Local Green News

Here we will try to keep you infomed of local green issues.

We have also started to publish our Press releases HERE

The latest ones include:

• Greens Call for Action on Air Quality in Witney and Chipping Norton 
• Call for community ownership and stewardship ofour local river catchment areas and water resources
• RAW SEWAGE IN ALL OUR RIVERS!!!!!  - Over 400,000 times in 2020 !!!
• Call for Radical Improvements to Public Transport System and for County Council to protect A40 rail route.

NEWS

Eight Oxfordshire providers join £2 bus fare cap scheme.

Single fares on many buses are capped at £2.00 until the end of March. This includes S1, S2, H2 and 233 services. Make use of them and who knows if its successful we might see the programme extended.  Live bus times are at https://bustimes.org

The scheme is part of the wider ‘Help for Households’ initiative, the bus fare cap will limit the price passengers will pay for an adult single fare to £2 on most routes operated by participating bus firms.

Running from 1 January until 31 March 2023, the following bus providers in Oxfordshire have opted in:

• Arriva
• Oxford Bus Company
• Redline Buses
• Stagecoach
• Thames Travel
• Reading Buses
• Thames Valley Buses
• Langston & Tasker

Council warned to invest now or pay the cost in the future

Invest now or store up problems later

District-level failures over many years to invest in adequate sports pitch capacity in Witney led to a crisis last Autumn. The heatwave meant even more football pitches were out of action and special measures were needed to help them

 recover.

Green Councillor Andrew Prosser (seen here with campaigner Sandra Simpson) is

 concerned that not enough money is being put aside for equipment needed to water pitches on the Leys with recycled water from the splash park, as well as playground facilities elsewhere.

Writing in the Witney Gazette in January, he said, “Sports, entertainment and play facilities, along with access to nature, have been shown to be so vital for our health and wellbeing. Despite the latest round of government funding cuts, investment in community services and facilities needs to continue if we are to avoid hitting problems further down the line. Short-term cutbacks or savings, if not carefully targeted, can ultimately push up costs in other areas and store up problems for later.” 

PROPOSED NEW SPEED LIMITS IN WITNEY – let the council know what you think of their plans.

The County Council is asking for your views on the proposals to introduce a 20mph speed limit throughout Witney, including along the length of Woodstock Road, New Yatt Road, Hailey Road, and Crawley Road.

It is proposed that 30mph speed limits will be retained on the A415 Ducklington Lane and Station Road, then introduced in place of the existing 40mph speed limit on the B4047 Burford Road, Deer Park Road, and Thorney Leys. A new 40mph speed limit will be introduced (replacing the existing 50mph) on Jubilee Road.

Reducing speeds should make it safer and easier to get around by foot, bike, or mobility scooter. It should also mean a reduction in noise levels, and aid smoother flow of traffic through junctions and roundabouts. It will mean a change of gear for many but won’t significantly change travel times across town.

Please read the detailed information provided on this consultation, and take the time to complete the survey as your views and opinions matter. Your response should be completed and returned by Friday 08 July 2022

https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/witney_20mph2022

Green Win in Brize Norton & Shilton Paves the way for an Alliance with the Lib Dems, and Labour to form a new administration.

On Wednesday 18th May the new "Alliance" will take over the reins of West Oxfordshire District Council.  For the first time in 24 years West Oxfordshire there will be a change from the Conservatives.  The alliance is planning to have a much more open and inclusive administration that is more transparent and resposnsive to the needs of residents and stakeholders alike. The alliance is promising to listen and to act and prioritise the health and wellbeing of residents across the district.

Whereas, the urgent attention to the climate crisis and nature renewal will be a feature of the Alliance, actions that will address the cost of living and aftermath of the pandemic will need immediate attention. All parties have committed to finding ways to push forward an extensive programme of retrofitting of homes to make them more energy efficient, so reducing energy bills and saving household costs.

The Alliance will seek to promote equality, social and climate justice (climate justice addresses the just division, fiar sharing, and equitable distribution of the benefits and burdens of climate change and responsibility to deal with it).

