Paul Barrow - Report from your District Councillor

Report from District Councillor July 20th 2024
 
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape (NL) (former Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty, AONB) is monitored by the Local Authorities that part fund it (50%
also comes from Defra). This forms the Council of Partners who meet regularly. We
met on July 2nd in Hurstbourne Tarrant. Costs are clearly going up and local
authorities are being requested to increase their financial input. There is also now an
absolute requirement for local authorities to ensure that the local environment and
biodiversity is improved rather than being conserved. The agri-environment is
changing with greater emphasis on improving these two issues which make up the
landscape and nature that we all love and the NL has a number of projects some
funded by Defra and some by the lottery. Large projects include Farming in the
Protected Landscape (FiPL) and Farmer Clusters where local farmers get together to
develop more sustainable methods of farming. All these ideas are good and need to
be brought out into our area to the north of the NL. Good ideas for the near future.
 
Local bus services
Wantage Town Council has set up a Community Bus Group to set up a local bus
service using s106 money from the Kingsgrove and some of the Denchworth
housing developments. Because of the source of the money a local bus service
covering the small villages East of Wantage, including Ardington and Lockinge. A
company has been set up to run this and a consultation is underway requesting the
views of residents. The next public meeting will be in the Beacon on Wednesday
10th at 7.30.
Our 68 community bus service is independent of this group (although I sit on the
group) and our concern is that we can maintain our service after March 2025.
Discussions are underway with OCC to see how this might be done, either
independently or together with the X35/67 bus route or the Uffington bus. I have
been assured by The County Council transport people, who are very good, has
assured me that the service will continue after March 2025. I have asked for data on
usage. They also said that a service which involves the X35/67 route will be
discussed only if absolutely necessary.

 
Local guide/map
I have submitted a grant proposal to the Vale for the Rural England Prosperity Fund
(for rural diversification and tourism). The proposal is to produce a paper map
covering East Challow to Fawler covering footpaths and byways, historical and
natural assets, pubs and cafes. Map on one side with numbered assets and the
assets on the reverse with photos and text. There will be an online version hosted by
parish council websites. There will be QR codes on village notice boards taking
visitors to the online version. If we are not funded The Vale say that they are also
interested in supporting this.
 
Highways engagement
In response to the winter flooding Highways have restructured with a new post to set
up an engagement team to interact more closely with villages and their particular
problems. The Engagement Team visited West Challow recently to discuss the
appalling state of Orchard Gardens and to explore new passing places on Silver
Lane. The 40m stretch of potholes in Orchard Gardens were eventually fixed (two
journeys and a bit of pressure needed). They also visited Letcombe Regis to look at
the completely blocked drainage system on Court Hill that floods the Mill and we
hope to get them out to Letcombe Bassett to look at Gramp’s Hill where there is a
serious risk of subsidence. A visit to Childrey has also been agreed.
We are constantly pestering OCC about finalising the repairs at Mellor’s on the
A417. Pressure is being put on a landowner dragging his feet in clearing silt out of
Childrey Brook. Unbelievable that they are not playing ball!
 
Canal Weir Project
West Challow Parish Council and The Wilts and Berks Canal Trust have some
money to build a small weir half-way along the canal between East and West
Challow to regulate the water in the canal and reduce the flow along the ditch to the
A417 (which itself has been dug out by the farmer). This will reduce the flood risk to
the bungalows on Cornhill Lane and reduce flow to the A417 drainage system.
 
Crest Nicholson and McTaggart and Mickel housing sites, East Challow on the
A417
These housing developments have not yet been handed over to the Management
Companies. The Crest site has a large number of blocked drains and a considerable
proportion of dead planted trees. The southern grass meadow is beginning to look
better – I saw Goldfinches in it last week. The northern meadow leaves something to
be desired but was done later but a number of the trees planted there are dead.
Nothing done about the requested hedges for the north and south boundaries yet.

 
Warneford Hospital and patient/staff safety at the JR
HOSC (county health scrutiny committee) members had an update from Oxford
Health and the BOB ICB about an application to the government for modernising
Warneford Hospital, the old mental hospital between The Churchill and Oxford
Brookes. The old infrastructure is from the 19th century and is in urgent need of
attention. The plan is to turn the old hospital into a new Oxford University Graduate
College, build a new hospital fit for the 21st century and a new research block to look
at mental health. As with many of the changes that are taking place in community
medicine the NHS is looking to treat early cases at home to avoid patients become
hospitalised. As with all these changes resources are key but the proposal is that
Oxford Uni will contribute 3/5 of the sum needed.
A couple of years ago the JR was investigated by the Care Quality Commission who
were worried about patient safety. Since then, they have put in place a new structure
for reporting and managing complaints and other issues and making everything more
open so that staff can make complaints. This clearly had to be done. They are also
employing patient safety partners, the first one from Healthwatch, who talk to
patients and fed back on a weekly basis which has also improved the patient
experience and outcomes. HOSC members were briefed on Tuesday at the JR on
the improvements and outcomes in patient safety. Clearly, this does not reflect
clinical outcomes which by and large are excellent but interaction with patients
needed to be improved and clearly this has happened.

Mental health hub
There has been a great deal of talk within Oxford Health about siting drop-in health
hubs in High Streets. We now have our own dedicated to mental health in
Sainsbury’s in Wantage.

SESRO Reservoir consultation

I have just completed the public consultation for the super-reservoir between Hanney
and Steventon. If you want to comment on this please go to 
https://online.ipsosinteractive.com/mrIWeb/mrIWeb.dll?I.Project=S24023153&ID=63
4237441 or mail them at [email protected].
GP access
Wantage Town Council Health Committee also met Tuesday and the practice
managers from the Church Street and Newbury Street practices were invited
especially to answer questions about access.
In summary,
1. Neither practice has enough GPs for the expanding population. There is a national
shortage of doctors who want to do GP work. Many of those who do, want to vary
their work with other work, including private practice, and it is a seller’s market. So,
the number of full positions (Full Time Equivalents or FTEs) is less than it should be.
2. This has resulted in GPs and other staff getting stressed and which is why nurses
take on more of the routine injections, sample taking etc.( I get a monthly injection
and it is always from a nurse and its fine except that the stuff injected gives me an
inflamed abdomen but that’s not her fault!).
3. The previous access system was not working. The e-Connect system that they
had was very clunky and did not work well. The new e-consult has also been
streamlined so that either online, by phone or in person the form does need to be
completed. The first triage is done by a GP, not by a receptionist! as many people
think! The GPs rotate doing a morning or afternoon and get back to us within 24h or
even sooner if it is clearly urgent. They never refer patients onto the 111 service.
They now get an average of 147 requests using this system every day.
4. This new system has reduced the number of phone calls they get and has
enabled consultations to be increased rom 10 mins to 15mins.

5. Many people have iphones and they are encouraging people to use the NHS App
to do the initial contact and it can also be used for repeat prescriptions. There will be
face to face digital cafés soon to explain this system to residents.

 
Cllr Dr Paul Barrow
Ridgeway Ward
Vale of Whitehorse District Council
20th July 2024