Halloween
- 31/10/10
Well, there seem to be lots of Ghosts,
Skeletons, Witches, Gouls, Spiders and other terrible things out tonight. Maybe
they will all gang together and drive the Monkeys out of Faringdon!!!!!!!!!
Chris Higgs
|
Hoping Tesco will
appeal- 31/10/10
On reading the comments on
Waitrose/Tesco's/Budgens with I may say a wry smile, I would like to make a few
points:
Re. Invisible people not having a say, you DO have a say , attend
your town council planning meetings, and as for those 3 District councillors,
Barber, Cox, and Thompson who voted against the wishes of the Town Council and
the majority of Faringdon residents, use your votes at the next District
Council elections and kick these people out!
I hope Tesco's does appeal
this decision just who the hell are the Disrict Councillors most of whom don't
live or shop in our town to remove from us the residents of this town, the
choice of where to shop? OK we do have a choice and all the surveys show that
74% of us use it to do to our main food shopping OUT OF TOWN. This will
continue and escalate until and unless we get a decent supermarket here that
has the range of goods, the quality and the prices to attract our custom.
As to the District Councillors prefered plan for Waitrose (or any other
supermarket) to be situated off Gloucester Street just what planet are they
living on? OK we know they don't live in or visit Faringdon but what imbecile
thought up a plan that involves not just delivery lorries but one assumes
hundreds of shopper cars making daily trips down Gloucester Street to get to
the store ?
Almost certainly if this ludicrous plan goes ahead the
residents of Gloucester Street will have to give up their on street parking
arrangements, and just imagine the chaos when the Waitrose lorries attempt to
exit Gloucester Street and find the Budgens lorries with or without some
thoughtless parkers have blocked the only exit road.
Good move
VWHDC...........NOT !!!!
Name Supplied
|
Great Firework
display - 31/10/10
GREAT firework display at
Faringdon House but just one thing spoiled it...the music. Leave the music out
next year.
Firework night is all about the noise - it makes firework night
what it should be. The music drowned out most of the bangs and I have to say
sounded awful through the tannoy.
Wonder what others think? Maybe a
voting system should be set up for the spectators to choose. Thinking about it
maybe we should do the same for Tesco coming to Faringdon. After all isn't it
about what the residents want and not the councillors?
Name
Supplied
|
Faringdon is
dead- 31/10/10
I have just seen the picture in the
Folly paper of faringdon market day i have counted roughly 10 people says it
all don't it . Faringdon is a dead town it will take more than the kiss of life
to bring it round wouldn't you say .Is it any wonder people shop out of
Faringdon talk about a ghost town all we need are cactus then it would be
something out of a western .
Iam old enough to remember the shops we did
have you could get what ever you wanted not now .
Mrs Hammond
|
Super fast
Broadband.- 31/10/10
Broadband Experience of the
Peking - Paris Rally revealed that Mongolia, Gobi Desert, most of the 'Stans
etc are now served by mobile digital signals better in coverage than Wales or
the Lake District. The locals use solar powered chargers and are now equiped to
talk and trade with the world from the back of beyond, which they learn about
from thier satelite TVs huddled in their yerts. No wires, no fibre optics and
no local infrastructure over the masts built on mountain tops.
We are
falling behind in the race to new technology which is really our main hope of a
strong economy as we cannot compete against the cheap labour and lack of
welfare law previlent in these developing countries. It should be a matter of
national policy to either get total coverage of digital signals and/or the
fastest national line links in the country to keep ahead of the game. Trouble
is will wireless technology overtake fibre optics which cost a lot to put in
negating the investment. I suspect they will. This is why we need to continue
to invest in R and D etc rather than on whining non productive population
centres who get regular media coverage.
Bit political but it is a sobering
fact that these 'backward natives' are up with us in many ways. It will be us
who will become the backwater unless we keep up.
Alan Hitchcock
|
Unwanted
wood - 31/10/10
Unwanted bits of wood (pallet and
crates for recently completed patio). Ideal for bonfire! Available to anyone
who would like to collect it.
Sheila
|
protest-
31/10/10
I think we all should got to abingdon council with big
banners and flags saying no to budgens and yes to tescos whos up for it
Name
Supplied
|
Poor
Faringdon- 31/10/10
Yes, we have lived here for 20
years and I have worked in Faringdon for nearly 30, and Faringdon had 'died'
during the time we have known it! I remember Mortons, W H Smith's, Liddards, Mr
White at the sweet shop and many more. Where are those type of shops now?
It's no good saying that if Tesco is allowed to come to Park road
Faringdon will die, it has started to already! Where will all the new 44%
growth of people go to shop? Not here that is certain.
Tesco or any
other supermarket will only increase the number of paying customers for all
types of shops in Faringdon. Did the people who voted against Tesco ask the
local business people what most of them really wanted?
Poor Old Pretty
Friendy Faringdon, it makes me so sad!!!!
Name Supplied
|
Answering a previous
posting.- 30/10/10
Yes I would shop at Budgens if it
was taken over by Aldi, or Sommerfields etc. But I also would shop at Budgens
regularly if the prices and selection were better. I have lived in Faringdon
for 33 years and I love it, but we make a huge saving by shopping out of town.
But I do wish people would realise that the town is slowly dying anyway.
There is nowhere to buy cds, clothes, childrens and teenage birthday
presents, shoes, inexpensive cards, the list goes on.
Does any one know
what the plans are for our town centre, and how we can attract outlets like
HMV, Superdrug, WH Smiths .
Is anyone trying to entice them here.
By the way I love the articles recently about the monkeys in the town
Jacqui Massey
|
Budgens. -
30/10/10
If we have to put up with Budgens, make it better for us. Drop
your prices!
Colin
|
Super fast
Broadband. - 3010/10
I see reading an article in the
"Oxford Mail" that superfast fast broadband is coming to Oxford, Witney and
Wantage. Reason is competition. As Faringdon is once again out on a limb we
have to fight in this Infinity competition. Perhaps now our WHDC Councillors
arent distracted by the Supermarket wars, they could instead put pressure on
BT.
Faringdon gets Super duper broadband and the town will be fighting off
firms wanting to come here.
Sorry, had a "senior moment" then.
Colin
|
Faringdon like
Clochemerle? - 30/10/10
Does this discussion of shops
remind anyone of Clochemerle?
Perhaps we could have a Pissoirs where the
Millenium clock was to be to celibrate our twin town status with France. It
could double up as the new Post Office counter to save time as well. The two
new free carparking spaces created by removing the Gents in the carpark will
transform businness solving all are problems. Has anyone thought of dying the
local monkeys, Lord Berners style. That might make the place more attractive
and American 'big game' hunters might pay to shoot the red ones instead of
large dangerious man eating red deer on Exmoor. Indeed the stock of targets
could be increased by mooring two small balloons on top of the Church tower and
Folly. Traders might just get time to sell some Muslim related stock before the
American hunters blaze away at anything remotely looking like a bin liner or
tea towel.
This means the Co-Op can take over the JDS site expanding thier
service and employ a few more folk, possibly failed shop workers accused of
poor public relations since thier customers will not be greatly worried about
that. All our local problems need is a cohesive plan to solve them.
Alan
Hitchcock
|
Psychology tutor wanted
- 30/10/10
Just wondering if anyone knows of a
psychology a level and or english literature a level private tutor preferably
in the faringdon area, greatly appreciated.
Thankyou.
Georgina
Allen-Stevens |
Sarcasm-
30/10/10
Dear Forum Bully, I heartily concur that the verbosity on TP
has reached a new Nadir. No longer are we treated to tongue in cheek
observations, catty comments and dare I say it witticisms. (Thank the lord for
spell checker, anyone tried it lately?)
PS. The Gourds and Squash where
wonderful!
Name and address withheld on this rare occasion!
|
Phew! -
30/10/10
The last Time I gently meandered through the postings on
Talking Points, barely prepared me for the onslaught of the last few days.
From Monkey Hunting; (now there is an interesting conception, The Crown or Bell
offering full board packages for safari style holidays in Faringdon), to the
imfamouse (sic) Supermarket debate. Pop into this heady mix, the question of
"What did the Romans do for us", "Tesco's are my only love" and "Whatever it
is, I hate it!" And we have a new soap opera just waiting in the wings.
When we moved here, I said we would be gone in 4 years MAX.
25
years later and B****r! I am still here. Surprisingly, we as a couple actually
like this Town (although I increasingly struggle with my reasoning). We like
most of the people who live here, (we have a little book however, so be
careful), and despite all the rhetoric to the contrary believe that this town
could (should?) have a great future.
What needs to be addressed is that no
small town can meet the individual needs of all it's inhabitants. Just because
Budgens does not have the precise brand or product that YOU WANT NOW! Does not
mean it is a bad outlet, what it means is that if there is no popular demand
for a service or product, then you ain't going to get it. This will also apply
to Tesco, Waitrose, or any other outlet.
So, what is the point of this
rambling? I suppose the first point is to ask people to think, evaluate what
they want and then understand the world isn't perfect.
The second is rather
than just criticize, be constructive in your arguments to illustrate your point
in a realistic way.
Third, stop hiding behind "Name and Address
Supplied". If you cannot stand by your comments perhaps you should consider
their merits.
Rant Over.
Mike Perks.
|
More on the tescos front
- 30/10/10
I understand both sides of the debate.
But the big headache now is that if tescos dont get the go ahead for a
store in park rd. Then all they will do is sit on the land not sell or rent it
. Which inturn will lock up a huge employment area . The VWDC councilmay
control many things but it cant stop tescos holding on to the land and living
it empty .
So come on lets get some much needed jobs in the town.
I know the likes of our councillers would prefer waitrose . And I
guess I would if I could afford a mega house in coxwell road .
Cheers
Name Supplied
|
Budgens. -
30/10/10
A big thankyou to the customers who have been supportive of the
Budgens staff this week. Lots of encouraging words and praise has been greatly
appreciated.
We work hard.
Name Supplied
|
Alan Hickmore.
- 30/10/10
I suggest that we write to a certain D.
Cameron and suggest that he stand aside as Alan Hickmore seems a more level
headed chap than he is. The supermarket debate WILL eventually give us a decent
shop as he suggests, but when?
Anyway, Alan Hickmore for PM!
Colin
|
Access to Gloucester St
Supermarket- 30/10/10
Even if we reroute children via
the Lechlade Road entrance to school, there will still be 3-4 deliveries a day
- lorries negotiating a road that the recycling lorries struggle to get round;
what a joke the road widening proposed it - what they are really saying here if
you look at the proposal is that they will use some of the existing footpath to
widen the road! Do we really the extra haulage traffic negotiating the market
place to reach the A420.
If we have to have a supermarket in the
Gloucester Street car park then we need to be negotiating delivery access from
another direction. I am not convinced that the Faringdon House Estate is
undertaking a service to the Faringdon community - it will leave us with a
legacy of traffic chaos and danger. When Budgens announced they were saying no
to Tesco, were they really aware of the potential threat from a supermarket
quite literally on their doorstep!!
Name Supplied
|
Reply to Randolph
Re:Monkeys- 30/10/10
Good Sir it was with great
pleasure I read you most recent reply. It is warming to know that the local
community has an expert in these matters.
Thank you for identifying
the species of monkey we have in the town. Although I have spent some time the
traveling through Central America, observing the local primate populas, I was
unable to identify this new breed. The closest comparison I could make was with
the Ateles geoffroi although the lack of prehensile tail meant I could not
identify for certain.
I heed your words of warning, luckily on my most
recent sighting I was accompanied by my hetrosexual life partner Samwise, had I
not, I certainly would fear for ones safety.
Your planned insurgency
against the local populace is indeed inspired. However, I fear that at the
speed at which this one populace breeds, the town, county and even country
could be over-run in an alarmingly short time. I fear that threat of a post
apocalyptic monkey ruled society (something akin to the fictional work of
"Planet of the Apes") hangs delicately in the balance.
Whilst
traveling the back roads of the Osa Pennisula in Costa Rica I came across a
local by the name of Javies del Sol, who speicalises in mass monkey clearence.
The indeginous populace herald him as some form of monkey shamen. Perhaps his
services can be acquired for a small fee.
I look forward to hearing
your and other residents ideas on the matter before our great community is
dammed, dammed to hell.
Faithfully Submited
Frodo Baggins
|
New Carers group in
Faringdon - 29/10/10
Do you provide unpaid care for
someone who is ill, disabled, frail or has an addiction?
Caring
responsibilities can be all consuming, emotionally draining and physically
demanding.
Would you like some time to yourself to meet people who are
also caring for someone? Have some lunch, relax, chat to others and find out
what support services are available to you?
Then come along to a FREE
buffet lunch, to discuss
A New Carers Group in Faringdon
on
Wednesday 8th December 12.30pm – 2.30pm
In Brackendale Common Room,
Ferndale Road, SN7 7AJ
Places are limited, so you will need to book
For more information or to book a place, please contact
Brian Conroy
Community Development Officer
Tel 01993 704007
brian.conroy@oxfordshire.gov.uk
|
Supermeerkat- 29/10/10
Yes, what we
clearly need here is a SUPERMEERKAT!
shophound
|
Supermarket
solution:- 29/10/10
The only reason we need another
supermarket in Faringdon is because the current one doesn't meet the needs of
the town or, possibly more importantly for incoming business, the surrounding
area.
Solution - demolish the current one and let a retailer who would be a
drawcard to Faringdon build a new, bigger one with parking underneath.
Sschimplish.
|
Tesco, Waitrose and
planning.- 29/10/10
Tesco, Waitrose and
planning.
I thought it might be useful if I set out what has happened
over the last few years so that everybody knows the facts. I'm sorry but this
is going to be quite long.
In 2008 the District Council published
their "Draft Core Strategy" for the period up to 2026. This included a report
on retailing in Faringdon that basically said that we did not need any more
shop space. It also said that we should have about 450 new houses built
opposite the Bloor Homes site in Park Road. This will increase our population
by about 44%.A subsequent report indicated that Faringdon needed an additional
supermarket.
Meanwhile:
JDS had gone into receivership. Tesco
bought the site and leased it to a new company - Redlake Joinery - but
indicated that they wanted to develop the site eventually as a supermarket.
Meanwhile
The "Core Strategy" had indicated that the site
proposed by Faringdon House for housing was not suitable as it was in a
conservation area.
Meanwhile
The officers at the District Council
decided that improvement in the retail offer in Faringdon could be achieved if
Budgens was extended by compulsorily purchasing the old post office, the Red
Lion, the Barclays Bank car park and some adjacent houses. This plan was
dropped when it was remembered that the post office and the Red Lion were
"listed" buildings.
Meanwhile
The Faringdon House Estate had
shown an interest in developing their site as a parade of shops with living
accommodation and a community building (possibly a museum).
So
District Council officers said "why not develop it as a supermarket site"?
Meanwhile
Redlake Joinery had gone into liquidation and the site
was empty. Tesco firmed up their plans and held an exhibition in the Corn
Exchange followed by a Planning & Highways meeting at which about 100
people attended and gave their views. The result was about 50/50.
Then
Tesco submitted a planning application for the Park Road site. This is
comprehensive and detailed. It rubbished the Gloucester St. site for all the
reasons of access and egress and the topography of the site (it is on a severe
slope and the digging out of the land would be an expensive and disruptive
task).
Then :
Faringdon Town Council took the view that the Tesco
application should go ahead and insisted that the industrial land that would be
converted to retail use should be replaced by allowing the Wicklesham quarry
site to be developed for this purpose. There were a further series of caveats
attached.
Then:
Waitrose (following representations from the
advisors to Faringdon House) made clear their interest in developing the
Gloucester Road site. We have no full details but they will present these at an
exhibition on 12th/13th November in the Pump Rooms
and at a meeting of FTC planning & highways committee
on 23rd November.
Meanwhile
The "Development Control
Committee" (planning committee) of the Vale of White Horse District Council
(the planning authority) rejected the application by Tesco on the grounds that
it was too far from the shopping centre and that it was taking up industrial
land (although this had not been used since 2008). They ignored the Faringdon
Town Council suggestion that the land could be replaced at Wicklesham Quarry.
That's where we are. The next steps could well be:
An appeal
by Tesco to the planning inspectorate against the decision by the district
council.
An application in late Novemebr by Waitrose for the
development of the site behind Gloucester Street.
The exhibition by
Waitrose in November.
Remember that all these decisions are determined
by reference to planning law embodied in "Planning Policy Statement 4" (PPS4)
which gives the way these decisions are made. If you want a precis of PPS4 it
is available from the Deputy Town Clerk.
The next few years are going
to be interesting for the retail development of Faringdon. We will have a new
supermarket (somewhere) and that will have a revitalising affect on the town.
(Please note that these are my personal views and do not necessarily
reflect those of FTC Planning & Highways Committee)
Alan
Hickmore
ED(GW) Thanks Alan
|
Vodaphone signal is down
again- 29/10/10
The vodafone signal is down yet again
in Faringdon and I'm very annoyed. So I phoned them and threatened to cancel
all 4 contracts I have with them. They've subsequently offered to send me a
special piece of equipment free of charge which gives me the ability to connect
up via the internet in and around my home - free of charge. It's called "my
sure signal".
So - if you are as fed up as I am, I suggest you phone
customer services and ask for this piece of kit free. Maybe, if a lot of people
do this vodafone will address the issue with the mast once and for all. Let us
know how you get on. In the meantime, they still wont tell me what's gone wrong
with the mast now. Is our resident vodafone employee able to shed any light on
this please?
Godfrey Smith
|
In response to the 'Leakey influenced person' re
Coxwell Road excavations, 26/10- 29/10/10
How wonderful to
read an articulate, referenced and professional response with a bit of wit
chucked in for a change! Whoever the chap is who ran the dig at Coxwell Road, I
salute you!
Mel
|
Access to 'Waitrose' and
school kids.- 29/10/10
If this particular junction is
such a problem then surely the answer is to use the footpath on the other side
of Lechlade Road and use the School entrances beyond the disputed road access.
The danger is therefore walked around with out anyone having to modify anything
other than there habitual shortest route to the school entrance. A shame that
side of the road does not get the sun as you can miss soaking up some rays but
otherwise simples!
If Faringdon is to encourage additional custom from
outside the town then traffic will increase around the streets. That is a good
thing. If you see this as a problem then you are really against a successful
town centre. You cannot really have one without the other. Moving entrances to
differing cul de sacs is only moving the traffic jams of school time. I think
this is due to the school traffic rather than the background traffic of
commerce isn't it? It can be avoided by using legs for the majority.
Of
course the additional traffic might be all the people rushing to shop outside
Faringdon now Tesco have been disappointed. I just hope these folk do thier
home economics and shop effciently rather than in some sort of spite against
Budgens. You need to calculate your fuel, wear and tear and loss of time in
shopping out of town on top of your trolley of goods. It is very often more
than folk think. Best is to join the middleclasses at Lidl or Aldi, really
cheap, for a mass goods purchase once every two weeks and buy fresh and top up
goods locally.
I do not see a small Tesco changing that. Waitrose, depends
what they plan to build. Asda, Oh dear, I think that will stimulate
depopulation other than the Faringdon Monkeys who will probably be delighted.
Alan Hitchcock
|
Just a
thought.- 29/10/10
W. Shakespeare caused Lord
Polonius in Hamlet to say "Brevity is the Soul of Wit"
So the convoluted
posting from Reading University would not have been appreciated by Lord
P.
But after ploughing through the verbiage I have to concede that an
existing problem is perfectly described and the solution, though totally
reprehensible, would appear to be the only effective one under our present
jurisprudence.
So it would be understandable if a group of individuals,
after a few drinks possibly, should take the law into their own hands and
chastise the miscreants who at present are above the law.
Needless to say,
I am not advocating the use of violence against the deprived children, no doubt
coming from broken homes, who are allowed to take over the town centre by our
powerless policemen but.....
Wouldn’t it be nice to hear that some of
them had been taught the error of their ways in the only way they understand
!
Wishful Thinker.
|
Supermarket
Traffic- 29/10/10
Dear all, Has anyone actually read
either the report from 2 weeks ago from, the council on why tesco should be
refused planning? and has anyone read the application from Waitrose?
The
tesco app does not fulfil several important criteria in the eyes of the
councillors, simple as that. as for "jobs lost" you cannot lose uncreated jobs,
and if you READ the review it suggests that 100 jobs would actually be about
20-30 (iir) full time and the rest part time which does not constitute 100 jobs
being created.
Just wondering with all this moaning about Budgens, if ANY
other supermarket were to appear on the site of Budgens would you do your main
shop there? Be it Aldi, Lidal, or a M&S food?
Name Supplied
|
Wanted all monkey hunters!
- 29/10/10
I made a similar post a few weeks ago
about these creatures that frequent our town. Apparently they are called
''youth'' and apparently harmless. Nevertheless, I would not like to get close
enough to find out if they are.
I am not up to date with my innoculations.
is there an authority to round up these animals so that they do not spread, or
is the situation now beyond that? ??
Name Supplied
|
Supermarket
Traffic- 29/10/10
The comment regarding children in
inner cities has no relevence, as we are not an inner city. no children are not
made of bone china and yes they can be taught to take extra care but have you
actully driven down Gloucester St in peak school times? this is not a road for
heavy 'supermarket' traffic, its far to narrow what are they going to do knock
down the library or some homes, how about turning our brains on!!
I'v
lived here all my life and i think its a lovely idea faringdon is expanding but
how is putting a supermarket in this area expanding? park road is a perfect
spot for any one in faringdon to get to with no hassle. i really dont see the
problem with this!so by all means lets expand this lovely (market?) town. I
think Mr Koder hit the nail on the head with
:Tesco building a proper
size supermarket on park road.
Faringdon house estate allows public access
along some tasteful paths through a managed nature reserve behind the school.
(WHAT A LOVELY IDEA WHICH WOULD ATTRACT PEOPLE TO OUR TOWN) Local specialist
businesses thrive by supplying quality products the supermarkets do not, and
are supported by free parking.
SOME GOOD IDEAS!
also how about
gutting budgens to a shell and having a lovely indoor market, so we could
actully say we are a market town! i and sooo many people i know will be very
dissapointed at not getting a tesco, but if the door has closed on that lets
focus our energy on not having supermarkets in stupid places!! rant over :)
A tesco fan
|
Dear Frodo
Baggins.- 28/10/10
I read, with academic curiosity, your
contribution regarding local Monkeys.