Watch this space for more news and details over the comng days.

Oxfordshire County Council funds
study of new transport links to Witney    

At a meeting on January 18th, Oxfordshire County Council approved funding for a feasibility study of the Oxford-Eynsham-Witney-Carterton railway line. This is a hugely hopeful development, and a testament to the change Green councillors can make in local government.

The West Oxfordshire Green Party has repeatedly called for an integrated transport system in the district, giving inhabitants of our towns and villages a convenient, affordable and healthy alternative to their cars. A rail link between Carterton, Witney and Oxford would be a vital part of that system.

Andrew Prosser, West Oxfordshire District councillor, said: 

“It is important to maintain the pressure to reduce our carbon emissions and to improve the air quality in our towns. A radically improved public transport system has to be one of the cornerstones of any actions to tackle these problems.

We will work hard to make it easier for everyone to reduce the use of their cars and help to reduce congestion. There is no doubt that a safe, quick and convenient rail link from Carterton and Witney to Oxford would be a major step forward.”

The study will be conducted by an independent professional 

rail consultant and is expected to be completed in three months. Engineers and transport planners will look at all options for route, stations and the type of transport. Alternatives such as trackless trams may be part 

of the mix. A cross between a train, bus and tram, these vehicles are longer than buses but run on a normal road surface, using cameras to follow painted guidelines. Powered by batteries, they currently have a range of around 40km and can re-charge in just 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, the West Oxfordshire Green Party supports the call by the Witney-Oxford transport group for the authorities urgently to protect land which might be crucial for the possible rail-link route in the future.

Previous Conservative-led administrations at the district and county councils had failed to support even a study into the feasibility of this new rail ink.  Robert Courts MP puts his faith in widening the A40. Widening roads leads to more cars on the road, not an end to congestion, and is certainly no way to tackle carbon emissions.

To add to the existing demand on transport,  thousands of new homes are planned for West Oxfordshire to satisfy the housing needs of Oxford City. The resulting increased traffic will potentially overwhelm the A40 and A4095,  pumping out millions of extra tonnes of CO2 and other noxious gases.

24th April 2021

16 YEARS OF BREATHING POLLUTED AIR! 

Greens Call for Action on Air Quality in Witney and Chipping Norton

Fast on the heels of the river pollution scandal is the air pollution scandal. We can decide if we want to swim in a river that we know could be polluted, but we have no choice with air - we all have to breathe!

Air pollution is an invisible killer. Each year it is estimated that 39,000 people die prematurely in the UK because of poor air quality. It has long been recognised as a contributing factor in the deaths of people with heart or lung disease and is associated with reduced lung capacity in children, plus worsening of asthma in both children and adults.

Air pollution also impacts neurodevelopment and cognitive ability and can trigger childhood cancer. Children ho have been exposed to high levels of air pollution may be at greater risk for chronic diseases such as cardiovascula  disease later in life. Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution because they breathe more rapidly than adults and so absorb more pollutants, at a time when their brains and bodies are......MORE 

IT’S OUR WATER! 

Call for community ownership and stewardship ofour local river catchment areas and water resources

Raw sewage was allowed to flow into English rivers for more than 3 million hours last year. In West Oxfordshire, according to evidence presented to DEFRA[i], we have some of the worst performing sewage works of all the 467 sites that Thames Water manage.

Almost half the West Oxfordshire sites have sewage outflows into local rivers for more than 10% of the time they are operating, while Clanfield and South Leigh each reported over 3,000 hours of spillages in 2020.  See attached graph[ii].

After a decade of pollution overseen by this Government........MORE..........

Greens Call for Radical Improvements to Public Transport System and for County Council to protect A40 rail route.

The West Oxfordshire Green Party has repeatedly called for an integrated transport system in the district, giving inhabitants of our towns and villages a convenient, affordable and healthy alternative to their cars.

