Category: Uncategorized

Released 21 May 2021

The Riverside outdoor heated pool and campsite in Wallingford will reopen for its full summer season from the May bank holiday weekend under Covid-19 safety guidelines. 

South Oxfordshire District Council and its leisure contractor Better UK have confirmed the news that the campsite and pool will open on their usual opening weekend, following weeks of hard work to ensure the site can be used safely.  

The measures put in place mean local residents and visitors will be able to make the most of the sunshine and enjoy the heated pool and campsite at the picturesque location on the edge of Wallingford Town Centre while keeping themselves and Riverside staff safe. The summer season will come to an end as usual in early September. 

This bank holiday will also be the first-time swimmers will have the opportunity to use a fully refurbished surface in the swimming pool area. Last year when Covid guidelines meant the outdoor pool was closed, the district council took the opportunity to carry out the refurbishment to improve the experience for swimmers.  

The pool’s reopening is subject to there being no further changes to Covid guidelines, and there are some additional rules, including: 

• sessions must be booked in advance via the Better UK App or on the Better UK website 
• a reduced capacity for the number of swimmers  
• a one-way route around the changing rooms 

Changes at the campsite include: 

• self-service entry  
• socially distanced pitches 
• reduced capacity in the changing block 
• increased cleaning by Riverside staff. 

Cllr Maggie Filipova-Rivers Cabinet Member for Community Services said: “This is such a popular place for our residents and visitors to have some fun and enjoy the sunshine in Wallingford, and I am so pleased that we are in a position now to reopen it after we had to keep it closed last year due to the pandemic.  

“I am expecting the pool and campsite will be in high demand, so don’t forget to book, and please do follow the Covid safety guidelines so everyone can enjoy themselves. We are really keen to give our residents the chance to enjoy their summer this year, as well as hopefully providing an economic boost to Wallingford town centre, but of course keeping everyone safe is a top priority.”  

All the details about the new safety guidelines and opening times for the outdoor pool and campsite are available on the Better UK website where you can also find details for how to book your sessions.

Wednesday 21st April, 7.30pm – online via zoom

Contact the Parish Clark for Zoom details: [email protected]

To help reduce Covid-19 risks to everyone at school, their families and contacts, the PC would like to highlight and encourage, parents and others in households of school children to use the free twice-weekly home testing kits for those withoutsymptoms. Home test kits can be delivered to your door, so you can test yourself and your family without leaving your home. 

We understand that 1 in 3 people do not have any symptoms but can still pass it on. 

With the Easter hols there is likely to be more mixing between people of different ages, particularly at places like the playground, so it would be good if households start to do this before they go back to school.

Lateral flow test kits can be obtained from pharmacies, or ordered online:

You can order 1 pack of home test kits containing 7 tests for home delivery. Your tests should arrive within 2 days.

Order rapid lateral flow home test kits

The census, run by the Office for National Statistics, is a once-in-a-decade survey that gives the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales.

All households will be asked to take part in Census 2021 on 21 March.

This census will be the first to be predominantly online, with households receiving a letter with a unique access code to complete the questionnaire on a computer, phone or tablet. Paper questionnaires will be available if you need them.

The census results will be available within 12 months and will inform where millions of pounds of public funding is spent on services like cycle routes, schools and surgeries.

For more information, visit the census website or email SODC’s Insight and Policy team.

Consultation now open

REGULATION 16 CONSULTATION
Crowmarsh Parish Council is working on a neighbourhood plan, which has recently been submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council. You can view the neighbourhood plan and supporting documents on the District Council website: https://www.southoxon.gov.uk/crowmarsh-neighbourhood-plan

The District Council is carrying out a consultation on the submitted neighbourhood plan and supporting documents which will run from Tuesday 19 January to midnight on Tuesday 9 March 2021.

Paper copies of the document are available to view by appointment only. Please contact John Griffin by calling 01491 838523 or Stephen Sherbourne by calling 01491 837569 to arrange to view the documents.

If you know anyone you think would be interested in this consultation, who is shielding or does not have access to the internet, we would appreciate your help in telling them about it. Please ask them to call us on 01235 422425 or email [email protected] to discuss the proposals and get support to access the consultation materials.

Comments can be made by scanning the QR code on the poster below to go to the online comments form or:

1. emailing [email protected]
2. writing to Planning Policy, South Oxfordshire District Council at the following address: 135 Eastern Avenue, Milton Park, Milton, OX14 4SB 

After the publicity period ends, the District Council will send your response to an independent examiner to consider. As the neighbourhood planning process includes an independent examination of the plan, your name, postal address and email address (where applicable) are required for your comments to be considered by the examiner. The opportunity for further comments at this stage would only be at the specific request of the examiner.

All personal data will be held securely by the council and examiner in line with the Data Protection Act 2018.

Are you fed-up with doing the same old walks?

Walking in Oxfordshire www.walkinginengland.co.uk/oxfordshire is the website for you!

With hundreds of walks to download and print, free, it also has books of walks, contact details for all the walking groups in the county and much more. Whether you want to walk on your own or with a group all the information is there in one place.

John said ‘There is so much walking information on the web but it is difficult to find. Walking in Oxfordshire (part of the Walking in England suite of websites (www.walkinginengland.co.uk)  – one for each county in England) has brought it together in one place so whether you are walking from home, or away on holiday, you will be able to find a walk suitable for you’.

With walks from half a mile to twelve miles plus long, and a note of suitability for pushchairs and wheelchairs, everyone can find a walk to enjoy.

So home or away, check out the websites and get walking!

John Harris 

www.walkinginengland.co.uk

email: [email protected]