News
Clap hands for Bob!
Whitchurch resident Bob Clapp has raised nearly £5,000 in sponsorship for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. Bob (left) and his family joined Sir Ian Botham in London on the final stage of ‘Beefy’s Walk’ last weekend. Bob said: "It was a very memorable day and a most enjoyable walk along the bank of the Thames. I am most grateful to all those who kindly sponsored me''.
It is five years since Bob was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, underwent very intense chemotherapy treatment and received a stem cell transplant from his sister. Thankfully, he remains in remission and now enjoys life to the full. Bob felt it was time for him to raise money for Leukaemia Research as a way of saying thank you to all those who supported him through the dark days of his illness and to give his support to research into blood cancer diseases.
Date/Time : Sunday, 29th April 2012 17:59
Peter Hooper
Whitchurch resident Peter Hooper, retired geologist, died suddenly and peacefully at his home beside the Thames on Saturday 21st April.
Peter Ralph Hooper was a full-time geologist and part-time oarsman, walker, gardener and player of real tennis. He was born in Edinburgh, brought up in Western Canada, and schooled in Scotland. He then spent three years working for the British Antarctic Survey, setting up a base on Anvers Island. After a PhD in Birmingham, and marrying Caroline, he started his teaching career in Swansea. The whole family moved to Pullman (Washington State University, USA) in 1971, where Peter mapped the Columbia River basalt flows. During retirement in Whitchurch he continued writing, mapping and walking, took up boating and real tennis and cultivated his beautiful garden and allotment. He was a kind, generous and determined man, who will be deeply missed by his friends, students, colleagues and family.
Caroline Hooper and family invite those who knew Peter to join them for a gathering in his memory on Tuesday 8th May from 3:30 to 5:30pm at Henley River and Rowing Museum.
Date/Time : Thursday, 26th April 2012 10:08
New regime at the Ferryboat - steady as she goes
New landlord Graham Dednum, on the right with his colleague Lincoln Eu in the photograph, says he has been overwhelmed by the warm welcome given by the villagers of Whitchurch and the surrounding area.
Graham says he knows that following in the footsteps of David and Jesse is a ‘tall order’ but he’s confident that with his team this will be achieved. He currently plans few major changes to the popular main menu selection and weekly selection of specials, which has proved popular. The specials now include an Oriental dish. The introduction of a new lunch-time ‘Lite Bite’ menu has proved successful.
Some refurbishment of the public areas is planned for May. This will improve the rest rooms, courtyard garden and the out-of-doors eating areas.
Graham is keen for the Ferryboat to become involved in fund raising and charity events within the village. The pub is supporting a sponsored walk this Sunday to help a cerebral palsy patient.
Photo by Nick Brazil
Date/Time : Friday, 20th April 2012 17:56
Steam returns to Pangbourne Station
This morning, after an absence of many years, a steam-hauled train picked up passengers at Pangbourne Station en route to Swanage. The train, named The Cathedrals Express, was hauled by Bittern, a Gresley A4 Pacific 4464 (BR 60019). This is the same class of locomotive as Mallard, which holds the world speed record for steam. Bittern was built in Doncaster by the LNER in 1937 and withdrawn by British Railways in 1966. It is currently based at Ropley on the Mid Hants Railway (Watercress Line).
Report and photo by Peter Worsley
Date/Time : Thursday, 19th April 2012 21:15
New opportunity to comment on Care Home plans
Revised plans showing a slight reduction in the huge expansion of Eastfield House are now available for inspection and comment on the SODC planning website.
The Inspector, who was appointed last year to consider an appeal against the original proposal, disappointed many when he upheld only one aspect of the many objections from village residents, which was the unacceptably dominating effect on a neighbouring house, Eastfield Cottage. The applicants Ross Healthcare have responded by modifying the shape of one corner of the new building. The new elevations can be seen here.
Neil Huntingdon, owner of Eastfield Cottage, said today:
‘I am very disappointed that the new proposal for Eastfield House extension remains the size of a medium-sized office building, located in a conservation area in a quiet residential street. Sadly, only very minor changes have been made to the original design, so the overall scale is not dissimilar to the original application. Over 60 residents of the village objected to the original proposals, on various grounds including scale, traffic generation, highway problems and environmental concerns. I would urge all those people that are interested in maintaining the many attractions of this lovely village to review the planning application and let South Oxfordshire District Council have comments, by 5th May.
If the village does not speak up now, it will be too late!’
Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth reiterated his opinion that the extension constitutes a gross overdevelopment of the site and should not be permitted.
Date/Time : Wednesday, 18th April 2012 14:00
High Street to be closed for a day
On Sunday 29th April the High Street will be closed to traffic at the Lower Narrows, near the Ferryboat, so that Thames Water can carry out repair works to their water main. This was announced by Oxfordshire County Council today. No times have been given so the closure should be assumed to last for the whole day.
The photo shows work being done here by Thames Water last October.
Date/Time : Thursday, 12th April 2012 15:16
Happy event for a rare breed
Unusual cattle can often be seen in the fields next to the Hartslock Bridleway and beyond the end of Eastfield Lane. Whitchurch farmer John Barker’s herd of White Park cattle are put to pasture here, as well as being able to graze among the BBC monitoring aerials at Crowsley Park, near Binfield Heath.
The photo shows the latest addition to John’s herd enjoying life with his mother in a Whitchurch meadow. The black nose and ears are characteristic of the ancient breed which was nearing extinction in the 1970s.
‘It is thought the White Park breed was originally introduced into the British Isles by the Beaker people in about 2,500 BC’ says John. ‘Their name comes from their beautiful creamy colour and the fact that the Normans kept them in parks.’
Photo by Nick Brazil
Date/Time : Thursday, 5th April 2012 14:04
Whitchurch anaesthetist in Reading Half Marathon
Dr Timothy Parke, who lives in the High Street, and his 22-year-old daughter Laura, both took part in yesterday’s Reading Half Marathon. They were members of a team entered by the Intensive Care Unit of the Royal Berks Hospital. Dr Parke, one of two senior consultants in the unit, said they had a great team, made up of ICU staff, ex-patients, friends and family and it was the first time he or his daughter had run a half marathon. He was delighted to finish in fourth place among the 50-strong ICU team, only a minute behind Laura who finished third.
The team was raising money to buy new haemo-filtration machines, to benefit patients critically ill with kidney failure.
