News & News Archive

Childrey Way – School Transport

Many residents will have heard that the County Council has proposed that the free school transport for children from Childrey to get to King Alfred’s be withdrawn. This has rightly caused huge indignation amongst parents since it will require either that (i) parents to drive their children to school, which is a problem because not all parents are able to do this, since some do not have the means and others work and the Principal of the school also does not want more vehicle traffic at the school dropping off children, or it will require (ii) that children walk/cycle along Childrey Way which runs from Childrey to East Challow. Most parents are unable to accompany their children since it would take more than 90 minutes out of their day. Childrey Way is an isolated Bridleway that no parents would allow their unaccompanied child to traverse during the day or in the dark during winter months. I took photos of how it looks in the early morning and late afternoon when children might be returning after after-school activities. 

After a number of protests last year a council officer inspected the route during late summer when it was dry and sunny (but nevertheless, still isolated) and I was told that child safety was not an issue to define policy!!!! The condition of the surface is also appalling in wet weather and almost impossible to walk along (see above), certainly not in school uniform! It is also narrow and, if a vehicle approaches, any pedestrian is required to stand on the grass/mud verge! When the children reach East Challow they need to cross Letcombe Hill which is a “rat run” where vehicles frequently drive too fast and where visibility is not good. Most parents have appealed officially against this proposal.

We managed to get publicity for this in the local paper.

But importantly, the photo in the paper suggests that the girl on the left is standing on solid ground. My photo of the photograph being taken suggests otherwise!

Interestingly, my understanding is that this has not resulted from a recent change in school policy since many non-local Oxfordshire County Councillors I approached were not even aware of this as a problem. It seems to be a standard school admissions policy introduced some years ago which is being administered rigidly to save money – but what price child safety?? David Johnson has also been appraised of this situation,

We are really hoping for withdrawal of this crazy proposal.

1. Supporting the rural economy
2. Deliver for nature and climate
3. Improve communications and advocacy
4. Provide opportunities to improve health and wellbeing
5. Improve spatial planning
6. Align AONB policy across relevant authorities

Our MP David Johnston (Conservative) has launched his own short consultation about Health Services in the constituency, it is only a few questions and although it asks for your name and email you don't have to agree to be added to his mailing list.

It’s just 8 questions long and should only take about 5 minutes – no more than 10 – and you can complete it until 17th April.

It might help to influence the Government.

• www.david-johnston.org.uk/health

Information about the charges for non-household waste (DIY) at OCC recycling centres.

From 1 April 2023, OCC DIY waste charges are increasing as follows:

• All charges at £1.50     Increasing to £2
• Plasterboard bag at £2.50     Increasing to £3.50
• Plasterboard sheet at £10     No change staying at £10
• Tyres at £5     Increasing to £6

Until 1 April, the existing prices shown below will remain in place.  All income received helps offset the charges of operating the service.

• Always think before you throw.
• Can the item be reused by someone else?
• If you are unsure, please ask a team member on site, we try to reuse items where possible and avoid landfill and disposal, and have reuse drop off areas on site.

A revised charging scheme has been in place across all sites since 1 October 2017. From 2020 we have also asked for all payments to be made electronically and preferably contactless.

DIY wastes are primarily, but not exclusively, materials generated through construction, alteration/renovation or repair of your property and garden, or items or materials most people would not take with them when moving home e.g., floorboards, guttering, roofing materials, garden shed/greenhouse, raised beds, decking, and fencing etc. There are also charges for car/motorcycle tyres.

DIY wastes as listed below are legally classified as industrial waste and local authorities have no legal obligation to accept it. However, we recognise that residents require a cost-effective solution for the disposal of small amounts of DIY waste.

Where loose/deconstructed items/materials are presented site teams will estimate the overall cost and their estimate will be final.

Key points

• If you are unable to pay for items, you will not be permitted to deposit them. Please ensure you have the electronic means to pay before travelling to our sites.
• Larger amounts of waste should be disposed of using local skip services or other commercial organisations.
• We do not accept any form of commercial or trade waste. This includes any waste originating from a business or charity etc. Waste also becomes commercial waste where payment is made for the works or for transporting it. For example, a bathroom delivered by the householder is accepted, but this should not be brought to site by the plumber or builder who carried out the work and would not be accepted. Waste is also deemed commercial from a man with a van, house removals/clearance companies, landlords bringing tenanted waste or other commercial collection operations offering transportation of waste/goods for a fee.  It also includes waste from any business operated from your home.
• You will still be able to dispose of all household waste free of charge at any of the county’s Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs).

£1.50 per 20 litre bag or equivalent.

Part bags are charged as full so one and a half bags would be £3 for example. Loose material or larger bags will be estimated by our teams on site.

An example of a 20-litre bag is available at all sites for reference or can be found in the following link

Dimensions provided for this are 53.0cm by 46.5cm by 15.5cm.

Please note The team member's decision on charging will be final.  If you feel you have been overcharged let us know.

