As we step into spring, the warmth of the sun and the sight of daffodils are a welcome relief after the cold and damp of the winter months.
As many of you are aware, life changed significantly for a few of us in the village back in September when the area saw a month's worth of rainfall in the space of a few hours. Personally, we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that reached out to offer assistance and particular thanks to Janet and Stephen who gave us a home to stay in for the first week post flood. We eventually found a temporary home in Thame where we have been for the last 6 months. Whilst we are obviously keen to return home, the children are enjoying the independence that being able to walk to and from school has brought them and, after our treadmill was unfortunately destroyed by the flood water, Lizzie is also taking full advantage of the novelty of having pavements and streetlights as she trains for the London Marathon.
Rob Arthur provided a recent update on the ongoing efforts to address flooding issues in the village. After reaching out to Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) Highways for support, Rob worked closely with their team, including Carl Stallwood, who visited the village in January to inspect the problem areas. In February, Chloe from the OCC Highways Engagement team joined Rob and Geoff Talbot for another walk-round to assess flooding and surface damage. As a result, potholes were repaired by March 19th, and further inspections will take place in May and November. Rob is still awaiting feedback from Carl on proposed actions to improve culverts and ditches, but Chloe has kindly agreed to follow up on this, ensuring that these matters continue to progress. Thanks to Rob for initiating these discussions.
We would like to extend a warm welcome to Sarah Bell, the new owner of Kimmeridge. It's always exciting to see new faces in the village, and we hope Sarah will feel at home here as she settles in.
Finally, as I write this, there is still no news regarding the outcome of the Planning Inquiry but we expect a decision any day now.
Wishing everyone a pleasant and sunny Spring ahead!