Date/Time : Monday, 2nd April 2012 18:03
Quad bike hits car, flips over parapet and sinks in river
At about 1.30 pm to-day there was an accident on the Toll Bridge. A youth driving a quad bike, travelling from Pangbourne to Whitchurch, collided with a car that was approaching the middle of the bridge from the Whitchurch end. As a result of the impact the quad bike flew over the downstream parapet and landed in the river. The bike, which narrowly missed the boat protection structure on the downstream side of the pier nearest to the Whitchurch bank, disappeared from view beneath the surface of the Thames. There was no visible sign of any contact between bike and parapet.
The youth, who remained on the bridge deck, suffered cuts and bruises and was escorted to the Toll House where he was given a cup of tea by a member of the Toll Bridge staff. He was later transferred to a police car for interview.
The female driver of the small black Honda car was suffering from shock but later was able to drive it off the bridge. She had braked before the impact, which caused considerable damage to the front end of her car, though the windscreen was undamaged.
The emergency services reacted quickly. Police, paramedics, fire brigade and air ambulance, which landed in the garden of Thames Bank, all arrived within half an hour. The Environment Agency also arrived, to plan the retrieval of the bike which had become an underwater obstacle close to the navigation span of the bridge.
The quad bike rider is understood to live in Whitchurch Hill and to have been one of a group that had gathered on the Pangbourne meadow.
Date/Time : Thursday, 29th March 2012 15:45
Special event on 22nd June - Lashings cricketers coming
The recently formed Village Green Management Committee has arranged for the Lashings World Cricket XI to come to Whitchurch to play our local team. See the Committee members in this photograph.
Lindsay Austin reports:
'We are delighted to announce that the World Famous Lashings XI Team have agreed once again to visit our beautiful village and play cricket against our local team. The big day is on Friday 22nd June 2012 and we hope you can all make it. The proceeds from this fantastic event will go towards the development and upkeep of the village green – now that we as a village own it!
I hope if you are a cricket lover that you will take this opportunity to ‘get up close and personal’ to these famous World Class Cricketers and join them for the VIP Lunch. This lunch will be the main fundraiser of the day so if you can indulge yourself, or know of any cricket fans who would like to do so, please help us out. Or just come along and enjoy the match and the day. We will have lots of beverage and food stands and hopefully some great cricket. All we need is the weather!
We look forward to seeing you there in what we know will be a fantastic day for all to enjoy. For information on this event please check out the village website.
If you would like to help out at this event, please contact Maureen Stovell on 07768 108392 or Lindsay Austin on 07557 224033.'
Date/Time : Thursday, 22nd March 2012 17:14
Care home developers chip a corner off their proposal
Faced with the refusal last August of planning permission for a huge extension of the Eastfield House care home, the owners Ross Healthcare put forward a modified proposal yesterday. They have moved back part of the planned building, as shown in this drawing and claim that this should satisfy the Inspector as his objection was that the effect of the original dimensions on neighbouring Eastfield Cottage was unacceptable.
Neil Huntington, owner of Eastfield Cottage, said ‘I am very disappointed to see that the plans proposed have not properly addressed the concerns that we clearly expressed from the beginning. As now proposed it will still dominate our house. This is not acceptable.’
Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth said that he remains of the opinion that the extension constitutes a gross overdevelopment of the site and should not be permitted.
Eastfield Lane resident Stephen Trinder said ‘SODC's planning officers, notably Highways, have failed to take account of the unanimous views of local residents, resulting in the latest proposal of only a token modification. Eastfield Lane's residents and all the parents, staff and nearly 150 children of the Primary and Pre-Schools would have to live every day with the consequences of this excessive and obtrusive development. The Government's pledge to favour the voice of the affected community seems to be meaningless. It should not be too late for this unsatisfactory state of affairs to be corrected by means of a reassessment by SODC planners and the ordering of another inspection.’
Date/Time : Tuesday, 20th March 2012 18:43
Ferryboat crew changing
David and Jesse, tenants at the Ferryboat for five years, have announced that they will be handing over to a new tenant after this weekend. (David is on the left in the photo.) During their time here they have built up a thriving business and a loyal following by serving good food and creating a friendly atmosphere.
David said today ‘We are sorry to be leaving Whitchurch but will not be disappearing completely. I will retain an interest in the continued success of the Ferry Boat on behalf of the new tenant, whose name is Graham Dednum. Our present chef, Martin Bugos, will be staying on and Lincoln Eu will take over the front-of-house duties.’
David and Jesse ran the Cross Keys in Pangbourne, then the Beehive in Upper Basildon before coming to Whitchurch. When they arrived the Ferry Boat could serve 24 covers, which they gradually built up to 70. David made a point of saying that they had never been made more welcome than in Whitchurch, even being asked back for dinner by two customers on their first night. A year ago they considered a long distance move to Malaysia but finally decided to stay in Britain. David says he is not yet in a position to reveal where their next business will be and added, with a dry smile, that Sunday will be their busiest ever with over 110 coming for lunch.
Report and photo by Stephen Trinder
Date/Time : Saturday, 17th March 2012 23:11
Surprise at 32% rise in parish element of council tax
This week many Whitchurch residents have received notices of the Council Tax they will be paying from next month. While the overall increase is only about 1%, the relatively small element of this that covers Whitchurch Parish is increasing by 32%. This has taken many residents by surprise and even caused some to wonder if there is a mistake.
Parish Council Chairman Harry Butterworth explains the situation:
‘There are several reasons why the Parish component of the Council Tax has had to rise this year. Even so, our total council tax is still near the average for the South Oxfordshire and Vale of the White Horse region.
The significant items involved in the increase of the Parish component can be traced back to responses to the questionnaire which was the basis on which the Village Plan was developed. The 2009 Village Plan can be read via a link on the Parish Council page of the website.
The most significant item is of course the Village Green. There was a very high level of support in questionnaire responses both for the Parish Council to work towards community ownership of what was then the privately-owned cricket field and for some allowance for the ongoing costs involved. Clearly, it is acceptable for one-off costs of negotiation and acquisition to come from reserves, but running costs must be covered by income. Our experience of taking over the Village Hall has been that once it is up and running a good management team can maintain a break-even situation. That does not happen all by itself: a lot of time is put in by unpaid but enthusiastic volunteers.
We hope that the new Village Green management committee will be just as successful but there will be significant ongoing costs, particularly for maintenance of the grass in the outfield regions. The Cricket club will look after their "square". There is a plan for a junior-sized football pitch which will require maintenance. To what degree that will cover its own costs remains to be seen, but I am told that there are lots of youngsters keen to use it and that there are adults willing to give their time to train them.