A rail link between Carterton, Witney and Oxford would be a vital part o f that system. Andrew Prosser Witney Town Councillor said: “As we start to build back from a most challenging year, it is important to maintain the pressure to reduce our carbon emissions and to improve the air quality in our towns.  MORE......................

Witney Councillor Andrew Prosser calls on Oxfordshire County Council to sort out safer crossings to new Supermarket  supermarket 

Lots of people used to cycle and walk to the old Lidl supermarket in Witney, next to McDonalds off the Ducklington Lane, but now the bigger store has moved across the A40 to the Ducklington roundabout, where there’s also a new hotel. The new Lidl store and hotel on Ducklington roundabout are welcome additions to the area, but the County Council and District planners have not made it easy for pedestrians, cyclists, and mobility scooter users to get there safely.

Pathways and cycle lanes have been put in place but these cross slip-roads onto and off the A40, as well as the road coming off the A415 Ducklington roundabout. There are no traffic light-controlled or zebra crossings to the supermarket, so pedestrians and cyclists have to dart across the road between the fast-moving traffic. The route is also poorly signposted.

The County Council has taken steps to slow the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph for traffic on the A415 either side of and including the roundabout.[1]

Witney Town Councillor, Andrew Prosser says that this is not sufficient, and is calling for better signposting, light-controlled crossings, and physical traffic calming measures to make it safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and mobility scooter users to cross the busy roads.

Green Party Councillor Andrew Prosser said:

“The first time I walked to the new store, close to rush-hour time, I didn’t feel safe crossing the roads at all, as cars and lights zipped by in the dusk. It is better in the daylight, but I really do worry about the safety of those who can’t cross quickly, such as anyone with a pushchair or has limited mobility.

“If we want to reduce congestion, improve air quality, and make it safer and easier for people to get about, then we need better than this.  I’m calling on Oxfordshire County Council to complete the work properly and put in place safe crossings to the new store and hotel.”

[1] https://consultations.oxfordshire.gov.uk/A415NewCloseLaneSpeedParking/consultationHome

25th Feb 2021

16th Feb 2021

 County Council - New Consultation 

Local Transport and Connectivity Plan - Vision

On Valentines day the County Council announced its consultation on its “Local Transport and Connectivity Plan”.

Between now and the end of March[i] it is hoping to get support for its vision. This is your opportunity to have your input. 

It is important that as many of you as possible take the time to respond because it will form the basis of a statutory process leading to a final plan by the end of the year.

Before filling in their questionnaire however, we strongly recommend that you read some if not all of the nine supporting documents.  https://consultations.oxfordshire.gov.uk/consult.ti/localtransportconnectivity/consultationHome

If you would like to contribute to our reponse to the consultation please let us know by emailing contact@westoxon-greens.uk with the subject LTCP or use our contact form

[i] midnight 29^th March 2021

6th Feb 2021

CALLING ALL WITNEY PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS!! - WITNEY ACTIVE TRAVEL CONSULTATION IS NOW CLOSED 

Oxfordshire County Council has just closed a consultation on a collection of measures to improve cycling and walking in Witney between Madley Park and Tower Hill. 

Check out the detailed assessment of the proposed scheme by the Windrush Bike Project   http://windrushbikeproject.uk/blog

14th November 2020

Active travel funding:

Andrew Prosser, Witney Town Councillor, welcomes award of money for east-west safer travel corridor in Witney, but calls for urgent action at pollution hotspot

The east-west corridor scheme to encourage safer walking and cycle access in Witney is set to benefit from Oxfordshire’s £2.98m funding allocation from the government’s Emergency Active Travel Fund.

The funding for junction and pathway changes along the east-west scheme will improve connections across a central corridor in Witney and allow safer pedestrian, mobility scooter, and cycle journeys. Complementary measures to slow road traffic and prioritise cyclist and pedestrian safety will include traffic filters at the Fiveways roundabout, one-way streets and speed limit reductions such as in Corn Street.