You may be interested to know that
the creatures you are referring to are actually know in the study of
lumpenproletariat behaviour as 'Infantium Obsanus'. Commonly known as the 'Acne
Faced Chav'. Identifiable, as you so rightly pointed out, by their grubby Pound
Saver tracksuit bottoms, hoody tops and tedious baseball caps, a particularly
tiresome American fashion introduced into this country by someone who has a lot
to answer for.
The disturbing sound emitted by Chav’s in a crude
effort at communication is usually marked, as you say, by primitive screeching
and a total inability to construct a sentence without the use of the words C***
or F***. This condition is suspected to be the result of either the Mothers
excessive consumption of crisps and viewing of daytime tv during conception or
poor perinatal care carried out by desperate Taliban insurgents masquerading as
NHS healthcare professionals.
While the common Acne Faced Chav is normally
diffident and generally useless on its own it can become a problem when part of
a gathering of five or more. Under these conditions Chav’s are capable of
spiting up to a distance of two metres, particularly when defecating in
Churches or urinating on war memorials.
Your comparison with monkeys is
interesting and brings to mind the problems experienced in the city of Deli,
India, where troublesome gangs of Rhesus monkeys regularly roam the streets
causing problems. The Rhesus monkey, like the Cow, is regarded as a sacred
creature in India and despite its antisocial behaviour is heavily protected by
strong religious beliefs making it effectively immune from normal law and
enforcement. In comparison the British Acne Faced Chav, while in no way sacred,
is a creature heavily protected by a ludicrous British legal system, local
social services, sympathetic magistrates, members of the public not wishing to
be branded as paedophiles and in particular, aggressive, Staffordshire bull
terrier owning, relatives permanently under the influence of recreational
drugs.
The solution in Deli was to instigate the use of higher caste
monkeys, carefully nurtured by the local police, rewarded with treats and
trained to kick the crap out of trouble making simian offenders when the need
arose.
Based upon this inspired and ingenious example I believe it is
perfectly conceivable that a similar solution could be possible in Britain.
This would take the form of a covert operation, sponsored by Rentokil, where
suitable candidates from exclusive private schools could be recruited as
undercover territorial Chav’s. Following intensive training by the
military and death of elocution street speak specialists, they would be
deployed as a defensive force to ensure the street corners, bus shelters and
WW2 pill boxes of Faringdon remain in good order and free of infestation and
odious unrest …
Randolf Higginbottom.
Professor of Ghastliness.
The Jeremy Kyle Centre for Dysfunctional Studies.
Reading University.
|
Re Skatepark
- 28/10/10
The FTC have requested that Bloor Homes lay
the base for it as part of their S106 agreement and the are legally bound to do
this.
Funds have been set aside for years to put the pipes on it and SK8
are campaigning for further funding.
Name Supplied
|
Tesco-
28/10/10
Shameful descision by VWHDC turning down the Tesco planning
application,it seems Faringdon always gets a raw deal.This was a great chance
to improve the area around Park Road bringing more people into the town/extra
jobs and kick starting the local economy-now it will just become an
eyesore.
Hardly an out of town store anyway with all the new housing
developments taking place-if it was sited near the A420 by the roundabout i
could see the point of the arguement.
Sadly most people will do their main
food shopping elsewhere Swindon/Wantage etc. Faringdon will continue to be a
dormitory town.
Back to the Dark Ages.
Name Supplied
|
Budgens. -
28/10/10
Lets get behind Budgens now and tell them what we want from
them. Head office would be interested to know.
It's in everyone's interest
in Faringdon and surrounding villages that it meets their requirements.
Positive comments too please.
Name Supplied
|
Tesco-
28/10/10
Tesco what a waste of time our council is, they don't care one
bit about the way we feel, or the things we would like,I give up like someone
else mentioned about the skate park, that,s another thing that's never going to
happen, bunch of jokers.
ah well I will just have to keep making the
journey to swindon for my food shopping,
Name Supplied
ED(GW) It's the
VWHDC councill that made the decision, not Faringdon Town Council
|
Tesco
debate- 28/10/10
"Why do we bother when obviously us
little people don't count we are here not invisible.
Name Supplied"
Name supplied, not invisible?
Mr Invisible
|
Tesco
debate- 28/10/10
Once again the council have ignored
the people of faringdon over the Tesco debate .
LET US HAVE A SAY IN WHAT
HAPPENS IN OUR TOWN .
You are quick enough letting us have our say when it
comes to voting local mps. Why do we bother when obviously us little people
don't count we are here not invisible.
Name Supplied
|
New Supermarket
- 28/10/10
Dont make me laugh. It will be like the
skate park. This year, next year, sometime, NEVER. Thanks a lot, councillors. I
dont think.
name supplied, one of many!
|
Folly Christmas Light and
Monkeys- 28/10/10
Whats the plan for this years
festive lighting atop the Folly Tower?
If a decision has yet to be
made I would again like to suggest something akin to "The Eye of Mordor"
casting its evil gaze on the proposed site(s) of Tesco or Waitrose, highligting
the inadequacy of both sites to wider public.
Also whilst strolling
through Budgens car park a few nights ago, I was amazed to see a new breed of
monkey...They stand approx 5ft tall, and wears clothes! yes clothes! Typically
baseball caps,baggy trouser and hooded jumpers they can often be seen climbing
over and along the wall that seperates the Southampton Street car park and
Barclays car park. These monkeys have also developed some form of speech
pattern and dialect. Although broken with high pitched screeching it appears to
be English in nature.
I suggest the town council assemble a team of
expeirenced hunters to trap and research this truely remarkable species that is
apparently thriving in Faringdon.
Frodo Baggins - Monkey Hunter
|
Supermarket
- 28/10/10
I am disapopointed that Tesco's application
has been refused. It does call into question just who our district councillors
are representing, since clearly they are not supporting the wishes of the
majority of the residents. It will be years before we are 'allowed' to have a
meaningful choice here, and all for the interests of a minority, a few of whom
I daresay have strong vested interests.
name supplied
|
Supermarket Traffic and
Dave's comment - 28/10/10
Of course kids can be
taught to be careful but when the road layout is awful there remains a level of
danger that is little to do with the kids being careful or the care of car
drivers either for that matter.
The road layout at the access point to
the Gloucester Street car park is absolutely terrible. It is not really wide
enough for two cars to pass safely and the pavement is very narrow too. People
coming from the market square direction cannot see what is coming up from the
car park and drivers can't see them till they are almost in the road. Also the
amount of car, bicycle and foot traffic at the start and end of the school day
make this a very dangerous stretch of road already without adding lorries and
more cars.
I also think your expectations that Faringdon kids should
have the same level of street/traffic awareness that inner-city kids have is a
little unrealistic.
Since I doubt the layout ever could be improved, we
will have to live with it as it is, but that is all the more reason not to add
to the danger.
Katrina Campbell
|
Faringdon is great
- 28/10/10
Yes it is and I use all the shops you
mention (I'm anti supermarkets selling flowers and newpapers !). All our meat
comes fresh from Pat Thomas, I love the gift shops, Pure me is wonderful and
the Coffee House is my second home !. Unfortunately the one thing that most of
us need, especially young families, is a good supermarket. I don't do any of my
food shopping in Budgens so always go out of town - and that won't change while
Budgens is our only choice. I don't think any of the places (gift shops etc)
will be affected by a Tesco, Waitrose or any other supermarket because we will
continue to use them. The only shop which will suffer is Budgens and I'm afraid
they've had plenty of notice of the possibility of competition. They could have
really upped their game and started encouraging people to use them by sorting
out their prices. We don't mind paying a little extra if it means we don't have
to drive anywhere but we won't be ripped off.
They still have time to get
people on their side.......however if the cafe rumour is true then I think they
can say goodbye.
They can't moan about competition and then try and take
trade from others in the town.
Name Supplied
|
Ghostly Goings On??!
- 28/10/10
I have been approached by a national
newspaper who are doing an article on Ghostly Goings On.
Does anyone have
any stories about ghosts in Faringdon? Please email
sally@faringdontowncouncil.gov.uk
Thanks Sally
|
Faster Broadband - We're
doing well - but more votes needed - 2810/10
7.62% -
263 votes have been cast out of a total of 3,452
www.racetoinfinity.bt.com/
|
Disappointed - Tesco
- 28/10/10
I am very disappointed Tesco is not coming
to Faringdon.
So I will continue to shop out of town, with most of the
Faringdon population, until Budgens improvements drastically. I know for a fact
that many some Budgens employees don't shop there.
It would be interesting
to see if the council allows the Waitrose Plan.
Actually how about a nice
Asda Walmart people.
Any ideas anyone?
Jacqui Massey
|
Faringdon is
great- 28/10/10
Friends in Faringdon,
Great news,
the Vale have sensibly applied national planning policy and rejected Tesco's
out of town application to build a small supermarket out on Park Road. >
The reason this is great news is that our town centre will have the
opportunity to welcome some of us back with open arms. It would be a real pity
if local people continued to campaign against our historic town centre and
continued to support an out of town supermarket bid. >
Personally,
I'm off to see Rob the cheese (Manna)for a pasty, decide whether to sit outside
to have a coffee (probably not) then buy a couple of early Christmas pressies
from the Nut Tree, Pure Me, Presentations and possibly a bunch of nice flowers
from Thanks a Bunch for my wife. >
Then I think I will grab a paper
and a cheap pinta milk from the newsagents, a couple of DIY bargains from Davis
and that Really Useful Shop and enjoy a nice pint in a welcoming local pub.
Maybe even a beer at the refurbished Swan's beer festival, for only
£1.99, whose with me….? >
Isn't Faringdon
Great.
Cheers everyone!
Andrew
|
Re: Gloucester St
suggestion for a supermarket.- 28/10/10
The Highways
Authority is Oxfordshire County Council and they have stated that there will be
no access whatsoever onto the Lechlade road and that includes Woodview.
Personal opinion is that the VWHDC's plan is a non-starter.
Name
Supplied
|
Daydream
- 28/10/10
Perhaps FTC are playing a really long game
and and can sort this out before I retire:
Tesco builds proper size,
fully discounting supermarket on Park Rd, and funds development of a friendly
path to the centre
Waitrose buy Budgens so we can buy nice convenience
food
Faringdon House Estate allows public access along some tasteful
paths through a managed nature reserve behind the school
Local
specialist businesses thrive by supplying quality products the supermarkets do
not, and are supported by free parking
Banks and landlords make it
possible for independents and chain shops to set up and survive;
Pizza
Express opens in Threshers (ok maybe I'm pushing it).
Tim Koder
|
Tesco Planning Application
refused permission.- 28/10/10
The Development Control
Committee of the Vale District Council refused planning permition for the Tesco
supermarket on Park Road tonight.
The vote had only one abstention and no
supporters of the application.
One mystery was solved. Two of our
district councillors, Cllr Matthew Barber and Cllr Roger Cox voted against the
application and Cllr Alison Thomson spoke against it.
The next stage could
well be an appeal by Tesco against the decision. (Note that any views in this
posting are mine and not those of the FTC P&H Committee)
Alan
Hickmore
|
Supermarket
traffic- 28/10/10
I cant help wondering when I read
all the whining about more traffic for the proposed supermarket sites what
people think children who live in inner cities do when their schools are near
busy roads. It's just par for the course for many kids. Children aren't made of
bone china and can be taught to be careful.
As for faringdon getting
bigger, its the best thing that could happen so all the nimbys need to wake up
and realise that without new blood and spending power the town will become
totally dead. Its half way there already.
Dave.
|
regarding budgens
banner- 28/10/10
What do people think when they cut
the staff hours and tell them they have just employed new staff no wonder the
staff aint happy all the time the owner needs to wake up and speak to the staff
at budgens before the all leave
Name Supplied
|
Supermarket
traffic- 28/10/10
I think that access should be
through the Faringdon estate from the Lechlade Road - Google Earth it and you
will find there is already a defined route ... and clearly no thought has been
given to the children who make the journey to school and have to cross the top
of Gloucester Street car park road to get to school - and I'm not just thinking
delivery lorries, I'm thinking about the additional traffice that will be
accessing the supermarket.
If the Faringdon Estate want to make a fast buck
by selling the land off then they should't be allowed let the town take the
burden of inconvenience e.g. additional traffic and subsequent risk. I want a
supermarket - Tesco, Waitrose or whoever but sensible and safe access to it has
to be a priority.
Name Supplied
|
Supermarket
traffic- 27/10/10
Whether an access to Waitrose (or
anr supermarket behind Gloucester St) is from Woodview or the current (maybe
widened) access to the car park, think about the volume of traffic on the
roundabout at the top of Marlborough St, Gravel Walk, Lechlade Road at school
times, exit from Gloucester St car park - one way into Cornmarket and either
through the town or round the Corn Exchange up Marlborough St. Not just
lorries, but shoppers cars too.
Is this really to be encouraged?
Name
Supplied
|
Supermarket
traffic- 27/10/10
In reply to the comment "what makes
anyone think that a supermarket would try to squeeze its delivery traffic
through the entrance to the municipal car park in Gloucester Street. Do you
imagine that they're not clever enough to think that one out?"
The answer
is that I have read the proposal on the faringdon House Estate website (URL
http://www.faringdonhouseestate.co.uk/18097%20A3%20MK%2010%2002%2009%20letter%20to%20k%20barrett%20-%20core%20strategy%20representations%20+%20appendicespdf.pdf
- you may need a pdf reader to see this).
This document clearly states:
"Vehicular access
Access to a new store would be from the Gloucester
Street Car park access road".
They envisage 3-4 delivery lorries a day
using this, and they say it would be widened - but unless they propose knocking
down either the library or the other building on the opposite corner there
isn't really much they could do to widen the road is there?
I am not
at all sure "they" have thought this through and am not prepared to take it on
trust that "they" have, as "they" may not have to live with the mess if this
goes through but as a faringdon resident I would have.
Katrina Campbell
|
Waitrose
appealing?- 27/10/10
The 'Waitrose' idea is more
appealing from a town centre business perspective but falls down on access. The
carpark behind the Dentists etc used to have a height restriction to prevent
trucks going down there. Glibly opening up a new road from Woodview into the
area means cutting across the old Elms Playing Fields. While the Council
Departments involved would gain revenue the town loses a resource to a business
I wonder if we need. Indeed is Woodview actually of a design to be any better
access than the Gloucester Street one? Tescos have the better and more
accessable position for a supermarket attracting out of town customers. If not
a shop who is going to start a business there in the current economic climate
even if the owners were to let the properties? Not looking like a goer. If you
are out of town then you drive to the easiest to access and cheapest or most
'middleclass' apparently supermarket of your choice (I thought the Middle Class
would have gone for home delivery but what do I know). That is unlikely to be
hidden round the back of Faringdon unless you wish to frequent one of the
Faringdon specialist shops. I do not see the development bringing in any much
more folk from out of town than the 'Tesco out of town' store.
Coming
in from the other direction I had the benefit of having a coffee with a chum
sat in the sun of the Market Place on Monday. The place is a nice area to be.
We need to keep these business going and the area is a resource. It is a
difficult balance to achieve. Best to get along to Alan Hickmore's consultative
meetings and gain facts to provide our representitives with reasoned opinions
they can use. I do not perhaps agree with the Market Place layout totally but
at least Mr Hickmore and co tried his best to create something which has seen
more use of the area for town events. What we had would be a bit of a mess now
and much less attractive day to day or as a venue for town celibrations. We can
only build on what we have that is good.
Would it be possible to inforce
night/out of hours deliveries on a supermarket? If so then 'Waitrose' might
work.
Alan Hitchcock
|
Overview- 27/10/10
I think The Steeds
ground research revealed a politically incorrect Roman find so was hastily
covered up. I have it on good authority that a Tescus market place lies under
that area and dating remains from round the town show that some 50 years after
the Tescus opened, a tablet was found dating it's opening, the town was
abandaned until the Dark Ages when many of the now inhabitants forebares were
sent here from Abingdon on the understanding that they work hard but give most
of thier money to Abingdon.
It was a shame that Tescus saw the collapse of
the Roman town as big plans were afoot. For many years a colliseum was planned
for sports, a clock was to be made to celibrate bumping off God, always a good
idea if he is handy - see Afghanistan.
Several areas were to see new
housing for more people not interested in living in the town but on its
distance from their bosses at work. Alas it was not to be and the whole lot
moved to what is now Stanford in the Vale where the mud was much better since
it was still a swamp then.
Well I had a spare five minutes and you did ask!
Alan Hitchcock
|
Possible change in
Planning Law - 27/10/10
"The Housing Minister, Grant
Sharps MP, has outlined a new right that will allow communities across England
to come together and create new homes, shops businesses and
facilities.
Grant Sharp says '"he new community right to build will shift
power from Government to communities to allow local people to deliver homes and
development that they really want ,without being told that their expansion does
not fit with their local( principal) council's plans and should not go
ahead."
The details will be contained in the forthcoming L ocalism Bill. We
will be seeking a clearer definition of community organisations which will have
the green light to new developments without a specific application or planning
permission as long as there is overwhelming community backing in a local
referendum. Furthermore we will demand answers as to how the process of the
local referendum will be met.
The National Association guess that where
a community brings forward a development c heme it should be granted because
it:
Has the support of the local( parish or town)council and the community
on the basis of a high quality community plan
Shows evidence of need
ls
of suitable scale with no overwhelmin site constraints on drainage, archaeology
and biodiversity
lt should apply to all development schemes ,not just those
involving community development."
This potential change to the law could
be of significant importance to Faringdon. Wicklesham quarry development is
just one possibility.
Note:
A word of warning. T he legislation under
which we are currently w orking also started with very similar aims but was
changed by the time it was enacted so that the major change was the weakening
of the powers of County C ouncils and the strengthening of Districts.
Name
Supplied
See
http://www.number10.gov.uk/queens-speech/2010/05/queens-speech-decentralisation-and-localism-bill-50673
|
Fernhill Practice Patient
Group Meeting - 26/10/10
Next meeting, is to be held
at the Practice at 6:30pm- c7.30pm on Thursday the11th of November.
We hope
to be able to inform the group about the Government's latest White Paper and
how we think Commissioning will affect us here within Primary Care.
All
welcome to come
Paul Jeffries
Practice Manager
|
RE: Expensive Waitrose
23/10/10- 26/10/10
I'd like to move to Faringdon .But
where to live's a riddle.
I often shop in Waitrose but.....
I also go
to Lidle !
Name Supplied
|
Wanted for Giant Jumble
Sale - 7/10/10
Books, DVDs, bric a brac, toys, good
clothes, shoes, bags, etc.
Raffle prizes.
In aid of Parkinsons Disease,
Multiple Sclerosis and 10% to Hope Dog Rescue.
All needed for the Giant
Jumble Sale, Saturday 13th November.
Tel: 01367 241753 or 240130
|
Say 'Yes' to Waitrose /
planning - 26/10/10
Provided the planning criteria can
be satisfied, a Waitrose or Morrisons in Faringdon would be ideal. A small
Tesco Express, anywhere in the town, would not be worth the bother.
I
shop at Budgens some of the time but the one in Faringdon could be much better.
I would definitely not be interested in a cafe there..?! What does worry me is
parking, and traffic through the narrow centre at peak times. Any new
supermarket would need its own, additional, car-park with access from outside
the town centre.
I suppose the planning people must know what they are
doing but it seems to me that too many new houses are being built in Faringdon.
The shape of the town has become 'warped' and its nature has been changing from
small, historical market town to 'dormitory' town for people who work and shop
elsewhere. The schools will soon be oversubscribed, if they aren't
already.
Name Supplied
|
Sarcasm-
26/10/10
Someone misses me! I agree, the site has become lamentably dull
lately, with all this dreary supermarket bickering and positively anaesthetic
references to council websites and government guidelines. I shall try to get
into 'posting' mode. The last time I wrote anything sarcastic I was taken to
task I seem to remember, but there, you can't please all the people all the
time.
forum bully
|
In response to the 'Leakey influenced person' re
Coxwell Road excavations - 26/10/10
I am a resident of
Faringdon and it was I who ran the archaeological fieldwork off Coxwell Road. I
have over 15 years experience in the field and feel that I must point out a few
inaccuracies in your postings.
These perhaps arise from the differences
between excavations undertaken by academic institutions (eg. Leakey excavating
hominid remains in the deserts of Africa), and developer funded commercial
excavations, in Britain (Iron age / Romano-British on the outskirts of
Faringdon). It is standard practice to use a JCB/mechanical digger to remove
the overburden overlying the archaeology (even Time Team use a machine). Then
the archaeological features are hand excavated.
In accordance with PPS
5 the developer commissioned an Archaeological Evaluation. This was a
relatively small project, conducted by a professional company that was
following the IfA (Institute for Archaeologists) code of practice, and working
within a generous time-frame of two weeks. All the trenches were inspected by
Oxfordshire's County Archaeologist. The archaeological evaluation, is one of
the initial procedures, within any proposed development to evaluate what
nature, and the location of any archaeological remains, if any, are present. If
planning permission is given, then in advance of any building work, a detailed
excavation will be conducted, funded by the developer (again within the
guidelines set out in PPS 5). Copies of the written report of the evaluation
have been deposited with the land owner, developers and the county
archaeologist.
The shrine revealed in the previous work before the
housing estate was built has been reported on in the following-
Weaver, S,D,G and Ford, S. An early Iron age occupation site, a Roman shrine
and other Prehistoric activity at Coxwell Road, Faringdon. Oxoniensia 71,
119-180.
Cooke, J, Gutterman, E,B,A, and Mudd, A. Excavations of an
Iron age site at Coxwell Road, Faringdon. Oxoniensia 71, 181-285.
Other recommended reading-
Government planning policy statement (PPS
5) 5,
IfA code of conduct.
In reference to your second post, the same
processes described above will be employed to verify the presence of any
cropmarks, but I don't think we will be required to investigate any stressed
vegetation (perhaps the unhappy plants should see a horticultural therapist?).
As to a geophysical survey, this would be fairly inconclusive as the
archaeological horizons were very similar to the natural clay present across
the site. I hope this allays any qualms about Faringdon's rich and varied
heritage.
Name Supplied
|
Skatepark
- 26/10/10
Whats the plan with the skatepark at the
new cricket ground? I understand there has been planning objections, is this
correct?
