News
Jim Donahue’s new book published
Our parish council chairman’s new book The Thames Valley: Past, Present, and Future - a Snapshot of English Life is released next Sunday, 27th October, and has been previewed this week in the Henley Standard.
The interview by Alex Carter, which can be read here, begins…. “A photographer from Whitchurch has portrayed the life and times of the Thames Valley in his latest book. Jim Donahue has focused on its history, community life, the countryside and local politicians, which he has illustrated with his own pictures. Mr Donahue, 61, who moved to the UK from America in 1997, has taken four years to produce his new book. He was inspired to write about his experiences living in the community and exploring nature over the last 25 years and how different life is compared to his homeland.”
Jim will be talking about his new book at 2.30 pm on Thursday 21st November in Goring Heath Parish Hall at a meeting of the Whitchurch & Goring Heath History Society, to which all are welcome.
The author’s earlier works include his 2015 book Portrait of Henley-on-Thames: British Country Landscapes, Traditions and Community Life. His first photo book was about Whitchurch in 2012, followed by one on Pangbourne a year later.
The new book costs £24.99 and can be ordered from the Bell Bookshop in Henley, Waterstones, Blackwell's, WH Smith or Amazon.
Date/Time : Sunday, 20th October 2024 13:54
New Parish Clerk
After five years of much appreciated work in the village Jane Yamamoto has retired from her role as Whitchurch Parish Clerk and moved on to a full time job elsewhere. Brian Inglis (pictured) has been recruited to the role and attended the parish council meeting on Thursday.
Parish council chairman Jim Donahue writes:
"We are pleased to welcome Brian Inglis as our new Parish Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer. Brian, who lives with his wife near Twyford, has been working as Clerk in two other parishes in the area and is engaged in training to achieve his Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA), which would bring benefits to us as a council. Despite not living in the village, Brian expects to visit Whitchurch on a regular basis and is looking forward to getting to know the residents. He is personable and approachable, and is also a keen golfer and cyclist, with young grandchildren in Scotland. He can be contacted at parishclerk.whitchurchonthames@gmail.com or 07737 982 907.
Brian is being helped in his transition by Jane Yamamoto, who has made herself available even while working in her new full time job. Please join me in thanking Jane for everything she has done for the village as Clerk for the past 5 years: from working with so many residents to address often difficult issues; to managing our village maintenance contractor; to ably managing the Parish Council’s finances and processes. There are so many things that Jane did above and beyond her normal Clerk role including organising recent royal celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022 and the King’s Coronation celebration last year, both of which were very well attended and very enjoyable celebrations."
Date/Time : Saturday, 12th October 2024 15:21
Concerns about the Walled Garden House
The Walled Garden House, situated behind the brick wall opposite The Greyhound, was demolished last week in preparation for the construction of a new, larger house. Permission for a replacement house was granted by SODC, with various conditions, in 2023, ref: P23/S1070/FUL.
Concerns are currently being expressed by village residents as to whether the developers of the plot are observing the planning conditions, of which 14 are listed in the planning officer’s report. The issues include tree protection, bats, demolition method and waste removal, and the protection of the village watercourse carrying floodwater across the plot and under the High Street.
The local authorities have been contacted to draw their attention to possible irregularities. Local residents have reported that the developer’s staff at the site are aggressive towards anyone taking too close an interest.
A photograph of the house prior to demolition, together with an architect’s elevation of its planned replacement, are shown here.
Comments by the chairman of the Parish Council, which opposed the planning application, were reported on in our news item of 16th October 2023, which can be found on this page.
Date/Time : Wednesday, 25th September 2024 17:06
High Street closure to traffic (Final update - ALL OPEN)
SSE's excavation work in the High Street started at 9.30 this morning (Monday) at The Ferryboat. Pedestrians and cyclists can continue to pass through at any time.
Update, 12 noon, Monday:
The SSE manager says that the road will NOT be reopened overnight. It will remain closed continuously until late on Wednesday, or until Thursday morning, depending on progress. So the closure is for three days, not five.
