News
Meeting with Pangbourne on crime
Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth attended a Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) meeting in Pangbourne yesterday and reports as follows:
‘The police reported a steady increase in theft, particularly of and from cars. This was most noticeable in the urban areas but was spreading. So don’t let the idea get round that Whitchurch has easy pickings. The West Berks CC representative pointed out that fly tipping costs council tax. She also said that dropping anything onto any land whatever that does not have a licence for tipping is a criminal offence. The police representative said that as it is a criminal offence, anyone seeing tipping in progress should contact the police using the 999 number. So keep those doors locked, keys safe and your eyes peeled!’
Date/Time : Thursday, 2nd February 2012 11:00
Gas work tailbacks to continue until 4th Feb
Drivers will have to put up with two more weeks of traffic light delays in the High Street caused by the final stages of work by the Southern Gas Networks team to connect up their new pipeline.
SGN team leader Phil Hodgkins said today that he expects to be finished in another two weeks. He explained that the long gap in the work at the Hardwick Road junction was caused by the delay in getting a permit to drill across the Pangbourne meadow. But now the remaining work is being tackled and this involves the two connections to the existing main, which have to be made at the same time. The other connection is in the Dolphin Centre car park, Pangbourne, where there is a pressure governor. The main is a medium pressure one, he said, whereas most mains are low pressure, which means this operation has lengthier safety procedures.
To flush out the old pipeline, he said, there will be two vents through which the residual gas will escape, one at each connection. These will be 2.5m above ground level. There may be a slight smell of gas for a while and venting is a fairly noisy process he said. The main under the High Street will become redundant.
Phil said he wanted to thank the community for their patience while the work is done.
Date/Time : Saturday, 21st January 2012 12:47
Youth group to swing into action at The Old Stables
Chris Alcock, husband of Reverend Claire Alcock, will run a youth group starting this Sunday at 9.45 am in the newly opened church and community room opposite the Ferryboat. Decathlon is the name of the group and it is for boys aged 9-14.
Chris (left) says “ Each session lasts for an hour and ends with refreshments. This Sunday we will be playing Goalball, which involves using blindfolds and a ball with a bell inside. You can guess the rest! We are hoping soon to recruit a female leader so that girls can come along too. The aim is to explore the basics of the Christian faith through sport and fun activities. There are ten sessions between now and June."
More details from Chris on 07821691684 or Krissthebiss@live.co.uk or read the flyer.
Date/Time : Friday, 13th January 2012 08:45
Bridge replacement postponed by a year
The Whitchurch Bridge Company has announced that as a result of planning delays it has decided to postpone by one year the reconstruction that was planned to start next October. The company’s statement reads as follows:
The Whitchurch Bridge Company is to postpone the closure of Whitchurch Bridge for reconstruction from October 2012 to October 2013. This decision has been taken because of delays in obtaining Planning Permission which has left insufficient time to prepare for work to start in 2012.
Planning Applications were submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council and West Berkshire Council in May 2011. Both Councils have now resolved to grant Approval subject to various conditions and legal Agreements, but the Company is still awaiting formal advice of the details.
The Planning delays were caused primarily by objections from English Heritage which was however unable to come up with a viable alternative. The Company acknowledges that the Planning Authorities were put in a difficult position by English Heritage, which is a statutory consultee.
Frequent special inspections of the Bridge will continue until it closes for reconstruction in October 2013, and any further emergency repair work will be carried out if necessary.
Company Chairman Mike Beckley says “Safety is our top priority. The Bridge has reached the end of its life and is in poor condition structurally. We were therefore keen to get on with the reconstruction so that we can continue to meet our legal obligation to provide a safe and reliable crossing over the Thames between Pangbourne and Whitchurch-on-Thames. However, the objections from English Heritage and the consequential delays in obtaining Planning Permission mean that there is insufficient time for us to prepare for work to start in the autumn of 2012. As we cannot do the work in the summer, we have consulted our bridge engineers who have advised us that the work can be safely postponed until autumn 2013”.
Date/Time : Monday, 9th January 2012 11:44
Miles Whitelock, cricket field donor, has died
He lived long enough to see his wish come true that cricket would always be played in Whitchurch. Miles Whitelock, whose family owned the field until its transfer to the village last year, died shortly before Christmas at the age of 93.
Miles Whitelock was born in 1918 in Underwood, Hardwick Road, Whitchurch. He was educated at Rugby School and Trinity College Cambridge. He was a cricket enthusiast throughout his life (Rugby School 1st XI, Cambridge Crusaders, South Oxfordshire Amateurs, Butterflies), and played golf enthusiastically (Streatley, Edgbaston, East Devon).
He served in the 1st Parachute Battalion in WWII and was wounded in North Africa. Recovering, he was promoted to Major and posted to Bermuda as ADC to the Governor General, where he met and married the Governor’s personal secretary Kyla. After the war he managed a silverware manufacturing company in Birmingham until he and Kyla retired in the early 1980s to Budleigh Salterton in Devon where he continued to play golf, watch cricket and enjoy his large garden. His wife died in 2005.
Miles’s son Hugh, who helped to make possible the recent cricket field transfer, has kindly supplied the details above on his father's life.