Name Supplied
|
Local fast
food/takeaway - 26/10/10
Local fast food/takeaway
Worst first(in my opinion), best last
6. Chicken place opposite
budgens-very rude unless you are 18 and wearing a short skirt.
5. Best
food 2000- nice lads, and on time with serving/orders and delivery. but
basically the food they sell is to soak up the ale.
4. Mayflower-great
service, but food not great
3. Mings-okay, but again not great and always
late with food.
2. Saffron-good food,but staff a bit too keen (im not
worried if my cutlery isnt quite parrellel with each other)
1.Viceroy-great food, great staff.
1. Bangkok kitchen-fantastic
food(tastes clean and fresh). Obliging staff, if they say 30 minutes to pick up
food in 30 minutes its ready! highly reccomend.
Viceroy and Bangkok
kitchen are top of the faringdon league.
Anyone else ave any thoughts?
Name Supplied
|
Supermarkets- 26/10/10
Can someone
give a ''BREIF'' explanation on what have been proposed for new supermarkets
and where?
Name Supplied
|
Community Message from
Thames Valley Police- 2610/10
PROPERTY POST CODING
KITS
In order to prove the identity of lost or stolen property a limited
number of property post coding kits will be available from police stations in
the Vale of White Horse area from Wednesday 27th October 2010. These kits will
allow you to mark any valuable property and then store your coded items on a
secure and free database. The cost of a kit is £14.00 and includes DNA
Ultra Violet & Micro Dot unique coding. Kits are available from Abingdon,
Wantage and Faringdon Police Station.
If you require FREE crime reduction
advice or further information about property marking, please contact your
Thames Valley Police Crime reduction Advisor on 08458 505 505.
|
Waitrose- 25/10/10
Cult following?
What nonsense, and what makes anyone think that a supermarket would try to
squeeze its delivery traffic through the entrance to the municipal car park in
Gloucester Street. Do you imagine that they're not clever enough to think that
one out?
name supplied
|
Say no to Waitrose –
some reasons!!- 25/10/10
This appears to be another
dead end development and therefore access/egress for emergency and service
vehicles would be a problem.
Access to/from the car park is an issue for
large vehicles – the Barnes bus refuse to use the car park due to safe
access issues and there have been a number of accidents resulting in damage to
Elm Side by a large vehicle attempting to turn left down the one way system
Additional traffic using the supermarket would create hazards for
parents and children attempting to cross at the top of the Gloucester Street
car park or across the road from the south to the north side of Gloucester
Street outside the library where there is currently a school crossing –
there have been many unreported near misses! Access from the Lechlade Rd on to
Gloucester street is already a problem with traffic having to wait for lengthy
periods particularly at the start and end of the school day or on days when
refuse was collected and this would be exacerbated by extra traffic trying to
access/egress the Gloucester Street car park.
Furthermore delivery vehicles
would need to exit the proposed site down the one way system, through the
middle of the Market Place either up London Street or Marlborough street which
would impact significantly on the unique character of the town centre to its
detrement.
The site proposed for Waitrose is a green field site already
identified by the District Council as not suitable for development,
The
site is also a conservation areas and an area protected for its landscape
quality.
Furthermore Faringdon needs a low cost to mid range supermarket
able to meet the needs of its growing population not a supermarket with a
‘cult’ following.
Name Supplied
|
The Steeds - 25/10/10
The Steeds In
addition to my previous comment re the archaelogy of the land development
proposed @ The Steeds - it would be VERY interesting to see what a proper
Geo-phys survey of that area throws up. Looking at aerial photography of the
fields in question, there is certainly vegetation 'stress' evidence of a
man-made structure that was there at some point. I cannot make any educated
guess as to dates, but the geometric outline does indicate that it is
significantly possible that there was prior occupation of the area.
Name
Supplied
|
Possible housing development top of Coxwell Road (
The Steeds) - 25/10/10
This might explain the large digger
recently excavating numerous trenches across the field closest to the town
boundary (which I understood was the Tennis Club land?). It was haphazard and
large-scale.
Having undertaken Research-level archaeology with a renowned
(Leakey-standard) archaeologist, I am skeptical that this would be enough. I
certainly can't see any significant finds being located easily with a JCB...
the trenches certainly weren't open long enough to allow an archaologist to
check ALL the spoil heaps adequately. With a Roman temple just meters away (in
the Coleshill Dr. estate), I'd like to think that as there is proof of some
historical activity in the immediate area, that this would merit more than an
afternoon scrabbling around with heavy plant machinery.
Certainly anything
that might have been there, would now be somewhat pulverised.
Name
Supplied
|
Sarcasm - 25/10/10
Can we have more
sarcasm on this forum, its the only humour left on here!
Name
Supplied
|
Whats a Hectare? - 25/10/10
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hectare
Name
Supplied
|
Hectares - 25/10/10
1 hectare =
10 000 sq metres
1 Hectare (ha) = 2.4710439 Acre (ac)
4 Hectare (ha) =
9.8841756 Acre (ac) = e40468sq m = e5.7 football pitches
1 (ave) football
pitch - 7140sq metres
More conversions on
http://www.conversion-metric.org/area_conversion/hectare_to_square_foot_conversion.php
A
hectare is not a new measure-. It is used by land developers and planning
authoties- and probably others.
'hectare 1810, from Fr. hectare "a hundred
ares," formed from Gk. hekaton "hundred" (see hecatomb) + L. area "vacant piece
of ground." A superficial measure containing 100 ares, coined by decree of the
French National Convention in 1795'
see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hectare
Name
Supplied
|
Land at Steeds Farm - 25/10/10
http://www.faringdontowncouncil.gov.uk/files/resourcesmodule/@random49088be871b63/1285747553_P_H_Mins_3_08_10.pdf
Name
Supplied
ED(GW) These meeting minutes include a discussion and points on
VWHDCs proposed car parking survey in Faringdon
|
Whats a Hectare? - 25/10/10
Sick
to death of the BBC and ITV ramming this alien measure down my throat and now
its on this site.
I can imagine what an acre looks like, a mile and
obviously a pint; but hectares! Not a clue.
Please use a "proper" measure
as this is England and we still use miles and pints in pubs.
Colin
|
Faringdon Arts Festival
2011 - 25/10/10
Second stage for the Faringdon Arts
Festival.
To broaden the appeal of the festival it is proposed to add a
second stage.
The site has yet to be confirmed.
Sam Prince
|
Possible housing development top of Coxwell Road (
The Steeds) - 25/10/10
Wellbeck Strategic planning are trying
to get permission for housing development at the top of Coxwell Road (Steeds
Farm). They say this is a more suitable location than the land south of Park
Road (VWHDCs preferred option)
This is the area where the Tennis club is to
be relocated ( still).
They're talking about 420 houses at a lower density
than other schemes (2 storey houses with gardens), 4 hectares of employment
land, and potentially - allotments, new day to day retail and communitiy
facilities, onsite renewable energy and recycling.
Anyone know anything
more?
Gene Webb
|
Found tabby and white male
cat in coleshill area - 24/10/10
Name supplied
|
faringdon focus
letter- 24/10/10
I must agree with the previous post
about this. Most of the points dont make sense and the examples of shops and
businesses are bizare. None of them is likely to be affected by tescos at all.
Is this the best that the chamber of commerce and faringon focus can do or
are they all friends of the writer??
name supplied
|
Some good Budgens
staff- 24/10/10
I applaud those hard working staff who
have done their best over the years to make Budgens customers feel valued, but
it does seem that they are fighting a losing battle.
I hate seeing the
friendly staff trying to do three peoples jobs while others stand talking. Or
else trying to operate without a supervisor to override till faults because it
has decided not to replace the staff that have left.
Please, those
supermarkets looking to take over the proposed sight, go headhunting and take
those hard working staff who continually try to do their best to where they
will hopefully be more appreciated!!
Name Supplied
|
Computer Fixer - 24/10/10
I always
use White Horse computer specialists. Ivor has looked after my computers for a
few years now. Excellent obliging service, flat rate charge.
http://www.whcs.co.uk/
HT
|
Local PC Fixer is QuidneIT -
24/10/10
Phone Raoul on 0845-4675087. He'll fix your PC and even
explain what QuidneIT means..
|
Go Waitrose!
- 24/10/10
I'd choose them every time over Tescos and
Budgens. Waitrose's approach to customers and customer service is something
both Tescos and Budgens could learn a lot from.
I vote WAITROSE!
Name
Supplied
|
Out of town supermarket
- 23/10/10
Someone said that Wantage town centre was
a wasteland now there were out of town supermarkets, suggesting that would
happen in Faringdon if tesco comes here.
I went to Wantage recently and the
town centre is thriving. Cargo have taken over where Woollies used to be and
there isnt an empty shop in sight.
Mind you they have town centre
parking and the council have got rid of it here. I bet if they paved over the
car park in Wantage no-one would go there either!
Come on tesco, and
waitrose for that matter I say and liven the place up a bit.
name supplied
|
Someone to fix my
PC? - 23/10/10
Can anyone recomend somebody who can
fix my PC, locally.
Thanks
Name Supplied
|
Tesco -
23/10/10
These are my feelings on the Tesco issue, as sent to
councillors and posted on the Facebook site.
Dear Councillor,
While the anti-Tescos campaign has had a very strong and public presence in
Faringdon, mainly because of the availability of Budgens store to host their
petition, the opinions of many people in Faringdon are not necessarily
represented by this campaign. While I can only speak for myself and my wife, I
have a strong feeling that a large number of your constituents are, like
myself, in favour of a reasonable sized supermarket capable of providing a
broader range of products, at reasonable prices and with improved availability
compared with Budgens. My opinion is not in favour of Tescos specifically but
in favour of an improved store from any of the larger supermarket chains (be it
Sainsburys, Waitrose, Morrisons or, as currently proposed, Tescos).
In my opinion, Budgens does not provide the level of service that this town
deserves (and this is not to decry the efforts of the current franchisee to
rectify this). I have little confidence that he could ever achieve this in the
current premises even if they were expanded as currently proposed, in part
because I do not see Budgens as a major player on the supermarket scene and
based on their performance in Faringdon since purchasing the premises from
Carters. It is difficult to trust a trader who boasts to its customers that
they have reduced the number of stock items by over 4000 (as Budgens did
towards the end of its first year of trading in Faringdon, admittedly with a
different manager). This may be desirable from a business efficiency
standpoint, but it speaks volumes against Budgens (the company's) approach to
customer service.
You will doubtless be aware of the letter that has
been sent recently by Focus On Faringdon objecting to Tesco's planning
application. I have a number of comments on this letter, as laid out below.
I hope that you consider the opinions of ALL your constituents, both
the vocal and the less so when considering this application and, hopefully, as
a result will feel able to support Tesco's application. Failing that, I hope
that if there are subsequent applications from the other large chains that the
council will feel able to support one of them, It is all very well to have
'destination' outlets such as Piano Forte, but Faringdon desperately needs
improved day to day shopping facilities.
Kind regards
MY
COMMENTS ON THE FARINGDON IN FOCUS LETTER
Re Tesco planning
Application
'Faringdon is a small but successful Market Town.'
I'm not sure what the criteria are for a successful Market Town, but a
town centre that is deserted, day and night, with the possible exception of
Tueday morning market day and Friday and Saturday evenings doesn't feel
successful to me.
'It has a unique shopping centre: home to several
destination shops – including Majo furniture, The Piano
Gallery and Turners Tackle.'
Another unique aspect to this is that
none of these shops are likely to suffer from a loss of trade as a result of
Tescos arriving. Mr. Elwell's letter says it all - they are destination shops.
People come to Faringdon specifically to visit them. They will rarely come to
Faringdon for other reasons and 'happen' to discover them. How many people stop
in Faringdon today (perhaps for a sandwich or a loaf of bread) and discover
that there is a piano shop and as a result eventually buy a piano? How many (of
this already miniscule number) will NOT buy that a piano as a result of having
shopped in Tescos instead?
'Within the town centre there are a number
of National businesses including Bordengate, Bray Health & Leisure and
Trophy Pet Foods.'
None of these businesses are retail outlets in the
sense of a 'normal' shop.
1) It is unlikely that someone looking for
insurance will chance on Bordengate while visiting one of the other shops.
2)Trophy Pet Foods is an on-line/mail order company only (at least as far as I
ever knew and as confirmed by a visit to their web-site). Their only presence
on the Faringdon shopping scene is a doorway in London Street leading to their
offices. No real likelihood of Tescos presence affecting their business then!
3)Bray Health and Leisure is a Medical Products and Devices manufacturing
company, as its own Web-Site http://brayhealthcare.co.uk/index.php/
states...'Bray Healthcare manufactures medicines, medical devices and general
pharmacy products for the national health services of England, Wales and
Scotland, medical practitioners, care providers, wholesale distributors, sports
and complementary therapists, veterinary practices, chiropodists and
podiatrists, schools and retail pharmacies in the UK and 40 other countries.'
It has no retail outlet in Faringdon since it is basically a manufacturer /
wholesaler to health related retail outlets. Furthermore it is located in Regal
Way, so presumably very close to the proposed location of Tescos and therefore
well out of the town centre, by the Chamber of Commerce's own argument!
' However, with Cost Cutters increasing their store size and a new
mini-market being considered adjacent to the new Bloor Home housing estate this
comment seems to have little merit or value.'
These are extremely
unlikely to proved the range of product offerings of Budgens, let alone Tescos.
Three small and inadequate food shops don't add up to one larger
store offering a sensible range of products at sensible stock keeping levels.
Furthermore the two new ones are even further from the center of town than
Tescos, so would, presumably, also be drawing people from the town center!
'The suggestion that a Tesco along Park Rd would deter people doing their
main weekly shop outside of Faringdon is flawed. The proposed shop is no bigger
than the existing shopping facility in Faringdon. It will therefore not
realistically be able to offer a wider choice of goods than already exists
(especially bearing in mind that some of the shopping space will be used for
gifts, cards, kitchen utensils, etc).'
This argument
a)seems to
acknowledge that the shopping facilities in Faringdon are inadequate
b)ignores the fact that a new store will be designed from day one as a
supermarket, making optimal use of the space available rather than being
squeezed into an outdated building that has been extended piecemeal to become
the shopping nightmare that is Budgens
c)Recent 'innovations' in Budgens
include the selling of hardware items, books, videos, greetings cards etc. - so
where's the difference?
###################
###################
'Tesco are keen to promote the idea that those who might shop in the new store
would walk from their (free) car park to buy bread, meat, flowers, cake tins
and a sandwich in Town.'
Unfortunately I have to acknowledge that this
point is correct.
'The amount of business development land in Faringdon is
limited. We should not allow anyone to take away the space that we have that
can be used to enable local businesses to grow organically.'
There doesn't
seem to have been great demand to use the available development land in the
thirty years that I have lived in Faringdon.
Name supplied
|
Waitrose/Tesco - 23/10/10
It was I who
suggested that traffic would use the Lechlade road access to a new supermarket;
however I see the point, I reacted spontaneously to the post as I already shop
at Waitrose pretty regularly. I also support Tesco. Prices at Waitrose are not
as high as you may think, by the way; I shop in many different places so am in
a position to know.
Does anyone seriously think that Budgens' owner
will make the considerable investment necessary to put those expansion plans
into operation?
Incidentally I have just looked through the public
comments re the Tesco application, which was quite interesting. The majority of
the objections came not from within Faringdon, but from the villages, some of
which are so distant that I doubt whether the contributors actually come here
at all. Smacks of an 'orchestrated' campaign.
What a good thing no-one
at the Vale actually allows these letters to influence them. In fact, when has
public opinion EVER made any difference to what the District Council does in
Faringdon?.
Shophound
|
What a load of rubbish
(Grey bin of course) ! - 23/10/10
Anonymity on this
site is a great facility but sometimes a name supplied gives him (or her) self
away and can easily be recognised by normal people.
The idiot who described
who would shop at TESCOs and who at WAITROSE will be easily identified by the
extra large chip on his (or her) shoulder !
Name Supplied
|
Aldi
rumour - 23/10/10
Aldi have put a bid in to build a
hypermarket at the foot of Folly Hill...
Can it be true?
Name
supplied
|
Yes to
Tesco - 23/10/10
i just cant believe that people are
even considering a store behind the library, its ok saying the lorries can come
in off the lechade road, but will they be coming through lechlade.or off the
420, and down gravel walk ,then head to lechlade ,and in the back way,? park
road must be the best location,
like others have said, who else wants to
use that land or the commercial land for sale by the roundabout, no one.
As for the walking distance, if Tesco was at park road, who would walk
to do a weeks shopping ,surely you would have to drive there. budgens can get
bigger and offer more maybe, but it will still be a budgens,
I have had
a shop in faringdon for the last twelve years, i want a Tesco to come here,
this town has been dying for the last 6 years, its like a ghost town, we need
something to bring people here, it cant get any worse. It used to be so busy on
a Saturday, now its like i am on a desert island.
i am not playing at being
a shop keeper, its not a hobby, or something to do while i am retired, its my
livelihood, and if things don’t change, i will seriously consider selling
my premises for flats or houses, nothing ever changes, faringdon, was going to
get a skate park, like all the other surrounding villages, that’s when my
son was seven, he is now twenty, and we still don’t have one,
i think
something stinks, a few backhanders behind the scene maybe ? we all know it
happens,
that’s it rant over
Name supplied
|
Tesco/Waitrose - 23/10/10
I think I
am getting totally confused now.
So Waitrose ARE putting in a planning
application to build a supermarket on land behind the Library on Faringdon
House land. Was this not the land that Tesco were told was part of a
conservation area, or have I got it wrong. If so It seems quite biased against
Tesco?
I also recall a few years ago, shop owners airing their concerns
to Budgens that they were going to start selling flowers, newspapers etc when
there were already shops selling those items in the town. Budgens told these
shop keepers that there was room for all of them.
Budgens is now doing it
again by putting in a cafe, when we already have cafes etc in the town. But
ironically there is no room for another supermarket in the town. Surely this is
double standards.
Hope my comments make sense
Name
Supplied
|
Tesco/Waitrose etc.
- 23/10/10
Again the town council is being confused
with the district council.
For years Faringdon Town Council has sought
another supermarket for Faringdon. The district council on the other hand
published a report 18 months ago that claimed that Faringdon needed no more
shops.
In my earlier posting i forgot to mention that Waitrose will be
holding an exhibition to explain their ideas on 12th/13th
November in the Jubilee Room at the Pump House.
They will also
be making a presentation to the FTC planning & highways committee on the
evening of 23rd. November in the Corn Exchange.
All are welcome to attend, and as is the normal practice, you will be able to
put your views.
Alan Hickmore, FTC Chair of Planning
|
I support Tesco and
Waitrose - 23/10/10
Happy for both Tesco and
Waitrose to do battle in Faringdon, two is better than one,(serious price
competition) providing they both have FREE parking and the dentists still have
their free parking(not lost to Waitrose).
Budgens, correct me, but now
privately owned is it not? A gold mine, pull it down and build flats, the site
must be worth a fortune, the owner can then move onto something bigger and
better, but the car park will go!!!!!
If we get two supermarkets on the
proposed sites I doubt the 'town shops' will survive, they will all have to
become hairdressers and coffee shops, with no parking (when the VWHDC enforces
the double yellow lines) who would stop to shop?
Name Supplied
|
Fashion through the Ages -
23/10/10
My Grand Daughter has just found a photograph of my sister
taken 60 years ago. She was surprised to see she was wearing a Hoodie. I
explained to her that in those far off days they were only worn by little
girls, they were usually pink and were called Pixie Hoods.
So not so macho
after all but I won‘t be the one to tell the yobs in the Town
centre?
Anyone care to risk it ?
Name supplied
|
Waitrose, Tesco, Lidl.
next ? - 23/10/10
At least we now know, whatever the
other shy Town Councillors may think, that the FTC Chair of Planning seems to
appreciate, what everybody else has known for ages, namely, that we need a
major food retailer in our town.
Welcome to Faringdon in the 21st
century
Name supplied
|
Expensive
Waitrose - 23/10/10
I think the sad fact is that the
only the well off can afford to shop in waitrose. So some of the Tesco knockers
would be happy as you would have to live in one of the better areas off
faringdon eg elm road type houses.
For the joe blogg eg town end road type
locals whose income will not be suited to waitrose .
So I am guessing
some of the local councillors will be only too happy for waitrose to come to
faringdon. As it more up there street and income bracket than us mere mortals
who shop in that common shop tescos.
Cheers
Name Supplied
|
Vote for
Tesco - 23/10/10
Trading conditions for independent
retailers are difficult, even in a beautiful historic town like Faringdon and
the current objections to Tesco’s plan are from shopkeepers concerned
about the competition that an out-of-town supermarket will pose, especially one
which is able to offer free parking. The reality is that many local residents
have taken to shopping outside of Faringdon, as an affordable alternative. Many
have chosen to travel to Tesco at Swindon, Sainsburys at Wantage or resort to
Tesco/Asda etc home deliveries. The entire length of the of A420 corridor
between Swindon and Oxford does not have a single ‘big 4’ store
between them.
There is no doubt that there is a gap in the market for
a mid range supermarket in Faringdon and there are many struggling OAPS and low
income families who desperately need a lower cost supermarket than the current
provision. The restriction on keeping development to a defined town centre,
should be waived to meet the public’s desire for a mid-range supermarket.
Just as the Coop has brought in new visitors to Stanford, Tesco will
do the same. As the store is situated at the far end of the town the increased
numbers of shoppers can only benefit the existing businesses in the town and
reverse the steady increase in traffic trying to access the town. Furthermore
if Tesco were to operate a three hours time limit in their car park. this would
allow visitors much more time to visit the town stores and have a coffee at the
thriving eateries in Faringdon thus avoiding having to pay the car parking
charge imposed in the town's other car parks, managed by Vale District Council.
Tescos will offer employment, an attractive setting rather than the
shabby and neglected site that it now is. Tesco is the people’s choice and
I urge you to support the application.
Register your support for Tesco by
joining the Facebook Group, 'I'd be happy for Tesco to come to Faringdon' or
come along to the planning meeting on the 27 October!!
Name
Supplied
|
Tesco- our councillors'
views? - 23/10/10
We now know the planning officers
have recommended refusal of planning permission for Tesco on Park Road.
