A PARISH council wants to see a new railway bridge developed in an ‘environmentally-sensitive and community enhancing way’. Appleford Parish Council wants to see changes to a new road which would link Didcot with the Culham Science Centre – and in particular the councillors do not want the bridge to ruin the village’s peace. Oxfordshire County Council approved plans to build a relief road from Didcot to Clifton Hampden – and a fly-over bridge over private railway sidings at Appleford-on-Thames – in July 2020. In October plans for the sidings tripled in size and Appleford Parish Council is concerned this will mean the bridge will need extensive construction beyond what was originally anticipated. The parish council is also concerned the road will be elevated on an embankment, raising it above the roof level of adjacent houses in Appleford.
BUS passengers will see improved and maintained services in the New Year, Oxfordshire County Council vowed. As the county and the rest of England enters a third national lockdown operators have also taken a number of measures to promote safe travel. They will be implementing social distancing measures on board, restricting capacity and enhancing cleaning regimes, particularly of key touchpoints. Oxfordshire County Councillor Yvonne Constance pointed out that these changes are only positive news for residents who often use the services. She added: We have worked with the bus operators to revise bus services and frequencies to connect people with real upgrades in services to vital areas of growing employment and economic activity.
Plans for a flyover bridge near a railway level crossing has made villagers furious. Appleford Parish Council wants to see changes to a new road which would link Didcot with the Culham Science Centre. Residents in Appleford are unhappy with the bridge that would overlook the village and one parish councillor said it will change the view from Wittenham Clumps forever. A survey conducted by the parish council showed that 90 per cent of villagers opposed the idea of a new road close to their community. Some people in the area are concerned about noise and pollution from the road and the raised embankment which would cut off Appleford from Sutton Courtenay.
A MUCH-LOVED Oxfordshire church is set to get a Christmas funding boost. St Michael and All Angels church in Clifton Hampden is to share in a £483,000 funding payout from the National Churches Trust. The church will receive £10,000 from the National Churches Trust Cornerstone Grant which will help fund a project to recover the stone slate roofs of the Grade II listed building. Christopher Purvis, Church warden at St Michael and All Angels said: “Small churches such as ours face considerable challenges in maintaining the fabric. The support of the National Churches Trust is of the greatest importance in terms of both the valuable funding received and the encouragement and advice given.”