A fuller appreciation can be read in this article, which appeared in the magazine of the East Devon Golf Club in 2008.
A fascinating account of the history of cricket in Whitchurch, written by Miles himself in 2008, can be found at Sports Groups/Cricket Club/History. This reveals that his father Arthur Whitelock bought the land south of Hardwick Road in 1921, initially to build a tennis court, and that golf was played there too.
Stephen Trinder, who has been involved for several years in discussions with the Whitelock family on the cricket field transfer, which include planning permission for a new house to be built at the southern end of the field, said that Miles “was the most delightful gentleman, an outstanding example of his generation”.
Date/Time : Friday, 6th January 2012 15:57
Bridge Company identifies safety options
The Bridge Company has started work on identifying the best way to improve the safety of pedestrians approaching and crossing the toll bridge. During the recent consultations on its applications to both counties for bridge reconstruction, comments were made by many people on the need to improve the present hazardous conditions for walkers. Among the comments submitted was a list compiled by The Whitchurch Traffic & Pavements Advisory Group (TAPAG) of incidents to 16 named local residents, many of whom had been struck by a vehicle wing mirror as they walked along the Pangbourne approach embankment.
The Company admitted to the authorities that conditions here were not ideal but said that it should not be required to do major work on the Pangbourne embankment, which lay outside the physical limits of the application, during the reconstruction period. The Company emphasised that it did not have the financial means to be confident that it could deal with the problem in the immediate future. However, the Company announced on 19 November, as reported here, that it would commission a study.
The preliminary stage of the Footway Feasibility Study has now been completed. The results can be seen on the company’s website. There is a table of four options and a series of drawings prepared in consultation with Oxfordshire Bridge Department. The drawings show various changes in location and width of the pavements/footways along the full length of road owned by the company, which is from the toll booth to the junction with Thames Avenue.
Company Secretary Geoff Weir said that the next step is to discuss these options, and any others, with Whitchurch and Pangbourne parish councils before going ahead with a more detailed evaluation. For some of the options land might need to be acquired from either Pangbourne Parish Council or the Pangbourne Surgery, or both. Two of the options include transfer of the pavement to the opposite side of the bridge. The possibility of making the temporary bridge permanent is also included, though that is not thought to be a likely solution. He emphasised that no decision had been taken on whether to include a selected option in the reconstruction contract.
Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth said that he welcomed this progress by the Bridge Company towards reducing the risks to local residents and said that the parish council would be considering the options at their meeting next Monday.
Date/Time : Wednesday, 4th January 2012 17:06
The Whitchurch Web team wishes you a Happy Christmas.
We hope you’ve enjoyed visiting the site through the year and will continue to visit in 2012. There is a Christmas card waiting for you - all you have to do is open it.
Date/Time : Monday, 19th December 2011 15:25
Bridge Company gets second green light
The Bridge Company’s application was approved at a two-hour evening meeting of West Berkshire Council at Calcot Centre yesterday. This followed a pattern similar to the South Oxfordshire meeting on 16th November, but with more attention paid to the use of the river meadow for the workshop area and to the alternative routes for traffic during reconstruction. English Heritage’s objections were again over-ruled.
The Councillors agreed to impose 18 conditions (Oxfordshire had imposed 13). These deal with such matters as tree protection, archaeological work, flood risk action, noise from piling, noise from grit-blasting, construction traffic management, traffic signage and meadow restoration. There is also a requirement for a further submission on the permanent pedestrian route.
Traffic diversion was raised by representatives from Streatley and Goring, who each said they expected real problems and argued for a better survey of drivers’ origins and destinations than the number plate survey already carried out. Paul Goddard, Highways Team Leader from WBC, maintained that a more expensive survey involving police assistance, with random vehicles being pulled over, was unlikely to provide any better data. A majority of councillors voted to ignore his advice.
Elizabeth White of Pangbourne Parish Council commented that the absence of pedestrian safety improvements contrasted oddly with the expenditure of £4 million to enable the bridge to bear the weight of 44 tonne trucks. She said there appeared to be double standards and this must be rectified. Harry Butterworth of Whitchurch Parish Council emphasised the need for pedestrian safety improvements on the Pangbourne embankment where there have been many wing mirror impacts with pedestrians.
Bridge Company Secretary Geoff Weir said that the strong local interest in pedestrian safety had appeared only recently. Though the company would commission a feasibility report into the subject, to be completed before the project starts, he said they were a business and at present could only afford to rebuild the steel spans of the bridge. He said that as the Pangbourne embankment was not in the company’s application any comment on safety there was irrelevant. And that the company could not widen the footway on the bridge itself to improve safety as the dimensions of the new bridge needed to be the same as the old one.
The Bridge Company now has the task of agreeing the 31 conditions in detail as well as preparing other agreements and the construction contracts. They may also reconsider whether to go ahead as planned in October 2012 or to delay by a year. Any delay involves the risk of the cracking getting worse, which could result in an order to close the bridge to traffic prematurely.