It
would be good to know what our local councillors views are?
On what basis
have they formed this view?
Please tell us
Name Supplied
|
Tesco -
22/10/10
Trading conditions for independent retailers are difficult,
even in a beautiful historic town like Faringdon and the current objections to
Tesco’s plan are from shopkeepers concerned about the competition that an
out-of-town supermarket will pose, especially one which is able to offer free
parking. The reality is that many local residents have taken to shopping
outside of Faringdon, as an affordable alternative. Many have chosen to travel
to Tesco at Swindon, Sainsburys at Wantage or resort to Tesco/Asda etc home
deliveries. The entire length of the of A420 corridor between Swindon and
Oxford does not have a single ‘big 4’ store between them.
There is no doubt that there is a gap in the market for a mid range supermarket
in Faringdon and there are many struggling OAPS and low income families who
desperately need a lower cost supermarket than the current provision. The
restriction on keeping development to a defined town centre, should be waived
to meet the public’s desire for a mid-range supermarket. Just as the Coop
has brought in new visitors to Stanford, Tesco will do the same. As the store
is situated at the far end of the town the increased numbers of shoppers can
only benefit the existing businesses in the town and reverse the steady
increase in traffic trying to access the town.
Furthermore if Tesco were to
operate a three hours time limit in their car park. this would allow visitors
much more time to visit the town stores and have a coffee at the thriving
eateries in Faringdon thus avoiding having to pay the car parking charge
imposed in the town's other car parks, managed by Vale District Council.
Tescos will offer employment, an attractive setting rather than the
shabby and neglected site that it now is. Tesco is the people’s choice and
I urge you to support the application.
Register your support for Tesco by
joining the Facebook Group, 'I'd be happy for Tesco to come to Faringdon' or
come along to the planning meeting on the 27 October!!
Name Supplied
|
Lidl? -
22/10/10
New store rumour ? Any truth in the latest rumour I have heard
in that Lidl want to open a store in town?
Name Supplied
|
Waitrose
- 22/10/10
YES YES YES YES YES.
Waitrose will do fine!! They can
use the entrance off the Lechlade road, where the old open air swimming pool
used to be.
Thankyou Alan H for giving us some factual
information
shophound
|
Tesco -
22/10/10
This is how it will play out in the end. Waitrose will arrive.
Budgens closes and sells it's outlet to Tesco. Tesco expands Budgens's site
into a Tesco Superstore with two story parking facilities.
This is just
speculation on my part of course. One thing for certain either Waitrose or
Tesco will be approved.
The squeeze is on Budgens like a ripe fruit.
Name Supplied
|
Race to infinity - have
you voted yet?- 22/10/10
6.63%, 229 votes have been
cast out of a total of 3,452
www.racetoinfinity.bt.com/
|
No
Tesco - 22/10/10
The Chamber of Commerce/Focuson on
Faringdon letter to the Vale reference the Tescos Planning Application can be
read on www.FocusOnfaringdon.co.uk
Nick Elwell
|
Tesco/Waitrose - 22/10/10
I can confirm that Waitrose
have taken an option to buy the site behind the library and will be putting in
a planning application in November in order to develop the site as a
15,000sq.ft supermarket.
I talked with them today and explained the access
and egress problems and the loss of a site in the consevation area along with
possible congestion problems in the town centre. They are going away in order
to come up with their best solutions.
Interesting times for Faringdon - it
is good that major food retailers are taking an interest in the needs of our
town.
Alan Hickmore
FTC Chair of Planning
|
Comments/suggestions re our GP Practices -
22/10/10
I'm going to an Oxfordshire Links meeting next week where we'll
be identifying issues with GP practices. eg
- appointment availability
-
appointment suitability
- Emergency appointments
- Practice nurse
appointments
- post visit service
- How far in advance for
appointments
- Automated booking system
- Using the internet for
communication- eg blood test results, hospital letters
.............and
any other points you feel are important
Do email me
genewebb@rocketmail.com -your
views needn't say which practice and won't be published on this site!
|
Tesco -
22/10/10
Is it possible that the reason the site by the library is being
favoured by those supposedly in the know, is so that Tesco is voted against?
Treatng us like children? I know it's a method I've used!
Yes we can do
what my children want but we do it my way, and they soon change their mind!!
Name Supplied
|
supermarket near
library- 22/10/10
By all means site a supermarket on
the Faringdon House estate but please don't have delivery lorries or increased
traffic coming down Gloucester Street; think of the children who travel to and
from school, the implications of having to widen the access to the car park.
the existing car parking nightmare on Gloucester Street.
Churn up some of
the Faringdon House estate - we should be doing more to preserve our historic
town centre rather than driving more heavy goods vehicles through the centre of
it!!
Happy to lay down across the road for this one!!!
Name
Supplied
|
no
Tesco- 22/10/10
Surprise, surprise, no Tesco in Park
Road!
I will continue to shop at Sainsbury in Wantage or Tesco in Abingdon
and when I cannot get there I will shop on line. Therefore, I will not need to
go into Faringdon, only as far as Park Road to the Health Centre.
Name
Supplied
ED(GW) This is only the planning officers recommendations. It
has yet to go to the Planning Committee where elected councillors will decide.
|
supermarket near the
library - 22/10/10
can you imagine the congestion of
traffic down gloucester street if this rumour is true. how unsafe it would be
for children at the start and end of school with so much traffic and delivery
lorries , its bad enough when budgens get a delivery and a car is parked in the
way.
A truely rubbish idea, i can only see how this will hinder faringdon.
i guess i will still be going to swindon (tesco/asda) for my regular shop.
a
Tesco fan
|
supermarket near the
library - 21/10/10
This sounds like the proposal
which has been forward by the Faringdon House Estate. The only comment I would
make is "Has anyone suggesting this location actually looked at the access to
the suggested location?".
As I understand it, it would require access
from the Gloucester Street car park for delivery lorries. The access road into
the car park is *very* narrow and at school times that area is busy with
children making their way to the Junior school by car, bicycle and on foot.
Adding supermarket delivery lorries into the mix is an accident waiting
to happen.
Name Supplied
|
Re Waitrose
rumour - 21/10/10
Well what we do know is that the
Vale planners prefer the option of a supermarket in the region of Gloucester
Street car park in the so-called 'Wilderness' owned by Faringdon House to the
Tesco option on Park Road. (Born out by recent evidence).
So if Waitrose or
another supermarket have made quiet overtures to the council that would not be
surprising would it?
Honest John
|
Waitrose? - 21/10/10
If it's true then I think you'd
be suprised if you think Waitrose is more expensive than Budgens !. It has
always been thought of as a top end brand and that has made people think it's
only for the well off !. It's very competitive with the other main supermarkets
now (price matching etc) but has maintained a high standard in customer
service, friendly helpful staff and store appearence.
I hadn't heard
this rumour so will keep a look out !.
Name supplied
|
PLANNERS ? ?
- 21/10/10
I also only scanned the Planner’s
gobbledegook .
I skated over ‘sequential assessment‘,
‘Policy S1 of the adopted local plan and policy EC16 of PPS4‘,
'contrary to local plan policy E10 and policy ECH2 (h) of PPS4'and ‘more
flexible retail formats‘, etc, etc, etc as I didn‘t understand all of
them. Naturally mention of EC16 and ECH2(h) worried me as I fear the
introduction of any artificial food additives.
I was intrigued by the
mention of the council’s 'emerging core strategy' and couldn’t help
wondering what is the Gestation period of a core strategy ?
I did
however understand the bit that implied that the only way into the Town Centre
was by, what they describe, as a low quality pedestrian route, known by
residents as The Grotty Footpath, thus totally ignoring the Station
Road/Marlborough St alternative which even the VWHDC Officers would have no
difficulty locating if they ever visit Faringdon. I also noted that the same
Officers seem to think that it is a long way from the Wicked Tesco site to the
Vibrant Town Centre....IT ISN’T !
The misunderstanding is probably
because they don't appreciate that, while driving down Marlborough Street is
frowned upon, walking down it is OK. There is no necessity to go via Gravel
Walk and Gloucester St.
I don't think that the VWHDC officers ever check
this site. If they did they would understand that there is little real
opposition to TESCO's apart from those traders with an understandable vested
interest..
No amount of E numbers will alter that !
Name
Supplied
ED(GW) Interesting too- if you go to
http://planning.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?keyval=L2CX65BYC0000
and read the coments corrspondence, you'll see that many objectors come from
villages around Faringdon. I wonder why someone in Hinton Waldrist felt
inspired to object?
I understand too that the current government has
suspended completion of 'Core Strategies', saying that there should be more
local involvement- I guess 'emerging' means unfinished
|
Planning permission
Waitrose? - 21/10/10
Does anyone know about Waitrose
putting in planning permission to build a supermarket near the Library. Heard a
rumour that the council are happy with this plan, because Waitrose is more
expensive than Budgens, and therefore Budgens will not lose trade.
But I
don't know if its just a story
Jacqui Massey
|
Tesco - VWHDC officers
recommend refusal of application-
20/10/10
Recommendation that planning permission be refused for the
following reasons:
1 The application site is situated in an out of centre
location, outside Faringdon’s identified town centre area in the adopted
local plan. In the opinion of the local planning authority, the site is poorly
related to the town centre in terms of its distance and the low quality of the
pedestrian routes which would link the site to the town centre. The provision
of a supermarket in this location, remote from the town centre, will divert
trade from the town centre which will have an adverse impact on the vitality
and viability of the town centre. The proposal is therefore contrary to policy
S1 of the adopted local plan and policy EC16 of PPS4.
2 In the opinion
of the local planning authority, the applicant has failed to properly undertake
a sequential assessment of alternative sites in or on the edge of Faringdon
town centre, or investigate the use of more flexible retailing formats, as
required by policy EC15 of PPS4. All potential alternative sites will be
assessed as part of the council’s emerging core strategy and, as such,
this application is considered to be premature in the context of the local
development framework process.
3 The application site forms part of an
established strategic general industrial employment site which is protected
from development which would lead to the loss of existing business land and
premises by policy E10 of the adopted local plan. The proposal involves the
change of use of the application site to a retail use and is therefore contrary
to local plan policy E10 and policy ECH2 (h) of PPS4.
Read the full report
ED(GW) I only scanned the report,
but I didn't see any reference to comments on this site or through Facebook
'be happy for Tesco to come to Faringdon'
|
Faringdon and District Cricket Club (F&DCC) -
Umpires wanted - 20/10/10
F&DCC requires umpires for the
2011 season.
We have two teams in different divisions of the league matches
organized by the Oxfordshire Cricket Association (OCA.). The OCA requires
member clubs to supply one umpire per team to officiate on designated
Saturdays. You would therefore always be with another F&DCC umpire but
would not be umpiring matches involving F&DCC or its divisions.
Generous expenses are paid.
If you, or someone you know, want to
represent our progressive club, please contact Stuart Priest 01367
240118.
|
Broadband
question- 20/10/10
A big thank you to slowcoach and
anyone else who has taken the trouble to vote for faster broadband even if you
don't need it yet. Your votes are extremely valuable and it is thanks to people
such as yourselves who make things happen for those people who are held back by
a lack of faster broadband.
Thank you and please keep the votes coming in
and pass the word on.
Our current rank is 61 and we need to be in the
top 5 to be selected. Those in the top 5 currently have votes at 22% of what is
needed (Faringdon has 5% of votes needed).
Sarah Allen Stevens
www.racetoinfinity.bt.com/
|
Lost collie
dog - 19/10/10
Sorry I don't know who's dog it is but
it might be worth trying www.doglost.co.uk as they are one of the main sources for
missing/found dogs.
I guess you've taken it to the vets to get it scanned
for a chip ?.
Good luck - hope he/she is back with it's owners very soon.
Name Supplied
|
Lost collie
dog - 19/10/10
Dear Faringdon,
It seems we have a
lost dog in the area of The Swan. It is very well trained and well cared for.
Description: A small Collie cross, long hair mainly black with a White
"collar". The face is a beautiful brown and black.
Is this your dog?
Call me on 01367 241120 or 0751 3000 390
Mike Perks
|
Broadband
question- 19/10/10
Thanks for the quick answer. There
was no irony in my question and in fact I voted immediately I became aware of
the campaign.
I'm not a student, or a business. I'm a resident who uses
the internet regularly but doesn't watch movies or play games, and I imagine
quite lot of us fall into the same category, i.e. who aren't aware of any
congestion or particular lack of services, whatever they may be, and so wonder
what it all means.
If I was tempted to move away from Faringdon though,
it wouldn't be the lack of faster broadband influencing the decision.
slowcoach
|
Faster Broadband
- 19/10/10
A simple answer to the question about
broadband upgrade, the campaign is to get BT to install fibre optic into the
exchange in Faringdon. This is effectively a bigger and faster broadband pipe
which will ease the congestion. Currently, the maximum broadband speed we can
get is 8Mbps and fibre optic can provide broadband up to 50Mbps.
Faringdon is not blessed with alternative broadband providers, such as
Virgin Media who operate in Wantage. Virgin provide broadband speeds in excess
of 20 Mbps and also offer many other services over the internet that we, in
Faringdon, are unable to use. It is true that if we don't know what we are
missing then we don't tend to miss it. But we also need to take account of the
businesses, students and residents who do know what they are missing may
ultimately choose to live, study or set up businesses elsewhere.
We
need to make sure that Faringdon remains as future proof as the rest of the
country and does not get left behind.
Hope this helps.
Sarah
Allen-Stevens
Ed(GW) 177 votes, 5.13%. 09.09 todaywww.racetoinfinity.bt.com/
|
Community Message from Thames Valley
Police -18/10/10
Happy Halloween,
I am John Turner the inspector for Faringdon and I would like to
inform you of what your local neighbourhood policing team and local partners
are doing during the Halloween and firework celebrations.
My team will
be carrying out patrols in the evenings to make sure people who are trick or
treating are doing so in a friendly manner and not causing a nuisance.
I know for some people this time of year can be a bother as your
evenings are interrupted with people knocking on your doors for treats.
Most of these children or teenagers are just getting involved in the
Halloween celebrations and will be friendly.
At any point if you feel
unsafe:
* Don’t open your door if you’re unsure who is there. Use
your spy-hole, look out of a window, and use your door chain if you do decide
to open your door.
* Have a contact number of a close relative or good
neighbour to hand by your telephone, just in case you need to phone them.
*
If you are part of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, let your coordinator know that
you will be on your own at Halloween.
If you are a coordinator, please
identity people in your scheme that may be vulnerable and offer them
reassurance.
Thames Valley Police will not tolerate any anti-social
behaviour at any time of the year. To report anti-social behaviour contact the
Thames Valley Police non-emergency number on 0845 8 505 505. In an emergency
dial 999
|
Dumping
rubbish- 14810/10 .
Unfortunately there are some very
lazy residents who think the answer to their recyling problem is to dump large
quantities of unsorted rubbish in other people's bins - in the early hours of
the morning someone came and dumped 2 black bin bags of garden waste in my grey
'rubbish' bin!!!
The operators who emptied the bin, complained that it was
becoming an increasing problem.
Name Supplied
|
Legal
Scrumping in Faringdon- 18/10/10
Whatever next, are
you trying to take the art out of "scrumping".
This took years of practice,
growing up in Marlbourgh Gardens with Tuckers fields around.
We began
"scrumping" cherries first at the top of the football field. We would then move
onto damsons, plums and apples later on in the year from gramps orchard (
Charles Stallard the rag and bone man).
We may have had holes in the seat
area of our shorts but we could still get a few pounds of fruit down the front
of our shirts.
We were pretty lucky CCTV wasn't around then, although
if we were caught we would receive a good clip around the ear.
The good old
days, yes, they certainly were.
Roger Stallard
|
Broadband
- 17/10/10
Am I alone?? I didnt realise we had
broadband problems in Faringdon. What am I missing?
slowcoach
|
Broadband campaign- simple
question - 17/10/10
Simple Question: If this were to
come to Faringdon, what would it do for the Faringdon exchange congestion when
all the young people come home from school and the adults start to log on to
watch the TV programs they have missed?
Is super high speed broadband
really the answer to our broadband problems in Faringdon?
Hope someone who
is genuinely knowledgeable can answer this question please.
Name
Supplied
|
Many more votes needed -
broadband campaign. - 17/10/10
Pity the mad 5 or
whatever, trading as the Vale of White Horse, did not advertise this: Many more
votes needed - broadband campaign. In their ill conceived publicity handout to
every address in Faringdon. There is just the possibility that if they had been
forward thinking, their own campaign may have won the hearts of the mind !!!!
Right now, they don't deserve my business.
Tesco, no it's not the best,
Morrisons would have been much better, but anything is better than Budgens who
arn't actually Budgens in Faringdon, just a franchise which adds to your
cost!!!!!!
Glad to see that the sensible folk at Cost Cutter, who
probably have most to lose out of the Tesco site have been VERY professional
and kept out of this nonsense been perpretrated by a few of the shop owners in
the centre of Faringdon.
Come on, give me a deal that makes me shop in
Faringdon, not London prices, stop winging, get me free parking (legally, not
on double yellow lines) then I will be more than happy to support your
busnesses.
Name Supplied
|
Bad parking by church
goers - 17/10/10
I am shocked and also amazed that
every sunday I come back from witney to find double parking by lazy church
goers . To the point that if a fire engine needed to access a fire etc on the
radcot road they would not be able to get there in a hurry .
So if him
upstairs is looking down on you and you cause a person to die because the fire
service etc not being able to pass your badly park car . That I hope in the
future you will use the thing your leader gave to you for moving around EG your
legs to get to church.
Yours
Name Supplied
|
CCTV -
17/10/10
I have nothing to hide either and would prefer the right to
continue to do so rather then having someone invent something I cannot do. I
used to like a pint in the evening stood outside the pub an a quiet hot
evening, banned. I might sneeze as I walk passed and be acused of spitting
chewing gum - its happened, no defence as it 'is on film' - etc etc.
This
nothing to hide arguement is rather thin from my point of view. Much of the ill
disapline these cameras are for used to be controled by local natural justice.
However that is banned as is old fashion policing as the new system is
'better', except it isn't as the purpetraters continue to do it since no one
takes direct responsibility on the ground. Before a few 'warnings' sorted most
folks out. You cannot do this at arms length.
CCTV sounds like another
very good reason to not go into the centre of town for my own personal reasons
and becouse it is now earmarked as a dodgy area not policed effectively.
Just what we need really. Tesco please.
Alan Hitchcock
|
Lost dog
- 17/10/10
Dear Faringdon,
It seems we have a lost dog in the area
of The Swan. It is very well trained and well cared for. Description: A small
Collie cross, long hair mainly black with a White "collar".
The face is a
beautiful brown and black. Is this your dog? Call me on 01367 241120 or 0751
3000 390
Mike Perks
|
Tesco-
14/10/10.
I cannot wait for Tesco to come to Faringdon - I shop every
week in their Abingdon store - I did a weekly shop in Budgens back when we had
all the snow not only did it cost an EXTRA £45 I could'nt get all I
needed and I don't mean just bread and milk!
Name Supplied
|
Many more votes needed -
broadband campaign. - 16/10/10
170 votes, 4.92% at
16.26 today
Do get your family and friends to vote.
I hope all the
businesses in Faringdon have voted - it's in their interest to 'wire'
Faringdon
Gene Webb
|
Traffic
monitor - 16/10/10
There's also a cable across the
road between Budgens and White Horse Bookshop, Marlborough St
Gene
Webb
|
Too Good to be
True - 16/10/10
Is the news about a CCTV camera
checking on illegal parking in the London St area genuine or just wishful
thinking
If genuine it could result in a reduction in our Council Tax.
And for those who might claim it is 1984 Big Brotherism I maintain that I, for
one, have nothing to hide.
Except my identity on this site of course.
Name Supplied
|
CCTV -
16/10/10
Actually, its a transport survey camera, monitoring The Market
Place. Perhaps, at long last something may be done about the Market Place
layout and traffic problems
name supplied.
|
CCTV -
16/10/10
Camera outside Blockbusters might be for catching John Ottway?
Alan Hitchcock
|
CCTV -
16/10/10
CCTV is to help with cut down the crime in faringdon & to
do instant double yellow line parking fines in the town center & London
street..
Name Supplied
|
Legal
Scrumping in Faringdon on Sunday 17th October-
16/10/10
- starts at 2pm after your Sunday Lunch through to 4pm or
until when the Apples have all gone! +++ help me raise much needed money for
Breast Cancer Research
Two BIG FAT BURSTING Bramley Apple Trees -
Although I value my Brown Garden Recycling Bin which I have now filled 3 times
now with Windfall Apples - It is SUCH a waste - should be for Cooking NOT
Compost!!! So on Sunday 17th October it is "Faringdon's Legal Scrumping Day"
from 2pm to 4pm - Bring your blankets or sheets to catch the apples - I have a
stepladder - If you have a walking stick, hooked umbrella, long hook or pole or
one of those long branch loppers to shake the upper branches then bring them!!!
I think they are Bramley Cooking Apples, Green but on the side near the Sun
VERY Rosy Red - Bramley apples work well in pies, cooked fruit compotes and
salads, crumbles, and other dessert dishes. They are also used in a variety of
chutney recipes, as well as in cider making. Whole Bramley apples, cored and
filled with dried fruit, baked, and then served with custard is an inexpensive
and traditional British pudding. Cooked apple sauce is the traditional
accompaniment to roast pork. Hot apple sauce goes very well with ice cream.
Optional but not a mandatory donation please to the fundraising
campaign we are doing where I work ... Breast Cancer Research .... so everyone
wins! Scrumping Location 36 Coxwell Street, Faringdon SN7 7HA - Location is
nearly opposite the advertising hoarding with a M&S Redtime Story (Lady in
Red M&S Lingerie)Find the little Red Brick house with the 4 White Windows
and the wrought iron side gate.
