Councillors have backed a petition demanding action against the pollution of rivers with sewage by Thames Water.

The petition arranged by Witney Town Councillor Ruth Smith generated 1700 signatures which led to it to be considered by West Oxfordshire District Council’s Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Cllr Smith's covering letter for the petition highlighted how there had been “raw sewage discharges near Witney Sewage works into Colwell Book, part of the River Windrush catchment.”
It added that “other stretches of brooks and the river in Witney have changed their appearance beyond recognition from clear water to brown-grey.”
The petition calls for Thames Water to bring forward “essential upgrades” to the sewage storage tanks and the sewerage network in the District to put a stop to the practice of discharging sewage into the river network which Thames Water is currently permitted to do during periods of heavy rainfall.
The petition follows a motion passed by the District Council last January which called on Government “to ban the dumping of raw sewage into our rivers, with the ultimate aim of restoring our rivers to a state where we can safely swim in them and to protect their environment and biodiversity.”
A letter was subsequently sent to the Secretary of State.
The recommendations were ratified by a meeting of the full Council on Wednesday 28 October.
Cllr Norman MacRae, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “Discharging sewage into our rivers and waterways has never been acceptable and is a threat to the health of residents as well as having a detrimental effect on wildlife and biodiversity.
“It is pleasing to note that Witney Town Council supports our aims and aspirations to have clean rivers and we will continue to lobby Thames Water and our MP Robert Courts to bring about a change in the law so this practice can be eradicated.”

Firework displays should be regulated more effectively to prevent distress to vulnerable people, animals and to avoid environmental damage, councillors have ruled.
A motion passed at a meeting of the full Council laid down a series of resolutions which councillors will urge Witney MP Robert Courts to address nationally while working with parish councils to implement at a local level.
The resolutions were:

• To ask for all public firework displays in West Oxfordshire to be advertised in advance, allowing residents to take precautions for their animals and vulnerable people
• To actively promote a public awareness campaign about the impact of fireworks on animal welfare and vulnerable people – including the precautions that can be taken to mitigate risks
• To write to Witney MP Robert Courts to push for the introduction of legislation to limit the environmental impact and maximum noise level of fireworks to 90dB for those sold to the public for private displays
• To encourage local suppliers of fireworks to stock climate-friendly and ‘quieter’ fireworks for public display

Cllr Norman MacRae, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “In recent years fireworks seem to be used to mark a wide variety of celebrations, not just Bonfire Night.
“While they can be a fantastic spectacle, they can cause distress to vulnerable residents, pets and wildlife and we have a duty to protect them and the environment as a whole. Hopefully these measures will allow residents to enjoy fireworks responsibly and safely.”

Oxford will be moved into the government’s ‘high’ or tier 2 alert level after a further rise in cases of COVID-19 – meaning that the city’s residents will need to abide by new rules from Saturday 31 October.
The central government decision follows intensive discussions between central government, local councils, MPs and others in recent days.
West Oxfordshire and the rest of the County will remain in Tier 1 for the time being, although residents are being warned to remain vigilant with cases continuing to rise.
Rates per 100,000 in Oxford rose to 134.5 for the week ending 23 October. For Oxfordshire as a whole, the rate was 117.5 for the same period.
Cases per 100,000 are 151.5 in Cherwell, 92.2 in South Oxfordshire, 91.2 in Vale of White Horse and 109.4 in West Oxfordshire.
Councillor Michele Mead, Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Even though we have not moved to tier 2 in West Oxfordshire, there is no room for complacency. We must remain vigilant, act sensibly and abide by the rules. We will get through this with everyone working together.”
Evidence continues to show that, in the past three weeks, the virus has spread to a much wider age range across the county and is no longer confined to younger people in urban areas. Hospital admissions have begun to increase as a result.
Discussions have taken place with central government this week about whether all areas of Oxfordshire should move to the high alert level, given concerns over the spread of the virus to wider and potentially more vulnerable age groups.
However, the decision was made by government to move just Oxford to high alert level at this stage. This was despite requests for the whole of the county to move to tier 2, which had the full backing of the leaders of all six local authorities and the chief executives of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, and the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP).
Bruno Holthof, Chief Executive Officer at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We have moved from a position of low and stable hospital admission rates over the summer to one in which admission rates are increasing. We know there is a time lag between rising cases and an increase in hospital admissions, and so we expect to see a further increase in hospitalisation rates over the coming weeks.”
Residents are being urged to play their part and stick to the new rules in Oxford to help tackle these recent trends.
What are the features of the high level of COVID alert?

• People must not meet socially with anybody outside their household or support bubble in any indoor setting, whether at home or in a public place.
• People must not meet in a group of more than six outside, including in a garden or other space.
• People should aim to reduce the number of journeys they make where possible. If they need to travel, they should walk or cycle where possible. If taking public transport, they should plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes.

