LITTLE MILTON  NEWSLETTER

www.littlemilton.org.uk

May  2006

NEW FORMAT FOR NEWSLETTER

I am sure when your newsletter arrived through your door you were immediately struck by the new format. The old format has been with us since 1977 when the newsletter was first produced by the Parish Council. It was produced from a Gestetner duplicator (for those that can remember that era) and collated by hand. It then moved to a similar format in 1990 but was produced from a computer and then photocopied and stapled. The new format allows a more compact presentation as well as a more colourful presentation. I hope to have a different front page each month and if you can send me a digital photograph of a village scene I will try to use it in a future edition. I hope that you enjoy your village newsletter in its new format and if you have any comments please let me have them.

Raymond Fergusson (Editor)

PARISH COUNCIL

The Council meeting held on Wednesday 12th April was attended by five Councillors, the Clerk, the District Councillor, and five members of the public.

Parish Council Vacancy

The Clerk informed the meeting that the vacancy had been advertised in the Newsletter and that the Council would review any applications at the May meeting with a view to co-opting a new councillor.

Triangle of land adjacent to Wells Farmhouse

The Clerk reported that he had received a full report from OCC on the Council’s application to register the land as a village green. OCC had taken independent legal advice and it would appear that our application as submitted would be refused. The Council expressed their concern that OCC had incurred material costs and asked the clerk to communicate their concern to OCC. The Council decided to consider their position before withdrawing the application.

New garden waste service

The Chairman read out a letter from SODC in respect of the New Garden Waste Scheme. He informed the meeting that no eco sacks would be collected after Friday 2 June and that the last green community waste vehicle collection would be Saturday 3 June.

Recreation Ground

Mr Mark Willis gave a brief report on the expenditure on the recreation ground during 2005-06. He then outlined the proposed programme of work for 2006-07 and that showed a significant investment by the Council to improve the facilities. There was also a concern that the recreation ground was on occasions being used by motor cycles. It was agreed that a suitable notice should be erected to discourage any use. The Clerk was asked to investigate if any such notices were used by other local councils.

Planning

P06/W0196 – 63 High Street; erection of electrically operated gates

   The Council recommended approval of the application.

P06/W0226 – Land adjacent to Plough House; to create an agricultural vehicular access

The Council agreed by a majority of three votes to two to recommend approval of the application. There was a concern that there would still be a significant impact on the conservation area as well as concerns for safety and vehicle speeds if the bend was opened up.

   P06/W0260 – Manor Rise Church Hill; erection of garden shed

   The Council recommended approval of the application.

P06/W0297 – Little Milton Village Hall; extension to Village hall re Post Office and other ancillary purposes

The Council recommended approval of the application.

P05/W0869 – Orchard House; amendment to approved scheme

The Council had no objections to the proposed changes to the approved scheme.

P05/W0128- Woodbine Cottage; amendment to approved scheme

The Council had no objections to the proposed changes to the approved scheme

P05/W0736 – Wells Farm Cottage; notification of appeal to Secretary of State

The Council noted that this application was now subject to an appeal to the Secretary of State.

DEFRA – Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005

The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act of 2005 allow Parish Councils to issue fixed penalty notices for littering, graffiti and flyposting offences from 6^th April 2006. The Act has also brought into play a new system for controlling dogs. The Council asked the Clerk to obtain a copy of the published guide ‘Getting to grips with the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act of 2006’ to allow it to more fully understand the implications of the Act.

OCC – Review of Mobile Library Service

The Chairman informed the meeting that as a result of a comprehensive review of the Mobile Library Service and the reduction of the fleet by one vehicle, OCC have taken the opportunity to plan and implement more efficient routes for their mobile libraries. As a result the Mobile Library will visit Old Field only on a Thursday every fortnight. The new service will begin from week beginning 12^th June. The Council were concerned about the loss of the Mobile Library Service at Milton Manor Drive and asked the Clerk to make further enquiries as to use of the service within the Village.

SODC – Site Allocations Development Plan Document

The Chairman reported that SODC is preparing its Housing Site Allocations Development Plan Document. The plan will allocate land for additional housing in the district to meet the requirements of the Oxfordshire Structure Plan 2016 and broad locations for a further period to 2026. The Council have been invited to a meeting where SODC will explain how they propose to undertake the work. The Chairman and Mr Barry Coward agreed to represent the Council.

