Author Archives: thehorleyviews

Mike Patching – High Sheriff Award

Mike Patching is recognised for his outstanding contributions to the local community

Untitled_21038740314_lMike is to be awarded Oxfordshire’s High Sheriff Award in recognition of his significant and lasting contribution to community life in Horley and with schools in the local area.

The High Sheriff of Oxfordshire issues awards each year to people who have made a difference  to their community over many years, and whose contribution has not been recognised in some other formal way.

The Parish Council put Mike’s name forward for this award for his valuable work over the years. Some of the many activities and projects includes:

  • Chairing the Michael Hardinge Trust , and the overall management of the Old School with all the fund raising and community efforts that this Horley Charity provides under Mike’s stewardship. These included the Summer BBQ with live music, the Children’s Concert, Summer Games, nature competitions and many more child centred events and activities.
  • Working with local schools to provide educational visits and trips about nature and the countryside for children both in  school and around Horley. Also assisting in cycling proficiency testing amongst other things.
  • Supporting Horley Footlights, where Mike has helped on and off stage in all aspects on putting on a production.
  • Support for the Cricket Club keeping the pitch in peak condition for summer matches and maintaining their mowing equipment and organising the annual Children’s Games there.
  • Providing regular updates in the Horley Views magazine  on the Michael Hardinge Trust and a features on nature and the countryside every season.
  • Contributions to the team that created the Horley Circular Walk.
  • Support for the Church and Ladies Guild in organising the Summer Fetes and Christmas Markets, Chamber Music Festivals and Barn Dances, as well involvement in special projects such as the Bells Restoration and other community efforts to ensure the use of our very special Grade 1 listed church St Etheldredas.

The office of High Sheriff is a ceremonial role involving a mix of charitable and community functions. It is the oldest secular office in the country outside of the monarchy but without the extensive powers it used to have. It is unfunded, voluntary and non political. The current High Sheriff 2015/16 is Tom Birch Reynardson. There will be a formal award ceremony in Oxford on 29 February which Mike will attend.

Congratulations Mike, very well deserved and thank you for all your efforts over the years;  it is very much appreciated. We hope you will share your pictures of the ceremony and what this award means to you and Sue.

Wroxton Lane Closed – 1st Feb for 5 days

Temporary Road Closure for kerbing work with “no waiting” restriction in Wroxton Lane From Feb 1st for 5 days

road closed

The closure is for the week commencing 1 February, and is to permit the County Council to carry out kerbing works along the east side of Wroxton Lane for approximately 70 metres between The Steps and The Old Chapel.  Conservation kerbs are to be installed along this length to protect, and prevent further erosion to, the verge.  These works are being funded by the Parish Council.  The works will not narrow the existing carriageway.

During the work the road will be closed to through traffic, but access be maintained to frontages and for emergency vehicles.  No parking will be permitted along the section affected during the works, so any residents who do normally park in this area are asked to park elsewhere.

For more information see the Notice and Plan on Parish Council Notice Board.

NOTE: The Notice refers to Horley path road, which is confusing, but the road it relates to is Wroxton Lane, as shown on the plan.

A Dame…..for Horley!

New Years Honour for Glenys

Dame Glenys

Dame Glenys

Our very own Glenys of Rowarth House has been made a Dame in the New Year Honours list ‘for services to education’ (etc).

As the full citation for the award – Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire – puts it:  “Glenys Stacey [Mrs Glenys Kyle] has held tough public roles for two decades. As the founding CEO of the Criminal Cases Review Commission she established an effective organisation from scratch. As CEO of the State Veterinary Service from 2004, she restored morale and reformed its practices following the nadir of Foot and Mouth 2001, enabling it to deal effectively with new outbreaks of animal disease. More recently as Chief Regulator and CEO of the Office for Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) since 2011, she has played a significant role in education, developing Ofqual into an effective independent regulator, maintaining standards in qualifications and leading the reform of GCSE, AS and A levels”.

Seemingly not yet ready to hang up her boots, she takes on a new role from the beginning of March 2016 as HM Chief Inspector of Probation.

Dame Glenys, many congratulations!

Horley Views
Horley Views ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE
CIVIL ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE
DBE (Dame)

Glenys Jean Stacey. Chief regulator and chief executive, Ofqual (Office for Qualifications and Examinations Regulation). For services to education

New Year’s honours 2016: the full list
http://www.theguardian.com/…/new-years-honours-2016-the…

New Year’s honours 2016: the full list
The new knights, dames, MBEs and OBEs in the UK and overseas
theguardian.com

Concessionary Bus Service to Finish in April 2016…

Do you want a replacement volunteer transport scheme in Horley?

bus-2[1]

For some years now Horley has had the benefit of a free bus service on Thursdays. The service runs from Hornton, through Horley into Banbury and back again twice each Thursday morning. This concessionary service is subsidised by Oxfordshire County Council. However, due to their budget reductions, the County Council has now decided to cut all concessionary services from April next year, so it appears this service will disappear at that point.

