The good news for the development at Playfield Road Playing Field was that the application for £18,941 had been successful from the Aiming High County Council grant giving body. It would enable an enhancement to the play space to make the area more attractive for disabled children and their parents. There would be a curved bench and wooden playhouse for the younger age group and a canopy over the play pits. A contract had been sent to release the grant which must be spent by the end of the financial year. There were further grant monies available next year and the extension to the pavilion to provide disabled facilities for children could be considered. The work was progressing well on the main part of the scheme. It had been suggested by the landscape architect that it might be necessary to hire protective fencing for a few months to allow the grass to grow once the contractor had left the site.
The members decided on the contractors for a number of jobs in the village. These included the installation of 40 recycled plastic bollards in the verge in The Avenue between Grundy Crescent and St Swithun’s School. The renewal of the tarmac surfaces under four bus shelters at the Upper Road stop, Edward Road (west side) stop and both the stops at Sandford Lane. There would also be lettering on the fourteen bus shelters in the village showing the name of the parish council.
The Saturday office had a number of callers this month. One of the concerning issue raised was the increase in the amount of dog faeces being deposited especially along the alley from Poplar Grove to The Avenue which was used by many children and their parents going to school. The Parish Council had invested in dog waste bins though out the village so they hoped that dog owners would please help make the village safe and tidy by using them.
Grants and donations were made to the following organisations:
- £850 for the Royal British Legion for the Poppy Appeal. The members of the Parish Council suggested an increased donation to acknowledge the work of a resident who kindly repaired the War Memorial steps without charging the council.
- £125 for the Oxfordshire Association for the Blind who helped twenty one people in the village in the past year.
- £200 for the South and Vale Carers Centre who helped eight carers in the village.
- £425 for the Abingdon and District Citizens Advice Bureau.
- £25 for the Sue Ryder, Nettlebed Hospice.
- The balance of £185 from the £300 allocated to the Kennington4Fairtrade group which was now independent from the Parish Council.