So we think that the Village Green is a very exciting development for the Village. There have been other things happening, of course, and they arise from what our residents asked the Parish Council to do, via the questionnaire. For example, we now have new litter bins, "doggy bins" and salt bins.
The increase in Parish Council tax, according to my calculations, is just over 30 pence per week per household at band D level. The balance of properties in Whitchurch means that the average increase per household is about 35 pence per week. Although in percentage terms it may look a lot, your Parish Council is firmly of the opinion that the increase is in line with what the Village has asked us to do.
Finally, may I remind you that all Villagers are very welcome to attend the Village Annual Assembly on Tuesday April 3rd.’
Date/Time : Friday, 16th March 2012 13:24
Doorstep callers causing concern
A pair of youths from Birmingham on a back-to-work scheme were circulating in the village this morning, ringing doorbells and offering household goods from their backpacks for sale. Parish Councillor Vincent Aldridge said he had received several reports from High Street neighbours who had each received verbal abuse on declining to do business with them.
Mr Aldridge phoned 101 and the Henley police were on the spot within half an hour. He said the police were grateful for the 101 call. They told him later that they had caught up with the youths in Pangbourne and as no crime had been committed they had given them a caution.
It seems that the youths were in a recognised offender rehabilitation programme and therefore had pedlar’s certificates. The certificates are granted by police in the area where a trader lives, and sometimes, by agreement with a local authority, in more distant locations. They are not always easy to distinguish from those referred to by police as ‘Nottingham knockers’, after the city where the scam originated, who sell over-priced goods door-to-door to sympathetic householders.
Date/Time : Friday, 9th March 2012 16:05
A Village Green, at long last . . .
Parish Councillor Lindsay Austin reports:
Following years of discussion, a lengthy planning process and completion of a Section 106 Agreement, the Parish Council finally took ownership of the land this week, securing Whitchurch-on-Thames its very own Village Green!
Ever since we compiled our Village Plan in 2009, following extensive consultation with village residents, the Parish Council has had as its primary action to “Make continued and persistent efforts to acquire the Cricket Ground for the extended use of the Village”. The land has now been acquired and therefore attention can turn to the development of new ways for it to be used!
A Management Committee has been formed, with representatives from around the village who are tasked with, amongst other things, arranging for the creation of a 12 space car park and a junior football pitch on the site. In addition, they, along with the parish clerk, will be responsible for the day to day running and maintenance of the site and the raising of funds via grant applications and events. The fundraising is to provide benches, picnic tables, other sport facilities and ultimately a clubhouse.
A grant from SODC towards the creation of the car park and football pitch has been awarded this week so we’re off to a flying start. To ensure everyone gets the maximum benefit from this excellent facility, fundraising and development will be an ongoing process.
Date/Time : Monday, 5th March 2012 16:36
Car broken into in Hardwick Road
A white Volvo estate car, parked in the lay-by below Hillside, was broken into some time last night by someone who smashed the driver’s window. It is not yet clear whether any contents were stolen.
Parish Councillor Keith Brooks, who lives opposite and reported the incident to police on discovering it this morning, said that we should all be on our guard and try to stamp out such incidents.
Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth commented:
'Thames Valley police said recently that many people are finding life a bit tough at the moment and as a result crime, and petty crime in particular, has increased. The rise has been mainly in urban areas such as Reading but "it is spreading outwards." They said that free train rides from Reading and further afield, resulting from the absence of ticket collectors on Pangbourne station, make that spread easier. We are an obvious target, particularly for the opportunist. We must not let it get about that Whitchurch is a soft touch. It is not a case of being paranoid. It is a case of taking sensible precautions. We need to keep doors locked, car keys safe and out of sight, and eyes peeled. Any actual crime in progress (and fly tipping is included) needs a 999 phone call. For anything else, including things which just don't seem right, please use the new police number 101.'
Date/Time : Friday, 2nd March 2012 14:18
Village volunteers turn their hands to local tasks
The much used public seat in the Manor Road playground finally collapsed recently. Who was going to repair it? Public authorities seem to be short of money these days. Two volunteers in our village, Keith Brooks and Stephen Trinder, took matters into their own hands this week and restored it (picture). The parish council will pay only for the new pieces of wood.
This is not the first project taken on by these resourceful Mr Fix-Its. When repeated requests to Oxfordshire Highways last year to solve the problem of big puddles in Eastfield Lane resulted in no action, they set to and re-excavated the drainage soakaways by hand. And when the public bench at the High Street/Manor Road junction broke they dismantled and repaired it. Keith has more than once trimmed back the vegetation obscuring the road signs at the eastern entrance to the village and has put up new Neighbourhood Watch signs in Hardwick Road.
Well done Keith and Stephen, we are all grateful for your efforts. See more photos of Whitchurch volunteers in action.
Stephen feels sure there are people in the village who would like to volunteer to do something for the community but don’t always know where to start or don’t feel authorised to take the job on. So he invites anyone who would like to volunteer to get in touch with him at stephentrinder1@virgin.net or 0118 984 2610. He would welcome suggestions for jobs that need doing (cleaning a sign, clearing a roadside, you name it). Then he can arrange for you to be ‘empowered’ to do it on behalf of us all, or for you to be part of a team effort.
There will be plenty of opportunities for anyone who would like to help with The Jubilee Party on 4th June and with our new Village Green. Again, just contact Stephen in the first place.
Or, to volunteer to join in the village Litter Pick-up on 17th March, contact Jim Donahue at jimdonahue7@gmail.com or 07557 668601.
Date/Time : Friday, 24th February 2012 14:06
Pipeline work causes chaos as traffic lights fail
Update, Wed 22 Feb: Long queues of traffic built up early this morning after SGN's temporary traffic lights failed. A village resident who had himself been caught in the queue directed traffic past the red lights for nearly an hour, until police arrived. Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth said afterwards that this was his first experience as a policeman but that drivers had generally followed his hand waving and some had even thanked him for his efforts.
Traffic lights have again been delaying traffic in the High Street after the SGN team returned to re-excavate the pipeline at the junction with Hardwick Road in order to replace a faulty fitting.
SGN team leader Chris Humphrey said today that he regretted the inconvenience and assured residents that the road would be reinstated and the traffic lights removed by this Friday. Gas is now flowing through the new pipeline under the Thames, he said, making the old pipeline under the High Street redundant. All the old marker posts have been removed. There were complaints from residents about a noisy generator last weekend, he said, and this has been replaced by a silent battery pack.
