Annual Parish Meeting: Thursday 17th April 2025: reporting to the community on the last year and a Q&A This will be followed by the ordinary PC Meeting

The agenda will be published 5 days before the meeting on the website and also on the Parish Council notice boards. Members of the public are welcome to stay and listen, or to leave at any point.
All the agendas and minutes can be seen in the “meeting minutes” page.

Link to the meeting minutes page: agendas and minutes.

Bayswater Farm Field Update

Parish Council Election Results 2024

Election Results 2024

11 vacancies remain – please contact the Parish Clerk on 07717 134606 or clerk@risinghurstandsandhills-pc.gov.uk if you are interested in applying to be co-opted to the Parish Council. 
 

Risinghurst and Sandhills Parish Council includes part of Wood Farm and provides facilities at the Risinghurst playing field with a woodland, sport pavilion and Olive Jacks play area. Downside Dip play area, the ballcourt, small woodland and allotments in Richards Way are all for the benefit of local residents. It runs an annual Fireworks event and hosts the annual summer event at the playing field. The Parish Council helps residents to have a voice about local issues like planning applications and development.

A Parish Councillor helps to represent people, find out what the community needs, vote in decision making and monitoring the services in the public interest. It is an unpaid role that may take up 2-3 hours per week. The main commitment is to take part in 11 monthly meetings a year.

 

Parish Council Newsletter Autumn 2024

In the autumn, a larger newsletter, which includes information from community groups in the parish, is produced. It will be hand-delivered by Parish Councillors to every household in the Parish during October.  You can view an electronic copy here:

Newsletter Autumn 2024

If you would like to see the previous newsletter, it is below:

Newsletter Spring 2024

 Newsletter Autumn 2023

Open Letter on Roundway Congestion

 Traffic Congestion Project

Dear Residents and Businesses,

I am writing to update you on the actions of Risinghurst and Sandhills Parish Council in addressing some of the difficulties with traffic congestion at The Roundway, Risinghurst over the last two years.

The Parish Council was alerted to the congestion difficulties by Roundway Pharmacy and has sought to intervene and advocate for traffic solutions by Oxfordshire County Council. The Parish Council is not the landowner or authority for Highways but has been the only group actively asking for improvements and doing what we can for everyone – mobility scooters, pushchairs, cycles, pedestrians and car drivers. During this time, the Highways officers themselves have gone through a restructuring process and small, new projects have not been a priority, although they have sought to help wherever possible.

A consultation was undertaken of businesses, residents, shop-users, pedestrians and delivery drivers in July 2023 by Parish Councillor Jane Kerry, and the responses of this along with photographic evidence provided by (former) Parish Councillor Nadia Amin was submitted to OCC Highways with a request to meet and find solutions together. The consultation showed support for:

  • Cycle racks
  • Improving the dropped kerb crossing
  • Time restrictions on parking
  • Parking enforcement
  • Parking bays installed on the grass
  • Better use of McDonalds car park
  • Protecting pedestrians.

Although a full stakeholders meeting was not achieved, Highways officers have worked with the Parish Council on the items listed above.  There has been some limited success, and the following improvements have been achieved:

Car Park Sign: The Parish Council was pleased to work with McDonalds, and to learn how they have managed parking solutions. McDonalds partnered with the Parish Council and helped to finance a project to install a new signpost to alert drivers to the car park behind their premises. The work was designed, approved and completed by Oxfordshire County Council Highways with ODS. Thanks also to Oxford City Councillors Munkonge and Smith and County Councillor Phillips who gave ward donations to support this.

Parking enforcement: The parking enforcement team contracted by Oxford City Council are called Conduent, and they did not do any enforcement at The Roundway. A year ago, they agreed to pilot The Roundway as a priority area, and subsequently agreed that The Roundway should be on their regular list of areas for parking enforcement officers. This is effective in reducing illegal parking and has made a significant contribution to reducing congestion. You can report illegal parking by phoning Conduent’s control room at 0345 337 1138 option 4.

Cycle racks: A cycle rack is needed to help cyclists who have nowhere safe to lock their bikes and shop. Initially, the Parish Council got permission from BT to remove the old phone box (at a cost), as a possible location. However, the Highways team now consider that the location is not suitable. Instead, they have now identified the grass area next to the subway entrance to have a hard surface and cycle rack installed. This hard surface will be extended to include an area for the Voi scooters, to help the area look tidier. A quote is expected soon for this work.