Date/Time : Thursday, 8th December 2011 16:41
West Berks planners to discuss Toll Bridge on 7th December
The Planning Committee of West Berkshire Council (WBC) will consider the Bridge Company’s application for reconstruction at 6 pm next Wednesday 7th December at Calcot Centre, Highview (off Royal Avenue) Calcot. Members of the public can attend. A representative from Whitchurch Parish Council will be among the speakers. The Committee will visit the site of the bridge at 10 am on the previous morning, Tuesday 6th.
Issues to be discussed are expected to include English Heritage’s objections, traffic and parking arrangements during reconstruction, pedestrian safety, noise levels during construction and use of the meadow for construction work.
This is the second planning hurdle for the Bridge Company, the first being SODC’s meeting on 16th November, which resulted in approval of the application subject to 13 conditions. The Secretary of State has still to decide whether to endorse that approval or to uphold English Heritage’s objection.
SODC recognised the hazardous conditions for pedestrians using the bridge and recommended improvements to the footways but did not make them a condition of its approval. SODC was advised by OCC Highways, which is separately the advisor to the Bridge Company. The WBC Highways Team, coming independently to its view of the bridge, has made specific recommendations for the widening of carriageway and footway on the bridge itself, for the footway to be transferred from west to east side, and for the footway to be taken off the Pangbourne embankment and through the Dolphin Centre car park. These possibilities are due be examined by a Feasibility Study which the Bridge Company has announced that it will commission from OCC Highways. A sketch of the footway proposal can be seen here. The Bridge Company has made clear that its finances do not allow it to proceed with such improvements in the near future.
The latest analysis by WBC Highways of likely diversion routes for traffic during the reconstruction has shown that up to 73% of vehicles will divert via Streatley/Goring, while less than 10% will divert via Caversham. The WBC Highways Team recognises the need to limit on-street parking in Streatley and to consider parking restrictions in Pangbourne. The diversion of the 142 Bus service, passing over the bridge six times a day, will be funded by the Bridge Company.
The planning delays to date, the need for any further studies and the negotiation of agreements are all likely to affect the Bridge Company’s programme. Whether the Company will go ahead in October 2012 as planned is likely to become clear in the next month or so.
Date/Time : Friday, 2nd December 2011 17:32
School opens Recycling Bank for old clothes and shoes
Whitchurch Primary School has launched a textile recycling initiative. This is part of their Eco Schools work and is a way of raising funds to support the school, such as paying for work now being done to improve the access road, described below. The brightly coloured Bank (left) is sited just outside the school gates.
Fiona Broadbent, School Business Manager, explained today how it will work: ‘This is to enable everybody to recycle unwanted clothing, shoes, handbags, belts, sheets, curtains and towels. Please bag all items into carrier bags before putting in the Bank. Usable items will be sorted for re-use. Unwearable items will be recycled into other household products such as car insulation, furniture padding and industrial rags. The Bank is available to use throughout the whole week, as it is not inside the locked school grounds, and we hope that the whole village will support us in this fundraising initiative. Please use our Bank!’
Improvements to school access road: The School has engaged contractors who are currently installing new drainage, including an extra soakaway, which should reduce the incidence of flooding on its access road. At the same time, the parking area near the school is being reconstructed, this time using permeable asphalt. The work should be completed by the end of the month. See photos here.
Date/Time : Thursday, 24th November 2011 14:43
Whitchurch author publishes first novel
Jean Bull of Swanston Field was signing copies of her novel Gypsy Moth at the Art and Craft Exhibition on Saturday (left). Set in Devon in the 1930s, the romantic tale embraces flying, a love triangle, a baby and a family secret. Read more on Jean’s blog. If you live in the village and would like a copy (£7.99), contact her on 0118 984 1657 or at jeanbullwriter@yahoo.co.uk and she will deliver it. She may even sign it.
Date/Time : Tuesday, 22nd November 2011 18:23
Bridge Company to fund pedestrian safety study
Following the planning meeting at SODC last Wednesday, reported earlier, at which the issue of pedestrian safety was repeatedly raised (example in the picture, left), the Bridge Company directors responded yesterday with an announcement.
Upgrade to Footways:
Having heard the concerns expressed at the South Oxfordshire District Council Planning Meeting on 16th November by Whitchurch Parish Council and others regarding pedestrian safety, the Company has decided to commission a feasibility study into the options for upgrading the footway between the Toll Booth and the entrance to the Dolphin Centre car park.
The study will start as soon as possible and will look at the options for increasing footway widths, reducing pedestrian crossing points and grade separation between pedestrians and road vehicles. Benefits and costs will be identified. The options identified will be discussed with the local Parish Councils and local Councillors.
This work will remain separate from the Bridge Reconstruction project, and there can be no commitment by the Company to undertake any upgrade work unless and until it can fund it.
Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth said he welcomed this development.
Date/Time : Sunday, 20th November 2011 21:18
Bridge reconstruction given go-ahead by SODC
Yesterday evening, SODC councillors voted by 11 to 1 to approve the Bridge Company’s plans for the reconstruction of the Toll Bridge. There were strong pleas from Whitchurch Parish Council and its Traffic & Pavements Advisory Group, from Roger Huxtable, a resident of Whitchurch, and also from Robin Peirce of Woodcote Parish Council, for improvements in pedestrian safety to be made during the period of bridge closure. However these were deemed immaterial to the application.