SGN has promised to repair the damage caused by contractor’s heavy vehicles to the granite sett kerbs in Hardwick Road opposite the picture gallery, and at other places including a sunk pavement in Swanston Field West. Mr Humphreys said he expected this work would be done in about a fortnight’s time. A temporary barrier will be erected to prevent cars parking along the damaged length of kerb while the repairs are done.
Date/Time : Tuesday, 21st February 2012 17:00
Bridge Company moves ahead with study of pedestrian safety
Both Whitchurch and Pangbourne parish councils have commented on the Bridge Company’s proposals for a study of improvements in pedestrian safety on the bridge and its approaches. These have enabled the Bridge Company to refine the scope of the study which will be done by engineering consultants Jacobs. Bridge Company Secretary Geoff Weir today wrote to the parish councils outlining the scope of the study. It is clear that all the concerns raised by Whitchurch residents will now be addressed.
The consultants will be asked to concentrate on Option 1 (keeping the pavement on the same side of the bridge as it is now and widening the Pangbourne approach embankment) and Option 2 (transferring the pavement across to the opposite side of the bridge and widening the Pangbourne approach embankment). Options 3 and 3A (taking pedestrians off the Pangbourne embankment and into the Dolphin Centre car park) are not regarded as viable solutions on safety grounds. Option 4 (making the temporary bridge permanent) is also not regarded as a viable solution for planning and other reasons.
The study will embrace formal road crossings at the Dolphin Centre entrance, at Mill Drive, and (for Option 1) at the toll cottage. It will include the possibility of increasing the width of the pavement on the bridge itself by reducing the width of the roadway. Under Option 2, a direct access to the meadow at the Pangbourne bridge abutment will be considered. These have all been advocated by TAPAG (Whitchurch Traffic and Pavements Advisory Group).
For more details, click here for Whitchurch comments, Pangbourne comments and today’s letter from the Bridge Company. The initial consultation document listing the options and including the drawings can be found here .
Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth said today that he was very pleased that the Bridge Company is responding to the concerns of residents about pedestrian safety and he warmly welcomed the recently improved communications with the Bridge Company. He thanked the members of TAPAG for the work they are doing in representing local concerns on traffic and safety.
Date/Time : Friday, 17th February 2012 16:28
Whitchurch Jubilee Party, Monday 4th June
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is expected to be celebrated in Whitchurch by a Jubilee Party on the afternoon of Monday 4th June, a public holiday. The venue will be the cricket field, now being transferred to the village and already known to some as the Village Green. Details of the celebration are subject to confirmation at the parish council meeting on 5th March.
Event coordinator Stephen Trinder is planning a special Whitchurch occasion and hopes everyone in the village will come. There is expected to be a band, a treasure trail, a rounders tournament and other amusements to add to the festive atmosphere. Everyone will be asked to contribute something – sandwiches, cakes, drinks or whatever – which will then be laid out for a giant tea.
The Garden Walk this year is expected to be held on the same day and will finish with tea at the Jubilee Party, subject to confirmation by the Whitchurch Society committee.
Make a note of the date now so that we can all celebrate the Queen's 60-year reign together!
Date/Time : Thursday, 16th February 2012 10:06
Meeting with Pangbourne on crime
Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth attended a Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) meeting in Pangbourne yesterday and reports as follows:
‘The police reported a steady increase in theft, particularly of and from cars. This was most noticeable in the urban areas but was spreading. So don’t let the idea get round that Whitchurch has easy pickings. The West Berks CC representative pointed out that fly tipping costs council tax. She also said that dropping anything onto any land whatever that does not have a licence for tipping is a criminal offence. The police representative said that as it is a criminal offence, anyone seeing tipping in progress should contact the police using the 999 number. So keep those doors locked, keys safe and your eyes peeled!’
Date/Time : Thursday, 2nd February 2012 11:00
Gas work tailbacks to continue until 4th Feb
Drivers will have to put up with two more weeks of traffic light delays in the High Street caused by the final stages of work by the Southern Gas Networks team to connect up their new pipeline.
SGN team leader Phil Hodgkins said today that he expects to be finished in another two weeks. He explained that the long gap in the work at the Hardwick Road junction was caused by the delay in getting a permit to drill across the Pangbourne meadow. But now the remaining work is being tackled and this involves the two connections to the existing main, which have to be made at the same time. The other connection is in the Dolphin Centre car park, Pangbourne, where there is a pressure governor. The main is a medium pressure one, he said, whereas most mains are low pressure, which means this operation has lengthier safety procedures.
To flush out the old pipeline, he said, there will be two vents through which the residual gas will escape, one at each connection. These will be 2.5m above ground level. There may be a slight smell of gas for a while and venting is a fairly noisy process he said. The main under the High Street will become redundant.
Phil said he wanted to thank the community for their patience while the work is done.
Date/Time : Saturday, 21st January 2012 12:47
Youth group to swing into action at The Old Stables
Chris Alcock, husband of Reverend Claire Alcock, will run a youth group starting this Sunday at 9.45 am in the newly opened church and community room opposite the Ferryboat. Decathlon is the name of the group and it is for boys aged 9-14.
Chris (left) says “ Each session lasts for an hour and ends with refreshments. This Sunday we will be playing Goalball, which involves using blindfolds and a ball with a bell inside. You can guess the rest! We are hoping soon to recruit a female leader so that girls can come along too. The aim is to explore the basics of the Christian faith through sport and fun activities. There are ten sessions between now and June."
More details from Chris on 07821691684 or Krissthebiss@live.co.uk or read the flyer.
Date/Time : Friday, 13th January 2012 08:45
Bridge replacement postponed by a year
The Whitchurch Bridge Company has announced that as a result of planning delays it has decided to postpone by one year the reconstruction that was planned to start next October. The company’s statement reads as follows:
The Whitchurch Bridge Company is to postpone the closure of Whitchurch Bridge for reconstruction from October 2012 to October 2013. This decision has been taken because of delays in obtaining Planning Permission which has left insufficient time to prepare for work to start in 2012.
Planning Applications were submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council and West Berkshire Council in May 2011. Both Councils have now resolved to grant Approval subject to various conditions and legal Agreements, but the Company is still awaiting formal advice of the details.