Further information is available at www.gov.uk/guidance/local-covid-alert-level-high
Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, added: “We remain seriously concerned about the rise in the number of cases across the county, and not just Oxford. We are deeply disappointed that despite clear evidence showing the virus is now spreading to older and more vulnerable communities across the county, our request that Oxfordshire as a whole should move to tier 2 was not approved.
“My five fellow local authority leaders and I firmly believe this is a necessary step to stem the spread of the virus, protect our communities and the Oxfordshire economy. Our position has the full backing of the chief executives of our NHS partners and the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, and we will continue to push for a move for the rest of the county to happen as soon as possible based on the epidemiological evidence.”

A comprehensive blueprint outlining how the Council will oversee the recovery of the District from the Covid-19 pandemic has been approved by councillors.
The Draft Recovery Plan outlines actions being taken against a set of themes which have been drawn up in line with the Council’s priorities.
The themes are:

• Economy: The Council will support investment in the District’s market towns, offering business support, backing for training organisations and investment in tourism. The overall aim is to see the economy recover to a position where it is ‘better than before.’
• Community: This will involve investment in areas where there is greatest need, reducing isolation, tackling homelessness, developing Wellbeing Hubs in partnership with other organisations and engaging residents in the Council’s work
• Climate: A commitment to continued investment to ensure the highest environmental standards are met across all Council activities
• Council Service, Delivery and Finance: This will see the continued development of recent initiatives such as home working and virtual council meetings which have been introduced as a result of Covid-19. The Council will also identify new investment proposals and focus on opportunities for accessing Government grant funding.

The Draft Recovery Plan was approved at a meeting of the full Council on Wednesday 28 October.
Cllr Michele Mead, Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “The pandemic has had a profound impact on every aspect of Council activity and it is vital that we plan our recovery so that we can emerge stronger than we were before.
“Despite its devastating effects on lives, Covid-19 has led to some positive outcomes such as our greater engagement with communities and the need to protect our environment even more than before.
“We know there is a still long way to go before we can say we are free of the effects of Covid-19 but this Plan will help us along the road to recovery and adapt to the challenges along the way.”

 Cllr Michele Mead has been unveiled as the new Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council.
Her nomination was formally approved at a meeting of the full Council on Wednesday and she takes over from Cllr James Mills who has held the position for five years.
Cllr Mead was previously Cabinet Member for Health and Leisure and has held the District Council seat for Carterton South since 2018.
Until last week she was Mayor of Carterton, a position she had held for 18 months and she remains a town councillor for the Milestone Ward.
Cllr Mead said: “It is a great honour to be voted in as Leader and I would like to thank my predecessor, Cllr Mills, for his leadership and dedication to the residents and businesses of West Oxfordshire for the past five years.
“Under my leadership we will keep developing a strong economy, tackle climate change, promote health and fitness through our leisure centres and continue our efforts to provide affordable homes.”
At the Council meeting, Cllr Mead also unveiled her Cabinet including new additions Cllr Suzi Coul (Health and Leisure) and Cllr Merilyn Davies (Communities and Housing)
The remaining members are:
Cllr Toby Morris (Deputy Leader and Resources); Cllr Norman MacRae (Environment); Cllr Jeff Haine (Strategic Planning) and Cllr David Harvey (Climate Change). 

Residents will be able to report fly-tips more easily thanks to an improved service from West Oxfordshire District Council.
A new online form will allow the user to pinpoint the fly-tip on an interactive map so they don’t have to spend time trying to describe the location or looking up a postcode.
That makes it is easier for the Council team to locate and with previously reported cases visible, it also means less duplication, allowing a quicker investigation and clean-up.
If a resident calls for more information about their report, the customer services team can give more detailed case information on the spot.
Cllr Norman MacRae, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “Fly-tipping is a crime as well as blight on the environment which we take very seriously.
“This system will help us not only clean up fly-tips but track down offenders and ensure they are fined accordingly.”
To report a fly-tip see: https://community.westoxon.gov.uk/s/fly-tip
 ​

Residents are being urged not to let their Halloween pumpkins go to waste.
Once the celebrations are over, pumpkins can be cut up and placed them in the food waste bin to be picked up as part of the usual weekly collection.
If the bin is full, leave whole pumpkins beside it and we will take them.
Cllr Norman MacRae, Cabinet Member for the Environment at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “For me one of the scariest parts of Halloween is the thought of all those pumpkins going to waste.
“There are lots of recipes for pumpkin and anything you don’t use can go into the food waste to make organic compost for next year’s crop.”
Last year, with the help of residents, the District Council collected more than 4,000 tonnes of food waste in West Oxfordshire which was taken to the processing plant near Cassington to be recycled into electricity and organic fertiliser.
Cllr MacRae added: “It’s not just your pumpkins that can be recycled either. Any other food leftovers, cooked or raw, can go in your food waste bin.”
If pumpkins are still edible, they can be used for cooking - see the Love Food, Hate Waste website for recipe ideas:
https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/article/save-your-halloween-pumpkins-bin#page-header
For more information about waste and recycling in West Oxfordshire, or to order a free food waste bin and kitchen caddy, see www.westoxon.gov.uk/bins or call 01993 861000.