Village Shop/Post Office

The Chairman reported that he had a meeting with Jane Barker of ORCC in respect of the Post Office project covering various topics including full time shop manager, the number of volunteers required, overhead structure and product mix. The Chairman indicated that he expected to have a business plan available for consideration in October 2006.

Footpath in front of Cremar Cottages

Mrs Mabel Wood drew the Council’s attention to the poor state of the footpath in front of Cremar Cottages. It was agreed that the Clerk would speak to OCC Highways as well as the residents of Cremar Cottages in an attempt to resolve the problem.

Parish Meeting

The Clerk reminded the Council that the Annual Parish Meeting would be held on Wednesday 10^th May 2006. Although organised by the Parish Council it is not a Parish Council meeting. It was agreed that the Clerk would contact local organisations to make a brief presentation on the night. It was also agreed that refreshments should be available.

The Parish Council will meet on Wednesday 10th May 2006 at 8.00 p.m. in The Pine Lodge Little Milton unless there is a need to convene any planning or other meetings.

R. Fergusson Parish Clerk

Please note that the complete minutes of the Council are now included on the Council website www.littlemilton.org.uk  after they have been approved by the Council.

Freedom of Information Act – Parish Council Publication Scheme

Residents can see the records of the policies and practices of the Parish Council including minutes, financial information and responses to planning consultations, on request from the Parish Clerk (Raymond Fergusson –279150). Current Council member are:

Mr Stuart McGill Chairman        Mr Simon Oddie Vice Chairman

Mrs Mabel Wood    Mrs Alison Shelton   Mr Barry Coward                   

NEWS FROM THE DISTRICT COUNCIL

All residents should be aware that the District Council are introducing a wheeled bin to collect garden waste and the current eco-sacks will be cease to be collected after Friday 2 June and the last green community waste will be Saturday 3 June. There is a notice about the changes in the newsletter

NEWS FROM THE COUNTY COUNCIL

Oxfordshire’s first ever Local Area Agreement commits public bodies such as Oxfordshire County Council and District Councils, the NHS, the police, and the voluntary and community sector to making real improvements to the lives of thousands of people in the county. The agreement includes 12 ambitious “stretch “targets that organisations will jointly aspire to reach over a three-year period. (Source: News for Towns and Parishes from OCC)

OCC announced the results of a comprehensive review of the Mobile Library Service and as result the service will only stop at Old Field from week beginning 12 June. It is important that if we want to keep this service in the future we need to make use of it. Ed

NEWS FROM THE SOUTH EAST ENGLAND REGIONAL ASSEMBLEY

The South East Plan was submitted to the Deputy Prime Minister by the Assembly on Friday 31 March 2006. The next stage in the process will be handled by an independent Panel, appointed by the Government, who will oversee the Examination-in –Public scheduled for the autumn 2006. The Plan is the long term vision for South East England and sets out proposals for the scale of change, pattern of development and policies for the region over the next 20 years to 2026. all the documents, together with all supporting documentation are available on www.southeast-ra-gov.uk/southeastplan.

SODC: WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTRACT

For a charge of £35 residents can arrange for their unwanted vehicle to be collected from within the District and a charge of £7.50 per bulky item e.g. fridge furniture etc. To arrange this service residents can call the Public Amenities Team on 01491 823416 or print a copy of the form from the Council’s website www.southoxon.gov.uk .

BANK HOLIDAY REFUSE COLLECTION

Please note the following changes to the refuse collection days:

Normal Collection Day                                   Day to be Collected

Tuesday 2nd May                                              Wednesday 3rd May

Tuesday 30^th May                                             Wednesday 31st May

The revised collections may occur at a different time of the day compared to the normal collection of refuse so refuse and recycling should be placed on the kerbside by 7.00 a.m. in the morning. Please do not leave refuse or recycling out for collection on days other than your collection day, or any earlier than 6.00 p.m. the evening before.

The Oakley Wood, Redbridge and Drayton waste recycling centres will be open as normal over the bank holidays (8am to 5pm)

SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL -REFUSE SKIPS FOR MAY

Please note that the following items have now been classified as hazardous household wastes and will no longer be accepted in the community waste vehicles.

TV’s, Monitors, Fluorescent tubes, Air conditioning units, Fridges/Freezers, Asbestos, Tins of paint (even if empty), Oil or Oil tins (even if empty), Car batteries, Gas cylinders.