The Planning delays were caused primarily by objections from English Heritage which was however unable to come up with a viable alternative. The Company acknowledges that the Planning Authorities were put in a difficult position by English Heritage, which is a statutory consultee.
Frequent special inspections of the Bridge will continue until it closes for reconstruction in October 2013, and any further emergency repair work will be carried out if necessary.
Company Chairman Mike Beckley says “Safety is our top priority. The Bridge has reached the end of its life and is in poor condition structurally. We were therefore keen to get on with the reconstruction so that we can continue to meet our legal obligation to provide a safe and reliable crossing over the Thames between Pangbourne and Whitchurch-on-Thames. However, the objections from English Heritage and the consequential delays in obtaining Planning Permission mean that there is insufficient time for us to prepare for work to start in the autumn of 2012. As we cannot do the work in the summer, we have consulted our bridge engineers who have advised us that the work can be safely postponed until autumn 2013”.
Date/Time : Monday, 9th January 2012 11:44
Miles Whitelock, cricket field donor, has died
He lived long enough to see his wish come true that cricket would always be played in Whitchurch. Miles Whitelock, whose family owned the field until its transfer to the village last year, died shortly before Christmas at the age of 93.
Miles Whitelock was born in 1918 in Underwood, Hardwick Road, Whitchurch. He was educated at Rugby School and Trinity College Cambridge. He was a cricket enthusiast throughout his life (Rugby School 1st XI, Cambridge Crusaders, South Oxfordshire Amateurs, Butterflies), and played golf enthusiastically (Streatley, Edgbaston, East Devon).
He served in the 1st Parachute Battalion in WWII and was wounded in North Africa. Recovering, he was promoted to Major and posted to Bermuda as ADC to the Governor General, where he met and married the Governor’s personal secretary Kyla. After the war he managed a silverware manufacturing company in Birmingham until he and Kyla retired in the early 1980s to Budleigh Salterton in Devon where he continued to play golf, watch cricket and enjoy his large garden. His wife died in 2005.
Miles’s son Hugh, who helped to make possible the recent cricket field transfer, has kindly supplied the details above on his father's life.
A fuller appreciation can be read in this article, which appeared in the magazine of the East Devon Golf Club in 2008.
A fascinating account of the history of cricket in Whitchurch, written by Miles himself in 2008, can be found at Sports Groups/Cricket Club/History. This reveals that his father Arthur Whitelock bought the land south of Hardwick Road in 1921, initially to build a tennis court, and that golf was played there too.
Stephen Trinder, who has been involved for several years in discussions with the Whitelock family on the cricket field transfer, which include planning permission for a new house to be built at the southern end of the field, said that Miles “was the most delightful gentleman, an outstanding example of his generation”.
Date/Time : Friday, 6th January 2012 15:57
Bridge Company identifies safety options
The Bridge Company has started work on identifying the best way to improve the safety of pedestrians approaching and crossing the toll bridge. During the recent consultations on its applications to both counties for bridge reconstruction, comments were made by many people on the need to improve the present hazardous conditions for walkers. Among the comments submitted was a list compiled by The Whitchurch Traffic & Pavements Advisory Group (TAPAG) of incidents to 16 named local residents, many of whom had been struck by a vehicle wing mirror as they walked along the Pangbourne approach embankment.
The Company admitted to the authorities that conditions here were not ideal but said that it should not be required to do major work on the Pangbourne embankment, which lay outside the physical limits of the application, during the reconstruction period. The Company emphasised that it did not have the financial means to be confident that it could deal with the problem in the immediate future. However, the Company announced on 19 November, as reported here, that it would commission a study.
The preliminary stage of the Footway Feasibility Study has now been completed. The results can be seen on the company’s website. There is a table of four options and a series of drawings prepared in consultation with Oxfordshire Bridge Department. The drawings show various changes in location and width of the pavements/footways along the full length of road owned by the company, which is from the toll booth to the junction with Thames Avenue.
Company Secretary Geoff Weir said that the next step is to discuss these options, and any others, with Whitchurch and Pangbourne parish councils before going ahead with a more detailed evaluation. For some of the options land might need to be acquired from either Pangbourne Parish Council or the Pangbourne Surgery, or both. Two of the options include transfer of the pavement to the opposite side of the bridge. The possibility of making the temporary bridge permanent is also included, though that is not thought to be a likely solution. He emphasised that no decision had been taken on whether to include a selected option in the reconstruction contract.
Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth said that he welcomed this progress by the Bridge Company towards reducing the risks to local residents and said that the parish council would be considering the options at their meeting next Monday.
Date/Time : Wednesday, 4th January 2012 17:06
The Whitchurch Web team wishes you a Happy Christmas.
We hope you’ve enjoyed visiting the site through the year and will continue to visit in 2012. There is a Christmas card waiting for you - all you have to do is open it.
Date/Time : Monday, 19th December 2011 15:25
Bridge Company gets second green light
The Bridge Company’s application was approved at a two-hour evening meeting of West Berkshire Council at Calcot Centre yesterday. This followed a pattern similar to the South Oxfordshire meeting on 16th November, but with more attention paid to the use of the river meadow for the workshop area and to the alternative routes for traffic during reconstruction. English Heritage’s objections were again over-ruled.
The Councillors agreed to impose 18 conditions (Oxfordshire had imposed 13). These deal with such matters as tree protection, archaeological work, flood risk action, noise from piling, noise from grit-blasting, construction traffic management, traffic signage and meadow restoration. There is also a requirement for a further submission on the permanent pedestrian route.
Traffic diversion was raised by representatives from Streatley and Goring, who each said they expected real problems and argued for a better survey of drivers’ origins and destinations than the number plate survey already carried out. Paul Goddard, Highways Team Leader from WBC, maintained that a more expensive survey involving police assistance, with random vehicles being pulled over, was unlikely to provide any better data. A majority of councillors voted to ignore his advice.
Elizabeth White of Pangbourne Parish Council commented that the absence of pedestrian safety improvements contrasted oddly with the expenditure of £4 million to enable the bridge to bear the weight of 44 tonne trucks. She said there appeared to be double standards and this must be rectified. Harry Butterworth of Whitchurch Parish Council emphasised the need for pedestrian safety improvements on the Pangbourne embankment where there have been many wing mirror impacts with pedestrians.
Bridge Company Secretary Geoff Weir said that the strong local interest in pedestrian safety had appeared only recently. Though the company would commission a feasibility report into the subject, to be completed before the project starts, he said they were a business and at present could only afford to rebuild the steel spans of the bridge. He said that as the Pangbourne embankment was not in the company’s application any comment on safety there was irrelevant. And that the company could not widen the footway on the bridge itself to improve safety as the dimensions of the new bridge needed to be the same as the old one.