Witney Town Councillor Cllr Andrew Prosser, who has been working with other councillors to promote better and more joined-up active travel provision, welcomed the funding to improve connectivity along an east-west transport corridor through the town.

However, he warned that serious action was still needed to tackle air pollution in the Bridge Street Air Quality Management Area (AQMA). Witney has been waiting fifteen years for a management plan to be developed and implemented. 

Cllr. Prosser, stated: “This is very welcome funding to encourage active travel and to redress some of the poor route connectivity through the town. There is still a lot to do in terms of changing perceptions and priorities on development and infrastructure, but this is an important step in reducing congestion and promoting healthier ways of getting around town.”.

*****

Notes to Editor

For more information about this Press Release please contact:

Councillor Andrew Prosser

Email: approsser@hotmail.com Tel: 07765 025378

About West Oxfordshire Green Party

The Branch was formally established in 2016/2017 but had been active for many years before that, originally the Witney Green Party before being renamed as the West Oxfordshire Green Party.

West Oxon Green Party is a subsidiary branch of the Oxfordshire Green Party and the Green Party of England and Wales. The membership include all Green Party Members in the Witney Parliamentary Constituency/ West Oxfordshire District Council.

Contact for enquiries or additional information about the Branch:

Further information is available on the West Oxfordshire Green Party website at www.westoxon-greens.uk

or by contacting:

Barry Wheatley Branch Chair

Email: bwheatley@westoxon-greens.uk  Tel: 07889412915

23rd October 2020

West Oxfordshire Green Party 

Calls on the Government to Listen to Local Councils and Public Health Experts and take Decisive Action in the face of increasing COVID-19 cases in Rural Oxfordshire

West Oxfordshire Green Party has joined the calls on Department of Health and Social Care  to move Oxfordshire to Tier 2 restrictions as cases of COVID-19 in rural areas increase alarmingly. Along with other council leaders and the county’s Director of Public Health, the Conservative leader of Oxfordshire County Council supports a move to Tier 2. However, Conservative MPs including Witney MP Robert Courts have argued against such a move and seem to have been influenced by numbers in Oxford city rather than in the wider county. (Even though, numbers in the city are actually reducing, whereas figures today from the Covid Symptom Study[i]  research show numbers in West Oxfordshire are increasing!)

West Oxfordshire Green Party believes that rather than placing more faith in an increasingly poorly performing National Test and Trace system, we should be taking decisive action now.  Extending our local track and trace services while moving to Tier 2, may be the best way to avoid eventually moving to Tier 3. 

Witney Town Councillor Andrew Prosser and Charlbury Town Councillor Liz Reason made a joint statement saying:

“We should do everything we can to avoid ending up in tier 3 with its severe restrictions on businesses and Oxfordshire’s residents. Time is of the essence, moving to Tier 2 now may be the only way we can prevent the rapid spread of this disease and avoid businesses and citizens struggling in Tier 3.  The longer this Government sets itself against local Government leaders the more our citizens and businesses will suffer.”

[i]The COVID Symptom Study App was developed and is managed by health technology company ZOE, with the research using data from the app being undertaken by academics at King's College London. The app has now been downloaded by over 3.5 million people in the UK and has recruited over 800,000 citizen scientists to its Vaccine and Trial Registry.     https://covid.joinzoe.com/

21st Ocotber 2020

Investing in Green Jobs/ Green Recovery: 

Green Homes Grant Scheme – a step in the right direction - but not far enough

Witney Green Party Town Councillor Andrew Prosser has welcomed the new national Green Homes Grant scheme[1] as a crucial step in upgrading the energy efficiency of homes and a step towards tackling the climate emergency.

Grants worth up to £5000 are currently available to help homeowners take measures to make their homes more energy efficient and warmer.

Part of the cost of energy-saving “primary” measures, such as installing low-carbon heating or insulation of cavity walls and lofts, and “secondary” measures, including draught proofing and double glazing, would be covered. Some low-income households may be eligible for grants up to £10,000, with 100% of the cost covered.

