Now taking names for September 2020, age 2 to 4 years old at Dorchester village pre-school located on the corner
of Manor Farm Road. Open Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm.
Check out childcare funding options on www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to see
if you are eligible for free 15 universal hours or extended 30 hours childcare.
Tel: 01865 341805 or email admin@dorchesterpreschool.co.uk
by invitation of Dorchester-On-Thames Parish Council
New, and not-so-new residents – please join us for one of our regular information evenings.
Thursday 20th February 2020
Village Hall, Queen Street 7pm to 9pm
Village Clubs, Societies and Voluntary Organisations – promote your activited, with table-top display space provided free of charge.
Villagers and visitors – everyone is welcome to attend, to talk to event organisers, collect leaflets and contact information and, most important of all, enjoy an informal village social gathering.
There are mote than 20 organisation in the village so everyone should find several things of interest.
More information from Geoff Russell, Parish Clerk – tel: text 07745 311434 and email parishclerk@dorchesteronthames.co.uk
Complementary Light Refreshments will be served
To mark our 60th anniversary we are focusing on our founder, Edith Gratia Stedman OBE (whose corbel you can see on the Abbey wall), and how, although a newcomer and an American, she initiated and inspired so many activities, including the Museum, such that her legacy can be seen today.
We are developing a new and lasting exhibit featuring Edith and would greatly appreciate help in the form of ‘Edith’ anecdotes, documents and artefacts. We have most of her pamphlets and booklets, such as ‘A Yankee in an English Village’, but any of the following would be much appreciated, as donations or loans:
Please feel free to contact me on 340054, or come into the Museum on any Thursday morning in March, 10-12.
Margot Metcalfe, Museum archivist
It’s been a busy and dramatic month at the District Council! By the time you read this we should have approved the SODC budget for 2020/21. This has been a very thorough and challenging process, going through all departments and areas of discretionary spending to find cost savings, while also seeking ways to increase income. While we cannot balance the budget in a single year, we believe we have taken significant steps towards reducing our reliance on transfers from the Council’s reserves – for the last few years, under the previous administration, these have been being used to balance the council’s budget. We also need room to invest in new initiatives, particularly around affordable housing and the climate emergency, with which we are making positive progress.
Between 2011 and 2019, the district council saw its direct grant funding from government reduced from £7.9million to zero. It was only partially replaced by retained business rates and New Homes Bonus. We only keep around 5% of the business rates collected, due to the way the formulas work, and government has signalled the end of New Homes Bonus, so the council is now in an increasingly difficult financial position and could face a funding gap of up to £6.1million by 2023/24 if no action is taken.
We should also know what will happen next to the emerging Local Plan 2034; I am, as I write this, also preparing to speak at Oxfordshire County Council, who are about to vote on whether to take over the plan and push it through inspection, if asked to do so by the Secretary of State, Robert Jenrick MP, who seems happy to override local democracy. If residents were happy with the proposed level of development in South Oxfordshire, I don’t think they would have voted in a completely new administration in May. I continue to believe a rational solution is possible, but we will see.
In other developments, initial designs for the new council office to be built at Crowmarsh have been on display to the public. It will be on the site of the old SODC offices which burned down a few years back in an arson attack. Since then, the council has been housed in expensive and unsuitable temporary accommodation at Milton Park. The new offices will aim to use renewable energy, be as low-carbon as possible, and will have a proper council chamber where meetings can be streamed live, so you can see what we are up to!
As always, feel free to get in touch with any concerns over District Council matters.
Robin.Bennett@southoxon.gov.uk tel. 01865 858680 m.07979 646815
The February edition of the Dorchester News has now been uploaded onto the website for you all to read through.