The Bridge Company now has the task of agreeing the 31 conditions in detail as well as preparing other agreements and the construction contracts. They may also reconsider whether to go ahead as planned in October 2012 or to delay by a year. Any delay involves the risk of the cracking getting worse, which could result in an order to close the bridge to traffic prematurely.
Date/Time : Thursday, 8th December 2011 16:41
West Berks planners to discuss Toll Bridge on 7th December
The Planning Committee of West Berkshire Council (WBC) will consider the Bridge Company’s application for reconstruction at 6 pm next Wednesday 7th December at Calcot Centre, Highview (off Royal Avenue) Calcot. Members of the public can attend. A representative from Whitchurch Parish Council will be among the speakers. The Committee will visit the site of the bridge at 10 am on the previous morning, Tuesday 6th.
Issues to be discussed are expected to include English Heritage’s objections, traffic and parking arrangements during reconstruction, pedestrian safety, noise levels during construction and use of the meadow for construction work.
This is the second planning hurdle for the Bridge Company, the first being SODC’s meeting on 16th November, which resulted in approval of the application subject to 13 conditions. The Secretary of State has still to decide whether to endorse that approval or to uphold English Heritage’s objection.
SODC recognised the hazardous conditions for pedestrians using the bridge and recommended improvements to the footways but did not make them a condition of its approval. SODC was advised by OCC Highways, which is separately the advisor to the Bridge Company. The WBC Highways Team, coming independently to its view of the bridge, has made specific recommendations for the widening of carriageway and footway on the bridge itself, for the footway to be transferred from west to east side, and for the footway to be taken off the Pangbourne embankment and through the Dolphin Centre car park. These possibilities are due be examined by a Feasibility Study which the Bridge Company has announced that it will commission from OCC Highways. A sketch of the footway proposal can be seen here. The Bridge Company has made clear that its finances do not allow it to proceed with such improvements in the near future.
The latest analysis by WBC Highways of likely diversion routes for traffic during the reconstruction has shown that up to 73% of vehicles will divert via Streatley/Goring, while less than 10% will divert via Caversham. The WBC Highways Team recognises the need to limit on-street parking in Streatley and to consider parking restrictions in Pangbourne. The diversion of the 142 Bus service, passing over the bridge six times a day, will be funded by the Bridge Company.
The planning delays to date, the need for any further studies and the negotiation of agreements are all likely to affect the Bridge Company’s programme. Whether the Company will go ahead in October 2012 as planned is likely to become clear in the next month or so.
Date/Time : Friday, 2nd December 2011 17:32
School opens Recycling Bank for old clothes and shoes
Whitchurch Primary School has launched a textile recycling initiative. This is part of their Eco Schools work and is a way of raising funds to support the school, such as paying for work now being done to improve the access road, described below. The brightly coloured Bank (left) is sited just outside the school gates.
Fiona Broadbent, School Business Manager, explained today how it will work: ‘This is to enable everybody to recycle unwanted clothing, shoes, handbags, belts, sheets, curtains and towels. Please bag all items into carrier bags before putting in the Bank. Usable items will be sorted for re-use. Unwearable items will be recycled into other household products such as car insulation, furniture padding and industrial rags. The Bank is available to use throughout the whole week, as it is not inside the locked school grounds, and we hope that the whole village will support us in this fundraising initiative. Please use our Bank!’
Improvements to school access road: The School has engaged contractors who are currently installing new drainage, including an extra soakaway, which should reduce the incidence of flooding on its access road. At the same time, the parking area near the school is being reconstructed, this time using permeable asphalt. The work should be completed by the end of the month. See photos here.
Date/Time : Thursday, 24th November 2011 14:43
Whitchurch author publishes first novel
Jean Bull of Swanston Field was signing copies of her novel Gypsy Moth at the Art and Craft Exhibition on Saturday (left). Set in Devon in the 1930s, the romantic tale embraces flying, a love triangle, a baby and a family secret. Read more on Jean’s blog. If you live in the village and would like a copy (£7.99), contact her on 0118 984 1657 or at jeanbullwriter@yahoo.co.uk and she will deliver it. She may even sign it.
Date/Time : Tuesday, 22nd November 2011 18:23
Bridge Company to fund pedestrian safety study
Following the planning meeting at SODC last Wednesday, reported earlier, at which the issue of pedestrian safety was repeatedly raised (example in the picture, left), the Bridge Company directors responded yesterday with an announcement.
Upgrade to Footways:
Having heard the concerns expressed at the South Oxfordshire District Council Planning Meeting on 16th November by Whitchurch Parish Council and others regarding pedestrian safety, the Company has decided to commission a feasibility study into the options for upgrading the footway between the Toll Booth and the entrance to the Dolphin Centre car park.
The study will start as soon as possible and will look at the options for increasing footway widths, reducing pedestrian crossing points and grade separation between pedestrians and road vehicles. Benefits and costs will be identified. The options identified will be discussed with the local Parish Councils and local Councillors.
This work will remain separate from the Bridge Reconstruction project, and there can be no commitment by the Company to undertake any upgrade work unless and until it can fund it.
Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth said he welcomed this development.
Date/Time : Sunday, 20th November 2011 21:18
Bridge reconstruction given go-ahead by SODC
Yesterday evening, SODC councillors voted by 11 to 1 to approve the Bridge Company’s plans for the reconstruction of the Toll Bridge. There were strong pleas from Whitchurch Parish Council and its Traffic & Pavements Advisory Group, from Roger Huxtable, a resident of Whitchurch, and also from Robin Peirce of Woodcote Parish Council, for improvements in pedestrian safety to be made during the period of bridge closure. However these were deemed immaterial to the application.
Bridge Company Secretary Geoff Weir said that the company did not rule out the possibility of making improvements in pedestrian safety at some time in the future but that their financial resources did not at present allow it. He said the company was prepared to meet and discuss the matter with interested local parties.
District Councillor Pearl Slatter, who stood down as chairman and spoke from the floor, opposed the application on the grounds that traffic diversion and parking plans had not yet been properly developed. Kevin Bulmer of Goring Parish Council, and County Councillor Dave Sexon also expressed concern about traffic planning.
