SEPTEMBER 2024 HOLTON PARISH COUNCIL

Planning Appeal Ref: APP/Q3115/C/24/3348330: 331/332/333/334: 8^th August - 19^th September 2024

Land known as St Andrew’s Field, Holton, Oxon. Without planning permission the material change of use of the land from agriculture to a mixed use of agriculture, storage and leisure plot. (SE20/188(A).

Holton Road Safety Group

The next meeting of the group will be held on Tuesday 17^th September 6.30 pm in Holton Village Hall Committee Room. Anyone wishing to contribute to this project would be most welcome to join the group that evening.

Public Meeting Brookes Campus/Holton Park Development

A well-attended meeting in Holton Village Hall on Thursday 8^th August 2024. Plans were shown about the layout of the proposed site for 447 homes. Work to start on the demolition of existing structures early 2025. Concerns were raised about the sewerage provisions and the capacity at the Wheatley Ditch Pumping Station and could it cope with the extra load on the system. Also many concerns about the western access road leading to the Holton Turn/Flyover to the A40 and likely congestion competing with the school traffic at peak times and pedestrian safety in the area.

The next Parish Council Meeting will be held on Monday 9^th September 2024 starting at 7.00 pm In Holton Village Hall Committee Room. Agendas will be on the village notice boards and Parish Council website. Contact details below. Clerk to Holton Parish Council (Sonja Barter) Home Farm House, Holton, Oxford OX33 1QA Email: clerk@holtonparishcouncil.org.uk Tel: 01865 872334 Copies of Holton Parish Council Meeting Agendas and Approved Minutes can be viewed on the Holton Parish Council websitewww.holtonparishcouncil.org.uk

CHURCHYARD EXTENSION TO ST BARTHOLOMEW’S, HOLTON

There are no words to describe the debt of gratitude owed to Richard and Paul Hunt, former and current residents of the village respectively for their amazing gift of land to extend the churchyard at St Bartholomew’s thus enabling adequate burial space for many years to come.

The story began back in 2018 when the possibility of transferring some land was first mooted. Since then we have negotiated the vagaries of the legal system and the intricacies of administrative detail to eventually arrive at the transfer of the land to the Church, which was completed recently. It does not seem possible that it has taken so many years to get to this stage but there have been a number of challenges to overcome along the way. Perseverance by one of our Parish Councillors has brought about the successful acquisition of the land by the Church.

Since the beginning of this odyssey the Parish Council have supported the project and have assisted with obtaining planning permission for change of use which required archaeological and arboricultural surveys as well as funding legal, survey and planning fees. The Parish Council is committed to providing assistance to the Church to carry out the necessary clearance and wall-building work to integrate the new land with the existing churchyard and will try to help in any way we can.

The Church, the Parish Council and the village in general are grateful for the exceptional generosity of Richard and Paul and we will find a way to appropriately recognise their gift.

Holton Parish Council July 2024