Bridge Company Secretary Geoff Weir said that the company did not rule out the possibility of making improvements in pedestrian safety at some time in the future but that their financial resources did not at present allow it. He said the company was prepared to meet and discuss the matter with interested local parties.
District Councillor Pearl Slatter, who stood down as chairman and spoke from the floor, opposed the application on the grounds that traffic diversion and parking plans had not yet been properly developed. Kevin Bulmer of Goring Parish Council, and County Councillor Dave Sexon also expressed concern about traffic planning.
English Heritage had objected to the application, saying that the bridge did not need to be rebuilt but should merely be patched up to preserve the fabric of the 1902 structure. Representatives of OCC and of the Bridge Company explained that this was not feasible. As the vote went against English Heritage, a statutory consultee, the Secretary of State will now have the opportunity to review the case. However, this is thought unlikely to result in a halt to the project.
The next step towards the rebuilding is a meeting of West Berkshire Council on 7th December to consider the application for works south of the river. Among the issues expected to be discussed are the safety of the Berkshire embankment for pedestrians and the use of the river meadow as a workshop area for the refurbishing of the lattice girders.
Date/Time : Thursday, 17th November 2011 10:34
SODC will decide bridge application next week
The planning committee of SODC will meet at 6 pm on Wednesday 16th November to consider the Planning Officer’s recommendation to grant planning permission for the reconstruction of Whitchurch Bridge. Planning Officer T Wyatt has issued a 12-page report on the application, recommending that it should be granted subject to 13 conditions.
On pedestrian safety, the key issue for the village, the report acknowledges (Para 6.32) the widespread local concern that has been expressed but shies away from insisting that the Bridge Company must do something to rectify the present hazardous conditions. The Planning Officer argues that: ‘the reconstructed bridge would not result in any worsening of the footway provision around the bridge. It would not be justifiable to resist the proposal on the basis of a failure to improve pedestrian safety where there is no further detriment to pedestrian safety.’ (Para 6.33)
The meeting, in the Council Chamber at Crowmarsh Gifford, is open to the public but only a limited number of members of the public will be permitted to speak and they must apply in advance. A representative of the Parish Council is expected to express the views of the village.
Parish Council Chairman Harry Butterworth said today that he was very disappointed that conditions have not been attached that will ensure that the hazards for pedestrians are changed in any way during the £4 million, seven-month reconstruction of the bridge. He would be asking the authority to insist, as a minimum, that the Bridge Company takes action on pedestrian safety within a fixed time scale. Otherwise, he said, endless delays could ensue before anything is done.
A Whitchurch Traffic & Pavements Advisory Group (TAPAG) spokesman said that three improvements on the bridge approaches were essential in their view: making pedestrians safer on the embankment skirting the surgery; rectifying the faulty drainage which causes the road to flood there; and providing safer crossings at the toll booth. TAPAG also advocates transferring the pavement from the west to the east side of the bridge.
Date/Time : Thursday, 10th November 2011 10:36
Agreement reached on Village Green
(Link added) At long last, a formal agreement between Whitchurch Parish Council and the Whitelock family, owners of the land which has been known for the past eighty years as the Cricket Field, was completed yesterday. This is a ‘Section 106 Agreement’ under the Town & Country Act.
Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth said that planning permission allowing one dwelling to be built on the land can now be granted and this is expected next week. (Granted 2nd Nov - see Decision Notice for full details.) All documents relating to the transfer of title to the land have now been signed by both parties and the transfer is to take place at the end of January.
One key point within the Section 106 Agreement is the requirement to create a parking area. For the field to become our Village Green the Parish Council has agreed to establish this as soon as possible. It is understood that once the title has been transferred there will be a grant available from South Oxfordshire to cover most, if not all, of the cost.
Date/Time : Saturday, 29th October 2011 12:51
High Street re-opened early, footpath improved
Thames Water’s work was completed and the High Street was reopened before noon today, the second closure day. Oxfordshire Highways took advantage of the absence of traffic yesterday to lay a textured imprint on the pedestrian route past the Ferryboat. This, together with the recent painting of white lines on a better alignment, is intended to discourage drivers from transgressing and endangering pedestrians.
The picture above shows traffic shortly after the reopening. However the effectiveness of the new measures remains in doubt. What happened immediately after this photo was taken can be seen here.
A representative of TAPAG (Whitchurch Traffic & Pavements Advisory Group) said they welcomed the improvements as a temporary measure but would continue to press for stronger measures for this single lane stretch of road, to discourage cars more effectively from driving on the pavement
Date/Time : Tuesday, 18th October 2011 12:56
Slippery slope continues to astonish walkers
Six months ago, Oxfordshire authorities removed wooden steps on a steeply sloping part of the Hartslock bridle path between Whitchurch and Goring. The steps were helpful for walkers but had been damaged by horse-riders and were not liked by cyclists. The result now is a slope that is too slippery for safe walking in any weather conditions, despite this being the Thames Path. If there was originally a plan by OCC to rebuild the steps it seems to have sunk without trace. As there is no short local route around the hazard, it means that a two-mile length of the Thames Path is now unfit for purpose.