The Oxfordshire County Council Waste Recycling Centres at Redbridge and Oakley Wood are open Monday to Saturday

8.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m. and Sunday 9.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.

GRASS CUTTING ROTA FOR MAY

W/E 6th May                            -           Raymond Fergusson

W/E 13th May                          -           Phil Jones

W/E 20th May                          -           Stuart McGill

W/E 27th May                          -           Tim Robinson

W/E 3rd June                            -           David Hawkins

CHURCH CLEANING ROTA FOR MAY

W/E 6th May, 2006                   -          Mrs. M. Davies/Mrs S A Dennis

W/E 13th May, 2006                  -          Mrs L. Lovegrove/ Mrs C Coward

W/E 20th May 2006                  -          Mrs E. Summers/ Mrs A Jones

W/E 27th May, 2006                  -          Mrs. G. Taylor/Mrs H Ridley

W/E 3rd June, 2006                   -          Mrs A. Hawkins/Mrs. S. Jones

Sally Ann Dennis 278029

CHURCH FLOWER ROTA FOR MAY      

W/E 7th May                            -                     

W/E 14th May                          -                                 

W/E 21st May                           -                     

W/E 28th May                          -                     

We are looking for new volunteers to help with flowers in the church. If you can spare a short time on a Friday or Saturday and would like to help, please contact me. No skills needed just enthusiasm!

Teresa Quested

BELL RINGING PRACTICE DURING MAY

Just to let Villagers know that the Bell Ringers will be ringing in St. James’ Church, Little Milton on 

Tuesday 2nd May                                              7.30 pm. to 9.00 pm.

Tuesday 9th May                                              7.30 pm  to 9.00 pm

Sunday 14th May                                            10.30 am to 11.00 am

Tuesday 16th May                                             7.30 pm. to 9.00 pm.

Tuesday 23rd May                                            7.30 pm. to 9.00 pm.

Sunday 28th May                                            9.30am to 10.00am

Raymond Fergusson (279150)

CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE TABLE.

I write these words on the Thursday before Easter which is called Maundy Thursday when we shall gather together in Church and focus and ponder in our minds the meaning of the words and actions of Jesus the night when he was betrayed. In my own thoughts I am reminded of that Club in London called The Beefsteak. There the diners arrive and take their place at a long table in the order in which they arrive, sitting next to whoever happens to be already seated and you talk with them. Come the end of the evening, strangers could become friends, and their conversations somehow could become a bridge between different and perhaps differing people. For it’s when we sit next to people, talk with them, eat with them, that we discover who they are and who we are.

On Maundy Thursday we commemorate the evening when Jesus was with his disciples gathered around a table, sharing in simple common meal. The menace of the next day must have been very much in Jesus’ mind. The disciples already knew Jesus to be a man of profound prayer and goodness. Hadn’t they watched him at prayer early in the mornings? It was the terrible and glorious events of the next few days which filled out, and spelt out for them what Jesus had meant by his words and actions at that table that evening. It should also help us to have in mind, how in Jesus’ time and culture, a shared meal meant so much more than the so often casual way we share meals in our day. When Jesus shared the bread and wine around the table, it was saying that they were all friends together, companions together, companions literally being people who share bread together, a company who belong to one another in a new way.

At the last Supper, as Jesus passed the broken bread and the common cup around the table, he said to his disciples in deed, if not in word, ‘you belong to me and one another in a new way, and I’m sharing myself and my life with you’. ‘My body, my blood’.

In these days, when the MacDonald sign is probably better known than the cross -let alone its significance- and when people no longer sit down together at the meal table as they did in former times, we would do well to keep before us Jesus’ example. That it is the Lord himself who bids us come to his table, as his company, his companions-his friends. That it is he who passes to each one of us the bread and the cup, and says, ‘This is my body. This is my blood. This is my life I’m sharing with you. I have gathered you here to have my life.’ But he will not leave it there, nor will he leave us there. For he will go on to say, ‘Yes, I’ve gathered you here to fill you with my life. But, now you must go out and share that life in the highways and byways of this world, and gather people together with me so that they too become my companions.

We are to be and to do what our Lord wills of us. And to begin all of this, he bids us gather together round his table, so that he can give us of himself. And that will come to us through the conversations which flow in the stillness of prayer round his table.

For as Jesus also said that evening, ‘Cut off from me you can do nothing.

Victor Story

BENEFICE SERVICES FOR MAY

FROM THE RECTORY

LENT AND EASTER IN OUR CHURCHES.

