Affordable Housing Needs Survey

Horley Parish Council has commissioned a Housing Needs Survey which asks the community about their support for affordable housing for people with a strong local connection to Horley, through residence or employment for example. It is an opportunity for people who need local affordable housing to say what type of housing they need. This will help the Parish Council identify what the needs for local affordable housing are within the Horley community and how these might be addressed.

A lot of people do not register for housing with Cherwell District Council and so surveys like this give a much more accurate picture of local need. It is therefore important that people fill the survey in. People who do not have a housing need are also invited to complete part of the form and  to state whether they might support a very small number of new homes to meet the local need.

The survey is being carried out by an independent charitable organisation, Community First Oxfordshire, and all the responses will be collated into an anonymised report for the Parish Council. The surveys will be delivered in the next week to each home in the parish of Horley and can either be returned in the freepost envelope provided or people will be able to access an online link to submit it electronically. If people know of others who have a local connection to Horley, who have left the village but would return if they could find an affordable home,  a copy of the survey can be sent to them by contacting Community First.

Should you wish to complete the survey online, please use this link: Housing Needs Survey

Katharine House Hospice Open Gardens – host needed


The Katherine House Hospice Open Gardens scheme is returning in 2026 and they have asked if Horley could participate. It would need a host to organise the event as Anne Owen isn’t able to do it this time. If you’d like to get involved, here are some more details from Katharine House House:

From carpets of snowdrops and spring blossom to summer borders and rich autumn colour, every season is welcome. Opening your garden helps raise vital funds so we can continue caring for patients and families in our community when they need us most.

Our own gardens here at the hospice which are amazingly maintained by volunteers each week, are very special to all our patients and their loved ones.

What makes Katharine House special – “It’s beautiful gardens. The gardens are stunning; they’re part of the whole experience. And the fact that they are looked after by volunteers is incredible. Mum was a brilliant gardener, so she loved the gardens. They even got the bed outside for her so she could enjoy them more.” 

Over the years, Open Gardens has raised tens of thousands of pounds, helping us to provide compassionate care and to maintain the beautiful gardens here at Katharine House, which brings comfort to so many of the people we support.

We hope you will be able to join our calendar of open gardens events this year for visitors to explore and enjoy your garden in Horley which will help make a difference for our patients and their loved ones.

To please find out more and register your interest for this year Open Gardens for Katharine House | Katharine House Hospice

Katharine House Hospice – Host an Open Garden for Katharine House Hospice – form


Our friendly fundraising team is on hand to support you, making it easy and enjoyable to take part.

Help us continue providing specialist palliative care for adults with life-limiting illnesses in our community.

In total, it costs more than £5.9m per year to run every element of Katharine House Hospice. This equates to over £16,000 per day. Fundraising is particularly difficult now, and we are doing everything we can to raise more funds so that we can ensure that our special hospice is here now, tomorrow and in years to come, for you and your loved ones.​

Hornton & District W.I. – next meeting on 5th February 2026

Hornton & District Women’s Institute

Emma Hamer, President of the Hornton and District W.I. writes:

‘Our next meeting will be on Thursday 5th February where we will hear all about the benefits of herbal teas. Find out which tea offers a powerful boost to immunity, digestion and metabolism, acting as a natural, low-calorie drink to reduce inflammation, alleviate nausea and aid weight management.

What should you do to promote relaxation, aid sleep quality and soothe digestion? Pop along to Hornton Methodist Chapel at 7:30pm to quiz our expert Angie Woodward to find out more and discover functional, natural remedies for daily wellness. The monthly competition will be a cup and saucer.

Our exciting programme of meetings for 2026 will be available. New members always welcome.’

Ironstone Chamber Music Festival – Save the date: 11th & 12th September 2026

The Ironstone Chamber Music Festival will be back again this year on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th September 2026.

Save the date for another weekend of glorious chamber music in St Etheldreda’s Church!

Bookmark this link to keep in touch.

‘Winter Woodland’ painting evening in the Old School on 6 Feb

Following the success of the lino-printing workshop last November, Tracey and Claud are back with another event to raise funds for Katharine House Hospice.

A ‘Winter Wonderland’ painting evening will take place in the Old School on Friday 6th Feb from 6:30 pm. To book a place, please contact Tracey or send an email to: horleyladiesguild@gmail.com

Claud says:

‘Come to an evening of painting your very own ‘Winter woodland’ canvas. Paint along with me and I promise you will finish with a beautiful painting that you will be proud of, with lots of fun and and laughter along the way. You don’t have to have any experience, you just need to have plenty of enthusiasm! I will provide all the materials. I look forward to seeing you, all in aid of Katharine House Hospice.