The Parish Council considered this news at their meeting on 12 November, and agreed to investigate whether there is a need in the village for a volunteer transport scheme, to assist anyone who has no transport of their own, and struggles to get into Banbury. If there is anyone in this position, the Council would seek to set up a list of people who are willing to help out by offering lifts into and out of town from time to time.

If there is anyone who would like assistance with transport in this way, they are asked to let the Clerk to the Parish Council, David Marriott know, by emailing him on horleyparishclerk@btinternet.com, or calling on 07872 930030.

Speeding in the village (or are we….?)

Speed Check reveals not necessarily so…

speeding car

For some time there have been concerns regarding the speed of traffic passing through the village, particularly on Hornton Lane, and also at the bridge on Banbury Lane. Earlier in the year the Parish Council agreed to investigate these issues, and establish whether it would be appropriate to ask the highway authority, Oxfordshire County Council to make any changes.

An informal speed check exercise was carried out with Thames Valley police in April on Hornton Lane, but only one vehicle was recorded as exceeding the 30 mph limit during that exercise. However, it was only a snapshot lasting just over an hour. In May the County Council installed a traffic monitoring device on Hornton Lane, which counted all the vehicles using the lane over the period of one week, and recorded their speeds.

This traffic survey revealed that approximately 75% of vehicles using Hornton Lane were travelling within the 30 mph speed limit. Of the others, the great majority were travelling at between 31 and 35 mph, with a very small number travelling faster than that. These results have been discussed with the highway authority who do not consider that they justify any action to calm traffic at this time. Anyone wishing to see all the data produced by the traffic survey can find this on the agenda for the Parish Council meeting held on 12 November 2015.

The bridge on Banbury Lane

The issue of the bridge on Banbury Lane has also been discussed with the County highways engineer. There is no speed limit on the road at this point, but the width of the road across the bridge, the limited visibility, and the speed of traffic is considered to represent a risk. The highways engineer has indicated that he would be prepared to erect suitable warning signs designed to slow traffic approaching the bridge, and the Parish Council has requested that this work be done. Subject to funds being available the engineer will also repaint the existing white lines in the area next year.

Horley Gets Its Own Defibrillator…

Don’t miss the training…

The new defibrillator outside the Red Lion

The new defibrillator outside the Red Lion

Take part in a specially arranged training session on cardiac arrest and resuscitation  on Wednesday November 18th at the Old School at 7.30 pm.

If you are interested in attending please notify the Clerk to the Parish Council, David Marriott, in advance, by emailing him at horleyparishclerk@btinternet.com, or by calling him on 07872 930030.

For more information see https://thehorleyviews.com/2015/11/05/horley-gets-its-own-defibrillator/

 

Next Parish Council Meeting – Thursday 12th

The next Parish Council Meeting will take place at 7.30 on Thursday November 12th in the Old School Room. The meeting is open to the public, and if anyone wishes to address the Council on any of the items on the agenda, please notify David Marriott on  07872930030 or horleyparishclerk@btinternet.com before the meeting. Whilst here is no absolute right to do this, the Chairman has the authority to permit it if he chooses to do so.

The Agenda Items include:

  • Apologies
  • Declaration of Interests
  • Minutes of the meeting held on August 13th 2015 
  • Matters arising
  • Oxfordshire County Council budget savings
  • Finance – 2015/16 budget monitoring report
  • Kerbing works in Wroxton Lane
  • Acquisition of a Defibrillator
  • Speeding Through the Village
  • Planning Report
  • Horley Views Website
  • Reports from external organisations
  • Date of next meeting – Thursday 11 February – 7.30 pm.
  • Any other urgent business

For full details of items and reports see 15 11 12 agenda

The Future of Alkerton Waste Recycling Centre…?

15 08 01 waste strategy consultation posterCurrent cost saving proposals by OCC include the reduction of the number of household waste centres from 7 to 3 or 4 with one site in central North Oxfordshire. This means the likely closure of Alkerton tip.

To have your say on the future and location of Household Waste Recycling Centres in Oxfordshire and contribute to the consultation visit the Oxfordshire County Council website consultation page.

From the 10th August to the 5th October make sure you have you say www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/waste

Next Parish Council Meeting on Thursday August 13th

The next Parish Council Meeting will take place at 7.30 on Thursday August 13th in the Old School Room. The meeting is open to the public, and if anyone wishes to address the Council on any of the items on the agenda, please notify David Marriott on  07872930030 or horleyparishclerk@btinternet.com before the meeting. Whilst here is no absolute right to do this, the Chairman has the authority to permit it if he chooses to do so.

The Agenda Items include:

  • Apologies
  • Declaration of Interests
  • Minutes of the meetings held on 21 May and 2 July 2015
  • Matters arising
  • Finance – 2015/16 budget monitoring report
  • Kerbing works in Wroxton Lane
  • Acquisition of a Defibrillator
  • Amendment to The Council’s Standing Orders
  • Speeding Through the Village
  • Parking in Lane Close
  • Planning Report
  • Reports from external organisations
  • Date of next meeting – Thursday 12 November 2015 – 7.30 pm.
  • Any other urgent business

For full details of items and reports see15 08 13 agenda