Results of the August draw:
Tempted? Read more about the Village Hall Lottery
Sibford Gower Parish Council writes: We would be grateful for your cooperation THIS Sunday, 16th July 2023, from 9 am onwards. Several very large lorries will require access to Rye Hill Farm throughout the day. To minimise any disruption and to avoid any damage to vehicles or property, we would ask that NO vehicles are parked along Main Street from the crossroads to just beyond the farm entrance past the pond. Please could you also ensure that any visitors etc are made aware. We would advise parking along Acre Ditch if possible.
Some cones will be positioned in several places along the road edges; once these have been removed, the work at the farm will have been completed.
Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.
If you would like to discuss this further or have any problems with finding a physical spot to park, please contact either Cllr Alan Berks on 07816 592 124 or Cllr James Garstin on 07976 104 726.
A special event on Wednesday 2nd of August at 6:30pm in the field next to Holmby House in Sibford Ferris.
Once upon a time…
Five friends, lost on a road trip, decide to pass the time by entertaining each other with that most ancient of traditions – storytelling. From love to loss, with laughter and with tears, All Aboard Opera! presents a quartet of short operas by Mozart, Holst, Lehmann, and Sullivan, in a beautiful outdoor setting. Bring a picnic!
Tickets £22.38 or £16.96 (“Concessions”): book online
Results of the July draw:
Tempted? Read more about the Village Hall Lottery
The History Society writes: This week is your last chance to join our coach trip to Kelmscott Manor on Wednesday 2 August. Near Lechlade, this is the recently renovated family home of William Morris (1834 -1896) the poet, designer, craftsman and radical socialist who was much influenced by his country residence and its surroundings.
The coach will leave Sibford Village Hall at 11.45am, returning by about 6pm. Tickets are £40 per person, which includes
Our group will be the only visitors that afternoon.
We need to be sure of the numbers by Friday 30 June, so please let a committee member know as soon as possible if you intend to come. Diana on 01295 788 214 and David on 01295 788 242 are waiting for your call! Alternatively, send email to shs
The Horti writes: There are just a few seats left on the coach! If you haven’t been to Wisley recently, we have a wonderful opportunity for you to do so. We will be leaving Sibford Village Hall on Wednesday 14 June at 9.45am by coach and won’t be back until about 6pm. The cost to Sibford Horti members is £12.50; non-members £17.50. This covers the coach and entry to Wisley itself (entry price for which is normally £16.50 for non-RHS members so you can see what a bargain this is!)
If you would like to reserve a place on the 53 seater coach, please contact Diana Thompson by email: diana_thompson
Please note that priority booking will be given to Sibford Horti members exclusively until 13 May, after which time Diana will be opening up the remaining coach seats to Great Rollright and Tadmarton Horti Societies, both of which have expressed an interest in joining us. Payment will be due by 7 June.
Results of the June draw:
1st prize – Donated to Village Hall
2nd prize – Sandra Clacy
3rd prize – Ivor Hopkyns
Tempted? Read more about the Village Hall Lottery
Farm planning on installing solar panels to power site – Yahoo Sport UK (26 May 2023, 11:21 pm) Both Glebe Farm and its Barn are grade 2 listed, and the installation is within the Sibford Gower Conservation area. The solar panels with be …
Sibford Ferris Parish Council are currently working on their response to the new planning application on Land South of Faraday House, Woodway Road (23/01316/F) for the erection of 5 two storey age restricted dwellings (55 years) for older people with access, landscaping and associated infrastructure. As was the case for the previous application the Parish Council will be submitting a detailed objection to this new application but we feel it is very important for this application to be decided by the Cherwell District Council Planning Committee rather than by a single appointed council officer. We have been advised that the only way this will be called in to be heard by the planning committee is if there are a number of objection responses evidencing the feel of the community submitted on the planning portal within the next 10 days or so. If you are planning on submitting any response, for or against this application, we would encourage you to do so within the next days to give Cherwell District Council a fair representation of what the feelings are of the community in relation to this application to allow them to make an appropriate decision re who will make the decision on the outcome.