We will produce paintings similar to these:’

Household Waste Recycling Centre booking system

From Wednesday 14 January 2026 you will need to book in advance to visit Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC) in Oxfordshire, including the nearby site in Alkerton.

See here for more details of how to book a visit online.

If you can’t book online, you can book by phone on 01865 519800.

Bookings can be made up to two weeks in advance and up to 30 minutes before a visit (subject to availability).

You will need to select a site, the type of waste you are bringing and the date and time of your visit. When you visit you will be asked for your booking number and proof of address, such as a driving licence, utility bill or council tax bill, to show you are an Oxfordshire resident and are eligible to use the HWRCs for free (excluding DIY Waste charges).

OCC are also asking people to sort all the recycling within their waste, ideally before they arrive at an HWRC, to help speed up their visit and maximise recycling.

See here for general advice on visiting an HWRC.

Residents who live outside Oxfordshire

OCC sites are still open to people who live outside of Oxfordshire; however, from 14 January 2026 they will need to pay £15 per visit to use one of the seven Household Waste Recycling Centres.

Changes to van and trailer e-permits

OCC are also making a few changes to the van and trailer permit scheme:

  • The number of visits allowed per permit holder will be reduced from 12 to 10 per year.
  • All trailers will need a permit and must be no longer than 2.4 metres to be allowed on site.
  • Horseboxes and horsebox vans will no longer be allowed at HWRCs.
  • Vehicles or trailers with ramps and / or tipping mechanisms will not be allowed. This restriction does not apply to specially adapted vehicles to assist customers with disabilities, and current arrangements for those vehicle types are not changing.
  • Vehicles registered to businesses, used for work, or displaying business branding/signage will not be allowed. If you do not have another vehicle in your household, you can apply to be considered for an exception. We may request further information and exemptions are granted at the sole discretion of the council.
  • If someone currently has a van or trailer permit and still needs one, they will need to reapply. All existing permit holders will receive an email with clear instructions on how to reapply. 

Horley Parish Council Meeting on Thurs 15th January 2026 at 7.30pm

A meeting of the Parish Council will be held in the Old Schoolrooms at:

 7.30 pm on Thursday 15th January 2026  

Notice of any items members of the public wished to be raised at the meeting should be sent at least 48 hours prior to the meeting to David M.Beck Clerk to Horley Parish Council – horleypc@gmail.com

Agenda items:


1) Apologies for absence
2) Declaration of Interests
3) Minutes of the Meeting held on 16th October 2025
4) Matters arising
5) Finance
– The reconciled bank statement to December 31st 2025
 – 2025/26 Budget Monitoring Report
– The budget monitoring report to December 31st 2025           
– 2026/2027 Budget setting and Precept
6) Relevant Correspondence received since last meeting:
Planning Applications received since last meeting
Planning Permissions received since last meeting
7) Affordable Housing – Hornton Lane. Any updates
8) Parking issues at Wroxton Lane
Update/current position
9) Proposed Solar Farm – top of Banbury Lane
– Update/current position
– Planning application
10) Proposed Housing Development west side of Warwick Road
11) Village intra communication
12) Dates of next Council meetings:
Currently:
15th January 2026
23rd April 2026
21st May 2026 AGM 7.00 pm Annual Parish Meeting 7.30pm
16th July 2026
15th October 2026
It is accepted extra meeting(s) may need to be called to discuss any outstanding matters when and if the situation is necessary
13) Any other urgent business

See: https://thehorleyviews.com/parish-council/meeting-minutes/

David Beck

Clerk to Horley Parish Council

horleypc@gmail.com or 0785 2998172

Hornton & District W.I. – next meeting on 8th January 2026

Hornton & District Women’s Institute

Emma Hamer, President of the Hornton and District W.I. writes:

We have had a great year with a varied and interesting programme of meetings and outings. Our last meeting of 2025 was our Christmas meal held at the Moon and Sixpence in Hanwell. We had a delicious meal, exchanged Secret Santa gifts and the Christmas Cup was awarded to Horley’s Caroline Pearce for gaining the most points in “bloom of the month”

Our committee have put their heads together and I hope you’ll agree we have an interesting, varied and hopefully fun set of meetings planned for the year ahead. One of the highlights will be the fashion show in May where there will be an opportunity to buy good quality fashion at great prices. We’ll open this up to villagers and non-members so please do come along.

Our usual meeting day of the first Thursday in the month for our next meeting falls on January 1st next year, so we will meet a week later on Thursday January 8th at 7.30pm. 

We will have a social evening with hobbies, crafts and collections. Members will bring their passion and create displays, demonstrations and skills to share something they love with fellow members. Non-members will be very welcome  so please do pop along to discover the sorts of things we get up to. This meeting will be at Hornton Pavilion as the Chapel is booked for something else that evening. I really hope we’ll see you there.