Chargeable items

Price - per bag/item unless otherwise stated

• Rubble     £1.50
• Stome. gravel/sand/cobbles/rocks     £1.50
• Cement     £1.50
• Concrete     £1.50
• Soil/turf     £1.50
• Roof/wall/floor tiles     £1.50
• Granite/stoneworktops e.g. kitchen     £1.50
•  Pavings slabs/stone flooring      £1.50 (1m x 1m or equivalent)
• Breeze blocks     £1.50 (per two blocks)
• Bricks     £1.50
• Concrete drain/sewer pipes     £1.50
• Concrete fence posts      £1.50  (per each post)
• Sheet glass     £1.50 per pane up to a size 1m square.
• Bathroom/kitchen fittings examples – sink, toilet/bidet, cistern (Classed as separate to toilet), bath, shower tray.     £1.50
• Shower door     £1.50 per door
• Shower panel     £1.50 (equivalent to size of an internal door)
• Greenhouse panel     £1.50 (per side for a 6ft by 4ft greenhouse)
• Loose windowpane     £1.50 included in price of wood, UPVC window
• Chimney pot     £1.50
• Plasterboard/plaster     £2.50 per 20 litre bag or part of. £10 per sheet
• Car/motorbike/small van tyre     £5 per tyre maximum of four
• Internal and external doors     £1.50
• Wooden window frames     £1.50
• Fence panel     £1.50 up to 6ft x 6ft
• Shed panel     £150 per two posts
• Fence or other wooden post     £1.50
• Floorboards/roof boards     £1.50
• Skirting boards     £1.50
• Kitchen units     £1.50 per single unit
• Fitted bathroom units     £1.50
• Fitted bedroom units     £1.50
• Fitted bookcases and other fitted furniture     £1.50
• Fire surrounds     £1.50
• Garage door     £1.50
• Timber offcuts/chippings     £1.50 per 20 litre bag
• Plastic baths/sinks     £1.50
• Insulation     £1.50 per roll or part of or 2m x 1m sheet
• Plastic/composite decking     £1.50
• Cladding     £1.50 per 20 litre bag or if wood or composite per 3m/10ft length
• Laminate/other engineered flooring     £1.50
• Roofing felt     £1.50 per roll or 2m by 1m
• Plastic guttering and piping up to 3m/10ft     £1.50
• Plastic pond or liner     £1.50
• Artificial turf     £1.50 2m x 1m
• Storage heater (radiator type, not portable)     £1.50
• PVC doors and windows     £1.50

Items we don't accept

• Tarmac     In all grades and forms
• Large quantities of material      
• Heavily contaminated sandbags     For example with oil or sewage
• Plasterboard mixed with other material e.g. attached to tile or stud wall     For example, attached to tile or stud wall
• Lorry tyres     
• Tractor tyres     
• Commercial plant or machinery tyres     
• Red or blue pallets     These are commercial and should be returned to the supplier

Whether you live in Wantage, Didcot, Wallingford, Faringdon or any of the 64 villages I represent, my constituency-wide survey on local health services is currently open. It’s just 8 questions long and should only take about 5 minutes – no more than 10 – and you can complete it until 17th April on my website: https://www.david-johnston.org.uk/health. 
Increasing our health services relative to the population growth we’ve had is one of the things I have campaigned on most since being elected 3 years ago – particularly the need for more GP surgeries. I’ve spoken about this in 19 debates in parliament and had numerous meetings with the local councils, local health leaders, ministers and local people about it. The more people who complete it, the stronger the message we can send.

I held a successful inaugural meeting of my Science and Technology Forum for the companies we have at Harwell, Milton Park and elsewhere which George Freeman, the Minister at the new Science Department, spoke at. He and I are very keen to promote what is going on here more as it is of both national and international significance – and we discussed some good ideas to do so. Watch this space!

I’ll be holding an Apprenticeship Fair for local young people and employers across the constituency at Didcot Civic Hall on 24th April. I visit at least 1 school and at least 1 employer almost every week (and have been to 600 odd organisations overall since being elected) and I hear regularly that young people don’t know the apprenticeships open to them and that employers struggle to recruit enough apprentices. I’m hopeful this fair will help. 

My campaigning on behalf of the local AEAT Pensioners has been bearing fruit: the National Audit Office has published its report on the case following my request and Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee recently held a hearing on it, with their own report to come. 

A few highlights from many visits in the last month. It was good to be interviewed on Wallingford Radio which has been going great guns since it got its FM license. You can listen live on 107.3FM. I had a great visit to the new wedding dress shop in Wantage, About You Bridal, set up by Sharon to make the process of buying dresses, shoes and accessories as stress-free as possible. It’s also home to Gallery Cakes, set up by Nicki, so that you can order your wedding cake too! 

It was very good to see The Place in the Corn Exchange in Faringdon, having seen the space when it was just an idea, which supports parents and their children under 5. I also met Keith and Sue to talk about the Faringdon Day Centre and will be back to visit that soon. And I’m pleased to say Michael Gove was very impressed with the Greencore Construction houses I took him to see in Southmoor.

As ever, if I can help with anything then do contact me via [email protected]

• Postal Address: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
• Tel: 020 7219 6350
• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidjohnston4wantage
• Twitter: twitter.com/david4wantage

Botley Road will be closed to through traffic for seven months from Tuesday 11 April to allow Network Rail to begin work on its £161 million redevelopment of Oxford Station and rail upgrade.

It will also be closed March 2024 - October 2024.

• Motorists who usually use Botley Road to get into the city are advised to use the Seacourt Park and Ride or take an alternative route.
• Buses will turn around just before the rail bridge allowing passengers to continue their journey into the city centre on foot.
• Pedestrians and cyclists will have access throughout the work.