During Lent on four Mondays we held Lent Lunches around our benefice, and each one was different but each was so very delightful and enjoyable. We do thank all of our hostesses for all the time and trouble they went to, to make these occasions so memorable. Joining in hospitality in such a way as this, is one of the marks of Christian living and community, and this shone through every one of the Lunches.  The donations, totalling over £400, which were left, will be sent to Christian Aid.  Thank you indeed, everyone.

The mid week Compline Services and the Friday morning Communion Services were well supported, and this is encouraging in many ways.

After the starkness of Lent, how lovely our Churches looked on Easter Day? The outstanding flower arrangements, and the clean and sparkling feel of our Churches, all spoke eloquently of the joy and beauty of the first Easter day. How can we thank enough all of those who gave of their time and went to so much trouble to make all of this possible.

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK 2006.

2005 was a historic year for every one who longs to see a world free of poverty, and the Make Poverty History campaign brought development issues to the forefront of countless people’s minds in a quite new way. But much remains to be done, as the grim total of global need and suffering continues to rise. As we look at our televisions, we are brought face to face with images from various parts of the world of desperate people seeking to survive. In such places Christian Aid is there making its vital effort to reconstruct ‘ordinary’ life.

Christian Aid can and does make a difference to the world’s most vulnerable people. But is does need our help and support to continue to bring life, hope and justice a bit nearer for God’s suffering and struggling children. Christian Aid Week is from the 14th to 20th May, and there will be a house-to-house collection throughout our benefice co-ordinated by Mrs. Sally Ann Dennis of Little Milton (01844 278029). During the Family Service at Little Milton on the 14th May, we shall have a slot remembering especially the work of Christian Aid.

FULLERS FIELD SERVICE.

This will take place in Fullers Field Common at 6.00 p.m. on Monday the 15th May. Whenever there is this Service, the congregation grows, and it would be good to see you. You would be most welcome.

ASCENSION DAY.

This falls on the 25^th May, and there will be a celebration of Holy Communion in St. Mary’s at 7.30 p.m..     

NEW CHURCHYARD REGULATIONS.

Recently I received notification from The Registrar of the Diocese informing me of the New Churchyard Regulations. In particular he writes: No memorial is to be introduced into any churchyard in this diocese unless a contract has been completed and signed on behalf of the family and on behalf of the church authorities in the form set out in the regulations. The form is a simple straight forward one which all undertakers and memorial Masons working in the Diocese of Oxford should have, or is available through me.

All our concern is to maintain the beauty, peace and tranquillity of our churchyards, so that they remain places of comfort for the bereaved and inspiration for all who visit them, and the new regulations seek to help and strengthen these concerns and desires.

Victor Story 01844 279498

SUNDAY SCHOOL

During Lent the 2 sessions involved creativity + + +!! All the PCC received hand made Easter cards and the children are currently making a Liturgical Cloth Clock working on fabric pictures representing Sundays of the Church Year. A report on our work during 2005/6 will have been given at the Annual Church PCC meeting on April 23^rd and so now we move on and into another year – lots of plans!!

Our dates for this month are:

May 7^th   10.45 – 12.15  Brunch meeting at Spring Cottage

May 21^st 10.45 – 12.15  Godly Play session in Church

(and on May 14th there is a special family service with Baptism and a Christian Aid theme led by Victor…do come along!).

Sally Ann Dennis (278029)

on behalf of all the Teachers

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK 14^th - 20th MAY

The theme for this years Christian Aid week is “You add, we multiply” with lots of further information on their website www.christianaid.org.uk. The wonderful Lenten lunches held around the Benefice have already got Christian Aid Week off to a great start this year! There will be a Christian Aid element to the family service on May 14^th (see elsewhere) and also a house to house collection during the week. Each collector has a “collectors pocket Guide” with stories about the individuals and groups who have been helped by Christian Aid - do ask to see it if you are interested to learn more about where your money goes! Anything you feel you can give will be welcomed and if you Gift Aid your contribution to Christian Aid it is increased by 28%. Last year the total we raised was increased by £152.93 through Gift Aid. There is also a sponsored walk, which is Henley based, on May 20^th and if you’re interested do phone me for further information. Thank you for ALL you support.

S A Dennis (278029)

GREAT MILTON METHODIST CHURCH Minister:  Revd. Derick Chambers Tel: 212019

SUNDAY SERVICES IN MARCH