He said that safety considerations do not allow one-way traffic to continue while the work is done in the excavation. And the excavation may need to be widened.
SSE is investigating why their traffic management contractor had failed to put diversion signs in place in Whitchurch Hill, Crays Pond, Pangbourne and at various other locations, as planned.
Information about the closure and a map of the diversion route can be found on the website Causeway one.network.
Update, 12 noon, Tuesday 10th:
The contractor’s men working at the site today said they will need longer than three days for this job, as it is has proved to be more complicated than expected. They say it will take all week, including Friday. The excavation has had to be widened towards the road.
The Whitchurch Web will continue its attempts to report on the situation and post here.
Two photos taken this morning show the site, with a lot of pipes and cables in the excavation.
Some traffic has been passing through, despite SSE’s official closure of the road.
Update, 3 pm, Wednesday 11th:
The contractor reports that electrical connection work was successfully completed this morning, and a three phase supply is now available for the kitchen of The Ferryboat. Reinstatement of the road and footpath will be done tomorrow, Thursday, with the road closed. If all goes to plan, the High Street may be re-opened on Friday morning.
Update, 11 am, Thursday 12th:
The road has effectively been open all morning so far, with no sign of a contractor. Some of the road closed signs have been removed. A safety issue has arisen as a result of the closure yesterday of the pedestrian route close to the pub. Pedestrians are having to use the road, which is also being used by drivers in each direction. The Parish Council is aware and is communicating with SSE. When the backfilling of the hole starts, it seems likely that the road will need to be closed again for a while.
Update, 9.30 am, Friday 13th:
Yesterday (Thursday) the road remained open all day, with no work done, and traffic passing in both directions. This morning at 9.15 traffic was still passing through, with no sign of a contractor arriving. Today is the last day of the licensed closure and the programme for backfilling and surface reinstatement is not clear.
Update, 2 pm, Friday 13th:
The contractor arrived and closed the road at around 11.30 am. By 1 pm the hole had been backfilled and the tarmac was being laid. Photo here. The road was reopened at 1.45 pm and most of the barriers removed. Later today the final operation of reinstating the special footway paving is expected to be carried out, hopefully without any further road closure.
Update, 10 am, Saturday 14th:
The work was finished yesterday, including the footway paving. All barriers have been removed and the road is now open as normal. Thanks to Geoff and Meryl Weir for providing updates through the week.
Date/Time : Monday, 09th September 2024 09:51
Mend the Gap seeks recruit
The Mend the Gap fund, by means of which Network Rail compensates residents of the Goring Gap for the visual impact of electrification of the railway, is now supporting a variety of local projects, including:
- Whitchurch Primary School – a project to encourage students to engage with nature
- Pangbourne Meadows – an ecological management plan
- River Thames at Pangbourne – training volunteers in water quality testing.
- River Thames at Sulham - a new wetland is being created
Mend the Gap is seeking to recruit a local Project Support Officer as a member of the team. The salary is £29k pa. If of interest, there are details here.
For information on supported projects, go to this webpage.
Date/Time : Thursday, 05th September 2024 17:52
SSEN corrects closure signs to 9th September
The wrong date of 2nd September was belatedly changed this morning to 9th September on signs at both ends of the planned five-day High Street closure at The Ferryboat.
The Whitchurch Web contacted the electrical distribution company SSEN four days ago, telling them that the signs were creating confusion and concern for many of the thousands of drivers affected, and asking them for urgent clarification.
Today we received a response from a spokesperson for SSEN Distribution:
“SSEN’s contract partners have corrected the date on signage in Whitchurch-upon-Thames advising the public of next week’s scheduled works on the village’s High Street. We’re grateful to people in the community for their patience while we’ve worked to correct this error.”
The one.network website shows the length of closure to be 120 metres, from just south of the Eastfield Lane junction to a point beyond The Ferryboat car park.