Just a thought - I am decluttering my
undie's drawers tomorrow to recyle all my Bras that I don't wear to raise funds
at £1 per kilo for Breast Cancer Research - via the www.BreastTalk.co.uk
Bra Appeal! Bras goes to people that need some uplift in UK and mainly Africa
and money goes to Breast Cancer Research -so Bring your old Bra's to add to
mine - help me raise money for Charity and collect loads of apples !! -
any
enquiries please to teresareynolds@btinternet.com or
07825 971855
Thanks Teresa
|
Bloke on
Scooter - 16/10/10
I have not encountered the Begging
Lady with the dog - but it's ok she can knock on MY door as much as she likes -
I NEVER answer my door at ANY time unless I have a pre arranged appointment or
I know a friend or neighbour is "incoming" - BUT I have a problem ref
SCOOTERMAN - I think he has been watching too much daytime TV with all the
adverts for no win no fee - Have you had a fall or injury that we can help you
claim DAMAGES for - SCOOTERMAN insists on trying to position himself in the
roadways of Faringdon and then move forward towards me under scooter power so
that we have an eventual impact and he will then obviously say - They HIT ME -
and poor little "disabled me" fell off my mobility scooter and hurt myself - I
should feel sorry for him but I am disabled too and I am not pissed when I am
driving my Mobility Aid -
"My Scooter" has a camera which I can use in
my car in reverse escape mode from Scooterman - so I don't harm him or myself
or any other cars or pedestrians - BUT I don't hit SCOOTERMAN either.
By the way I DO hope you recyle your drink cans (the ones you have in
your hand when driving your mobility scooter, while not holding the handlebars)
in an environmentally friendly manner. By the way next time you try and RAM me
again I will be looking at the rear view reversing camera while holding up my
video camera with the hand that is not steering (NB not my phone because that
is illegal) to prove that you are trying to make a buck or three out of Car
Driver Rams Disabled Scooterman!!!
Name Supplied
|
Child friendly Guy Fawkes
night - 15/10/10
Roves Farm are doing a child-friendly
bonfire night, starting early and no loud bangs. It's near
Sevenhampton/Highworth so not very far.
http://www.rovesfarm.co.uk/eventsactivities/page37/page37.html
Rebecca DuPlessis
|
lloyds tsb
. - 15/10/10
Annoying that they charge but why should
a bank do free work for somebody who isn't a customer ?. We already have free
use of the cashpoints if you aren't a customer but to expect a cashier to spend
time working for free for another banks customer seems unfair. A bit like going
to Mings for your chinese and then up to Rainbow to ask for free chips !.
We have two banks in the town and I hope we can keep them - the only
way to do this though is for people to have their accounts there. You could
always try going into shops in town with bags of loose change and see if they
will be happy to spend time counting it out for your shopping !.
Name
supplied
|
re lloyds tsb change
issue. - 15/10/10
Budgens will change your change for
you (in small amounts) so will the p.o and dillons and they wont charge either
some small companys have to pay to have change delivered so i bet they would be
gratfull for some change
Name Supplied
|
CCTV? -
14/10/10
Whats with the c.c.t.v put all round town anybody know perhaps
there looking for the person delivering the leaflets round town
Anybody
else know why they are there
Name Supplied
|
Camera outside
Blockbusters? - 14/10/10
Anyone know what the new
camera is for outside BlockBusters?
Name Supplied
|
Dogs in the SWAN
- 14/10/10
The landlady of the swan has indeed go an
dog, she keeps it locked out the back howling all evening. I can hear it from
my house.
Name Supplied
|
YES ! More Broadband
! - 14/10/10
OK, so this was the first I had heard of
this race for faster broadband, it has not yet been well publicised
anywhere!!!!!
I have voted for Faringdon as requested, but I have to say
there are some far more 'needy' places. My line speed cap in Faringdon is 8.1
meg and I pay f2s around £15 a month for this.
I have another
broadband line at another site with BT, my line speed cap there is BELOW 0.5
meg and cost me a similar £15 a month.
The exchange for the other
site has 15,000 subscribers and only 0.49% have voted, probably because they
have not heard of the 'race' either.
So all in all Faringdon, our broadband
is OK, that is until evening, when it is rubbish, but that is a BT line
congestion problem, not an ISP issue.
Wonder if VOWHDC could use the
next Section 106 agreement money (maybe from the TESCO development) to fund
high speed broadband in Faringdon? if they know where Faringdon is!!!!!
Name Supplied
|
Tesco
Leaflet- 14/10/10.
i cant see why the people who got
involved with the bogus leaflet have any thing to worry about, Tesco wont be
doing haircuts, selling painted sticks, sweets by the quarter, or £100
handbags,
I see budgens want a cafe in their new plans, what about the cafe
we already have, budgens wont worry about taking there trade, seems to me
everyone who wants a Tesco, don’t shop at budgens any way,
i have
lived here 25 years, and have not done a full shop at budgens/carters yet, i go
to Swindon.
Name Supplied
|
Green Bin Gray Bin Food
Bin- 14/10/10 .
Since the new collection service
started 4/10/10 we still have not had any waste collected. 3 phone calls , 2
emails and still nothing collected.
Name Supplied
|
Green wheelie bins
- 14/10/10
:- i havent had mine emptied either and
they can,t say they have as im on asssisted collection ,ive rang them every day
since monday twice a day and you sit in a cue for nearly a hour each time as
the message say they are experiencing a high call volume i wonder why?so i wait
patientally only to be told its in hand.
can,t fit any more in and they
won,t take it if you put it lose bring back the old way of doing it i say it,s
a joke they did,nt empty my black one either mind you when they said they would
pick it tuesday to me on monday i did forget to ask which tuesday and what year
Sandra Saunter
|
YES ! More Broadband
! - 14/10/10
We have just over 200 non-residential
01367 subscribers as well as more than 3200 residential in our area
A
careful study of this website visitor statistics on the home page may tell high
IQ posters exactly how many individuals enjoy this site but to me the
information is as much value as a chocolate teapot
However I know the
answer may be summed up as "A LOT"
So why have we only had less than 200
votes cast ?
ED(GW) provides you all with a fantastic service so why
not show a little appreciation by doing as she asks and
VOTE ! !
Name
supplied
ED(GW) 145 votes, 4.2%
|
Guy Fawkes night
- 14/10/10
With Guy Fawkes night approaching, can
anyone recommend a local fireworks display suitable for children. ie not too
late in the evening.
Thanks.
ED(GW) Have a look at
http://faringdon.org/nvwhatson.htm
|
Yes - dogs allowed in the
Swan- 13/10/10
Thanks Andrea for the info on the Swan.
My other half and I will have to try it out...with the four legged fiend in
tow :) I've been told they do a good selection of real ales which should keep
my partner happy....and quiet!
Sam
|
Infamous
leaflet- 13/10/10
So the infamous leaflet issued by
some gutless wonders using The Vale Of White Horse Logo has backfired big time.
No-one will take responsibilty for this piece of garbage that was circulated to
other towns and villages giving them a great laugh at our town and no doubt
having them rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of gaining more
business from disaffected Faringdon residents.
Well done the organisers
of this inaccurate leaflet, top marks for shooting your selves in both feet, or
between the eyes, thus missing your brains by 6 feet; or 5 feet if the
suspected culprit whose fingerprints are all over the piece is indeed the
guilty party.
Those retailers who allowed themselves to be associated
with this failed stunt should hang their heads in shame for their stupidity and
luddite views.
I for one will never again give them my business they have
trashed our town and deserve to go out of business asap.
Name
Supplied
|
Ken
Stickley- 13/10/10
It is with regret that I inform
Faringdon that Ken Stickley has passed away.
The funeral will be held at
All Saints Church, Faringdon on Wednesday October 20th at 12pm
Sally
Thurston
|
More votes needed -
broadband campaign. - 13/10/10
We desperately need
more votes for the Faringdon exchange on
www.racetoinifinity.bt.com/home.
If you haven't voted,
please could you vote. You don't need to be a BT customer and you aren't
committing yourself to faster broadband but you are helping Faringdon to move
into the 21st century.
Please tell your friends, parents, children -
anyone who can help to spread the word, place a vote and has an 01367 prefix.
Our ranking is currently 53 and we need to be in the top 5, like Blewbury, who
are currently ranked #3 with 14% of their votes accounted for.
The campaign
finishes on 31st Dec 2010 - your votes and ideas for promoting this campaign
would be very much appreciated.
Sarah Allen Stevens
ED(GW) 135 votes,
3.91% at 15.30
|
Yes - dogs allowed in the
Swan- 13/10/10
Yes, dogs are welcome in the Swan.
I checked on Sun night, then two came in right on cue as if to prove it!
Apparently the land lady has one.
Lovely, clean pub, great beer and snacks
and a wonderful lack of irritating 'piped music'.
Recommend a visit.
Andrea
|
LLoyds
Bank. - 13/10/10
Ten pounds, ten coins, one note, five
pound charge...I do hope you suggested where they could put the
note!
Name Supplied
|
Tesco
- 13/10/10
There are over 400 people on Facebook supporting Tesco coming
to Faringdon.
See
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Id-be-happy-for-Tescos-to-come-to-Faringdon/151529074882400.
I hope they have all commented on the application here: PublicAccess v7.4 @
Vale Of White Horse District Council: Application Details (10/00867/FUL)
Sheila
|
LLoyds
Bank. - 12/10/10
I read that the bank is going to
charge you to change your coins. Then I thought - don't they charge local
shops/businesses to obtain small change? So wouldn't it be a better idea if
local shops could change small quantities for you. Obviously not lots and lots
of bags otherwise they would spend all day counting! They would benefit by not
paying for change and you can save yourself a journey to Swindon etc.
Would
any shops be interested in this idea?
Rachel
|
Re LLoyds
Tsb. - 12/10/10
I was also told i would have to pay a
charge to change some loose coin in to a note. ten coins, ten pound, note 5.00
charge.
so it aint just budgens pushing us out of town to shop the banks as
well
Name Supplied
|
Begging lady with
dog - 12/10/10
This is for the comments about the
begging lady and the bloke in the scooter. I do believe he has now been
reported by myself and others for hanging around by the schools. Keeps trying
to grab children on their way out of school, mainly the juniors and infants.
It's getting beyond a joke now my children are scared of going out he got the
wheelchair on his side. if people see him there to ring the police asap.
Something needs to be done
Thanx
Name Supplied
|
well well well still
homeless - 12/10/10
council are useless last meeting i
had i was told "dont count on geting any where any time soon" that was nice of
them, but what gets me is im homeless wanting somewhere to have my children and
some one i know still liveing with there parents and and get offerd a 2 bed
flat in swindon ??????? some one please explain this to me
Rob
Stanton
|
Green wheelie bins
- 12/10/10
We too have not had our bin emptied, but in
our case Verdant's records show that it was emptied. Sally Wilson, Verdant's
mouthpiece at the Vale claims that it is policy to accept the electronic data
rather than the word of the injured party. Here is what she said in her
email
"I attach a copy of yesterday's collection record for your
property. You will see it records for 15 Bennett Road the emptying of the 240
litre recycling bin at 10:11 and weighing 18kg. I have also attached the
collection record for 14 Bennett Road, which shows their bin as emptied at
10:14 and weighing 9.5kg. The bins contain micro-chips, which contain a number
that links the bins to specific properties. When the bins are emptied, the
chips are read and the time, weight and whether recycling or refuse bin, are
recorded on the database against the relevant property. The call centre
explained that you have checked the address labels on your bins and they are
correct to your property. I am satisfied that these records show that your
recycling bin was emptied yesterday and am therefore unable to instruct the
contractor to return".
So much the new waste collection system. Has
anyone else had a similar experience.
Andrew Marsden
|
regarding the fat
dog - 12/10/10
Has anyone seen the size of the fat cat
in the crown it could feed a whole entire army for a year
P.s i am told its
not fat it is just the breed it is
Name Supplied
|
LLoyds
Bank. - 12/10/10
I have been to the bank this morning
to change some money, it was only a small amount of coins, I was asked if I had
an account at the bank, when I said no I was then informed I would be charged
£5.00 to change the coins!
So now I have to go to Wantage or Swindon
where my bank is.
Well done again the businesses of Faringdon for pushing
customers out of town!
Name Supplied
|
Votes are increasing -
broadband campaign. - 11/10/10
124 votes have been
cast out of a total of 3,452, 3.59%
www.racetoinfinity.bt.com/home
|
Begging lady with
dog - 11/10/10
concerning the lady begging with brown
dog my partner was approached by her and still owes us £5 told us she
wanted it for electric her and the man on the scooter are a menances a
specially him he hangs round in the town and accosting the women so be wary of
him.
So faringdon be aware
Name supplied
|
Green wheelie bins
- 12/10/10
I took great pleasure in regaining an empty
recycling bin after collecting contents since the bins were issued. My normal
rubbish has not yet filled a plastic sack in the sametime.
It does feel
like the system will be more effective in dealing with waste. Hopefully the
teething problems and folks without front gardens or storage space can sort out
a solution that works perfectly too.
Am I lucky is this system actually a
good one?
Alan Hitchcock
|
Tesco
- 12/10/10
Bill, thanks for reply. I agree with you pretty much down the
line.
The debate is only constructive if it deals with facts. Both sides
seem lacking in them and if there is a serious wish to present a case an
'experiment' on pricing would be pretty useful if conducted correctly and
without bias. Like most issues when facts are required the frequancy of
postings does seem to dry up. Depends how important you feel the topic is. If I
had a business interest in the town I would be looking for factual evidence to
present against the planned shop. I would also look to make a positive if I
lost against the planning, like gaining free parking.
Seems pretty simple
to me, failure means you rely on other people. Like yourself I am not motivated
to research the topic myself.
Alan Hitchcock
|
Folly Halloween-
Cancelled - 12/10/10
For this year only - due to
building works
Sorry!!
Gene Webb
|
Roadworks on A420 at
Buckland:- 12/10/10
Like many others I was badly
delayed heading home tonight. The OCC website reveals that the works, near the
BP garage at Buckland, will continue until at least Saturday.
To avoid:
Leaving Faringdon towards Oxford, take the A417 out of Faringdon towards
Stanford, and then turn left on the B4508 through Hatfield and Pusey to rejoin
the A420 east of the works.
Coming towards Faringdon from Oxford, turn
left onto the B4508 through Pusey and Hatfield until you meet the A417 and turn
right towards Faringdon.
This detour adds 2 miles to your journey but will
save a lot of time sitting in traffic wasting fuel.
Delay tonight was in
the order of 20+ minutes at peak hour.
The culprit is Wales & West
Utilities - not sure what they are doing yet, or when we were warned about
it...
Peter McGurk
|
Green wheelie bins not
emptied - 12/10/10
just wondering if anybody knows why
5 of the green wheelie bins (recycle) were not emptyed today at clocktower
court between number 17 and 22 yet they seemed to empty all the others but just
walked past ours . my bin is full up and as i have nowhere else to put my
recycles i will just have to throw them in to my grey bin!!!
John
Townsend
|
Votes are increasing -
broadband campaign. - 11/10/10
111 votes, 3.2%
www.racetoinfinity.bt.com/home
|
Tesco
prices- 11/10/10
I was one of the culprits making
flippant responses to Chloe's post. She did not in fact answer any question
about pricing, but for the most part made unsubstantiated claims and innuendo,
and 'proposed an experiment'. Such posts invite flippancy. Perhaps you should
take it less seriously, there was no malice intended.
The locally
expected Tesco is not one of the largest types, but not the smaller 'local'
ones either. If you really are that bothered about price comparisons, then make
a shopping list and drive around checking it all out, that's the only way
you'll be sure, and even then remember that prices change daily/weekly so
you'll have to make several trips and note the average difference.
Personally I couldn't really care less whether Tesco comes here or not, but
what I do become mildly irritated about is suggestion masquerading as fact, (on
either side) which is then taken up by gullible people and repeated as though
it were gospel. It adds nothing to the debate.
Bill
|
Dogs allowed in the
Swan?- 11/10/10
I was just wondering if anyone knew if
dogs were welcome in The Swan.
Sam
|
Fantastic Fat
Dog - 11/10/10
I have been to the Fat Dog restaurant
twice and the food is absolutely fantastic, so if you want a treat go and try
it - fab
Name Supplied
|
On Face book? - Spread the
word to vote for High Speed broadband for
Faringdon
I'm not a regular Facebook or Twitter user -
but I expect lots of you are.
Please get people to vote on
www.racetoinfinity.bt.com/home
The numbers are
growing!!
Gene Webb
|
Such a great start to the
broadband campaign. - 11/10/10
I've just voted (#75).
We desperately need faster broadband otherwise we will be left behind to
other towns, such as Wantage, Highworth etc.. (i.e any town not using an 01367
prefix).
Lack of broadband speed will ultimately affect those people
purchasing houses or starting/relocating their business or even setting up a
shop.
If there's £5k of equipment in it for a school - bring it
on....
As a community, we achieved spectacular results getting
broadband to the area in 2001/2002 - let's do it again!
Sarah
Allen-Stevens
ED(GW) Vote on
www.racetoinfinity.bt.com/home At 11.13 11/10/10 we have 87
votes . 2.52% of total
|
Begging lady with
dog - 11/10/10
I thought that i should put a posting
on to warn people that the begging lady with the brown labrador is back and
taking her begging to a new level.
On Friday (8/10) evening I witnessed
her and a gentleman on a mobilty scooter going along Park Road knocking on
people's doors and asking for money. I confronted her to tell her to stop and
that I was calling the police. I have since heard that she carried on along
Park Road and neighbouring roads begging, saying that she was locked out and
needed 5p towards her fare to get to Wantage to get a Key cut.
Please
everyboby be aware that this is not the case and she merely wants it for
alcohol. If she should ask you for money either at your door or in the street,
please, please report it to the poilce as she has been arrested and warned
about this before.
Name Supplied
|
Shop
prices- 11/10/10
Very interesting. Chloe has hit a raw
nerve over pricing.
We have two 'name supplied' messages offering fippant
or rude answers to a legitimate question, what are you hiding? No factual
response?
We have one reply offering information which does not answer the
question, but thank you as it is an answer. So that would be a failure to
counter Chloe's arguement at the moment. Having made the point it is up to
those who believe that prices will be substantually cheaper to provide a case
to support their claims and not the other way round.
Without that
information an informed opinion cannot be formed. I happy to remain undecided
as to if I am for or against but at the moment no is winning.
Convince me
otherwise.
Alan Hitchcock
|
Re
broadband - 11/10/10
The word is spreading fast. Less
than an hour after I put my (58th) vote we had another 10.
Keep going. I
can't believe that BT think that Faringdon is not commercially viable enough to
be on their list for fast broadband.
Secretly, another reason to vote for a
big business such as Tesco's.
Name Supplied
ED(GW) Vote on
www.racetoinfinity.bt.com/home At 08.47 11/10/10 we have 69
votes . 2% of total
|
Tesco-
10/10/10
"Tesco just want to undercut the nearest walking-distance
competitor by the slimmest margin possible to entice custom.
They can save
more money by employing very few staff at the smaller branches.
In the local
shops, the checkouts are usually unmanned while a lone member of staff stocks
shelves, leaving you to fight with the self-checkout machines and wait several
minutes if alcohol purchases require "approval" or when you find that the
bagging area contains no bags - bags which are so thin and cheaply made they
can barely carry a bottle of wine for a 2-minute walk."
Goodness me.
Chloe has been a busy girl. I wonder how she knows all these 'facts'. She must
shop a lot at Tesco local stores. Perhaps she's cross because her bottle of
wine got broken when it fell out of one of those flimsy bags. My advice? Take
your own bags, Chloe, or drink the wine straight away.
name supplied
|
Shop
prices- 10/10/10
It is quite easy to pick out items
which are cheaper, or more expensive, than the local store depending on which
way you wish to bias your argument, but for those who need to, are interested
enough, or even enjoy comparing shop prices, here are a couple of comparison
sites.
http://www.supermarket.co.uk/index.html
will show
you special offers etc; and this one
http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk
allows you to compare
your own choice 'shopping basket' across a range of supermarket prices.
I imagine that the Tesco prices will be those of it's larger stores,
but I doubt there will be a very great difference. (The proposed store for
Faringdon is bigger than an 'Express', smaller than a 'Superstore') Neither of
the comparison sites will allow you to compare prices with our local Budgens,
but you'll just have to take your list and do it yourself.
Shophound
|
Tesco -
10/10/10
As the new Tesco (should it ever materialise) will be so
awful/badly stocked/understaffed/overpriced/tiny/and with only one checkout
open, what has Budgens got to worry about?
name supplied
|
Tesco
prices- 10/10/10
I fear Chloe has answered my
question over Budgon/Tesco local shop pricing and to the negative of those who
expect 'el cheapo' prices on the doorstep. I too think pricing will not be
'cheap'. Going further would you find the same thing if you went to a large
Budgons, very likely.
This factor rather undermines much of the pro debate.
I return to my suggestion either a new supermarket should be a really
good big one or perhaps we are better off without it. An additional top up shop
is of no real benefit, especially if it is enough to drive away the options
offered by specialist shops.
Certainly the Town should require some benefit
for allowing a new supermarket to come in. This is totally normal. I believe it
should include a free parking scheme for the town centre as previously argued.
Alan Hitchcock
|
Transport Consultation -
Oxon County - 10/10/10
Have a read of
http://myconsultations.oxfordshire.gov.uk/inovem/gf2.ti/f/6274/17349.1/pdf/-/Chapter%2022%20%20Faringdon.pdf
This
describes how the County views Faringdon and it's transport needs.
You
can email your views on this to
localtransportplan@oxfordshire.gov.uk
or
through the website
Gene Webb
|
Tesco
prices- 10/10/10
Tesco
As the new Tesco (should
it ever materialise) will be so awful/badly
stocked/understaffed/overpriced/tiny/and with only one checkout open, what has
Budgens got to worry about?
name supplied
|
Tesco
prices- 9/10/10
For those of you who are hoping a new
Tesco in Faringdon will be significantly cheaper than Budgens, I propose a
little experiment.
Drive up to the large Tesco on the edge of Swindon or
Oxford and make a note of some prices. Then head to one of Tesco's smaller
"local" shops in the same town. You'll find the same goods are often around 20%
more expensive or worse. Which do you expect a small-to-medium shop in
Faringdon to be?
Tesco just want to undercut the nearest walking-distance
competitor by the slimmest margin possible to entice custom. They can save more
money by employing very few staff at the smaller branches. In the local shops,
the checkouts are usually unmanned while a lone member of staff stocks shelves,
leaving you to fight with the self-checkout machines and wait several minutes
if alcohol purchases require "approval" or when you find that the bagging area
contains no bags - bags which are so thin and cheaply made they can barely
carry a bottle of wine for a 2-minute walk.