Work eligible for grant support under the scheme can only be undertaken by tradespersons and suppliers with appropriate TrustMark accreditation and listed on the official Simple Energy Advice (SEA) website.[2] 

Unfortunately, it seems that there is a risk of the scheme failing in its objectives due to a shortage of accredited local suppliers. At a time of increased unemployment as a result of the COVID pandemic it is concerning that the opportunity to invest in green skills training and suitable apprenticeship schemes has not been grasped. Cllr Prosser has called for local councils and enterprise partnerships to address this and create a fast-track route for local suppliers to become TrustMark accredited.

Currently two-thirds of UK homes do not meet the target for energy efficiency.[3] As a result, homeowners face higher energy bills and more CO₂ is released into the atmosphere. As well as ensuring that new-build homes meet energy efficiency standards there is a need to retrofit homes that currently do not meet these standards. Without a major effort to expand retrofitting activities the chance of the UK meeting its 2050 net zero carbon target appears unrealistic.

The government Green Homes Grant scheme is a small step in the right direction but a failure to ensure that suitably qualified suppliers would be available prior to launching the scheme risks the initiative failing. The scheme is scheduled to close on March 31^st 2021 although the National Insulation Association (NIA) has written to the Chancellor pointing out the inadequate time allowed to deliver the objectives and asking for the scheme to be extended.[4]

Cllr Prosser has identified Cosy Homes Oxfordshire[5] as a useful source of help with planning and managing the retrofitting work and hopes that the scheme may yet benefit local homeowners, boost local employment and contribute to tackling the climate emergency.

As Andrew says:

“Insulating existing homes is something that many businesses can do, helping to generate local jobs, so I was really concerned when I couldn't find any approved (TrustMark) suppliers in Oxfordshire. This is something local business support in Oxfordshire should have picked up and prioritised earlier, and if we don't get awareness up quickly, Oxfordshire companies and the local workforce will miss out on this opportunity.

I've been in contact with the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, and they mentioned Cosy Homes and highlighted an investment of around £2.5m with Abingdon & Witney College for the development of a Green Construction Skills Centre. This is a great initiative in its own-right, but still some time off before this centre is up and running.”

[1] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-the-green-homes-grant-scheme

[2] https://www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk

[3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50573338

[4] https://www.nia-uk.org/news/national-insulation-association-calls-for-green-homes-grant-scheme-to-be-extended/

[5] https://cosyhomesoxfordshire.org

Polluted Rivers in West Oxfordshire - action needed now!

Raw Sewage has been discharged regularly into our local watercourses following heavy rainfall,  with sewage fungus recorded in Colwell Brook and Queen Emma’s Dyke. 

Residents have been advised not to enter the water or allow  their pets to do so.

Warnings are not enough, more needs to be done!

Following a motion proposed by Green Councillor Andrew Prosser, Witney Town Council wrote to Thames Water and the Environment Agency pushing for a commitment to end this pollution. We will continue working alongside the Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (WASP) group to protect our aquatic habitats.

In January 2020 Cllr Andrew Prosser said, “I am seriously concerned about the potential impacts on residents, their pets, and aquatic life in the river itself. Thames Water and the Environment Agency need to take urgent steps to clear things up now, and to detail what actions they are planning to take to prevent sewage pollution of our rivers and watercourses in the future.” 

Nine months on and the Oxfordshire County Council has now (September 8), debated how to end sewage pollution in rivers in the county. They have called on our MPs to put pressure on the Government to introduce a clean river policy’ throughout the UK, in a similar way to the existing EU clean beach policy.

In the Green Party we want to see a "joined up" water policy that ensures that all surface waters (rivers, lakes, and coastal waters) meet water standards at least as good as the rest of Europe. 

Water is life. It is a precondition for human, animal and plant life as well as an indispensable resource for the economy. Water also plays a fundamental role in the climate regulation cycle.  Protection of water resources, of fresh and salt water ecosystems and of the water we drink and bathe in and use to grow and process our food is therefore one of the cornerstones of environmental protection.