Date/Time : Tuesday, 03rd September 2024 19:15
Zephyr X submits retrospective plans
The Zephyr X company, owner of the Eastfield House care home, has submitted a new planning application to SODC covering many aspects of the building that they admit are not in accordance with the approved plans, but many of which they have already constructed. This new retrospective planning application, Ref P24/S2700/S73 received by SODC on 23rd August, can be viewed here.
Aerial photographs taken this week, showing the massive extension added to the original building and its closeness to neighbouring houses, can be seen here.
It seems that rather than rebuilding and extending the care home exactly as the planning permission allows, or requesting permission for variations, the developers have simply gone ahead, changing numerous aspects of the design to suit themselves. The many changes are set out in the Supporting Documentation under Appendix B - Comparative Analysis Report which compares the consented designs with the as-built versions. The developers present their explanations for the changes in a separate document.
Studying the new plans and documents, neighbours have commented that unconsented changes include:
- Raised external walls around the new extension
- General increase in the volume of the roof and second floor area
- More dormers, with some windows overlooking the adjoining properties
- A greater mass for the building.
Of particular concern to neighbours on the east side is the change from a hipped gable to a vertical one, as described in our news item of 25th August. Here the developer contends that the previous owners conceded more building volume in their 2013 appeal than they needed to.
Some residents are concerned that the changes may enable the developer to increase the number of bedrooms beyond the stipulated 45.
The current planning application, which is believed to be the 17th in the 14 year planning saga, is now out for consultation. Many residents have already spoken of their anger at the company's behaviour. Comments are invited by SODC, to be received no later than 27th September.
Date/Time : Sunday, 01st September 2024 16:54
Eastfield House care home roofline challenged
Neighbours of the Eastfield House care home, which is currently being adapted and extended as Cedar House by the Zephyr X company, have accused the company of failing to build it in accordance with the planning consents granted by SODC.
On the east side, the roof is currently being built with a vertical gable end, instead of the hipped (sloped back to the flat roof) design that received planning consent. This change to a hipped design was agreed by the previous owners of the care home, prior to its sale, specifically in response to planning objections concerning loss of light in a closely adjacent neighbouring property.
The attached photographs show the gable in question. Zephyr X has a website page on the Cedar House project, with aerial photographs of the construction progress.
SODC’s Planning Officer and the SODC Enforcement Team have been informed of the situation and a Stop Notice has been requested by neighbours for any unconsented work. There is a suggestion that the work on the gable is now being advanced in the belief that a retrospective planning application could be submitted and approved when the construction, exceeding the consented limits of the building, is challenged by SODC.
Whitchurch Parish Council has been informed and individual councillors have expressed concern.
Date/Time : Sunday, 25th August 2024 11:06
High Street closure from 9th September (updated)
A part of the High Street will be closed for up to five days from 7 am on Monday 9th September. This is understood to be primarily for the electrical connection to The Ferryboat. SSEN have announced a two-hour power cut for nearby houses on 11th September.
The one.network website shows the length of closure to be 120 metres, from just south of the Eastfield Lane junction to a point beyond The Ferryboat car park.
The OCC traffic regulation notice states that “Limited access will be maintained for emergency service vehicles and for frontages within the closed section of road, subject to the progress of the works.”
Update, Thursday 29th: Confusingly, roadside signs have today been placed at each end of the closure length, giving the starting date as 2nd September instead of 9th. The official notice, linked above, is still showing 9th September as the starting date.
Update, Monday 2nd September: At 9.30 am today there was no sign of any roadworks starting and the High Street remained open. It seems likely that the date shown on the roadside signs is a mistake.
Update, Tuesday 3rd September, 11 am: SSE has this morning replaced the incorrect signs to change the date for the closure to 9th September.
