Category Archives: campaign

Solar Farms and Organic Farming representatives on Bury Street Precinct

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In the Bury Street Precinct on Thursday, were a group seeking support for a proposed solar farm near Cumnor. The Cumnor Parish Council has voiced its opposition, citing concerns about the industrialization of the Greenbelt, the impact on the area’s natural beauty and character, disruption to public rights of way, agriculture, and ecological balance.

The representatives of the company wanting to build the solar farm say it will counter climate change by helping the shift away from carbon energy and so help the VWHDC is their action on the climate emergency. They said the land could still be used for sheep grazing. The consultation period is closed, and I was not sure of the benefit of getting people to sign a list of ‘benefits’ at this stage. The planning application on the VWHDC Planning portal has reference ‘P23/V2624/FUL’.

Meanwhile, Riverford Organic Farmers had their regular stall where people can sign up for organic vegetable and food boxes.

Organic farming relies on natural methods for pest control and fertilisation and is attractive to consumers who are able and willing to pay a premium for naturally produced food.

Last few days to have your say on the proposed Abingdon Reservoir

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GARD (Group Against Reservoir Development) is holding public meetings in February. So is Thames Water.

The GARD meetings are:

Tuesday 14 February – Steventon Village Hall Millenium Room, at 7.30pm

Thursday 16 February – Preston Rd Community Centre, Abingdon, at 7.30pm

The remaining Thames Water drop-in exhibition is at Steventon Village Hall on Saturday, 18 February.

The draft Plan is at
https://www.wrse.org.uk/media/va1bz21z/10306a_wrse-bv-plan-2022final_online.pdf

The draft regional water resource plan for South East England is out for consultation until 20 February 2023. Have your say at: https://wrse.uk.engagementhq.com/

Rotary are in it for the long haul – ridding the world of polio

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End Polio Now
Since 1985, Rotary’s key humanitarian priority has been to rid the world of polio. This used to be a disease that paralysed people in the UK. The last outbreak of polio in the UK was in the late 1970s. There are now a few hard to vaccinate regions in the world. Rotary continue to campaign, help finance health worker training and vaccination programmes to stop the disease returning until the world is certified polio-free.

This year in Abingdon the grass verge next to McDonalds has a display of purple crocus.
End Polio Now
They were planted by The Rotary Club of Abingdon Vesper and Abingdon McDonalds. There is an interesting page about Abingdon Vesper’s involvement in the campaign at Abingdon Rotary Polio

Abingdon Vale Cricket Club Appeal against council decision

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Cricket Club Appeal
On 28th October 2019 the Vale of White Horse District Council rejected a plan to build flats on a former cricket ground, now used for youth football and training.

The plan was rejected  because the proposed development of a three-storey building comprising 9 residential apartments would result in:
* an unacceptable loss of playing field
* the unacceptable erosion of an important open space within the Northcourt Conservation Area (it would block the view shown above from Northcourt Lane).
Cricket Club Appeal
Thankyou to Daniel Glover for this picture of the sports field. The land is owned by Abingdon Vale Cricket Club – formed in 1993 when Abingdon Cricket Club and North Abingdon Cricket Club merged. Hale’s Meadow became their preferred ground and the North Abingdon ground, alongside Abingdon United Football Club, was used by Abingdon United for football training and youth games.

Abingdon Vale Cricket Club have appealed against the council’s decision and because of the pandemic it has taken time for the appeal to be heard.

The sale of some of this land for flats would help them with their club development plan, and help improve facilities at Hale’s Meadow.
Cricket Club Appeal
The appeal will be heard by a government planning inspector as a virtual event starting on 8th March 2021.

Helen Flynn has launched a petition before that hearing to ‘Save Abingdon Juniors’ Football Pitch & Historic Conservation Area’ at https://www.change.org/p/abingdon-vale-cricket-club-stop-new-build-in-protected-historical-area. She is looking for public support.