I would love more shopping
choice in Faringdon. I was embarrassed recently when friends from Oxford
visited Faringdon at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon (surely a peak shopping time
for most high streets) and were surprised that most of the shops were shut. But
Tesco don't plan to be a panacea for Faringdon, only their own profit margins.
Chloe
|
New School?
- 9/10/10
I seem to think I heard mention of a
possible school being built along park road. Anybody know anything?
We are
going to be desperate for a school very soon if Faringdon keeps growing at the
speed it is.
Name Supplied
|
Vote for high speed
broadband now ! - 910/10
Just for once all TP
posters can agree on something. A very rare if not unique happening !
Super
high speed broadband would be great.
So do as Gene suggests.
Forget
about Tescos, dogmess, budgets and bus shelters for two minutes and vote for
it.
HGM
ED(GW) Now 27 votes - but we need loads
more
|
High Speed Broadband for
Faringdon - we need to vote - 8/10/10
I've only just
learned about this......
Over the next five years BT is rolling out
superfast fibre optic broadband across the UK. If you're not on the announced
roll out plan The Race to Infinity gives you the opportunity to fast track your
area to get BT Infinity next.
The five areas with the largest percentage of
votes by December 31st 2010 will win the chance to bring superfast broadband to
their area. BT will also donate £5,000 of computer equipment to a local
community project. Whether you're big on social networking, gaming, streaming,
uploading or downloading, prepare to have your life transformed with superfast
speeds.
To vote simply go to 'VOTE NOW' (www.racetoinfinity.bt.com/home)and enter your details. Don't
forget to pass it on to your friends on Facebook and Twitter to get your area
to the top of the scoreboard.
We've only got 13 votes out of over
3400!!!!
I guess they're collecting mailing list data too - but you can
tick a box that says 'no offers etc'
Gene Webb
|
Community First Responders
needed in Faringdon - 8/10/10
Community First
Responders are volunteers who are trained by the Ambulance Service to a
nationally recognised level and provide life saving treatment to people in
their local communities.
Community First Responders are always backed up
with the nearest available emergency ambulance.
If you think you might
be interested in joining the team we would love to hear from you.
Please
call Gof Smith on 07799 8800 91
|
Faringdon as a
destination centre.- 8/10/10
Yes I did incude the
undertakers as a destination shopping experience - sorry I didn't intend the
pun.
I know that the list is tedious, but I think it does show that
Faringdon is not the dead or dying town that seems to be the perception of
some.
It is very possible that the coming of Tesco could even help to
expand the retail offer in our town. Many retailers are likely to think "if
Tesco (the countries most successful retailer) can make money there - so can
we".
It is very important that we take positive action to show what a wide
variety of shops that we have rather than the gloom and despair that some seem
to be being promoted.
"The evidence" shows that a thriving and diverse
shopping center will benefit from edge of town development such as is proposed
- so let's demonstrate that that is what we have.
(These are my views and
not necessarily those of FTC).
Alan Hickmore
|
VWHDC preferred
supermarket site option- 8/10/10
I have previously
mentioned twice on this site my curiosity/disquiet at the obscurity
surrounding the reasons for the district council's 'preferred option' for a
retail site.
The planning process may well be in chaos, but that is no
excuse for the total lack of communication from our three district councillors.
If there IS a preferred option, then there are reasons; our
councillors will be aware of them and we should be told what they are. I know
they read this forum, so let's hear some facts from the horses' mouths please,
otherwise there may well be grounds for wondering what vested interests are at
work behind the scenes.
name supplied
|
Re "tesco has such a bad
reputation, with everything" - 8/10/10
Tom issued the
challenge to us Tescos supporters to look at any online papers to justify his
unfair statement that Tescos has a bad reputation. I looked at his suggested
link only to find out that the story is 3 years old. So, I thought I'd google
budgens and look what I found with ease.
This is only a year old:
http://www.midhurstandpetworth.co.uk/news/Budgens-store-in-Midhurst-fined.5712326.jp
Name Supplied
|
Vale "Surveys" - 8/10/10
I was
interested to see the surveys which collect information on our views of the
VWHDC services. These surveys are not in fact published by the Vale Council,
but by Conservative party councillors, as stated.
As one with years of
experience in market research, I can tell you that the collection of names and
addresses is quite unnecessary on these forms. Names and addresses of
respondents are collected on market research surveys only for the purpose of
moderating the interviewers' performance and in this case the forms are self-
completed, and you cannot send more than one of each from the same IP address.
The most interesting item, however, is the last. You are requested to
state your political preference - also your address and you cannot send the
form without completing this.
Far from merely "...ensuring a
representative sample.." (which is quite easily done depending on your sampling
method) this is a crude and transparent method of collecting information about
you which can be used for party political purposes.
Politically Neutral
Observer
|
re businesses in
Faringdon- 7/10/10
Just a note hijacking Alan
Hickmore's last posting.
Of the 80 businesses mentioned, how many are in
the town centre? There are businesses in that list well positioned to take
advantage of increased retail activity in Park Road and along the A417, now the
main road in Faringdon whether you like it of not. Some enterprizing land owner
might decide to redevelop land into an arcade of shops if there was a
Supermarket pulling in trade adjacent with free parking which he could add to.
That would continue the logical shift of retail to the best place for doing
business in the Town.
Overpricing the existing business area is not a
stratagy that can succeed against that should it start and nothing else
changes. Several of the existing 'out of town' businesses exist in part as they
offer free parking now. I wonder if they would survive otherwise, indeed I
would suggest ease of access is thier strong point? Given free access our
shopping centre could bloom continueing into the evening as the catering
business takes over using the square as a resource as it is starting too.
Very French. It has not got anything to do with class I think but
everything to do with priorty of cases. And yes Tesco will happily land bank,
it is where the clever money is going.
Alan Hitchcock
|
Tesco-
8/10/10
Talking with a group of friends last night , why don't Budgens
just sell out to Waitrose, we would then have a good local store in the town
centre, who care about their staff, provide a good service to their customers
and support fundraising in the local community. This would encourage people who
live in the villages to come into the town centre supporting all the other
shops etc
People who feel that Waitrose would be too expensive have the
opportunity to catch the community bus and shop at Costcutters who have
excellent offers and friendly staff.
Name Supplied
|
Tesco-
8/10/10
I am undecided on the merits of a new Tesco's in Faringdon. I
agree with certain points of view from both sides of the argument.Budgens is
certainly not viable as it is for us to do our weekly shop, so we go to
Sainsburys at Stratton or Tesco's in Swindon. As a former resident of Bicester,
you may or may not be aware that the Tesco's supermarket and six Tesco
expresses there have had an effect on the local shops.Even with the medium size
Tesco's in Bicester my wife and I regularly found that we could not get all the
items of our weekly shop there, so we would end up driving 12-17 miles to the
larger Sainsburys in Kidlington or Tesco's in Banbury. Out of frustration of
having to spread our food shop between two supermarkets, we forego our local
Tesco's and ended up going out of Bicester to do our weekly shop all the
time.
If Faringdon does end up with a Tesco's, then I hope its a decent
size one as otherwise we will still end up going out of town to shop.
Name
Supplied
|
The Ultimate Destination
Shops !- 8/10/10
Alan H's list of shops and
"destination" shops was rather tedious and took up far too much space on my
screen but it did reveal a so far hidden sense of humour.
I presume he
included the 2 Undertakers in his "destination" shops category.
Name
Supplied
ED(GW) Format changed
|
Not Dog
Poop- 8/10/10
mmmm I must the only person in Faringdon
that has a non "dog" poop problem - Not sure if it a large cat or five or a
family of non urban fox's that heard about my food bin not being emptied this
week and came in from the countryside for a "jolly" - All I know is that is
certainly wasn't a dog and it wasn't very nice at all .....deposited at regular
intervals all the way down my path to the front door! I will have to send a
sample to my brother! Don't get me wrong - I love my little brother ......but
he has a lurcher that takes great delight on every country walk in finding fox
pooh and rolling in it - so at least from his daily experience & extensive
bitter knowledge of the problem, he could offer me a PHD level opinion on the
pooh's origin!!
Regardless I wish I had not put down the handle to lock
the unemptied food bin to protect it against vermin, because then at least it
would have been emptied & I would have been doing my bit for wild life
conservation!
Teresa Reynolds
|
Change the Market
Place- 8/10/10
I have an idea on how things could be
made easier for our buses - take out all the kerbs, bollards, signs etc from
our Market Place and make a nice level open space like it used to be. All we
need is a wide raised pavement round the edge, as it used to be, with traffic
lanes picked out in textured surfaces.
There would then be level ground for
market stalls and stages at festival time, and the Mummers would have a decent
space to perform on on Boxing Day.
Perish the thought but we could also
increase car parking at the same time (except on Market Days of course)
Name
Supplied
|
Budgens is
improved- 8/10/10
I really wonder whether those who
criticize Budgens so vociferously actually shop in there. The quality of the
fruit and veg has improved enormously and I find the prices sufficiently
competitive to be worth shopping in town rather than driving out. My experience
of other supermarkets has been of bigger shelves with more of the same stuff at
the same (or higher) prices.
But I am not brainwashed with the slogans like
"good food costs less at..." and so on not having a telly. And it's strange how
if you talk politely to the staff how they respond in the same manner to you
and are really helpful. Try it.
So now we wheel in the class warriors
and say it's the middle class in their 4x4's defending Budgens while others
can't afford to shop there. Personally I travel to Budgens on shank's pony and
take advantage of their excellent special offers. So why not support Budgen's
efforts to improve and stop dividing our Town with the prospect of a second
retail area with the "subsidy" of free parking?
Name Supplied
|
More high street
names?- 7/10/10
As a long standing resident of
Faringdon, I remember when we used to hope for high street chains to come
here.
Faringdon is growing in population numbers, with a Tesco here maybe
others will take an interest
Are you listening M&S?
Name
Supplied
|
Tesco-
7/10/10
It seems to me that if Budgens had gotten their act together in
the first place there would be no call for a second supermarket,ie, if their
shelves were better stocked, the so called fresh produce was actually FRESH,
instead of lank, limp and stale, and the store was actually clean and at a
price everyone can afford instead of the elderly spending most of their pension
on just their weekly shop etc.... and how dare the owner speak on our the
townsfolks behalf stating that we neither want or require tesco in our town.
I am appalled that he should presume the right to speak on our behalf and I
for one will be attending the next meeting to ensure my voice is heard
Karen Draper
|
Tesco-
7/10/10
I think personally the main issue is the location of the
proposed tesco in my possibly minority (kindly pointed out by sophie) opinion,
and I would like to point out also 'A Messenger' that I object to the location
of the tesco not the fact that we should have a tesco at all and I am working
class... i shop via the internet for my main shop it's cheaper than travelling
to tescos in swindon or budgens but i do use all the other shops in town (which
works out cheaper than going to swindon)i woulnd't want m&S, Waitrose,
Tescos, Sainsburys, lidl or morrisons 200 yards from my house thank you..... as
personally i don't think it would be viable to have it so far from the town
centre - perhaps a competitor supermarket should consider a town centre
location. and if you want to argue on price.... try buying the exact same item
in Tesco Express Grove that you do in Tesco in swindon.... check out the
massive price difference there. the small store will not provdide the same
value for money that a superstore in swindon will provide.
Name
Supplied
|
"tesco has such a bad
reputation, with everything" - 7/10/10
Yes I said
that. And I stick by it 100%. Look through ANY paper online and you will not
spend long before you find a report on how it has killed a town, how they have
used child labour in the past, massive libel cases against people who print bad
things, battery chickens, MILK PRICES! aiding and abetting the general death of
the uk farmer.
Need I say more?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/2807611/Tesco-faces-Slough-of-despond.html
Tom
|
Tesco
leaflet- 7/10/10
There seems to be a perception that
Faringdon has few shops and is not a place where people should want to do their
shopping.T
his was the message that the "leaflet" sent round to all the
local villages and is so wrong.
We have a mass of "destination" shops as
well as shops designed to primarily service the the Town. Such as:
3 Furniture shops
1 Motorparts
1 Bespoke
kitchens
1 Builders merchant
1 Schoolwear
2 Undertakers
1 Glass
and mirror
1 Curtains & fabrics
2 Grocery
1 Sweets
2
Charity
2 Jewellers
1 Bargain centre
1 Optician
1 Fair
Trade/Christian shop
1 Newsagent
2 Gifts
1 Cheese
2 Chemists
1 Butcher
1 Flowers
1 Video
1 Bridal
1 Dry cleaner
1
Sandwich
1 Baker
|
1 Cookery ware
1 DIY
1 Beauty
1 Piano/music
7 Pubs
2 Cafes
4 Restaurants
3 Hotels
1
Garage
3 Motor repair
5 Takeaways
1 TIC
1 Antiques
2 Car
showrooms
1 Barber
4 Ladies hairdressers
2 Banks
1 Post office
3 Estate agents
1 Farm shop (Wicklesham)
1 Bookshop
|
(Please forgive me if I've missed anybody).
That makes 80 shops. There are two significant types missing - clothes and
shoes, but there are rumours that at least one of these will be rectified soon.
Please stop running down the retail offer in Faringdon - we have a wide
range of non-food shops and we should be telling our friends in the villages
and around that Faringdon is a good shopping destination.
Alan
Hickmore
|
VWHDC Preferred
option7/10/10
In response to Gene's question - I think
the whole planning system is in chaos and I think any Planning Authority (VWHDC
or otherwise) has a very hard job to make any real headway at present.
I
suspect your observations are an effect of the current chaos and understanding
of what developments can be delivered and what can't.
Sarah
Allen-Stevens
|
Tesco-
7/10/10
Could we have the very real situation that Tesco is land banking
and therefore blocking any other supermarket chain from entering Faringdon?
If Tesco get planning, who's to say they will actually build a store
(plenty of historical evidence from earlier postings...)? And if they don't
build a store but Budgens has closed because of the Tesco threat, will
Costcutters be large enough to serve the town's needs?
Sarah
|
Bus
shelter- 7/10/10
Who is responsible for removing the
vamdalised bus shelter on Park Road?
It's been there for weeks
Name
Supplied
|
Tesco-
7/10/10
Can't wait for a Tesco! It would be good to have the freedom of
choice to shop within the town. Why don't we let the middle-class people (who
currently shop in Bugdens) continue to shop there, and let everyone else use
the new Tesco; where food will be cheaper and fresher and the staff have had
proper customer service training; and provide healthy competition for the
monopoly that Budgens has.
I have puzzled on how something that is dead
already, can die? Tesco is not even here yet, and many shops in the town centre
are closed...Too many of our middle-class representatives must see something
very different when they amble through the market place!
I have NO
OBJECTION to the new Tesco proposal, bring it on!!
A Messenger
|
Tesco-
7/10/10
It seems to me that some of the minority of anti-Tescos
campaigners are so desparate to keep Tescos out of Faringdon that they're
sinking to a very low level to try and justify their cause. There was the
leaflet, giving the impression it was issued by the VOWH Council, which now
nobody will own up to publishing. More recently we have Tom making an untrue
suggestion that "tesco has such a bad reputation, with everything". And Andrew
has made the highly dramatic statement "death warrant for Faringdon's historic
market town centre".
It is absolutely clear from all the statistics and
from speaking to many people that a very large majority of Faringdon residents
want Tescos in Faringdon as soon as possible. Perhaps more importantly I have
not met anyone who will stop going to the good market place shops when Tescos
arrives. We also now have a 'gossip' announcement that the VOWH planning
committee are going to vote against the application. I wonder who leaked that
to our editor?
I am really pleased that Tescos are keeping an eye on
Talking Points. I hope they will be encouraged to pursue their application with
vigour, helped by seeing that the postings in favour of having a Tescos here
significantly exceed those against. I hope Tescos will ensure that all the
postings on this site are shown to the planning committee members who can then
see the real picture and make their judgment of whether or not some of the
Anti-Tescos campaigners are scare mongering.
Name Supplied
|
Tesco-
7/10/10
I'm a little surprised about what everyone thinks Tesco are
offering. A reminder that they are intending to build a 15,000 sq. ft. shop. It
is half the size of Sainsbury's at Wantage and one fifth of the size of Tesco
in Abingdon. This is about the same size as Budgens and is typically smaller
than a shop people would use for a weekly shop - hence the reason why people
leave Faringdon to do their weekly shop elsewhere.
I argue that if Tesco
set up on Park Road, people that shop there will either be Tesco shoppers
topping up on their weekly shop or other people using it as a convenience store
for milk or bread, and these people probably wouldn't be stopping for a shop in
town anyway.
Name Supplied
|
Tesco-
7/10/10
Tesco/parking There seems to be an assumption that Tesco will be
signifacantly cheaper than Budgons. Is this in fact true? Smaller Tesco shops
tend to have higher prices from what I have seen. I am quite certain that Tesco
price to cost and local demand within a corporate range of pricing. They will
be like Carter's probobly who were adept at pricing such that it was just not
worth travelling outside Faringdon to get your shop. Clearly a sensible
marketing stratagy. I might be wrong, but the more restricted Tesco's retail
range is by planning then the more money they require from the lines they are
allowed to sell. In some ways the Town would be better served with as big, and
hopefully as cheaper Tesco as we can get or no Tesco at all.
Back to
Car Parking. If Tesco has free parking why is anyone, including the mass
invasion of out of towners expected, going to drive into the centre of Town to
pay parking to use the shops there? Have car will drive as near to destination
as possible remember, people are lazy. Only the few will walk. It is not going
to happen is it? The threat is not the Tesco shop. That is a straight forward
business competiton situation. The threat is that Tesco has free car parking
and the Town Centre and therefore the adjacent businesses do not. You heard the
Council intends to do nothing about this. That is an abdication of
responsibility. The business competion is a matter of debate but I see the
Tesco application as a legitimate development on that basis. The situation
therefore should revolve round the car parking facilities which are not
offering the businesses a level playing field. If we get Tesco we should get
free parking availability for the Town Centre in some form or the Town Centre
will suffer badly. Having made provission for fair competition you can then
argue about the merits of the business competition. Doing so the other way
round is stupid and plays into outsiders hands who want to either save revenue
in the Vale unto themselves by inaction or make money out of it to take
elsewhere. Niether do Faringdon any good. A united front on this issue will see
Faringdon actually get something useful out of the situation, perhaps which
ever way the planning goes. Peacemeal arguement and disinformation will not get
us anywhere. Bare in mind Tesco own the land in question. If not a Tesco what
other business are they associated with that could be opened. Or might they
just trade the land against a supermarket development plot elsewhere with, say,
Morrisons? Happens all the time. Therefore this issue is not going to go away
after a couple of rounds of planning. That is the reality and it represents a
chance for Faringdon for once to stand up and take advantage of plum situation
to gain instead of forever being the victim of circumstance and restricted
personal interest.
Alan Hitchcock
|
Wanted for Giant Jumble
Sale - 7/10/10
Books, DVDs, bric a brac, toys, good
clothes, shoes, bags, etc.
Raffle prizes.
In aid of Parkinsons Disease,
Multiple Sclerosis and 10% to Hope Dog Rescue.
All needed for the Giant
Jumble Sale, Saturday 13th November.
Tel: 01367 241753 or 240130
|
Council
Budgets - 7/10/10
I gather VWHDC and South Oxfordshire
elected councillors have voted not to become one council. I don't know the
reasons, but I suspect the main one is party political.
'Turkeys don't vote
for Christmas'
The money saving I suspect would be substantial - but hey
- who cares about that when you're at risk of losing your power base
Name
Supplied
|
Tesco-
7/10/10
I can remember Faringdon in the early sixties,used to come here
some FRi/Sat nights.The Corn exchange was a great venue for live music,had no
problem with a stupid noise limiter.The town had the main A420 running through
it,a cinema and lots more pubs.(It always seemed a bit run down.)It was a busy
little town.
Looking at the Jazzy "Faringdon Preserve our town" brochure
on the front page is a deserted London street with four people, turn the page
and there is our wonderful clean sparkling town centre resembling toy town. No
People.Not good for promoting the town.The really useful shop,which has had
more closing down times this year then the hot dinners quote has
reopened.T
he market square, a disaster, buses that now run more often
create so much hassle every time they leave .Car parking has been a problem for
years.T
he Pump house which was refurbished at great cost,seems to spend
a lot of time standing empty.(I wonder if the Corn Exchange will suffer the
same fate after having another substantial ammount of money spent on it).
It would seem the Town centre has been in decline for years.
Well
meaning attempts have assisted in bringing about the situation as it is.Tesco's
as it seems is wanted by a great deal of people and will offer what people
want.
All they need is the choice.
Sam Prince
|
VWHDC Preferred
option7/10/10
Does anyone know why the Gloucester
Street site is VWHDCs preferred option?
It is nearer the town centre, but is
there any other reason.?
What about the increased traffic along Gravel
walk and Gloucester Street?
It seems that the Tesco site is not in
VWHDCs Core strategy- but I thought the Core strategy was on hold, as David
Cameron requires more local involvement.
Can someone from VWHDC please tell
us or even one of our councillors?
Gene Webb
|
In response to
Tesco- 7/10/10
Your arguments are entirely spurious
and to state that you agree "Faringdon should be preserved" would be laughable
if it wasn’t the town that I enjoy living in at risk.
While I
don’t doubt that Tesco will take some of Sainsbury’s business as the
proposed site is slightly closer to a number of shoppers, this will have a
minor impact (i.e. just offering more of the same, a handful of miles closer to
customers who will still drive to a supermarket), the major impact of building
an out of town supermarket will be to close down the historic town centre of
Faringdon. This goes against government policy PPS4 as it is an out-of-centre
development and would have a significant adverse impact on Faringdon town
centre.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/planningpolicystatement4.pdf
To use the argument that improving a path or providing a shuttle
bus would encourage Tesco shoppers to travel to the town centre is entirely
spurious and farcical. You cannot honestly believe that anyone with frozen food
defrosting in the boot of their car, recently purchased packaged meat getting
warm or having just spent a stressful hour traipsing round the aisles are then
going to pop into the town centre?!? Just as likely, those that may have
otherwise shopped in town will be encouraged to leave it.
I repeat the
point that I welcome any increase in choice, competition and variety in the
town centre. However, building an out of town centre development is wrong,
Faringdon is too small, and will continue to be when the new housing is
completed, to support two centres.