Blue Cedar Homes have submitted a new planning application for the site off Woodway Road. Their proposal for 6 bungalows was rejected on appeal in March. The new proposal is for 5 two-storey age-restricted dwellings.
The Sibford Action Group will be objecting to this planning application, as they did for the previous one. You may contact them at sibfordactiongroup
Here is the Chairman’s report that was presented at the Sibford Ferris Annual Parish Meeting last night (17 May) by Katherine Roussel.
What have we done for you lately? Well, contrary to popular belief, quite a lot!
As Councillors, we are locally elected volunteers who care about our villages and work to identify the issues that are important to our community as a whole. We employ Kirsty Buttle as Clerk and Responsible Finance Officer and her wonderful work is essential and much appreciated.
We play a key role in representing the community views in planning and policy. We have been working hard to have our voice heard and to ensure that Cherwell district council and local developers are fully aware of the community concerns regarding infrastructure challenges and the social and environmental impact that over development may cause in our small community.
One of our roles is to comment on planning applications and we have also contributed to Cherwell’s Local Plan Review, which will set Planning policy to 2040. Although at present we are still waiting for this document to be released for consultation, the first draft indicates that the Sibfords will be reclassified to small villages, which in turn will offer greater protection from over development. In addition to this we have managed to get Tree Protection Orders on the two beautiful, 500 year old Oaks on Woodway road and the recent rejection of the Woodway Road site at Appeal was a welcome result.
As Deanfield Homes commence the construction of 25 new houses in Sibford Ferris this year, we will continue to voice our concerns that local people are given priority when it comes to Social Housing or the purchase of affordable homes on the site in order for them to be able to continue to live in the village.
I would like to say a special thank you to our Clerk, Kirsty, for securing funding for our recent Village Coronation Street Party for both the Gower and Ferris Parish Councils and to the Town Estates Charity and the National Lottery for contributing towards the costs. A very special thank you to the committee who made it happen (3 of whom are also Ferris Councillors). Professor John Wass, Andrew Meyler (treasurer), Tessa Sparks, Diana Thompson, Diana Hughes, Ginny Bennett, Keith Hicks, Tim Huckvale, James Garstin, Clemmie Broom and Anne Spackman. What a wonderful and memorable event it was with a fantastic turn out of villagers on a gloriously sunny day!
You may have seen the new Notice board in Sibford Ferris and the Cotswold Close play area now has new fencing and we are working towards updating the play equipment step by step.
Other areas that our Council has played a role in are, setting up the Defibrillator training sessions, working to inspire the local Green environmental group which is now up and running, organising litter picks and reporting fly tipping. We maintain the village assets and contribute towards the maintenance of the Sibford Gower Burial Ground. We also maintain the benches, dog bins, grit bins etc. We have planted trees at the Pitch Hill field and continue to seek clearer road markings and signage at the Elm where accidents have happened. We also continue to hold internal audits and to regularly monitor and manage the budget and precepts. We promote options for grants and funding for people facing the cost of living crisis and we communicate with our County and District Councillors.
Our meetings are held every second month in Sibford School in the Ferris and our agenda and minutes can be found on the Sibford’s Website and Notice Board.
Everyone is welcome to attend and to have your say!
Katherine Roussel (Chair)
Barbara Foster writes: Every year, Christian Aid Week is a time for people across Britain and Ireland to step out in love for our global neighbours. This year we stand with Esther and Jen and their families in Malawi who are facing crushing poverty worsened by the soaring costs of food and essentials. The global cost of living crisis that has been affecting most of us has hit Malawians particularly hard. In addition to this, Cyclone Freddy, the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record (lasting 34 days), has hit Malawi and Mozambique.
Your gifts this Christian Aid Week could help people around the world secure a safer, happier future for their children and grandchildren.
We are united by hope. And together, we hope every family will have the joy of living a dignified life, free from poverty.
Every gift. Every action. Every prayer. Every one of us can make dreams come true.
Please make a donation now.
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