Dropped kerb crossing: This is from near the subway entrance across to the corner of McDonalds and Betzone. Currently, people using mobility scooters are unable to cross when car drivers park across the dropped kerb. Interventions are limited by the narrow footpath by the shops, the fencing and the proximity to a bend in the road. Oxfordshire Highways have agreed to install a barrier fence on the subway side, and coloured textured-tiles on both sides, to highlight that it is a designated crossing point. Again, a quote is expected soon for this work to clarify how much the Parish Council will need to contribute for it to go ahead.

Grass cutting: Following complaints from residents and businesses including at The Roundway, the Parish Council is seeking to secure the grass cutting contract for 2025. The reduction in verge mowing aimed to reduce the budget, but unfortunately this has left the verges looking brown, untidy and gathering litter and faeces. The annual cut left large quantities of grass in place, which prevented any hoped-for biodiversity benefits and blocked the gutters. This work will be a new cost to the Council, but we believe this reflects the wishes of many of the residents. To prepare for the 2025 season, the Parish Council Grounds Working Group (who are nearly all local volunteers) have cut the grass across the Parish twice, and cut back the tree branches to improve visibility at The Roundway.

It is disappointing that the Parish Council has been advised that Oxfordshire Highways will not be able to consider installing parking bays in the grassed area. There are challenges across the city with traffic congestion, and The Roundway is in the same position as many other shopping arcades, with a local environment that was not built for so many car users, and an increasing population. This would be prohibitively expensive, and certainly something that is beyond the Parish Council budget. This is the one area of discussion for which a solution has not been found, and the Parish Council is bringing this project to a close now.

What Else Could Be Done: Oxfordshire Highways explained that when the yellow lines were put in, the residents and businesses were consulted on whether to have time restrictions for parking on the unmarked areas. At the time, the feedback was that the businesses did not want time-restricted parking because they themselves needed to use the parking spaces.

If Roundway residents and business community felt that they would now welcome time-restricted parking for the area, to manage the traffic congestion, please contact your City and County Councillors and Oxfordshire Highways. This is the only remaining option that could be a possibility to change the parking congestion but would still take a lot of work to achieve.

Yours sincerely,

Parish Clerk/Responsible Finance Officer for Risinghurst and Sandhills Parish Council

 

Parish Council Small Grants

Small grants are available for charities and community groups in the Parish of Risinghurst and Sandhills, including parts of Wood Farm (Local Government Act 1972 s137).

Applications are welcome from groups to contribute towards projects that will directly benefit the residents of the Parish.

Applicants will be asked to provide details of the project, other sources of income and their accounts if necessary.

How to apply:   Contact the Parish Clerk

clerk@risinghurstandsandhills-pc.gov.uk         Phone 07717 134606

The application form is available on the website at www.risinghurstandsandhills-pc.gov.uk/parish-council/policies-forms/  

 

Parish Council Volunteering

 

Thank you to Councillor Ed Johnstone who has made a disabled access bench for the Risinghurst Playing Fields. 4 people can easily access the bench from each corner, and a wheelchair or pushchair can access the table from each end. Thanks Ed!

 

A small volunteer group help with clearing, planting and other practical tasks on the Risinghurst playing field and woodland each Thursday morning from 09.00am. If you are interested in joining, please contact the Parish Clerk.

clerk@risinghurstandsandhills-pc.gov.uk         Phone 07717 134606

Play Equipment Ideas for Olive Jacks Play area

Link to Survey

Playing Field Improvements

The Parish Council continues to deliberate about the future improvements for the Risinghurst Playing Field. This project arose from the prospect of  developers contributions that will arise from the Thornhill Park phase 2 development. It is likely to be at least 3 years before this money is available, but the planning for how to use it is ongoing, so that the Parish Council will be ready to act once the funding is received.

The Parish Council are being advised by the Oxfordshire Playing Fields Association. They have a great deal of experience in delivering recreational facilities and advising on what has worked/not worked elsewhere in the county.

At the moment, Parish Councillors are considering what the future users of the play area in Olive Jacks Memorial Field would like to include.

Olive Jacks Memorial Field—Options for Future Play Equipment

There is no funding for this yet—but the Parish Council will work towards it. To do so we need to know what you would like and to get quotes before we bid for grants. Councillors Jane Kerry and Carol Walton did a survey at the URC Church Fete on 9th September. There is also an online  survey for children and young people (and their adults) to complete to express a preference. Please click on it and let us know your views.

Please click the link to fill in the survey:

Link to survey

Parish Councillor Vacancies

Notice of Vacancy following the resignation of Jane Kerry

 

There are 10 vacancies on Risinghurst and Sandhills Parish Council. Could you get involved?