Building an out of town supermarket is
irreversible.
Andrew
|
Car
Parking - 7/10/10
One way to increase the car parking
in Faringdon is to build a 2 storey car park behind Budgens.
It could be
accessible to Budgens from both levels.
I guess neither VWHDC or Budgens
will spend the money
Name Supplied
|
Beware! Wicked Tesco
? - 7/10/10
Faringdon Town is in danger and life, as
we know it, will stop.
And what is this threat that we're faced with ? It's
simply a rather large shop.
It seems that a food store called TESCO is
wanting to build in Park Road
where lorries won't block our town centre
whenever they come to unload.
They'll also provide parking spaces. Much
better I think you'll agree
for unlike the ones that we are stuck with they
won't charge at all. They'll be free.
And will this affect the small
traders,? Many just haven't survived.
Nothing to do with TESCOs for TESCO
has not yet arrived.
HGM
ED(GW) Thankyou HGM - I was sure you
would write a poem
|
Faringdon Library
- 7/10/10
I just want to say what a marvellous
service this is. The exceptionally helpful staff will assist you to find any
item (book, cd, dvd, that you require). The computer service allows you to
access the internet; print items you want, and all for a very affordable
amount.
I fear that the downsizing of public services may include the
library; if we lose it, it will never be replaced. This will, over the long
term, impoverish our culture and society far more than any tinkering with the
benefits allocation. I really do think that the library service must be
protected from any cuts which may be in the offing. It is invaluable as an
educational and recreational resource, and is available and affordable to
all.
Hilary Taylor
|
Tesco -lord be
praised - 7/10/10
It's all very well for the wealthy
few of Faringdon to push their trolley around Budgen's, parting with vast
amounts of extra cash (because you're worth it and you drive a 4x4), but for
the 'standard waged' folk who still try desperately to live in this town and
not be forced out to the realms of Swindon etc. Tescos' will be a most welcome
sight!
I'm quite sure that the rich folk of this town would be only
too happy to see an M&S Food, or perhaps a nice pricey Waitrose to show up
on their doorstep, but most of us Muggles are forced to drive many miles to
Wantage/Abingdon or Swindon to make ends meet.
For those of you modern
enough to use the dreaded Facebook' site (the horror!), you may like to join
the following group and give the one-sided petitions floating around the town a
run for their money!
High time we had a bit of 'freedom of speech' around
here!
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Id-be-happy-for-Tescos-to-come-to-Faringdon/151529074882400
Name Supplied
|
Re Car Parking-
3/10 - 7/10/10
Why should retailers in Faringdon
increase their prices to pay VOWHDC for free parking? Everyone knows you can
park in Faringdon for free anytime, so long as it is on double yellow lines not
in a VOWHDC car park.
An even better idea, charge for overnight parking in
Faringdon VOWHDC car parks, enforce on street parking regulations at all times
and make Faringdon VOWHDC car parks free for the first two hours between 8am
and 6pm. Problems solved!!!!!!!
Name Supplied
|
Tesco
post - 7/10/10
Sophie ,
I do feel for you and you
don't have the publishers details after all, who wouldn't want to sue someone
for libel http://tiny.cc/t04sr .
I cannot help but feel that
although 75% of people AGREE with your wish to build a tescos in Faringdon the
25% of people who do not wish it, are being more vocal, and this is quite
possibly a good thing, the more people know the better things are. Rolling over
and taking megacor's word as "god" is not always the best idea.
If you
lived in a small local historic town would you wish for a large scale building
that supplied .... DIY things, lets say a base for a home. you don't need it as
you happen to work out of town and if you need that item you get it on the way
home. Or even better use the local store, and while there learn your way was
not so wise but their method was not only cheaper but quicker and looked nicer.
It is known that tescos has a track record of asking for one thing and
building another.
Saying that x items will not be on sale when in-fact they
will be. Now this I frustratingly cannot provide links to, But I have read it
in several publications.
You do not say and I don't for a second
expect the "Independent research" to know either or the VOWHDC for the matter
but its not a needed stat know doubt. BUT where do these shoppers shop? a rival
? smaller shops? or perhaps your own stores, after all it is only Wantage you
have no stores at all and Witney has 2 locals but no major stores IIR. But also
that 90%+ that shop out of town I am willing to bet work out of town as well, I
shop on the way home, I think everyone I know does the same thing it's just
convenient.
Competition.
Baker
Butcher/s
Cheese shop
Delicatessen
Paper shop/s (which also supply sweets, card and "key items"
depending which you look at)
Card shop/s
That is a fair few shops
from the centre of town. Hell even the "cheep shop" is at risk. but remove 6
shops and you are left with a very nice card and "bits" shop, a struggling
supermarket, and several takeaways. . . oh and a couple of pubs. 75% agreed,
How many pray, are from faringdon, not saying anything questionable is going on
but I am sure you can see where I am coming from.
Now my reply has varying
sarcasm and i should point out that I am against it. The whole idea. tesco has
such a bad reputation, with EVERYTHING you wonder why people are against it.
IT would truly not surprise me if you had building issues, protests etc, I
think you may have miss guessed exactly how the residents of Faringdon work.
just another link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10273660
Tom
|
Hope & Aid Direct
humanitarian aid trip to Kosovo - 7/10/10
THANK YOU!
The truck of aid leaves Faringdon on Friday 8 Oct and the airbourne crew leave
for Kosovo on Monday.
We would like to thank everyone who has supported us
in any way over the past few months. Thank you to all who have donated aid,
donated money, donated raffle prizes, thank to the Rotary Club for organising
the Shop & Drop, thank you to everyone who has come to quiz nights, curry
nights, discos, Judith who has made us cakes to take with us to keep us going,
people who filled handbags to give to the ladies in Kosovo etc. etc.
If we
weren't supported so wonderfully in Faringdon, we wouldn't be able to go and we
wouldn't have anything to take.
If anyone is interested in joining a convoy
next year, please do get in touch.
Sarah 01367 242769
|
Tesco Planning
application- gossip - 7/10/10
I've been told that
VWHDC are going to refuse to give planning permission to the Tesco
application.
This is from a credible source. However the Planning meeting
isn't until 27/10, so nothing is certain until then.
I've had a look
through the public comments on the application on
http://idocs.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/WAM/showCaseFile.do?action=show&appName=planning&appNumber=10/00867/FUL
Mostly
objections so far.
I guess people who don't object don't feel the need to
comment
Tell them your views(as well as here)
Application reference
10/00867/FUL
http://planning.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/dcapplication/application_detailview.aspx?KEYVAL=L2CX65BYC0000&module=P3&hidereturn=true
or by emailing:planning.dc@whitehorsedc.gov.uk.
Gene
Webb
|
National Poetry Day- 7th
October - 6/10/10
Anyone fancy writing something
(short) - perhaps relevant to Faringdon and the current issues!
Will be
published here - with name or no name - as you wish
www.nationalpoetryday.co.uk/
Ed
|
Message from
Tesco- 6/10/10
We were disappointed to see the
anonymous leaflet that has been widely circulated opposing our plans for a new
foodstore on Park Road. I am not going to try to counter all the misleading,
inaccurate and partial information it contains. However, I do think it is
unfortunate that it is not attributed, so we do not know who is behind these
claims.
We are only too happy to engage in open debate and have met members
of the Chamber of Commerce on three occasions to try to address their concerns.
We do not believe the members of the Chamber of Commerce, including Budgens,
have anything to fear from a new Tesco foodstore.
Independent research,
which the Vale of White Horse District Council’s own findings back up,
shows that currently 90 per cent of Faringdon people do their main food shop
outside the town, in places such as Abingdon, Swindon, Wantage and Witney.
Fewer than 10 per cent do their main food shopping at Budgens. In total more
than £17 million a year of grocery spending is being spent by Faringdon
residents in stores outside of Faringdon, compared to just over £5
million in the town.
Our store will provide an incentive for these
people to stay in Faringdon to shop and, with improved linkage to the town
centre, thereby encourage them also to use the existing shops, with most of
which we will not be competing at all.
Yes, we agree with the anonymous
authors of the leaflet that Faringdon should be preserved. We believe we can
help in this aim by stopping the current huge leakage to surrounding towns. The
Town Council agrees that, subject to certain provisos, a new foodstore on Park
Road would be good for the town.
Nearly 75 per cent of people who
attended our public exhibition supported our proposals. Therefore, if you
disagree with the leaflet and support the introduction of a new foodstore,
please write to the Vale of White Horse District Council and your local
councillors to let them know that this leaflet does not represent your views.
Sophie Akokhia, Corporate Affairs Manager, Tesco.
|
Dog mess in the Church
Yard - 6/10/10
As a member of staff at Faringdon
Infant School we thought it would be nice to take some of the children for a
walk around Faringdon to see some of the buildings and do a quiz about them.
How unfortunate that when we walked around the churchyard two children came
out with dog excrement plastered over their shoes and trousers.
A
church yard is not a place for dog walking. There are plenty of walking areas
in and around Faringdon, some of these even providing dog poop bags.
If you
have a dog, why can't you be a responsible dog owner and clear up after it.
The excitement of having a walk around Faringdon turned out to be a
distressing time for both pupils affected.
PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG -
THINK OF OTHERS.
Name Supplied
|
Dry
Cleaners - 6/10/10
I've heard that the shop in London
Street that use to be the Dry Cleaners has been let.
Anyone know what sort
of shop it will be?
Gene Webb
|
National Personal Safety
Day - 6/10/10
Monday 11th October 2010 has been
designated as National Personal Safety Day, and to mark this personal attack
alarms will be available at Vale of White Horse Police Stations. The personal
attack alarms will cost £2 each, and are ready to use straight away.
Abingdon, Wantage and Faringdon Police Stations will have a limited supply and
you are welcome to purchase them from the Station Duty Officer at the front
counter. The VOWH area is a very safe area to live and work and attacks against
the person are rare. This initiative, by the community safety partnership, is
designed to reduce crime and enhance community safety. Also available will be
anti theft purse bells and U/V marker pens which are free.
Thank you.
Message ends.
This is a Community Message from Thames Valley
Police
|
Budgen's Witch
Hunt - 6/10/10
Poor Budgens. What a lot of stick they
are having at the moment. Too bad for them they inherited buildings which were
never designed to last forever (or even forty years) Too bad for them also that
delivery vehicles have got bigger, traffic has become denser, you have to pay
to park your car, and more people go out to work all day so there are less mums
to walk into town and shop locally. We are all so used to the newer, brighter,
smarter, better, richer and mightier supermarket chains that we make
comparisons and understandably find our local shop wanting.
Those who
have been here a long time will remember when the Carter brothers ran the
supermarket and were always around supervising and making sure everything was
up to scratch. They had the advantage of being very smart retailers and not
having much competition. Well, locally anyway they wiped it out, because they
were better etc than anyone else. They were also uninterested in the welfare of
their competitors and in their way were pretty ruthless and opportunistic.
Anyone who recalls the planning decision to allow Carters' rear entrance on to
the (then) free council car park will concur. The Carters' thorough attention
to detail though is just not there these days - if it was, that amateurish
leaflet would certainly have not gone out with plagiarised council logos on it.
All this criticism though has a knock-on effect and is depressing for
staff and customers alike, so why can't we lighten up a bit. Change will come,
whether we like it or not. In a while we shall all adapt and find
someone/something else to burn at the stake. How history repeats itself. Human
nature, eh, don'cha just love it??
name supplied
|
NOT Supporting
Tesco - 6/10/10
If Tesco build an out of town
supermarket the death warrant for Faringdon's historic market town centre would
be signed.
Faringdon’s future will be a dormitory town of new
build estates with a run down town centre and the only focal point being a
Tesco, with free parking.
Faringdon is unique in the Vale and for its
size offers a good range of shops, particularly food shops. Cheese,
delicatessen, butchers, bakers, coffee, groceries, sweets, cafés, pubs,
restaurants, farmers market, crafts as well as flowers, gifts, jewellery, DVDs,
hardware, toiletries, furniture and services such as opticians, banking,
insurance, estate agents etc etc.
I welcome any increase in choice,
competition and variety in the town centre especially that which draws
residents of the new housing into Faringdon town centre. Building an
out-of-centre development that kills off the richness, variety, choice and
competition in a market town in the Vale is illogical, irreversible and wrong.
I strongly disagree with this application.
Andrew
|
Supporting
Tesco - 6/10/10
I have now taken to walking around the
town with a Tesco bag to get used to carrying one! When does it open?
Colin
|
Creating a Healthy
Oxfordshire - 6/10/10
Come and have your say about
future health services in Oxfordshire’
Friday 29 October 2010 10.00am
– 3.30pm At The Oxford Centre 333 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 7PL
NHS
organisations and Oxfordshire County Council are working together to ensure we
can provide high quality sustainable health and social care services in the
future. Society is changing so health and social care systems need to change to
respond to increasing demand, patient expectations and advances in technology
and medicines.
More information
Oxfordshire PCT
|
Faringdon campaign leaflet
not linked to Council - 6/10/10
The Vale of White
Horse District Council has confirmed that it has had no involvement in a
leaflet currently being circulated in Faringdon as part of a campaign against a
proposed food store on Park Road.
The leaflet “Faringdon, preserve
our town”, which comes from an unknown source, quotes several traders and
the local Chamber of Commerce, and also includes the Vale Council’s
official logo. The Council wishes to point out that it was not involved in the
production or distribution of the leaflet, or in the campaign against the
proposed store, and remains impartial on the issue.
The Vale also did
not grant permission for any external organisation to use its logo as part of
this campaign.
Adrian Duffield, Head of Planning at the Vale of White
Horse District Council, said: “The use of our logo on this leaflet is
particularly misleading and unfortunate as we are yet to determine the planning
application for this proposed development and so may be seen as compromising
the council’s impartiality.”
|
Tesco -
5/10/10
TESCO’S I think the anti Tesco campaigners that have used
unauthorised literature and logos have now shot themselves in the foot and a
selfish foot at that, their views and disagreements are not about the town and
local businesses but solely about their own loses and gains. If Tesco build and
I truly hope they DO! It will finally get rid of the biggest eyesore in the
town.
Budgens take over the whole of the road on delivery days at the
front of the shop and the drivers think they own the path and have no respect
for people passing, their prices are a million miles away from competitors and
the selection of items are a disgrace.
The Yaqub family at Costcutters
always ensure they are open, have all the essentials and keep their shelves
stocked and at reasonable prices for a very small shop and i feel that they
will keep their regular customer base even if Tesco's opens. Budgens finds it
hard to maintain prices, availablity and selection and this is for a so called
big chain. It’s now time us locals back the Tesco bid to give us good
value for money, excellent range and a varied selection of products, because
let’s face it! If you can afford to shop in Budgens all the time you have
obviously not been hit by the recession and have more money than sense, because
in today’s economy we all need the food deals, buy one get one free and
the club card points, don’t see Budgens offering loyalty points.
For all of those so called do gooders that think it will kill Faringdon you all
need to wake up this will bring hundreds of people to Faringdon that currently
travel to Swindon, Witney & Wantage, it is so long overdue and a stepping
stone to become a better Faringdon and to bring us up to date.
Name
Supplied
|
New Waste Collection
- 6/10/10
- broken down lorry Seems like there was a
plague of broken down rubbish lorries on Monday... there was a lorry broken
down on Coleshill Drive for about 3 hours on Monday, too. The mechanic was not
particularly impressed with the lorries at all... he didn't have a good thing
to say about them (other than he was getting to work on clean ones that day!!).
Whilst the waste at the top of Coleshill Drive sat there waiting to be
collected, there was another bin lorry parked on the Gt Coxwell roundabout for
a significant amount of time.
In fact, the ONLY moving rubbish lorry I
saw all day was the one doing 40mph+ in a 30mph zone, roaring past small kids
shortly after school let-out time, on the A417 in East Challow.
Enough
said.
Name Supplied
|
Budgens
plans - 5/10/10
i was told by a old budgens employee
that the new owner of budgens is waiting to see if tescos get the go a head for
the building work on park road If they dont then he will go ahead with his
plans which are located at the rear of the store for all to see i hope he goes
ahead with it becouse it does look very smart
Name Supplied
|
Regarding car parking
costs - 5/10/10
I suspect that the Vale DC have a
department that maintains all the car parks e.g. line painting, kerb
replacement, ticket machine maintenance, strategic salting in winter, etc.. -
all that sort of necessary stuff. This is maybe why some of their fixed costs
can't be attributed easily to each individual car park.
Irrespective,
if the car parking is to be free, even for a short while, these costs still
have to be paid and if we could come up with some creative ideas as to how to
help the Vale cover these costs then maybe the Vale will help us get some free
parking.
Sarah Allen-Stevens
|
Pothole
- 5/10/10
There has been a pothole/loose kerb outside Deacons for over 2
weeks now. It is dangerously covered with a piece of board. Last Tuesday a
workman was looking at it and measuring it!! It was still there this
morning...... how many have tripped over it and now putting a claim in for
compensation??
Chris Higgs
|
Contribute to a vision for the Vale -
5/10/10
It's evident that lots of people have strong views about
Faringdon - how about telling the Vale about them through the consultation -
repeated below
New website surveys to build a
vision for the Vale - 15/9/10
Conservatives at the Vale of White
Horse District Council have launched a new website (www.valevision.com) to
involve local people in building a new vision for the Vale.
The website,
which has been live for just over a month and is attracting growing support,
offers local people a chance to offer ideas on how the council should be run,
and comment on proposals from the Vale of White Horse Conservatives.
Leader of the Conservative Group, Cllr Matthew Barber said, “We
believe this is s truly unique project. We’re putting forward our plans
for public scrutiny, well before the election in order to let people comment on
them and suggest their own ideas.” The website lists local Conservative
proposals which the public can respond to and also seeks new ideas.
Surveys
are conducted on important issue, and some are tailored to specific interest
groups, such as parish councillors and there will shortly be a survey for local
retailers.
You can visit the website at
www.valevision.com and
sign up for email updates.
ED(GW) There
are a number of surveys:
Planning policy
Car parking
Housing policy
More power at a local level
New waste collection service
Survey for
parish councils
Spending Challenge Survey Council service priorities
|
anti Tesco campaign
- 5/10/10
Are the people running the anti Tesco campaign been duly
elected to speak on my behalf? or is it I suspect for their own selfish
reasons.
I have have always worked outside of Faringdon I used to shop
there, final nails in the coffin lack of choice and the parking.You only have
to see Budgens staff shopping at Asda,Tesco and Sainbury's to realise that even
with discount they still can't afford or don't want to shop in the place that
pays their wages.
So as for Tesco's the sooner the better and lets get rid
of all those eyesores along park road
Name Supplied
|
The Tesco
leaflet - 5/10/10
Today I read an email from the VWHDC
economic development officer which disclaims any responsibility or knowledge of
the leaflet. She asks that it be withdrawn and all websites that show it cease
to do so forthwith.
So who did issue it? Nick Elwell disclaims any
responsibility for the chamber of commerce or any of the organisations in which
he is involved (so who's face is it in the middle of the leaflet?)
The
mystery thickens!!
Alan Hickmore
|
Tesco -
5/10/10
I have been down to the farmer's market this morning and the
town was full of people not only buying at the Market but in the town as well.
The new bargain centre has lots of really good quality products at prices
people can afford.
The queue in Boots was 5 people in front of me.
I
visited Rob the Cheese, the Mustard seed, the Nut tree and queued in the Bank
and the post Office.
Went into Deacons and both the Charity shops.
I
spent £50 in Faringdon.
However I rarely shop in Budgens as it
is overpriced and I feel sorry for the staff being paid minimum wage and staff
that are on holiday are not replaced by others who would love a day's work to
help pay the bills.
I internet shop once a month for items that I can not
get in Faringdon, I am not loyal to any of the big Supermarkets swapping
between Sainsbury's Asda and Tesco,s
For my top up Item's I use Cost
cutter's. Omar and his team are always helpful and the offers are so much
better than Budgen's.It's nice to have a chat and be valued as a customer.
I have lived here for 25 years and went To Carters 3 times a week Every
morning until they sold out to Budgen's. Norman Carter was always in the shop
checking the stock, and very obliging to assist anyone especially the old
ladies that had come just for a pint of Milk and a chat.
The only time I
see the Current Owner of Budgen's is when he talks to other Shop keepers ie: in
the Jewellers when he was complaining about the state of Faringdon, How
unprofessional. I was not the only Customer at that time and we all raised
eyebrows! If Budgen's is to survive he should have not changed the format of
Carter's and I would have continued to shop there. If Tesco's is to come here
the walk into town is a bare 5 minutes .
So Much is happening in
Faringdon, don't let Budgen's spoil the Community spirit
The new community
bus could always stop at Tesco,s and take people into town as it does such a
good job.
I would like to Thank the editors for this excellent site
Name Supplied
|
Tesco -
5/10/10
Tesco Did anyone see news this morning one town had around 6
tescos. Imagine that on each end of Faringdon. Would clear the town of cars!!!
keep some happy
Name Supplied
|
Tesco -
5/10/10
Lets face it tesco will provide more jobs than all the local
shops together by some margin. Of course it will be made up of mostly locals .
I still think the best place for tescos is the land next to esso to provide
easy access to all.
Name Supplied
|
Lost Ginger Kitten
- 5/10/10
Our daughters 7 month old ginger kitten got
out yesterday and has not come back and she is very sad at the moment. He
escaped from Rawdon Way so would have most likely been in the area around the
health centre or the cricket pitch but as this obviously backs onto Berners Way
and the new estate and he's a kitten he could be anywhere.
If you have him
or know where he is please can you give me a call.
Thanks Barbara 07801
208386
|
Car
Parking - 5/10/10
Gene Webb's info The 'VWHDC
councillors have voted to apply charges consistently across the Vale and not
deal with individual car parks differently' This ignores the fact that the Vale
has created and the council enherited an unbalanced free car parking provision
town to town across the Vale. I also cannot believe that the profit and loss on
car parks is not calculated per cost centre rather than blanket Vale wide. That
suggests the car parks are individual in all respects other than a vote and
that there are, indeed, special cases amongst them which would be why various
works and modifications are specific to an individual car park. Therefore it is
unreasonable to state that this is not so.