Date/Time : Saturday, 24th August 2024 15:41
Line painting in the High Street nears completion
Oxfordshire Highways’ contractor painted most of the planned double yellow lines last week but was obstructed in some locations by parked cars. Later they added white lines for parking bays. They were here again today (Thursday 22nd) but were still obstructed in places and have yet to complete the work.
Parish councillor Diana Smith clarified some points today:
- The cost of installing parking signs and line painting was going to be paid for by the Parish Council, which had budgeted for it. However, Oxfordshire Highways recently informed the Parish Council that it would not be charging them for the work. Earlier, the Parish Council paid a fee under the Road Traffic Regulations for a parking scheme.
- Enforcement of the scheme will be carried out by a team from Oxfordshire Highways and it is understood to be self-funding, relying on income from residents’ parking permits (£110 per year per car) together with any fines.
- Oxfordshire Highways has undertaken to review how well the scheme works after a period of six months or a year, and to make changes if necessary.
It is hoped that factors to be considered in the review will include: the adequacy of residents’ parking spaces; the effect on parking in Eastfield Lane, Manor Road and Hardwick Road; changes in average speeds in the High Street; the effect of the lengths of the parking bays on northbound traffic; and the effect on customers of The Greyhound.
Our news item of 25th July, below, has links to details of the scheme.
Date/Time : Thursday, 22nd August 2024 18:50
School to be provided with solar panels
Whitchurch Primary School has been successful in applying for a schools energy efficiency loan of £22,000 from Oxfordshire County Council. It is hoped that solar photo-voltaic panels can be installed in time for the new school term in September. The school has already made the switch to LED lighting in a move towards energy-efficient classrooms.
More information here, including comments by the School Business Manager and by the Headteacher.
Date/Time : Wednesday, 14th August 2024 16:24
Hardwick Road work finished
Thames Water’s contractor arrived on schedule this morning (Monday 29th July) and excavated in Hardwick Road to replace a water stopcock connection to one house, opposite The Mount, and had completed the work by 10.30 am. The road was opened to traffic again at around 10.45 am and is expected to remain open until tomorrow morning.
The team leader said that tomorrow, Tuesday, there will be another brief closure, probably in the morning, for work by a backfilling and concreting team, followed by a third brief closure, either later that day or on Wednesday, for a tarmac team to complete the work. Each of these closures is expected to last for less than an hour.
Update Tuesday 30th, 1.15 pm: There was a very short closure today from 12.45 pm to 1.00 pm for backfilling the hole, after which the road was re-opened.
Update Thursday August 1st, 9 am: Work is complete and all barriers have been taken away.
Date/Time : Monday, 29th July 2024 11:03
High Street parking restrictions start soon
Residents of the High Street have been notified by Oxfordshire County Council that they aim to bring the planned changes to on-street parking into effect from 15th August. Painting of lines and erection of signs is scheduled for Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th August.
A letter delivered this week to High Street residents, explaining how to buy resident and visitor parking permits, can be read here.
Details of the approved scheme, including maps showing the locations of the yellow lines and the parking bays, and a record of the consultation process including comments by objectors and supporters, can be found in this document of January 2024. The scheme was passed by the Parish Council in November 2022 and by OCC in January 2023.
Date/Time : Thursday, 25th July 2024 16:46
Football trophy comes home
The annual Dads' football match between Whitchurch Village and Whitchurch Hill was played on Friday 19th July in Upper Basildon.
Alex Hilton reports: “Another hotly contested event with this time the Village beating the Hill 3-2 (it’s come home!). As ever, we levy a £10 sub for all the players. The teams raised £415 which has been donated for the Primary School.”
The photo shows the trophy being handed over by Matt Cunningham (Whitchurch Hill captain and 2023 victors) to Chris Denning (Whitchurch Village team manager). The trophy (called The Park Life Trophy after former teammate Martin Park) can now be viewed in The Greyhound.
Here is a group photo of the red-shirted Dads of Whitchurch Village.