What does the Parish Council do? The Parish Council includes part of Wood Farm and provides facilities at the Risinghurst playing field with a woodland, sport pavilion and Olive Jacks play area. Downside Dip play area, the ballcourt and allotments in Richards Way are all for the benefit of local residents. It runs an annual Fireworks event and hosts the annual summer fete at the playing field. The Parish Council helps residents to have a voice about local issues like planning applications and development.

Could you get involved as a community leader? you could help by representing people, finding out what the community needs, decision making and monitoring the services in the public interest. It is a voluntary role that may take up 2-3 hours per week. The main commitment is to take part in 11 monthly meetings a year.

Want to Find out More? Contact the Parish Clerk for an informal chat:

clerk@risinghurstandsandhills-pc.gov.uk         Phone 07717 134606

Downside Dip Play Area Improvements

Have you noticed the work at Downside Dip play area in Risinghurst?
Our wonderful Parish Councillors have been improving and looking after the Steff Spencer memorial garden which is looking lovely at the moment.

Our Parish Councillors have been working hard to build new, safe steps for the slide. Within the next week, the old steps will be taken away and the transformation will be complete!

Thank you to our Parish Councillors for giving so much of their own time and working hard to improving the local area.

 

Forthcoming Local Events

Go to our Notice Board to see what local events are soon to happen!

Oxford City Council Planning Applications

The Parish Council reviews any planning application within the parish and is able to submit comments/objections, however has no final decision making powers, this resides with Oxford City Council.

See Planning Applications

____________________________________________________________

 Land at Bayswater Farm Field, Sandhills OX3 8BX

Outline Planning Application Refused and Appeal lodged: 

The outline planning applications to SODC and OCC were refused.

However,  a new outline planning application, number 24/01541/OUT, has been submitted; responses/objections were submitted to Oxford City Planning by the 5th August.

25/09/24 Update: Cilldara Group have appealed to the Secretary of State against the “decision of the Council or the failure of the Council to give notice of a decision”. Highways objected to the access and we await details of the appeal process

Further details can be found here

 

 

 

Groundwater in Risinghurst - Advice for Householders:

The Parish Council has sought advice from the Flood Mitigation Officer at Oxfordshire County Council. Risinghurst has a history of retaining surface water and some gardens being saturated in the wet months. This is partly due to the structure of the soil and has been affected by building development, the loss of open ditches that have been filled in, ponds and effective drainage.

Property Flood Resilience products and methods for both surface water flooding and groundwater flooding are described in the links below:

Surface water flooding – i.e. flooding during or shortly after heavy rainfall – Flood prevention – Oxfordshire Flood Toolkit and Preparing for a flood – Oxfordshire Flood Toolkit

 Groundwater flooding – i.e. water coming up under or through floors, or the ground potentially days or even longer after a period of persistent rain –

groundwater.pdf (oxfordshirefloodtoolkit.com) and What to do in a groundwater flood (projectgroundwater.co.uk) 

 

Flood Alerts and Information Leaflet

 

Information Leaflet with contacts for services

 

 Flood Alert Service:

https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/alerts-and-warnings/oxfordshire?v=map-live&lyr=ts,tw,ta,mv&ext=-2.341612,51.441418,-0.247933,52.186466

 

Check the website for flood alerts and the helpline at Oxfordshire County Council

 

s

Health Watch Survey for Wood Farm July 24

If you live in Wood Farm or Town Furze (the Girdlestone Road area) Healthwatch Oxfordshire would like to hear from you!
We would like to know:
What helps you to stay healthy and well?
• What makes it difficult?
• What ideas do you have for making Wood Farm a healthier place to live?

 

Health Watch Survey Poster

 

School Street in Sandhills: Consultation open until 16/08/24

Oxfordshire County Council are consulting now on the ANPR cameras for this scheme. They have given the following information:

RE: CONSULTATION – Experimental School Streets (phase 2) proposed ANPR camera enforcement

 We are writing to seek your views on the proposal to install ‘Automatic Number Plate Recognition’ (ANPR) cameras in order to enforce the existing ‘phase 2’ experimental School Streets within Didcot & Oxford, which will operate only during the current operating times. The ANPR cameras will be positioned at access points to the School Street (see attached plans for approximate locations), discouraging motor vehicles except residents, blue badge holders and other specified exempt vehicles from entering the school street during school start and finish times. Vehicles that are not exempt and go through the camera points will receive a Penalty Charge Notice. 

