, whether I am returned or not, I have enjoyed our meetings and am always impressed by the dedication of people who voluntarily support our community.
A quick reminder that the election is on 1 May; you will need photo ID to vote.
Buses
A quick update on buses. After a request from a resident and discussions between the County Council and Pulhams, the H2 will soon be stopping at the hospital in Witney on each journey. At the other end of the route, after calling at the John Radcliffe and Brookes, it will continue on to Thornhill Park and Ride. This will be good for the hospitals, for Summertown shops, and for catching the London and airport coaches. These additional stops will be added in when the timetable is updated in May.
There is a review of the services that the County Council subsidises. I have made a submission calling for the maintenance of the First and Last Mile service between Eynsham and Standlake and Eynsham and Hanborough. Among other things, it is used by many pupils of Bartholomew School.
Planning matters
Botley West
The first hearing by the Planning Inspectorate, covering procedural matters, will be on 13 May. The District and County Councils have both put in objections, and the District Council will follow up with a Local Impact Report. I have objected as a County Councillor and have asked to speak at the hearing.
Charging station
West Oxfordshire District Council has turned down the planning application for a charging station on the area between the bypass, A40 and Hanborough Road. This was on highways grounds, following the County Council objecting to the impact on junctions and on pedestrian and bike movement.
Roads
As mentioned before, there is a record amount of money in the budget for road repairs. Now the weather is better, you will see roads being repaired. Among other things, the road between Cassington and Yarnton has been fixed, including filling the holes on the railway bridge and resurfacing the road in Yarnton. You will also see gulleys being cleared now that annual clearing has been restored.
Good progress is being made on the Shores Green junction to make the A40 accessible to the east of Witney in both directions.
Calum Miller MP
I was pleased to accompany Calum to answer questions from the members of the Eynsham Society. He is regularly in the village and you can contact him on calum.miller.mp@parliament.uk