December 2009
I am delighted to report that our battle to protect our Green Belt has been very successful.
As you know, SODC together with CPRE and the University challenged the secretary of State to a judicial review on the proposed urban extension of Oxford City into the South Oxfordshire Green Belt south of Grenoble Road. The Secretary of State declined to defend this and we are expecting the current government to issue an order to take all references of Grenoble Road out of the South East Plan, thereby forcing Oxford City Council to modify the City’s Local Plan. I would like to add here that I have been assured that the Conservative Party is committed to protect our Green Belt.
In terms of expansion of employment and housing I remain firm in my belief that there should be co-ordinated development in our County Towns; thus distributing prosperity to the whole County.
SODC have initiated the new recycling system and it has exceeded all our expectations: we now have one of the highest rates of recycling in the country. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all very much indeed for your cooperation and patience over the establishing of this set up, quite apart from the crucial eco value of it, we also have the not inconsiderable financial benefit from the grant we have received from the County Council, which is at least five times that earned under the previous scheme; savings for your Council to the benefit of all of South Oxfordshire!
On a more practical level; for those families of six and over who are finding the current bins inadequate please do apply to the Council and you will be re-assessed for additional plastic bags and thereafter put on the list for the larger 360 litre bins which are due to arrive early in year, as are the smaller bins.
As we are nearing Christmas-tide I would like to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a very Good 2010.
Elizabeth Gillespie
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