This ‘Being outside is fun’ map has appeared outside the South Abingdon Children’s Centre. It has lots of ideas what to do … watch the clouds … play Pooh sticks … play in the rain … take a picture book and read with you child ….
The map shows where to find playgrounds, where to find ducks, and suggests blackberry picking.
There is no better time.
The district council has a new, clearer website – just launched this week. The web page about Graffiti Cleaning got my attention with its practical advice …
If graffiti is on private property, the web site says, “The owner of the property is responsible for its removal … the quicker graffiti is cleaned off, the easier it is to remove … prompt removal tends to discourage more graffiti”.
There was a spate of grafitti in South Abingdon about three months ago. Most has been cleaned. Just a few examples remain. Some is on a large green box with the ID: OX092 (Preston Road near junction to Gainsborough Green) and even more on OX093 (Preston Road near junction to Cotman Close).
The district web site has a section on “Graffiti on privately owned street furniture (e.g. post boxes, telecommunications cabinets)“. They suggest contacting the owner.
Both Virgin Media and BT appear to not recognise these boxes so it would be helpful to identify the owner. Nothing on the green box helps very much.
Last section on the Vale website is “What is the district council responsible for cleaning?“.
“… its own property that may include council owned public toilets, rubbish bins and some leisure centres. To report graffiti on property owned by Vale of White Horse District Council, please contact our waste contractors Biffa by emailing admin.vale@biffa.co.uk…”
This information sign at the district council end of the Ock Valley Walk has had graffiti on it for over three months. I have now sent an email.
On Wednesday, there was the first ‘ordinary’ meeting of the town council since the Mayor Making.
The first real debate was about council nominees to 4 outside community groups that had not been decided at Mayor making. They were…
1. Earth Trust
2. Fair Trade Group
3. Abingdon and District Twin Town Society (ADTTS)
4. Abbey Fish Ponds
For the Earth Trust both Conservatives and Lib-dems put forward a candidate. The vote was 10 to 10 and the Mayor cast his deciding vote for the Conservative nominee – continuing the trend of the mayor Making.
For the Fair Trade Group it was said that the new council’s policy on Fair Trade needed to be decided and there was to be a discussion later on that. So that was postponed.
It was said by the Conservative leader of the council that no town council representative was wanted by the twin towns society ADDTS where the council nominee was sometimes seen as an irritant.
On Abbey Fish Ponds the leader thought no representative was needed, but others argued that that it was useful for a councillor to be involved in the wildlife space run by BBOWT (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust) at the Abbey Fish Ponds – to help mediate with neighbouring houses who sometimes encroach. At the vote 2 Conservatives voted with the Lib-Dems to nominate a councillor to the Abbey Fish Ponds and then a Lib-Dem candidate was elected – bucking the trend.
At Peachcroft, the Elizabeth Avenue Kickwall has proved so popular since it was installed a couple of years back that a new surface had to be installed. The grass had been totally worn away leaving sandy soil beneath.
Recently, this blog featured some pieces of exercise equipment that sprung up near Chaunterell Way in South Abingdon thanks to funding from a new housing development in the area. Three more have now sprung up at Box Hill.
The shelter at Box Hill has also been replaced after many years of good service to the teenagers of our town. Out with orange and in with green.