Date/Time : Wednesday, 24th July 2024 15:06
High Street bell-mouth entrance damaged (Updated)
Part of the curved wall at the entrance to Walliscote Drive, leading to the Church and to Walliscote House, has been knocked over, perhaps by a reversing lorry. The damage, shown in the picture, is believed to have been done late yesterday afternooon (Thursday 18th) or this morning.
There are two more photos here.
This is one of the High Street’s historic bell-mouth entrances, described in this article, which shows how the entrance used to look.
Update, Saturday 20th July: The driver of the lorry is reported to have admitted his mistake and been very apologetic. It seems that a Highways Maintenance lorry was involved and the driver had come down the hill and decided against crossing the bridge, instead reversing back to turn his heavy vehicle around. A member of the family that owns the wall has been in touch with the driver's employers.
Update, Monday 22nd July: Here is a photo of the lorry as, guided by village residents, it moved forwards past the gateway so that it could turn round by backing into the drive that leads to Walled Garden House.
Date/Time : Friday, 19th July 2024 13:55
Tree falls near toll bridge, blocking river (Updated)
Shortly after 5 pm yesterday, Monday, a large tree fell from the island into the navigation channel downstream of Whitchurch lock, partially blocking the route for boat traffic.
Walking across the bridge this morning, Jane MacCaw came across two boaters surveying the scene who said that they had had a narrow escape. After leaving the lock in their boat yesterday they had heard a loud cracking noise ahead of them as the huge tree crashed down into the water. They turned their boat around and headed back towards Streatley, after reporting the situation to the Environment Agency.
Shortly after speaking with the boaters, she saw a narrow boat, which was travelling upstream, successfully push its way through the remaining gap to reach the lock.
Update, Wed 10th July: This morning the Environment Agency began to remove the fallen tree, using a workboat. The Fire Service turned out in support. Boat traffic was able to pass without difficulty by mid-morning. Photo here.
Date/Time : Tuesday, 09th July 2024 13:35
First pilgrims are on their way
This Friday Whitchurch will be visited by a group of pilgrims who will be walking the inaugural pilgrimage along St Frideswide’s Way. This new pilgrim route runs along the River Thames and joins with the Camino Ingles and its route to Santiago de Compostela. The group of pilgrims will be on their four-day journey from Oxford to Reading, stopping in churches and sacred sites along the way. The Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford, will bless the walkers as they set out from Christ Church today, Wednesday. The pilgrims will arrive here in Whitchurch at around 5.30pm on Friday 28th June, where they will be offered tea and cake in the Old Rectory Stables by the Friends of St Mary's and St John's.
There is more on the new pilgrimage route, which is named after Oxford’s patron saint, here.
Date/Time : Wednesday, 26th June 2024 09:27
Award for the Scearces
At the Annual Village Assembly this week the Whitchurch Award for 2024 was presented to Richard and Susan Scearce of Manor Road for their much appreciated activities in the village over many years, especially in connection with the Village Hall and the Church. Nominations for the annual award, which is administered by the Whitchurch Society, had been invited from all residents and the trophy was presented by parish chairman Jim Donahue (picture).
Jim emphasised the teamwork of the couple in their many efforts for the good of the community, describing it as a true partnership of unsung heroes.
Richard has been active as the caretaker/manager of the Village Hall for ten years. He has also been involved in many activities at St Mary’s Church, including being Steeple Keeper. Sue has been involved in numerous community events and helps run the weekly Community Coffee Mornings in The Old Stables. The Afternoon Teas in the Village Hall also benefit from their help.
The Rev James Leach said that Richard and Sue exemplified the spirit of humble, behind-the-scenes service and the Church is very grateful for their kindness. He said the Coffee Mornings are an expression of their love for the community.
There are more photos of the Assembly in the Photo Gallery.