When I walked there recently I found I could hardly control my descent down the grit-sprinkled earth slope. At the foot of the slope were two experienced walkers, Mr and Mrs Peter Phillips from Romsey in Hampshire (above), who were on their way from Maidenhead to Lechlade. Mr Phillips had just suffered a fall after losing control on the slope and was nursing an injury to his face. He said this was by far the worst section of the Thames Path they had come across. They could hardly believe it when I told them it had been like this for several months. They said that they would advise any walker to avoid the Thames Path between Whitchurch and Goring and to take a train from Pangbourne station.
Many walkers have been taken aback by an unexpected slide. One recent walker, Helen, has expressed her feelings on our message board. For months now, local walking leader and retired safety officer Eric Hartley has been warning OCC and National Trails that they must provide steps.
Richard Wingfield
News Editor
Date/Time : Wednesday, 12th October 2011 12:20
Bridge decision deferred – pedestrian safety is key issue for village
At an extraordinary meeting of the Parish Council in the village hall yesterday evening, District Councillor Pearl Slatter said a decision had not yet been taken on the application for bridge reconstruction and therefore it would not be on the agenda at the SODC planning committee meeting later this week.
Among the issues being considered is that Pangbourne Parish Council is reluctant to let the river meadow be used as a workshop area for the rebuilding of the lattice girders. If permission is refused this could lead to a review of the reconstruction process. English Heritage is arguing that the bridge does not need reconstruction at all, despite the cracking of the structure.
The meeting was told that SODC is looking carefully at a letter that has been received from the Bridge Company indicating their intention to appeal if the district council refuses the application. However the letter is concerned with refuting English Heritage's objection to any rebuilding.
At the meeting there was lengthy discussion about the current hazards for pedestrians and the importance of ensuring that the new bridge will offer proper safety for them, especially on the bridge approaches. Issues relating to the construction period were also discussed: traffic congestion in Streatley/Goring; parking in Whitchurch; noise from piling operations.
The meeting agreed the following statement: “The people of Whitchurch are absolutely determined to ensure that the new bridge provides safe conditions for pedestrians, both on the bridge itself and on the approaches. They wish to encourage the planning authority to resist any undue pressure from the Bridge Company.”
Date/Time : Tuesday, 4th October 2011 16:24
High Street to close again, 17th October - UPDATE
29th Sept update: The road will be closed only between 9.30 am and 3 pm on each day. The timing of the closure has been changed as a result of representations made to OCC and to Thames Water's contractor by Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth. The Traffic & Pavements Group and the Bridge Company had also complained to OCC who had agreed the application without consulting the village. The change is expected to reduce the number of journeys affected by the operation from 12,000 to about 3,000 over the two days.
Thames Water has obtained a temporary closure order for the High Street from Monday October 17th for two days for water main connection work at the Lower Narrows. This is understood to be for the new church hall and follows a one day closure on Sunday 17th July for a gas main connection to the hall.
The length of road concerned is shown on the OCC map here. The wording of the Traffic Order is given on page 3 of the current Bulletin. The previous closure last July was for a single Sunday and caused traffic difficulties in Goring and Streatley. The new closure is for two weekdays and will affect many more travellers (6,000 journeys per day).
Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth said he had protested to OCC about the lack of any prior consultation locally and expressed his surprise that even a single day’s closure was necessary for Thames Water’s work. He said this appeared to contrast with the efforts which the gas company SGN have been making to minimise disruption from their pipeline work in the village.
Date/Time : Sunday, 18th September 2011 12:10
Barry Grandage
Barry Grandage passed away peacefully in his sleep during the night of Tuesday 6th September after a long illness. Jackie and Barry have lived in their house above Hardwick Road for over four decades and brought up their family of three girls there. There will be an appreciation of Barry's life in the November Bulletin. His funeral will be held on Wednesday 21st September at 12 noon at West Berkshire Crematorium (Bath Road, Thatcham, RG19 4LD) and afterwards at The Sun Inn, Whitchurch Hill. The family say that all are welcome.
Date/Time : Monday, 12th September 2011 08:38
Concerns about access to blocked part of village
As the gas pipeline makes its slow journey along Hardwick Road towards the trickiest part of the project, under the narrow road on the ‘hump’ between Swanston Field West and the High Street, concern is being expressed about access to the cut-off part of the village during the four week closure of Hardwick Road expected to start on 19th September.
Eric Hartley and Harry Butterworth have been actively trying to ensure that the emergency services and the waste collection contractor realise the difficulties of the alternative route into the village by Path Hill and make realistic plans in advance.
On waste collection, Harry reports today as follows: ‘The refuse collection people are at this moment writing a letter which will go to each household. I think I have got them to agree that normal collections can continue by using small trucks and avoiding the peak hours. The people on the ‘hump’ will have to trundle their bins to the collection point, probably the Hardwick/High Street junction. That is a distance of at most a few tens of metres. I am told that a representative of the collection company will make a ‘site visit’ to check access from the east.”
