Working Groups

The two successful Public Meetings enabled us to learn about your ideas and concerns. We are now pressing on with establishing small Working Groups that will examine the key opportunities and issues raised at these meetings. The findings will in turn inform the questionnaire that will be distributed to everyone in due course; and where appropriate, initiate the longer term process of delivering opportunities or solving some of the issues.

A meeting was held on the 12 April inviting volunteers to come along to learn more about the Working Groups and offer to join one that particularly interested them. But we need more people! Would you like to help? You could join one of the Working Groups on issues that you care about. Please Contact Richard Hartree or Sue Mattinson.

The main Working Group Topics and principal fields of work are listed below. The opportunities and issues are derived from an analysis of the Launch and Open Day responses. If you want to look at -these in more detail go onto the village website thesibfords.org.uk and follow the links to the Community Plan and Newsletter 3 in particular. There you can click on the links to the Launch and Open Day Responses. Give it a try…

MAIN TOPICS AND PRINCIPAL OPPORTUNITIES AND ISSUES

HOUSING

• Affordable / Social housing: the need and where it might be built.
• Should the villages expand – if so, how?
• Preparation of Community’s response to Cherwell District Council’s Delivery Development Plan Document (DPD), (for Housing and other relevant topics, prior to anticipated submission of DPD in December 2011).

TRAFFIC, ROADS, AND FOOTPATH / BRIDLEWAY NETWORK

• Speeding in the villages
• Parking in the villages
• Condition of roads in the villages
• Public footpaths and bridleways in the parishes

LEISURE AND RECREATION

• Allotments
• Children’s Playground in the Gower
• Activities for teens, MUGA, and other indoor facilities
• Large Community Sports Ground

COMMUNITY FACILITIES

• Village Hall
• Primary School
• Surgery
• Sibford Stores
• Wykham Arms
• Sibford School – Swimming, sports facilities, Art Classes, Reading Group etc
• Places of Worship
• Bus Services
• Bishop Blaize
• Potential community defibrillator

ENVIRONMENT

• Our countryside / farmland
• Dark night skies / street lights
• ‘Low Carbon’ Plan for the Sibfords
• Biodiversity enhancement

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

• Broadband performance
• Small workshop/office spaces and jobs in the villages
• Fuel purchasing syndicates
• Business Plan for the villages including activities based on the Cotswold AONB (tourism, B&B, pub catering, and rural activities).

Joining a Working Group needn’t be onerous. We are hoping that Groups of 5-8 people maximum will be formed with at least one person from each village represented. Groups would meet occasionally over the next few months to discuss and examine the various issues and opportunities and consult with villagers or other specialists where necessary, reporting back to the Steering Group by the end of July.

Calling Graphic Designers — Can you help us with the Logo and other Publicity Material?

We are developing our new Logo which will be the amalgamation of two entries. If you have Graphics Skills or a Graphics Programme on your computer, do come forward to help us finalise the design and perhaps with future publicity items. If you think you can-assist, please contact John Simms. Thank you!