Date/Time : Saturday, 15th June 2024 17:12
Burglaries in the High Street
Police are appealing for witnesses after burglaries earlier this week at two houses in and near the High Street. They occurred during the night of Monday 10th/Tuesday 11th. The suspect in each case entered the house looking for car keys. Searching inside, the suspect stole watches and cash. The suspect also stole a black Mercedes A180 Sport Edition car. In both cases the occupants were asleep. One of the houses is in Duchess Close.
For more details see the Thames Valley Alert issued this morning.
Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting the reference number 43240272712 or 43240272545.
There is crime prevention advice in the Alert, which includes securing windows and doors and storing car keys in a safe place.
Date/Time : Thursday, 13th June 2024 09:21
D-Day exhibition in Pangbourne extended
An exhibition on local involvement in preparations for D-Day has been open for several days in Pangbourne Library. The original closing date of next Monday 10th is being extended to Friday 16th. Note the library’s opening hours.
The photo above shows the Royal Engineers training earlier in the war, with Whitchurch bridge in the background.
A further photo and two quotations give a flavour of the exhibition, which is organised by the Pangbourne Heritage Group.
Date/Time : Thursday, 06th June 2024 13:36
Polish community garden celebrated
After several years of planning and work on the site at Manor Road, the completion of the Polish Church Memorial Garden was celebrated recently by a gathering that included many of the large team of people who had been involved, including the only former resident of the refugee camp still living in Manor Road, Anna Szczeponek.
There are pictures of the event in the Photo Gallery.
John Bradon, chairman of the Whitchurch Society, comments:
“On Friday 17th May we had a very pleasant celebration of the end of the community project to create a garden at the site of the Polish Church, which was reported in this Henley Standard article.
It was a chance to thank everyone who has helped, to see the new interpretation board which tells the story of the site, and to reflect on what this story and the site mean to us.
In addition to those mentioned in the article, helpers on the day included Pete and Sally Woolhouse, who completed some extra planting, and Anna Szczeponek, Jean Marc Grosfort and Doreen Gow who produced the delicious Polish-themed food."
The interpretation board includes a QR code enabling visitors to connect directly to the page on this website that describes the wartime and post-war history of the site.
Date/Time : Monday, 27th May 2024 12:51
St Mary's Youth Club up and running at The Old Stables
When Judi Green and Debbie Leach discussed starting a St Mary's Youth Club for ages 11 to 13 in The Old Stables on Friday evenings, they were not sure how many would come. But now the Fridays have had to be divided into two separate age groups to meet the demand. The latest poster is here.
Debbie says:
“We've been really busy and inundated on Friday evenings. We've had between 23 and 35 on any given night.
We have been so grateful for donations of Basketball and Netball hoops, and balls, and of a Table Tennis table and a Snooker table. This has kept the young people active and having great fun. It is such a bonus to use the outside courtyard of the Old Stables. Inside the building we have a Tuck Shop which is run by the older kids, and craft activities.
We have received some generous donations from individuals in the community which has enabled us to buy a Table Football or ‘Foosball’ in Youth lingo! And we are planning some events for the Youth Club, like a Disco, and Ice Cream one evening. And we have also been given biscuits and cakes which has been very popular with the growing kids!
At present we have not charged for entry to the Youth Club, as we want it to be available to everyone. We are holding an Art Cafe on Saturday 20th July to raise funds to cover our costs.”
There are some photos of the children’s work in the Photo Gallery.
Date/Time : Sunday, 26th May 2024 17:05
Testing the Thames water quality
A number of local volunteers gathered at Pangbourne Meadows recently to learn how to test the river water quality, as part of a training event organised by Thames21, a group campaigning for cleaner rivers.
The work is part-funded by Mend the Gap, the organisation that on behalf of Network Rail manages projects designed to compensate for the visual harm done to two National Landscapes (Chilterns and North Wessex, previously known as AONBs) by the electrification of the Great Western main line.
Thames21 says that “Water quality testing has been instrumental recently in helping Wallingford Beach to gain bathing water status, and the long-term hope is that the results from this testing will help support a bathing water status application for Pangbourne Meadows. In the meantime, this citizen science project will enable local residents to better understand their river and the challenges it faces.”
