The Clerk had met four play equipment suppliers to show them the area in Playfield Road Playing Fields that was planned to be upgraded. They would produce quotations for consideration by the Play Areas Working Group in September. Oxfordshire County Council had received about £1million from Central Government under their Playbuilder initiative for a three year programme to upgrade and build children’s play areas. The funds for 2008/9 had been allocated but it might be possible that the Parish Council’s scheme was eligible for 2009/2010. The Clerk and Cllr. Charlett attended a training session for play area managers. It was agreed that the Parish Council would undertake the regular inspection of the equipment at Forest Side and the Playing Fields Association agreed to do the Playfield Road one.
The Clerk reported on actions and updates from previous meetings. The Clerk had put in an order for the two replacement bus shelters which would be installed on 1st and 2nd September. The eight bars for the ribbon of the Chairman’s badge which would commemorate previous Chairmen of the Parish Council had been received. Three new dog waste bins and one new litter bin had been ordered. The overgrown Sustrans route from Sandford Lane to The Fish gate near Oxford City’s boundary had been reported and work had started cutting it back. A blocked drain in Bagley Wood Road had been reported. The damaged bench in Playfield Road playing field had been reported to the Playing Fields Association. A list of damaged and missing street signs had been sent to the Vale.
A grant of £300 was awarded to the Friends of Kennington Library to support the work of the Librarian with her ideas to increase readership especially amongst the children.
It was agreed to ask a contractor to quote for tidying up the area and removing dead and self sown trees in the strip of land near the path to Bagley Wood Road at the south end of Upper Road. The Clerk had been trying to find the owner of the land but had no success with the Land Registry. If any resident has any information she would be pleased to hear from them.
St Swithun’s Church PCC had donated £548.88 towards the upkeep of the cemetery in Sandford Lane which was now undertaken mainly by the Parish Council.
A meeting for people interested in developing the idea of Kennington becoming a Fairtrade village has been organised for the 10th September at 7.30pm in the Methodist Church Hall.
Following the meeting the Clerk was contacted by Bagley Wood Sawmill. The forester wanted to warn residents that there would be extensive felling of trees in the middle part of Bagley Wood starting in September.