On emergency services, Chris Humphrey of SGN wrote to Eric on Tuesday: “I have been asked to contact you regarding the planned closure in Hardwick Road, as regards access for emergency services. This will be planned in conjunction with South Oxfordshire Highways and the Emergency Services and will include an alternative route plan as part of the closure. SGN are due to be writing to all residents affected by the closure in the next 10 days to outline the closure and the alternative route plan.” Eric has replied that he doesn’t consider an alternative route acceptable and would not advise it.
Date/Time : Friday, 26th August 2011 10:33
Inspector dismisses Eastfield House appeal
Inspector Roger Shrimplin has decided against the appeal by Ross Healthcare Ltd (Majesticare) for their proposed extension of the Eastfield House care home. The six page decision can be read here. In essence, he does not consider that the proposals constitute an unacceptable overdevelopment of the site, nor that they create unacceptable harm to trees, nor that they create an unacceptable problem for traffic, but he does consider the effect on one neighbouring house to be unacceptable.
Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth said today that it is likely that the developers will now modify their proposals and he will aim to discuss the modifications with them and with other interested parties.
Date/Time : Thursday, 25th August 2011 10:40
Traffic surveys to help avoid bridge diversion snarl-ups
Oxfordshire and West Berkshire councillors and highways officers have held the first of a series of joint meetings, promoted by County Councillor David Sexon, to discuss how to deal with the traffic congestion that will affect both counties during the bridge reconstruction starting in October next year. The first step will be to analyse traffic surveys that identify the origins and destinations of journeys involving the bridge. Representatives of Goring, Streatley and Reading are expected to contribute to the traffic planning. Read more on this joint initiative here.
Date/Time : Monday, 22nd August 2011 15:31
Community First Responders in Whitchurch
A Community First Responder (CFR) is a member of the public, trained by the Ambulance Service, who volunteers to help the community by responding to medical emergencies before the arrival of an emergency vehicle. The photo, left, shows the CFR group covering Pangbourne, Whitchurch, Tidmarsh and Purley, with their trainer. They are expected to be joined before long by two Whitchurch volunteers, from Hardwick Road East and from Swanston Field, once they have received their training.
Volunteers are trained in the use of a defibrillator in responding to cardiac arrest. Further information on how CFRs work can be found here.
Pangbourne CFR team leader Martin Maynard said he was very pleased to have volunteers from Whitchurch. Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth, who has been responsible for encouraging this development in the village’s capability, said the service would be particularly valuable for the village during the toll bridge closure next year and would also be reassuring for the cut-off part of the village during the Hardwick Road closure next month.
Date/Time : Thursday, 18th August 2011 10:41
St Mary’s Church faces financial challenge
Here in Whitchurch we are fortunate to have an attractive and historic church. St Mary's was founded by the Saxons in the 9th Century, developed by the Normans, refurbished in 1470 during the reign of Edward IV and rebuilt by the Victorians in 1857.
We need to find a way of continuing to maintain the building so that it can be enjoyed by future generations. Over 70% of the money raised to keep the churches active comes from committed donations by residents. The Church Wardens and the Treasurer invite you to come and hear about the current situation and discuss what might be done at 10.45 am on 4th September in St Mary’s after the Sunday service. Afterwards there will be light refreshments in the gardens of St Mary’s House.
All are invited, regardless of how often they visit the church. Further details here.
Date/Time : Saturday, 13th August 2011 16:19
Hardwick Road Narrows to be closed for FOUR weeks
Updated, 5th August:
Hardwick Road will be closed to through-traffic for four weeks from 19th September, an SGN representative clarified today, while the company carries out the most difficult section of the gas pipeline installation, the two hundred metre length nearest to the High Street.
This morning three representatives from the village (Harry Butterworth, Peter Worsley and Richard Wingfield) walked the pipeline route through the village with SGN team leader Phil Hodgkins, in order to understand how the project will affect residents. The photo above shows an impromptu meeting with a Hardwick Road Narrows resident who needs to take her husband to the hospital by car every morning. SGN undertook to make sure this will be possible.
Since the start of the project two weeks ago the pipeline has been installed from the river to Eastfield Lane and pits were today being excavated in the Lane and in the school approach road. The technique in use is horizontal directional drilling from pit to pit, for a distance of up to 100 metres each time.
Underground obstacles have been mapped with the help of detecting equipment. Hardwick Road now carries marks in five colours: blue for water, orange for drainage, white for telephone, yellow for gas and red for electricity. The number of underground obstacles in the Hardwick Road Narrows, including HV electric cables, and the presence of nearby buildings with cellars, has led SGN to the conclusion that they will need to install the pipeline through the Narrows in trench instead of drilling between pits. This will increase the temporary difficulties for residents. SGN said they expected to apply this week for a road closure permit.
Muddy Lane has been fenced off for pipeline installation this week. SGN said that access to the allotments on foot will be available at all times during the project but access by car will be subject to restrictions.
Further information on the project will be posted here from time to time. Site representative Phil Hodgkins said he would be pleased to answer queries on his mobile phone 0797 118 4320 at any time.
The location of the closure is shown on this sketch map of the village.
