News

The Wykham Arms is closing for two weeks from 2nd January to give staff a long break, re-opening on Thursday 16th January at noon.

On a rather misty Boxing Day, the Gower beat the Ferris 4 goals to 3 in the annual inter-village football match. This must have been a special delight for the Gower’s outgoing manager Alex.

The 21 exemplary GP surgeries in England ranked the best in the country by patients (23 December 2024, 1:39 pm) 13. Sibford Surgery – Burdrop, Banbury … There were 228 survey forms sent out to patients at Redfern Health Centre in Salcombe,. 14. Redfern Health …

(5th February) Sibford Gower Parish Council reports that they have reviewed CDC’s Proposed Local Plan 2042 but don’t have any particular comments regarding the document. However they would be pleased to hear from parishioners who have comments or queries on the subject, well before the closing date of 25th February.

You can now submit comments on CDC’s Proposed Local Plan 2042, a vision for sustainable development in north Oxfordshire. The consultation runs until Tuesday, 25 February 2025.

When finalised, the Plan will set out where new housing and infrastructure should be built in the years through to 2042. It also contains policies to help the district meet the challenge of climate change, maintain a thriving economy, and create healthy communities.

Find more information on the plan itself and how to make comments at https://cherwell.citizenspace.com/planning-policy/cherwell-local-plan-review-2042/

The official 2025-01-13 REVISED Statement of Representation Procedure 2025 tells you where and when to find hard copies of the documents, eg at Hook Norton and Banbury Libraries.

On 3 December Sibford village hall saw the fourth year of talks for charity with a lovely party atmosphere to go with it. This year was marvelous. Kaleb Cooper was our star, funny, kind, wise, naughty and interesting. Mark Pougatch was masterful at keeping the conversation on track. The donations of delicious food were beyond generous and helped feed the Lunch Club the next day. Feedback has been that a really good time was had by all.

As a community we have been astonishingly successful at raising funds during the week of The Big Give when we have doubled every donation and every pound has gone to children who need our help.

Christopher Stockwell, Julie and Sue have tactically managed the huge sum of £21,000 raised by the community with added donations from generous friends. Thanks to doubling by The Big Give and fulfilling the requirements of Spacehive we have transformed £21,000 into £90,000. This huge amount will go directly to the schools which Cotswold Arts Through Schools, CATS, is supporting. The government only pays one pound per student per annum towards arts education. Art in all its forms has healing power, helps communication, mental health and thus the community itself.  Our children need a break. We believe that the Sibfords’ efforts have given them one.

Sue, Christopher and I cannot thank you enough for your support. We shall keep you posted as things progress and let you know where you can help and participate. We can begin with the sculpture show in Kingham this coming May when the children will be exhibiting their work alongside professional artists.

Our very best wishes to you all for Christmas and for 2025,
Sue and Julie

Sibford Gower (Oxfordshire) weather – Met Office (28 November 2024, 11:24 am) Sibford Gower 7 day weather forecast including weather warnings, temperature, rain, wind, visibility, humidity and UV.

Following the visit of the Tashi Lhunpo monks in October, many people asked if there was a possibility of showing the entire documentary film Escape from Tibet that the director / producer Nick Gray and colleagues so movingly discussed. So here it is, in the Village Hall on Saturday 18 January 2025 at 2.30pm.

Nick will be present to introduce the 50-minute film, made in 1994 for ITV. It is an astonishing, true record of endurance that follows 11 year-old Tenzin’s efforts to flee the Chinese repression of his homeland, attempting the most dangerous escape route in the world over the Himalayas, led by his fearless brother, Pasang.

We’ll be scattering the remains of the sand mandala on the village hall field before the film, at about 2pm.

No charge, but a small contribution towards hire of the hall would be appreciated.

For more information, please contact Diana at dianahughesonline@gmail.com

An astonishing and emotionally gripping film.
Daily Mail

By turns heartbreaking and horrifying … this is documentary making of the highest order.
The Independent

Although the conditions for filming this documentary were extremely difficult, Escape from Tibet accurately conveys the experiences of the refugees. We are grateful to all who made this film possible.
Tempa Tsering. Secretary, Department of Information and International Relations, Government of Tibet.

Cherwell District Council (CDC) have refused planning permission in principle to build 3 – 7 dwellings on the Pheasant Pluckers Inn (Blaze Inn Saddles) site in Burdrop. The reasons for refusal are:

The proposed development constitutes residential development within the built up limits of the settlement. Development of this scale at Burdrop is restricted to minor development, infilling and conversions. The proposed development would not constitute ‘infilling’ and would result in an urbanising form of development and within an important gap to the character and appearance of Sibford Gower and Burdrop Conservation Area which by reason of its location would adversely impact the rural setting of the village, including designated heritage assets and would result in harm to the rural character and appearance and quality of the area. In addition, the proposed development would be sited in a geographically unsustainable location with poor access to services and facilities and therefore future residents would be highly reliant on the private car to meet their day to day needs which would not reduce the need to travel and would result in increased car journeys and hence carbon emissions. Further, the proposed 5-7 dwellings would lead to the loss of an existing village service, and no supporting information has been submitted to demonstrate the service is no longer viable or that additional dwellings within the site would not adversely affect the viability of the public house. This identified harm would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the proposal, and therefore the development does not constitute sustainable development when assessed against the National Planning Policy Framework as a whole. As such the proposal is contrary to Policies ESD1, ESD13, ESD15, SLE4 and Villages 1 of the Cherwell Local Plan 2011-2031 Part 1, saved Policies H18, C28, C33 and S29 of the Cherwell Local Plan 1996 and Government guidance contained within the National Planning Policy Framework.

For more information, refer to application 24/02664/PIP on the CDC website.

Beverley Lewis writes: I’m organising a Jumble Sale on Saturday 25th January in Sibford Village Hall, 1 – 3pm, in aid of the Churchill Cancer Hospital.

I need items to make this a success, such as:

• Clothes
• Shoes
• Toys
• Books
• Bric-à-brac
• Raffle prizes
• Items for bottle stall

If you can help, please message or phone me on 07977 841 483 or email billybev25@outlook.com

Thank you!!

Sibford Gower Parish Council

Clerk to the Council: Kirsty Buttle

Clerks address: 74 Beaulieu Close

                          Banbury

                          Oxon

                          OX16 4FQ

Email: sibford.gower.pc@thesibfords.org.uk                                                                                     

NOTICE OF VACANCY

IN OFFICE OF PARISH COUNCILLOR

PARISH OF SIBFORD GOWER

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to section 87(2) of the Local Government Act 1972, that Andrew Downes has ceased to be a member of Sibford Gower Parish Council, and that a vacancy now exists in the office of Councillor for the said Parish Council.

In accordance with the Local Elections Rules an election to fill the vacancy shall be held if, within 14 days after the date of this notice (i.e. no later than 4 December 2024), a request for an election to fill the said vacancy is made in writing to the Returning Officer, Cherwell District Council, Bodicote House, Bodicote, Banbury OX15 4AA by TEN electors for the said Parish.

In the event that no such request is received by 4 December 2024 the vacancy will be filled by co-option.

Graham Stewart

Returning Officer

Dated: 14 November 2024