English Heritage had objected to the application, saying that the bridge did not need to be rebuilt but should merely be patched up to preserve the fabric of the 1902 structure. Representatives of OCC and of the Bridge Company explained that this was not feasible. As the vote went against English Heritage, a statutory consultee, the Secretary of State will now have the opportunity to review the case. However, this is thought unlikely to result in a halt to the project.
The next step towards the rebuilding is a meeting of West Berkshire Council on 7th December to consider the application for works south of the river. Among the issues expected to be discussed are the safety of the Berkshire embankment for pedestrians and the use of the river meadow as a workshop area for the refurbishing of the lattice girders.
Date/Time : Thursday, 17th November 2011 10:34
SODC will decide bridge application next week
The planning committee of SODC will meet at 6 pm on Wednesday 16th November to consider the Planning Officer’s recommendation to grant planning permission for the reconstruction of Whitchurch Bridge. Planning Officer T Wyatt has issued a 12-page report on the application, recommending that it should be granted subject to 13 conditions.
On pedestrian safety, the key issue for the village, the report acknowledges (Para 6.32) the widespread local concern that has been expressed but shies away from insisting that the Bridge Company must do something to rectify the present hazardous conditions. The Planning Officer argues that: ‘the reconstructed bridge would not result in any worsening of the footway provision around the bridge. It would not be justifiable to resist the proposal on the basis of a failure to improve pedestrian safety where there is no further detriment to pedestrian safety.’ (Para 6.33)
The meeting, in the Council Chamber at Crowmarsh Gifford, is open to the public but only a limited number of members of the public will be permitted to speak and they must apply in advance. A representative of the Parish Council is expected to express the views of the village.
Parish Council Chairman Harry Butterworth said today that he was very disappointed that conditions have not been attached that will ensure that the hazards for pedestrians are changed in any way during the £4 million, seven-month reconstruction of the bridge. He would be asking the authority to insist, as a minimum, that the Bridge Company takes action on pedestrian safety within a fixed time scale. Otherwise, he said, endless delays could ensue before anything is done.
A Whitchurch Traffic & Pavements Advisory Group (TAPAG) spokesman said that three improvements on the bridge approaches were essential in their view: making pedestrians safer on the embankment skirting the surgery; rectifying the faulty drainage which causes the road to flood there; and providing safer crossings at the toll booth. TAPAG also advocates transferring the pavement from the west to the east side of the bridge.
Date/Time : Thursday, 10th November 2011 10:36
Agreement reached on Village Green
(Link added) At long last, a formal agreement between Whitchurch Parish Council and the Whitelock family, owners of the land which has been known for the past eighty years as the Cricket Field, was completed yesterday. This is a ‘Section 106 Agreement’ under the Town & Country Act.
Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth said that planning permission allowing one dwelling to be built on the land can now be granted and this is expected next week. (Granted 2nd Nov - see Decision Notice for full details.) All documents relating to the transfer of title to the land have now been signed by both parties and the transfer is to take place at the end of January.
One key point within the Section 106 Agreement is the requirement to create a parking area. For the field to become our Village Green the Parish Council has agreed to establish this as soon as possible. It is understood that once the title has been transferred there will be a grant available from South Oxfordshire to cover most, if not all, of the cost.
Date/Time : Saturday, 29th October 2011 12:51
High Street re-opened early, footpath improved
Thames Water’s work was completed and the High Street was reopened before noon today, the second closure day. Oxfordshire Highways took advantage of the absence of traffic yesterday to lay a textured imprint on the pedestrian route past the Ferryboat. This, together with the recent painting of white lines on a better alignment, is intended to discourage drivers from transgressing and endangering pedestrians.
The picture above shows traffic shortly after the reopening. However the effectiveness of the new measures remains in doubt. What happened immediately after this photo was taken can be seen here.
A representative of TAPAG (Whitchurch Traffic & Pavements Advisory Group) said they welcomed the improvements as a temporary measure but would continue to press for stronger measures for this single lane stretch of road, to discourage cars more effectively from driving on the pavement
Date/Time : Tuesday, 18th October 2011 12:56
Slippery slope continues to astonish walkers
Six months ago, Oxfordshire authorities removed wooden steps on a steeply sloping part of the Hartslock bridle path between Whitchurch and Goring. The steps were helpful for walkers but had been damaged by horse-riders and were not liked by cyclists. The result now is a slope that is too slippery for safe walking in any weather conditions, despite this being the Thames Path. If there was originally a plan by OCC to rebuild the steps it seems to have sunk without trace. As there is no short local route around the hazard, it means that a two-mile length of the Thames Path is now unfit for purpose.
When I walked there recently I found I could hardly control my descent down the grit-sprinkled earth slope. At the foot of the slope were two experienced walkers, Mr and Mrs Peter Phillips from Romsey in Hampshire (above), who were on their way from Maidenhead to Lechlade. Mr Phillips had just suffered a fall after losing control on the slope and was nursing an injury to his face. He said this was by far the worst section of the Thames Path they had come across. They could hardly believe it when I told them it had been like this for several months. They said that they would advise any walker to avoid the Thames Path between Whitchurch and Goring and to take a train from Pangbourne station.
Many walkers have been taken aback by an unexpected slide. One recent walker, Helen, has expressed her feelings on our message board. For months now, local walking leader and retired safety officer Eric Hartley has been warning OCC and National Trails that they must provide steps.
Richard Wingfield
News Editor
Date/Time : Wednesday, 12th October 2011 12:20
Bridge decision deferred – pedestrian safety is key issue for village
At an extraordinary meeting of the Parish Council in the village hall yesterday evening, District Councillor Pearl Slatter said a decision had not yet been taken on the application for bridge reconstruction and therefore it would not be on the agenda at the SODC planning committee meeting later this week.
Among the issues being considered is that Pangbourne Parish Council is reluctant to let the river meadow be used as a workshop area for the rebuilding of the lattice girders. If permission is refused this could lead to a review of the reconstruction process. English Heritage is arguing that the bridge does not need reconstruction at all, despite the cracking of the structure.
The meeting was told that SODC is looking carefully at a letter that has been received from the Bridge Company indicating their intention to appeal if the district council refuses the application. However the letter is concerned with refuting English Heritage's objection to any rebuilding.
At the meeting there was lengthy discussion about the current hazards for pedestrians and the importance of ensuring that the new bridge will offer proper safety for them, especially on the bridge approaches. Issues relating to the construction period were also discussed: traffic congestion in Streatley/Goring; parking in Whitchurch; noise from piling operations.