Date/Time : Monday, 1st August 2011 15:03
Adders and snail racing intrigue Explorers
Sally Woolhouse reports:
WoTHabs Wildlife Explorers Day was held on Sunday 17th July at Chalkhills and despite several heavy downpours it was again a very successful event. Twelve children and some of their parents came along and they took part in various activities around the farm. They gathered flowers from the flower-rich fields, mounted them on cards and identified them. They caught (and released) lots of invertebrates, using different trapping techniques. They studied the characteristics of soil, which involved water and of course getting quite messy! After a sociable picnic lunch, everyone was enthralled by a talk and hands-on demonstration by Rod D’Ayala who had brought his wonderful collection of reptiles for the children to see. The top exhibits (which were only handled by Rod himself of course!) were a pair of young adders. These are very rare now in Oxfordshire and sadly are in decline across the whole of Europe. The activities finished with Snail Racing – always a favourite. It brings out the latent competitiveness in us all (but not in all the snails unfortunately!)
More photos can be seen in the Gallery.
Date/Time : Sunday, 24th July 2011 18:37
Gas diversion project gets going
UPDATE, 30th July: Phil Hodgkins of SGN said yesterday that his team expects to start work in Muddy Lane on Monday. There has been a one week delay in the programme. Further information will be shown here early next week.
Southern Gas Networks (SGN) has confirmed that it will begin work on the permanent diversion of its gas pipeline on Monday 18th July. The first length to be installed will be across the field between the River Thames and Eastfield Lane.
The new route will affect the eastern and northern parts of Whitchurch. From a point near the Pangbourne Surgery the 10-inch-diameter pipeline will be diverted in trench across Pangbourne meadows and will be bored beneath the bed of the Thames. It will then run north across fields to Eastfield Lane. From there the route is up Muddy Lane to Hardwick Road where it will turn left and be taken all the way along to rejoin the existing main outside the Picture Gallery.
It is understood that the Muddy Lane length, for which a five week closure order has been obtained, will be in trench as far north as the gate to the allotments and then bored between there and Hardwick Road to enable access to be maintained for allotment holders. The school holiday period has been chosen for this work and the school approach track from Eastfield Lane will also be closed.
Parish Council Chairman Harry Butterworth said that SGN wants to be able to communicate with those who will be affected by the work and it has been agreed that information on progress will appear here on the Whitchurch Web. Phil Hodgkins, Team Manager of SGN Contracting, said they will do everything they can to minimise inconvenience and they will establish a temporary office in Eastfield Lane.
Date/Time : Thursday, 14th July 2011 10:03
Further series of incidents in village
Whitchurch has once again been attracting criminals. On the night of June 20th/21st four incidents occurred in the village: a car was stolen in Hardwick Road, there was a burglary in Hillside, a bicycle was stolen in Swanston Field and a car was broken into in Swanston Field.
PCSO Mark Bell (left) said yesterday that further incidents had been reported in the village last week: a motorbike was stolen from a shed, a garage was broken into and another garage was tampered with. He said that the police are actively engaged in following up these incidents, and that they have been gathering evidence on a suspect in Berkshire.
Anyone in the village who has an incident to report, but has hesitated to do so, is urged to report it so that those investigating can build up a full picture. The contact number at Henley Police Station is 0845 8 505 505.
Date/Time : Saturday, 9th July 2011 11:23
Local users demand better safety on bridge
Nearly a hundred comments have already been received by the SODC planning department from those who are concerned about the Bridge Company’s plans for replacement of the toll bridge. Almost all of these are demanding that the unsafe conditions for pedestrians on the bridge and its approaches should be improved. The present plans include no improvements for pedestrians, despite a complete redesign and reconstruction of the bridge.
Those who have not yet added their comments can do so before next Tuesday 28th June on this page.
Comments already received mention incidents of people being struck by the wing mirrors of passing vehicles and of near misses for children. The Parish Council is collating a list of such incidents to strengthen the case for safety improvements. Anyone who has been involved in such an incident with a vehicle is invited to send details (name, date, location, description) to John Southey at jsouthey@btinternet.com or 0118 984 1802.
Whitchurch Parish Council is objecting to the plans and its submission to SODC includes this illustrated document.
Date/Time : Friday, 24th June 2011 10:03
Muddy Lane to be closed for five weeks
Southern Gas Networks will start the installation of their gas main through the village next month, on 25th July. Muddy Lane (also known as Footpath 15, linking Hardwick Road with Eastfield Lane) will be closed for an estimated five weeks. The short length of roadway from Eastfield Lane to the school is included in the closure.
Oxfordshire County Council issued a Notice of Temporary Traffic Order on 18 June, explaining that “The effect of the Order is to temporarily prohibit any person from using Footpath 15. Exemptions are included for police, fire and ambulance services and for the works and for access to premises which are only accessible from the closed section of footpath.”
In earlier discussions SGN confirmed that access would be made possible for allotment holders. For any queries, Southern Gas Networks (Brian Marsh) can be contacted on 01865 845976.
For background information, scroll down to the news item of 22nd February 2011.