Residents are being advised to be extra vigilant, particularly over half-term, as cases of coronavirus continue to spread across the county.
Evidence shows that, in the past two weeks, the virus has spread to a much wider age range across the county and is no longer confined to younger people. Hospital admissions have begun to increase as a result.
Oxfordshire is currently at the ‘medium’ or tier 1 level in the COVID-19 alert system. This is the national three-tier system, which classifies areas as medium, high or very high based on their numbers of infection and overall risk level.
Discussions have taken place this week with central Government about whether Oxfordshire should move to the ‘high’ alert level, given concerns over the spread of the virus to age groups beyond people in their teens and 20s to potentially more vulnerable groups.
The decision has been taken not to move the county to a high alert level at this stage. However, the situation is being monitored extremely closely and Council Leaders and Oxfordshire’s Director of Public Health are pushing for a move to happen as soon as possible.
Moving to a high alert level would mean that residents could not socialise with anybody outside their household or support bubble in any indoor setting, whether at home or in a public place.
Leader of Oxfordshire County Council Ian Hudspeth said: “In light of the escalating situation across the county, we are pushing hard for Oxfordshire to be moved to a high alert level. This would be a preventative measure to stem the spread of the virus and protect the county’s most vulnerable residents.
“We must do everything we can to keep residents across the county safe. We know that the majority of transmissions occur when different households mix, so increasing our alert level to high, which prevents households from mixing socially in indoor settings, is one of the best ways we can help our residents at this critical time.”
Oxfordshire County Council’s Director for Public Health Ansaf Azhar said: “With half-term approaching, as well as events such as Halloween, Bonfire Night and Diwali coming up, we all need to do everything we can to keep safe and stop the spread.
“I know that the temptation for families over half-term will be to meet up and socialise. But with the virus spreading rapidly across the county, we need people to act responsibly.
“If you’re planning to meet up with friends and family, think about arrangements in advance – meet outdoors if you can, but if you’re meeting indoors, make sure you keep your distance, wash your hands regularly, and wear a face covering.
“It’s up to all of us to keep ourselves, our families and our communities safe.”

Temperatures are falling as autumn kicks in so there’s never been a better time to make your home warmer while saving money and cutting carbon emissions.
Home energy retrofit is a Council priority as part of its commitment to taking climate action in West Oxfordshire.
We work with our partner organisation, the National Energy Foundation (NEF), to ensure residents have access to information on home energy efficiency and heating improvements as well as grants.
This is done through the Better Housing Better Health service available to residents.
This service aims to reduce the number of people in fuel poverty and provides access to impartial energy advice and free home energy visits known as Warm and Well assessments.
The NEF also helps people on low incomes to obtain grants for energy efficiency and heating improvements in their homes.
This winter the Council will be providing additional funding support for energy improvements to the people in West Oxfordshire who need it most. Contact the Better Housing Better Health service to find out whether you are eligible for our fuel poverty grant.
You may be able to receive a grant if you:

• Have a long-term health condition
• Are in receipt of a means-tested benefit
• Are over the age of 60
• Live in an Energy Performance Certificate F or G banded property
• Are eligible for other schemes operated by Better Housing Better Health

Take a look at the NEF’s Warmer This Winter campaign, for more information on making energy-efficiency improvements to your home. You can also find out how to apply for a voucher under the Government’s recently launched Green Homes Grant.
For more information see: http://www.bhbh.org.uk/grants-and-funding/?utm_source=NEF%20Website%20Home%20GHG&utm_medium=NEF%20Website%20Home%20GHG&utm_campa
For residents or landlords who need advice on how to make energy efficiency and heating improvements to their properties, the Cosy Homes Oxfordshire initiative can provide a home improvement plan.
It can also help maximise the value of the UK Government’s green homes grant voucher scheme. See https://cosyhomesoxfordshire.org/green-homes-grant/ for more details.
Cllr David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, said: “There is plenty of advice and grants available for residents looking to make their homes warmer, as well as cutting carbon emissions.
“Heating your home effectively doesn’t have to cost the earth and we are here to help residents with the access to the best advice, how to go about it and also access to grants for home energy retrofit.”