The meeting agreed the following statement: “The people of Whitchurch are absolutely determined to ensure that the new bridge provides safe conditions for pedestrians, both on the bridge itself and on the approaches. They wish to encourage the planning authority to resist any undue pressure from the Bridge Company.”
Date/Time : Tuesday, 4th October 2011 16:24
Barry Grandage
Barry Grandage passed away peacefully in his sleep during the night of Tuesday 6th September after a long illness. Jackie and Barry have lived in their house above Hardwick Road for over four decades and brought up their family of three girls there. There will be an appreciation of Barry's life in the November Bulletin. His funeral will be held on Wednesday 21st September at 12 noon at West Berkshire Crematorium (Bath Road, Thatcham, RG19 4LD) and afterwards at The Sun Inn, Whitchurch Hill. The family say that all are welcome.
Date/Time : Monday, 12th September 2011 08:38
Inspector dismisses Eastfield House appeal
Inspector Roger Shrimplin has decided against the appeal by Ross Healthcare Ltd (Majesticare) for their proposed extension of the Eastfield House care home. The six page decision can be read here. In essence, he does not consider that the proposals constitute an unacceptable overdevelopment of the site, nor that they create unacceptable harm to trees, nor that they create an unacceptable problem for traffic, but he does consider the effect on one neighbouring house to be unacceptable.
Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth said today that it is likely that the developers will now modify their proposals and he will aim to discuss the modifications with them and with other interested parties.
Date/Time : Thursday, 25th August 2011 10:40
Community First Responders in Whitchurch
A Community First Responder (CFR) is a member of the public, trained by the Ambulance Service, who volunteers to help the community by responding to medical emergencies before the arrival of an emergency vehicle. The photo, left, shows the CFR group covering Pangbourne, Whitchurch, Tidmarsh and Purley, with their trainer. They are expected to be joined before long by two Whitchurch volunteers, from Hardwick Road East and from Swanston Field, once they have received their training.
Volunteers are trained in the use of a defibrillator in responding to cardiac arrest. Further information on how CFRs work can be found here.
Pangbourne CFR team leader Martin Maynard said he was very pleased to have volunteers from Whitchurch. Parish Chairman Harry Butterworth, who has been responsible for encouraging this development in the village’s capability, said the service would be particularly valuable for the village during the toll bridge closure next year and would also be reassuring for the cut-off part of the village during the Hardwick Road closure next month.
Date/Time : Thursday, 18th August 2011 10:41
St Mary’s Church faces financial challenge
Here in Whitchurch we are fortunate to have an attractive and historic church. St Mary's was founded by the Saxons in the 9th Century, developed by the Normans, refurbished in 1470 during the reign of Edward IV and rebuilt by the Victorians in 1857.
We need to find a way of continuing to maintain the building so that it can be enjoyed by future generations. Over 70% of the money raised to keep the churches active comes from committed donations by residents. The Church Wardens and the Treasurer invite you to come and hear about the current situation and discuss what might be done at 10.45 am on 4th September in St Mary’s after the Sunday service. Afterwards there will be light refreshments in the gardens of St Mary’s House.
All are invited, regardless of how often they visit the church. Further details here.
Date/Time : Saturday, 13th August 2011 16:19
Local users demand better safety on bridge
Nearly a hundred comments have already been received by the SODC planning department from those who are concerned about the Bridge Company’s plans for replacement of the toll bridge. Almost all of these are demanding that the unsafe conditions for pedestrians on the bridge and its approaches should be improved. The present plans include no improvements for pedestrians, despite a complete redesign and reconstruction of the bridge.
Those who have not yet added their comments can do so before next Tuesday 28th June on this page.
Comments already received mention incidents of people being struck by the wing mirrors of passing vehicles and of near misses for children. The Parish Council is collating a list of such incidents to strengthen the case for safety improvements. Anyone who has been involved in such an incident with a vehicle is invited to send details (name, date, location, description) to John Southey at jsouthey@btinternet.com or 0118 984 1802.
Whitchurch Parish Council is objecting to the plans and its submission to SODC includes this illustrated document.
Date/Time : Friday, 24th June 2011 10:03
Your comments invited on Bridge Company plans
(VIDEO LINK ADDED) Whitchurch Parish Council is asking residents to comment on the Bridge Company’s plans and has drawn attention to the surprising absence of any improvement in pedestrian safety. Comments should be made to the planning authorities in Oxfordshire and preferably Berkshire as well – see below.
Last Tuesday at a meeting in the village hall that included representatives from neighbouring villages, members of the Parish Council made clear again that they would like to see (a) roadway widths and especially pavement widths that comply with national recommendations, (b) the number of road crossings for pedestrians reduced by transferring the pavement on the bridge to the opposite side, (c) pedestrians taken off the hazardous Pangbourne approach embankment and down to the paved area alongside the Dolphin Centre, and (d) safer crossings provided in the area of the toll booth (where the Bridge Company closed off the right-of-way beside the toll cottage when the toll booth was built).
It was pointed out that the Bridge Company’s documents themselves admit to the sub-standard nature of roadway and pedestrian pavement widths. The present widths were selected in 1902 to suit horse-drawn traffic. The proposed new bridge will be capable of carrying 44-tonne articulated lorries but, surprisingly, the dimensions of more than 100 years ago are being kept and the proposed design allows the current risks to pedestrians to remain for the foreseeable future.
Chairman Harry Butterworth said that he considered that the reconstruction plans should not be supported unless they included substantial improvements in pedestrian safety. The opportunity might not occur again for 100 years.
This morning several parents walking their children from Pangbourne to school in Whitchurch were asked what they thought of the present arrangements. All agreed that the conditions were unacceptably dangerous, especially for young children. Some of the parents said they had been hit by the wing mirrors of passing vehicles.
Other concerns of the Parish Council relate to the seven-month construction period starting in October 2012: lack of a detailed study for re-routing traffic, construction noise levels, and parking in Whitchurch.
To comment online to SODC go to their planning page and use the ‘Comment Now’ button. (Ref P11/E0743, deadline 28 June.)
As the bridge is between two counties, the Parish Council recommends that you copy your comments to West Berkshire Council by emailing them to planapps@westberks.gov.uk . (Ref 11/00984/LBC, deadline 24 June.)
PS (15 June) Take a look at a brand new YouTube video of traffic and pedestrians on the Whitchurch bridge here.
Date/Time : Monday, 13th June 2011 16:57