Date/Time : Wednesday, 22nd June 2011 19:38
Appeal Inspector visits Eastfield House care home
Harry Butterworth, Parish Council Chairman, reports:
“The Inspector handling the appeal against refusal of the planning application for the expansion of Eastfield House visited the site yesterday, starting at 3pm. Representing Whitchurch were Kate Rosen of Tanglewood, Neil Huntington of Eastfield Cottage and myself. The owners of Eastfield House were represented by Roger Pratap, director of Ross HealthCare, accompanied by Pasquale Nicosia. There were two representatives of SODC planning department. At the outset the Inspector made it clear that the exercise was strictly about his obtaining a clear picture of the site and of its implications for adjacent properties. We toured the grounds of Eastfield House, noting where the boundaries (vertical as well as horizontal) of the proposed building would come and then went inside to view some of the rooms. We also visited Eastfield Cottage and Tanglewood. Although there was much at stake, both for those in favour and for those against, the meeting remained very amicable. As a result it was easy to bring points which people considered important to the attention of the Inspector. The meeting dispersed at half past four with the comment from the Inspector that as this was a more than usually complex application, his decision would not be available for at least five weeks.”
Date/Time : Wednesday, 22nd June 2011 18:36
Your comments invited on Bridge Company plans
(VIDEO LINK ADDED) Whitchurch Parish Council is asking residents to comment on the Bridge Company’s plans and has drawn attention to the surprising absence of any improvement in pedestrian safety. Comments should be made to the planning authorities in Oxfordshire and preferably Berkshire as well – see below.
Last Tuesday at a meeting in the village hall that included representatives from neighbouring villages, members of the Parish Council made clear again that they would like to see (a) roadway widths and especially pavement widths that comply with national recommendations, (b) the number of road crossings for pedestrians reduced by transferring the pavement on the bridge to the opposite side, (c) pedestrians taken off the hazardous Pangbourne approach embankment and down to the paved area alongside the Dolphin Centre, and (d) safer crossings provided in the area of the toll booth (where the Bridge Company closed off the right-of-way beside the toll cottage when the toll booth was built).
It was pointed out that the Bridge Company’s documents themselves admit to the sub-standard nature of roadway and pedestrian pavement widths. The present widths were selected in 1902 to suit horse-drawn traffic. The proposed new bridge will be capable of carrying 44-tonne articulated lorries but, surprisingly, the dimensions of more than 100 years ago are being kept and the proposed design allows the current risks to pedestrians to remain for the foreseeable future.
Chairman Harry Butterworth said that he considered that the reconstruction plans should not be supported unless they included substantial improvements in pedestrian safety. The opportunity might not occur again for 100 years.
This morning several parents walking their children from Pangbourne to school in Whitchurch were asked what they thought of the present arrangements. All agreed that the conditions were unacceptably dangerous, especially for young children. Some of the parents said they had been hit by the wing mirrors of passing vehicles.
Other concerns of the Parish Council relate to the seven-month construction period starting in October 2012: lack of a detailed study for re-routing traffic, construction noise levels, and parking in Whitchurch.
To comment online to SODC go to their planning page and use the ‘Comment Now’ button. (Ref P11/E0743, deadline 28 June.)
As the bridge is between two counties, the Parish Council recommends that you copy your comments to West Berkshire Council by emailing them to planapps@westberks.gov.uk . (Ref 11/00984/LBC, deadline 24 June.)
PS (15 June) Take a look at a brand new YouTube video of traffic and pedestrians on the Whitchurch bridge here.
Date/Time : Monday, 13th June 2011 16:57
Village resident chosen for national cycling team
Ben Sumner, 17, who lives in Eastfield Lane, was selected to ride for the Great Britain mountain bike team at the recent World Cup race in Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire. The race was attended by mountain bike teams from around the world. Ben races every weekend and is currently the South of England mountain bike champion. His next big race is the National Championships in July when he hopes to qualify for the World Championships to be held in Champéry, Switzerland, later in the year.
Ben’s father Chris, race director of the Reading Half Marathon, says that he tried to encourage Ben to be a runner but he also took him along to a bike race in Checkendon in 2008 and from then on Ben has never looked back. The family is now busy at weekends travelling round the country in support.
Chris says there is a Whitchurch mountain bike ride every Sunday at around 9.30 am for dads (well anyone really). He can be contacted at chris@sweatshop.co.uk .
Date/Time : Thursday, 9th June 2011 11:37
School signs finally installed on Hardwick Road
School warning signs were installed last week by Oxfordshire County Council on each approach to the junction between Muddy Lane and Hardwick Road. With limited parking space at Whitchurch Primary School and congestion in the narrows of Eastfield Lane many parents use this area twice a day as a drop-off and pick-up point for their children.
The need for warning signs was recognised in the School Travel Plan several years ago and there have been many requests from parents. The Whitchurch Traffic & Pavements Group gave support last year and it is understood that County Councillor Dave Sexon made representations that have at last resulted in part of the county’s highways budget being allocated for the purpose.
One of the two signs, attached to a lamp-post presumably for reasons of economy, is not in an effective place to warn eastbound traffic. Dave Sexon said yesterday that he was aware of this and would be asking for further funding to have it relocated.
Date/Time : Monday, 7th March 2011 09:47