Indeed to say otherwise is a
convinient cop out from doing some constructive policy work to streamline and
balance trade Vale wide. It is a wonderful world where one can be voted in to
do a job, go on to vote it does not exist and therefore no work has to be done.
Clearly plonking a new supermarket in the middle of Faringdon creates a special
case even if it was not one already. Who is responsible for Tesco arriving, I
think it is the VWHDC isn't it? Spot Bots in inaction, collect your money on
the way out, as my Father would say. The statement will not wash and is
unsatisfactory. It should be remembered that car parks, like many of our rules
and revenue collections, only work if people wish to abide by them.
What
happens if the Town loses trade and the locals start to avoid or refuse to pay
for the car parks, like I do already. The car park makes a loss (assuming the
£250k is a justifiable figure). Clearly a more cohesive and imaginative
approach is needed and Tesco offer the upheavel in Faringdon with which to make
the attempt to the benifit of everyone. Reacting to these situations is what
the job of the councellors is for, just get on with it and stop dodging the
responsibility intrusted in you.
Alan Hitchcock
|
Well
Done - 5/10/10
May I just say a big thank you to you
all at Faringdon Online. I wrote a comment, and it was on this site within an
hour.
Must be the most up to the moment town community web site around.
Andy Boston
ED(GW) Thanks Andy- I try to keep the debate
going
|
New Waste Collection
- 5/10/10
New Waste Collections
We have to
have bags instead of bins, but the bags don't fit our dustbins, they are around
half the size of our old black bin bags. That makes struggling to hold the
little bags open with one hand while we try to stuff our cardboard, paper,
bottles and plastic cartons etc. into the receptacle with the other quite
tricky during (for instance) driving rain and wind. Has anyone come across
suitably sized rigid bins in which we can fix the flimsy plastic bags open?
name supplied
|
Tesco -
4/10/10
The real issue is economic if we are blunt about it. Tesco
opening will remove some shops, businesses and jobs in the town. Those jobs and
businesses are in the main paying directly into the local economy for which we
all benefit.
Tesco will take its profit elsewhere and only the rates and
locally employed will pay into the local economy. There is therefore less for
the town, economically, in the shop being opened.
If the Tesco was to
increase trade for other businesses in town to the point where the town breaks
even or imports additional money into the local economy then fine.
That
includes any potential uses of land and impact from the planners elsewhere in
the town. That is the nub of the matter.
Alan Hitchcock
|
Tesco not big
enough- 4/10/10
My only concern is that the proposed
new store will not be big enough. The bigger the store, the more customers
coming to Faringdon. The more people coming in, the more chance that some will
use our local shops. Open the store and save our little town. A new supermarket
could be the reason to visit, then revisit a second time.( if the parking
allows. )
Name Supplied
|
New Waste Collection -
broken down lorry- 4/10/10
Oh dear! The brand new,
specially adapted Mercedes recyled waste collection lorry broke down in
Faringdon on day 1 of the new service.
It spent nearly 3 hours outside
Ferndale School where some of the younger children enjoyed a brief impromptu
lesson on how a recycling lorry should work.
Apparently, the operatives
were very pleasant and friendly in spite of their embarrassment.
Name
Supplied
|
Faringdon died over a
decade ago- 4/10/10
Faringdon died over a decade ago
when they started building new houses!! it's no longer a historic town
either,Its the in town to live as 78% don't even work in faringdon most travel
to wiltshire Oxfordshire, Berkshire,Buckinghamshire Northhamptonshire,& 8%
to London to work,
i would vote for Tesco's with both hands up!!
i have
lived in faringdon all my live 35 years,and so many shops have come &
gone,& so many shops are over priced,Oh and if Tesco's do come to town at
least London street would be clear of parked cars 24/7
Oh i like shopping
at Sainsbury's by the way in wantage..
Name Supplied
|
Preserve our town
leaflet - 4/10/10
Concerning the recent distribution
of this leaflet I would like to express that The Whats's On has been used only
as the distribution vehicle and does not imply that we support any campaign
that is being supported, by this leaflet, we are completely neutral with
regards to local issues.
We were unaware that this leaflet was being sent
out with out latest What's On.
Jackie Stayt
|
Tesco -
4/10/10
With regard to the siting of a new supermarket (earlier post)
If the Vale favour a Gloucester street site, why is that? Has any
supermarket actually expressed an interest in the site? We really ought to be
told what is going on here, and what the reasons are for this alleged
partiality.
District Councillors, you are very quiet. Can you explain?
A majority of people in the town seem to want the proposed Tesco in Park Road,
but are going to be disappointed if the Vale choose not to pass the
application.
name supplied
ED(GW) It has been said that some
interest is being taken in the site by potential retailers. Having said that I
gather that that a Tesco chap said they wouldn't look at it as the costs of
levelling the space would be very high. It seems that customers don't like car
parks that slope.
It would be good to hear from our councillors. Perhaps
they can explain why VWHDC prefer the Gloucester St site.
|
Tesco - 4/10/10
How right some are.
Faringdon needs waking up. Tesco will make them
think twice regarding pricing.
Staff in many shops carry on private
conversations whilst with customers.
BRING IT ON
Name Supplied
|
Tesco -
3/10/10
With regard to the small shops in Faringdon that are worried
about losing business to Tescos.
Try opening your shop on a saturday
afternoon?-maybe even sunday for the tourists?
Try not to close for lunch?
Employ polite staff?
If you have 6 tills try opening more than one?
Oh and i hope that tescos has a post office because certain staff in
the post office are sometimes very rude….
Wake up Faringdon.
Change or die....
Name Supplied
|
Tesco
leaflet- 3/10/10
I have read the leaflet and am a
little bit confused by it. Apart from the authorship (is it VWHDC or not?), I
was surprised by some of the language in it. For example the attack on the Town
Council decision.
Perhaps it would help if I repeat the motion that was
agreed by FTC planning committee (my explanations in brackets):
Do not
object to the application (ie Tesco) but request that the planning application
should only be considered in the context of:
a) The Town Council
insists that provision is made for B2 & B8 (ie manufacturing and
warehousing) land which will be taken away as a result of this planning
application.(We want the Wicklesham quarry development to go ahead).
b) A
clear plan for the improvement of the quantative and qualitative compparison
retail offer in the Town centre (ie. more and a greater variety of non-food
shops).
c) The provision of greatly improved pathways and cycle ways from
the site to the Town centre.
d) The provision of a shuttle bus to the Town
centre.
e) In order to provide a level playing field for the existing
supermarket, the removal of parking charges for the first two hours in the car
parks at Gloucester Street and Southampton Street.
f)Restrictions on the
timing of delivery lorrie movements.
g) Restriction on product range to
convenience (ie food and related products) goods only, particularly excluding
pharmacy.
That seems pretty comprehensive to me and seems to cover
virtually everything that is in the leaflet.
One point that seems to
being missed. Tesco will employ about 100 people as a full time equivalent
figure. At basic wage (and Tesco are amongst the best payers in food retailing,
so this is a low figure) that would bring £2,000,000 extra income (after
tax) into Faringdon annually.
We should be working together to help
our Town and to make it a destination to which people want to go and shop. We
have some really excellent destination shops - they are what we should be
talking about, not the shops that have temporarily closed.
Alan
Hickmore
(Please note that these are my views and do not reflect those of
the P&H committee).
|
Tesco
leaflet- 3/10/10
When I saw the comments about the
anti Tesco leaflet I had a closer look at it, and I noticed that it appears to
be endorsed by the Vale of White Horse council - as it has the council logo on
the bottom left hand corners of it. If the leaflet doesn't have this
endorsement, then the logo shouldn't be there - is probably in breach of
copyright - and the VWHDC needs to take some action to refute their
involvement.
If this leaflet IS supported by the VWHDC then the council is
in clear breach of its own duty as there is a planning application from Tesco
under consideration. My guess is that the leaflet is nothing to do with the
District Council, but has been deliberately designed to look as if it is
'official'.
A few points.
It does not, of course, take ten minutes to
walk from the proposed site into the town centre, (unless you are impaired in
some way) and as someone else has already said, why bother when you can walk
along Park Road/Marlborough Street which is quicker.
If the 'map' was more
accurate you would see that the proposed store was nearer the 'actual' town
centre, as opposed to the 'old' town centre but most of the residential areas
of the town aren't shown.
Illustrations of shops already closed? You can
hardly blame Tesco for that.
Loss of business land? If business land is so
much in demand, why has the acreage near the bypass remained advertised and
unsold for so long?
As for the ten reasons for objecting, I'll just
mention a couple:
10. "experience suggests that over a third of the money
currently spent..." What/whose experience is that, exactly?
7. "With 135
free on-site parking spaces it will act as a magnet for car borne shoppers who
would otherwise have driven into Faringdon town centre"
Thank goodness for
that I say, the town centre parking situation couldn't be much worse!
No one can blame the local shopkeepers for trying to preserve their
livelihoods, but it was the existing supermarket (Carter's/Budgens) which over
time was responsible for closing most of the independent Faringdon retailers in
the first place, and is now squealing with indignation because it may suffer
the same fate as it's previous small competitors.
name supplied
|
Object to
Tesco- 3/10/10
I object to Tesco's application to
build a new store in the town. In a time of economic downturn the local
businesses in Faringdon are already struggling to keep their doors open. The
opening of a large National supermarket will take the trade away from these
businesses and destroy the unique atmosphere and shopping experience found in
the centre of this historic market town.
By nature we are lazy and if
free car parking is provided within the new store then Tesco shoppers will not
walk into the town to shop in the other establishments.
The town is not
large enough for two supermarkets. I do an internet shop for my weekly
groceries (tins, frozen food etc) and top up with fresh cheese, meat, gifts,
greeting cards, bread etc from the local stores and market. I will not change
my shopping habits for Tescos.
Wake up Faringdon, do not destroy the
unique character of our lovely town.
Name Supplied
|
The Tesco
leaflet- 3/10/10
Please stop running our Town down.
I was very surprised yesterday when a customer at the shop I run in
Lechlade brought me in a copy of the leaflet issued BY WHOM? and told me this
had been put through every door in Lechlade and Fairford and surrounding
villages. What an advert for a town that I recomend people to go to!!!. How to
put people off coming to your town centre in one easy lesson, make it look so
unattractive that nobody will go there.
Isn't Budgen's trying to do
exactly what they are protesting about, I remember when Jan(who had a flower
shop) at the sweet shop closed down when Budgen's started selling flowers, and
the protests from the small newsagents in London St. when Budgen's started
selling newspapers and magazines,perhaps I have a long memory. So now they are
going to have a cafe and a dry goods area, toys, electrical cooking items?
Also why have all these plans not been done a long time ago instead of
waiting for the town meeting earlier in the year for the owners of Budgen's to
accept the need for some investment in their business. I personally have never
been a great TESCO fan and never will be, but I do believe that people will
make their own minds up where to shop, exactly as we do now.
I also
note the loss of employment land, what employment? those building in Park St.
have stood empty a long time not employing anybody, and part of our Town
Council's submission was that planning permission should be granted at
different places in the town.
Please lets pull together and work for
everybodys good, businesses, people of the town everybody, not just those with
vested interests.
Name Supplied
|
Supermarket car parking
- 3/10/10
Retailers in Faringdon seem to insist the
the root of the shopping problem in Faringdon is that our car parks are not
free. Why don't they all, especially Budgens, talk with VWHDC and offer to pay
the net annual income.
Name Supplied
|
Re
Tesco- 3/10/10
I think if the posters look at the FTC
Planning and Highways Committee minutes dated 13th July 2010, they will find
that the Town Council are trying to address most of the points.
Particularly car parking, access to the town centre and the disgusting
pathways. The minutes can be found on the
FTC website.
Jane Boulton
|
From Tesco- walk into the
town - 3/10/10
Shouldn’t the Chamber of Commerce
been lobbying for tidying up the path from Park Road to Southampton
Street/Goodlake Avenue months ago rather than using it as a reason to prevent a
new business moving to the town?
Name Supplied
|
New Waste Collection
service- 3/10/10
Do Faringdoningdons consume of lot of
crisps and confectionary or are the new grey bins over generous? I can see mine
being put out once a year
Name Supplied
|
Anti Tesco
leaflet- 3/10/10
I love the Budgens/chamber of
commerce leaflet – especially the don’t let this turn this into this,
where they show pictures of shops already closed!
Aren’t the recent
shop closures down to rent increases? Shouldn’t the chamber be attacking
the council over this rather than that opposing a development that most of
Faringdon want?
We have heard a lot from the chamber of commerce of how a
new supermarket will destroy existing jobs in our town, yet they have not
commented on the businesses Budgens will destroy by building a café
– or do they, like the rest of us, know that Budgens have no intention of
investing money in their business.
Name Supplied
|
Overpriced Budgens
- 3/10/10
At last the monopoly of the overpriced, poor
quality Budgens is to be broken. Shame it is not a more ethical store that is
planned but anything to force Budgens to realise that they can no longer
overcharge for poor quality produce has to be a good thing.
Name
Supplied
|
Police vs
Youth?- 3/10/10
A round of applause must be given to
the pcpso's that were questioning these youths. The Youths that 'hang out' in
the market square are rude, mouthy, intimidating without exception. They are
not just 'hanging out', they are drinking illegally, vandalising illegally and
what ever thay can think of illegally.
This is an issue which the police
need to address, and I thank them for it.
Were these the same youths that
also congregate up tuckers park of an evening? Are these the same youths that
verbally abuse anybody that dares to exit the football club for a cigarette.
Are these the youths that caused assault to a number of members of public who
were using the football club Friday (1 october), of which two got arrested (the
rest fled through gardens etc). Please if you would like to raise an argument
like this, have a proper argument to back yourself up.
The youths that
were 'hanging out', may well have been just 'hanging out' but lets be honest,
with what the locals have to put up with most of youth that 'hang out' down
town and budgens car park can you blame the police for being vigilant? I cant
and for this as I said previously I totally applaud them.
Name Supplied
|
Tesco support
- 2/10/10
I'd like to know which organisation produced
the anti-Tescos brochure recently delivered to Faringdon households with the
What's on. Because the White Horse logo appears on every page, at first glance
one could be forgiven for thinking it's the VOWH Council which produced it. Odd
that it's not clearly attributed to any particular organisation although I
personally suspect that the Chamber of Commerce and/or Budgens have got
together to fund this brochure. And it looks very much as if they've scraped
the barrel to find a list of reasons why we shouldn't have a Tescos. By
suggesting that the alley is the way shoppers would walk from Tescos to the
town is silly as a previous contributor has also pointed out.
Yes - I
believe I'm one of a majority of people who want Tescos to come to Faringdon.
My main reason being that Budgens has had a monopoply for far too long and,
although it's clearly trying, it still fails to be able to compete on pricing.
May I suggest that those of us who want Tescos here should also write to
the list of organisations on the last page of the brochure expressing support.
Name Supplied
|
Faringdon
information- 2/10/10
I was bemused by the item
(Faringdon Information) that the VWHDC favoured the Gloucester Street location
for a new supermarket.
Park Road is far more geographically central for
the majority of residents and the site has room for a decent sized car park. I
can imagine that perhaps the Vale would prefer their own (pay) car park to be
used instead of a supermarket free one, but what were their actual stated
reasons for this preference, which seems bizarre?
name supplied
ED(GW) I asked David Buckle why - and he didn't know
|
Preserve Our Town ? (From
wicked Tesco's) - 2/10/10
After returning from my
weekly visit to Sainsbury's I found a glossy and probably expensive leaflet
pushed through my letterbox.
It gave logical reasons why Tesco's would
destroy life as we know it in Faringdon and I found myself thinking that these
people really know what they are talking about..
They then asked me if I
would use the grotty path from Park Road via Southampton Street/Goodlake Avenue
as a route into the Town Centre which according to Google takes 10 minutes
The answer is, of course, definitely .....NO ! ....And neither would anyone in
their right minds
But I would walk along Park Road /Marlborough Street
which, again according to Google, takes 9 minutes
So now I'm wondering. Do
the writers really know what they are talking about..or are they just, quite
justifiably, trying to influence people like myself who really couldn't care
less ?
Name Supplied
|
No objection to Tesco
2/10/10
This town is expensive to shop in so I see the
possibility of Tesco coming a great benefit. Needed a part for a kitchen
cupboard, £9 in Davis DIY and £4.49 in Wickes!
Shopping in
Budgens kills my Budget. No, come on Tesco and can I collect the trolleys in
the car park please?
Colin
|
Object to Tescos online
- 1/10/10
if you are interested in objecting to
Tescos i strongly suggest that you do so today. the leaflets that arrived in
the post last night are almost too late you can oject online however you only
have the next few days to do so as the applcition decision date passed on the
28th September. we have to beat the apparent 76% of residents t...hat do want
it? (that's of the 268 they asked who went to the public exhibition)
http://planning.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?keyval=L2CX65BYC0000
Name
Supplied
|
Lord Berners books available in Faringdon-
1/10/10
Peter Dickinson's book 'Lord Berners - Composer Writer Painter'
in paperback @ £17.99
'Tales and Fantasies' by Lord Berners @
£12.99.
His novels are also available usually on a 'print on demand'
basis.
Available from David Gottelier, White Horse Bookshop 10a,
Marlborough Street
Tel 01367 242742
|
New Waste Collection
service - 1/10/10
Some residents have still not
collected their sacks for the Vale's new waste service launching on Monday.
The council is urging residents in Vale of White Horse identified as
unsuitable for wheeled bins to collect their sacks as soon as possible for the
new rubbish and recycling service if they have not already done so. From 4
October the council will only collect rubbish or recycling put out in the new
pink and green sacks and will not collect any waste put out in black bags from
those properties on sacks.
Residents can collect sacks from:
- Vale
of White Horse District Council offices, Abbey Close, Abingdon - open
8.45am-5pm Monday to Friday
- Faringdon Tourist Information Centre, the
Corn Exchange, Gloucester Street, Faringdon - open 9am-4pm Monday to Thursday,
9am-1.30pm on Friday and 9.30am-1pm on Saturday
- or call Wantage Civic
Hall for opening hours on 01235 763456.
Olivia Bucknall Shared
Communications Officer Corporate Strategy
Tel: 01491 823022 Email:
olivia.bucknall@southoxon.gov.uk
Visit us at
www.southoxon.gov.uk
or www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk
|
Find a car park
Great site -
http://www.carparks4u.com/- even has postcodes so they're
easy to find with your GPS
Name Supplied
|
Community awards- Vote now
- 1/10/10
Please vote for your chosen favourite in
each section. You do not have to give your name but we would be grateful if you
could sign at the bottom of the form (
download the form). This helps eliminate multi voting and
keeps the Awards as fair as possible.
Details on each candidate can be
found in Faringdon Community and Tourist Information Centre as well as in local
media.
Votes can be placed in Ballot boxes in C&TIC / Town Council
offices. Posted to Faringdon Community and Tourist Information Centre, The Corn
Exchange, Corn Market, Faringdon, SN7 7JA or emailed to
sally@faringdontowncouncil.gov.uk
Deadline for the Voting is 29th October 2010.
Clive Davis
Community Hero - Sponsored by Faringdon Town Council and Stagecoach Buses
| Joy Blake - For repatriation work, Church Choir and
Royal British Legion |
| Christine Moorhouse - For charity work with Macmillan
Cancer Support |
| David and Margo Manning - For charity work and
community services |
Group Award - Sponsored by Faringdon Town
Council and Faringdon Newspapers
| Faringdon First Responders |
| The Folly Trust |
| Faringdon Rotary Club |
Business Award - Sponsored by Faringdon
Chamber of Commerce and Cotswold Life
| Caldecourt Carpets |
| Faringdon Coffee Shop |
| Simply Schoolwear |
|
Faringdon
information - 1/10/10
I went to a meeting that
included the Chief Executive (David Buckle) of VWHDC(and South Oxfordshire
Council) yesterday.
Some interesting information:
VWHDC get
£700k income from car parks, and the costs of running them are about
£250K. If car parking was free, the £450k 'profit' would have to be
raised through Council Tax.
VWHDC councillors have voted to apply charges
consistently across the Vale, and not deal with individual car parks
differently.
Currently the police manage onstreet parking. In some areas
this has been handed to the County to manage, and they in turn pass the
responsibility to the district council. It seems in Oxfordshire the Police and
the County are unable to reach agreement.
VWHDC Council Tax is 14th
lowest (across all District councils) VWHDC get c £116 per house. If they
charged the average amount they would get £2.5m more to spend on
services.
VWHDC website is to be redesigned alongside South
Oxfordshires's website. Each will be branded differently though there will be
some common information. Elected members have voted not to offer just 1 website
covering both councils.
It is expected that the amount of recycling will
increase to about 65% once the new contract gets underway(4/10)
It is
expected that Verdant, the new contractor, will improve the level of street
cleanliness in the Vale as they already have in South Oxfordshire.
Both
VWHDC and South Oxfordshire have office accommodation for about 450 staff.
Across both councils about 450 staff are employed. There is no decision, as
yet, how to reduce the cost of this accommodation.
Elected councillors
have voted to keep each Council separate in terms of democracy . Presumably
this means there is no plan to join the councils together into one council.,
though some services are contracted and managed jointly.
Tesco planning
application will be considered at the end of the month. VWHDC preferred
location for a supermarket is on Faringdon Estates land behind the Gloucester
St car park.
Gene Webb
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Do you
have a passion for jogging? - 1/10/10
Do
you live in the Vale? Do you have a passion for jogging? Could you help others
find that passion? Get Oxfordshire Active is looking for motivated individuals
to lead local jogging groups for adults of all fitness levels. No
qualifications are required - just bags of enthusiasm, motivation and a like
for socialising.
Jogging is a great way to get fit. It's free to do,
and easy to fit around your lifestyle.
If you would be interested in either
leading a jogging group (training provided) or finding out about a jog group
please contact Anna Capel-Davies on 01235 540377 or email
anna.capeldavies@whitehorsedc.gov.uk.
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Macmillan Cancer Support
(Faringdon Group) - 1/10/10
We would like to thank
everyone who so kindly supported our Coffee Morning at The Old Town Hall last
Saturday. We raised £772.56 for Macmillan thanks to the amazing
generosity of the people of Faringdon and the surrounding area.
So far this
year we have raised over £10,000. We will publish our final figures at
the end of the year.
Thank you.
Chris Moorhouse (Chairman)
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