Saturday, 17th January: Annual Quiz Night
The popular Annual Quiz is to be held in the Village Hall on Saturday, 17th January at 7.00pm for a prompt 7.30pm start. Five tables were already booked by the middle of November. With a maximum capacity of 12 tables, you better be quick!
Please book your teams (max 8 per team) in with Barbara Brewer (01869 340423) early to avoid disappointment. The cost is £2.50 pp, entrance fee at time of booking.
You don’t need to be part of a team already, contact Barbara and she’ll be able to assist individuals or couples to make up tables. There is a licenced bar so please do not bring your own drinks to the event, but do bring money.
Friday, 30th January: Public workshop on village improvements
WHAT IMPROVEMENTS COULD WE HAVE FOR STEEPLE?
Parish councillors held an informal meeting in November to consider what community benefits might be required by us if permission were to be granted by Cherwell DC or the Government for one or more of the major development schemes in the area currently under consideration – namely Heyford Park (and its potential New Town), the Oxfordshire Strategic Railfreight Interchange at Ardley, Puy Du Fou near Bucknell, and Baynards Green warehousing. The planning system permits authorities to ask developers to pay for ‘mitigation’ to be provided where a community is likely to be adversely affected by the development. In the case of Steeple Aston, it is the impact of increased traffic in the area that is the greatest concern, although there could also be other negative impacts.
This does not mean that approvals are inevitable, and indeed your PC is playing its part in opposing these huge schemes. But we want to hear what you think about improvements to the village and the parish that might be desirable and possible. So we’re holding a public workshop on
Friday 30th January in the Village Hall at 7.30pm. Free refreshments will be provided.
You can also email the Parish Clerk with your thoughts – parishclerk.steepleaston@gmail.com
Here are some of the ideas discussed so far:
- Increase safety for more cycling and walking, improving bus services; increase funding to the Bartons bus service; every other S4 bus to serve Middle Aston and Fir Lane; add cycle paths; add new pavements where feasible; explore E-bike and car charge points.
- Improve walking surfaces e.g. Fir Lane verge from Dr Radcliffe’s school to the Grain Store; improve footpaths, add street lighting, re- surface path down Heyford Rd to Rousham bridge; weight restrictions and enforcement to reduce HGVs.
- Financial subsidies for the school and pre-school to protect their local service, and to Deddington Health Centre and/or for locum village health services.
- Ensure our playground amenities are safe and suitable with funding for the playground toilet, and upgrading of playground equipment.
- Improve and protect our environment by increased tree planting; a car park for South Side.
- Protect utility supplies by increasing our autonomy: village ground source heat supply (like N. Aston).
Wednesday, 11th February: Lecture on Swifts
Sunday, 22nd March: Spring Show
Steeple Aston and Middle Aston Horticultural Society will hold its Spring Show in the Village Hall from 2.30 – 4.30pm on Sunday, 22nd March. For details of all the classes and how to enter see the Entry Form