The proposal is being put forward in order to help better manage the safe & effective use of the School Street scheme, ensuring access is maintained for those exempted vehicles, and effective enforcement of the signed restriction is able to take place. Details are also available to view on the Councils consultation portal at the address below:

 https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/schoolstreets_anpr2024

 Any objections or other representations on the proposals should be submitted by Friday 16th August 2024. 

Details on the current experimental School Streets scheme consultation can be found here, and further information on the School Streets active travel measure in general is available on the county council’s website here.

___________________________________________________________________________Update on 13/05/24: The aim is to trial school streets for these school’s and to encourage active travel changes, creating a safe, welcoming and attractive school street environment where children, parents and teachers can walk, cycle or scoot, or park away from and walk to school with less risk of concentrated air pollution and traffic congestion.

The experimental school street closures will operate Monday to Friday during term time only 8-9am and 2.30-3.30pm, and the scheme will run for a maximum period of 18 months. During closure times at school ‘pick-up’ and ‘drop-off’ (Monday to Friday during the times above), roads around the school sites will be closed to motor vehicles. A lead steward assisted by volunteers from the school and local community will manage and marshal the road closures by operating temporary barriers and opening them for any exempt vehicles. Exempt motorists include school buses, residents visitors, blue badge holders, emergency vehicles, plus council organised school transport for students with additional needs. Work will continue during the experiment with the schools to ensure that anyone with specific needs is not adversely affected. A separate consultation will be run at a later date in relation to the longer-term enforcement of the restrictions, and these will be subject to a separate decision-making process.
Further information on the School Streets active travel measure and how to comment, support or object is available on the county council’s website:
https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/roads-and-transport/school-streets/location-school-streets

 _________________________________________________________________

 

The pilot was planned to start on 15th April for 6 weeks. It will be run by volunteers for 1 hour from 8.30am and 2.30pm each school day. A consultation will follow on whether to make the arrangement permanent using ANPR cameras, and give exemptions for residents and some delivery services.

Parents and residents are being contacted after half term to raise awareness of the scheme.  A presentation made by Oxfordshire County Council to the Parish Council on preparations for the School Street pilot in Sandhills can be seen below:

 

Click link

Tree Planting / Removal UPDATE!

UPDATE:  20th October from Sandhills Naturehood 

“The Parish Council and Sandhills Naturehood met with the County Council Tree Team to discuss various aspects of tree maintenance and planting in Sandhills. The biggest topic for us at present is the very unfortunate disease outbreak which has killed / is killing many trees between Terrett Ave and A40. This is due to drought stress in recent summers, which caused outbreak of sooty bark of sycamore disease, in addition to ash dieback. The Team has determined which trees need to be felled for safety reasons, and this isn’t a topic now for discussion or negotiation. This will inevitably cause loss of visual and sound protection. If we do nothing, replanting would not be high on the priority list. On the positive side though, we have very good support from the Tree Team to develop plans to mitigate this loss. Sandhills Naturehood are now working with them to develop plans for planting, including on the adjacent grass area between A40 and the cycle path. A priority will be resistant varieties which recreate a natural barrier. We are really keen that the community comes together to develop a plan which works for it. Sandhills Naturehood meets by MS Teams call generally on the first Monday of the month 8-9pm, and meets for a working party on the second Sunday of the month 2-4pm. Please get in touch if you would like to get involved, in whatever way works for you.”

A proposal for tree planting has been drafted by Sandhills Naturehood – see here

New Trees: On Tuesday 19th March, a number of new trees were planted on Sandhills and Risinghurst. Our thanks to Oxfordshire Tree Planting Service and local groups Sandhills Naturehood and Wild about Risinghurst for encouraging and making this happen.

Early Warning: A number of trees have been identified and marked on the A40 near the Sandhills bus stop that need removal as they are diseased and dying. They were to be felled early in April by Oxfordshire County Council Countryside & Tree Service, however due to the necessity for restrictions on the A40 close to the bus stop whilst the work is undertaken, this work has been delayed.

Advice on Scams and what to do: Oxfordshire Trading Standards

Please be on your guard against people pretending to be from the police, your bank or other organisations and asking for money.
Some practical detail from the Oxfordshire Trading Standards team is available HERE

Climate Action: Oxfordshire

A new website offering practical advice for Oxfordshire people wanting to reduce their carbon footprint and save energy has gone live on 11 July.

Any information contained on this website is accurate to the best of our knowledge.

Risinghurst & Sandhills Parish Council cannot be held liable for any inaccuracies contained on this site. The Parish Council is not responsible for external websites.

Please let us know if you notice any errors or links not working!