Two more photos from the training session: here and here.
Date/Time : Sunday, 26th May 2024 16:01
Save Our Pre-School! Updated - BBC News article
A major fund-raising campaign has been launched by a committee of parents at the Whitchurch Pre-School with the aim of funding a new building to replace the present one, which has been in use since 1998.
Fund-raiser Rebecca Bell says that routine roof maintenance over Easter revealed that further patching repairs would not be enough, and a new building is clearly needed. Another winter in the current building is not an option. There are two photos of the school here. There are currently 28 children enrolled.
In a letter delivered to village households this week, the chair of the Pre-School, Emma Gammin, says: “We need your help whether you’ve attended the pre-school yourself, sent your own children, would like the option to in the future, or just want to support young families in the village.”
The school is run as a charity and a special Giving Page has been set up, to which contributions are requested. Already this has attracted a total of £2,000 from over 25 individuals in the community, towards a target of £40,000.
Fund-raising activities planned include ice-cream sales at the Whitchurch Hill fete on 25th May, and regularly at the school itself, and a charity pub quiz at The Greyhound.
Applications are being prepared for grants from such organisations as the National Lottery and Oxfordshire County Council.
The Pre-School is seeking help from members of the community not just for their donations but also for expertise in fund-raising, grant applications, planning, procurement or construction. They would like to hear from anyone willing to share their skills or experience.
The members of the committee are Emma Gammin, Tim Suitor, Rebecca Bell, Becky Galea, Abi Eadie, Miriam Rose and Leigh Gorton.
Here is the appeal poster. The school’s own website also has information.
UPDATE, 14th May: BBC News has visited the school and published this article today: “Pre-school faces closure without new building”.
Date/Time : Sunday, 12th May 2024 18:28
Action against Asian Hornets
The British Beekeeping Association have asked if we could watch and share this video, to help protect the nation’s honeybee population as Asian Hornet numbers grow just across the Channel. Traps are being placed across the country to create a grid to track and monitor invading insects.
Sally Woolhouse reports on action being taken in Whitchurch:
WoTHabs has purchased eight Gard ‘Apis Sentinel traps which will be deployed as widely as possible across the parish. Each trap will be the responsibility of one or more people. They will be put in their chosen locations from April until the end of May, and then put out again in September until the end of October. They will be fitted with the red cap at each end of the trap with the intention of catching Asian hornet queens only.
All those who are looking after the traps, and others who are interested in following progress, will keep in touch primarily using the WhatsApp group, WoT Hornets. The administrators of this group are John Bradon, Gill Goodwin and Sally Woolhouse. All updates, such as when to remove the traps or re-instate them, will be sent through this group. We will keep in close touch with John White, the Pangbourne beekeeper, who sought the community's help with this initiative, and consult him when necessary.
For more on the Asian Hornet, here is a BBC article.
Date/Time : Monday, 29th April 2024 12:04
Hardwick Road closure – now cancelled
‘Road closed’ signs went up on Hardwick Road this morning to enable Thames Water to start its excavation for water supply work. But by 11.00 am there was no sign of Thames Water or its contractor at the site and traffic was still passing through. The closure is booked for three days, Monday 22nd to Wednesday 24th.
Update, 6 pm: It appears that Thames Water has decided against doing the planned work. The ‘Road closed’ signs were taken off the road at around 4 pm this afternoon. Traffic has been able to pass freely along Hardwick Road all day. Many people are likely to have made lengthy diversions unnecessarily. Whether this is a postponement or a cancellation is not clear.
Update, 10 am, Tuesday 23rd April: All the signs have been removed completely and the road is open. The work is no longer listed on the national roadworks register. This is the second time this year that Thames Water has made an unannounced late cancellation for this road closure, after delivering notification letters each time, in advance, to many local addresses.
Date/Time : Monday, 22nd April 2024 11:19