Lockdown opponent stands in election );
A CAFE owner who opposes the coronavirus lockdown is standing for election.
Vivienne Lee is competing in the Henley division of Oxfordshire County Council for a new party called Freedom Alliance.
Ms Lee, who owns the Chocolate Café in Thames Side, Henley, is one of four people challenging for the seat at the council elections on Thursday, May 6.
She said: “The decision to stand is a direct result of the last 10 months, which have been very tough due to lockdown and covid rules.
“The lockdown has created such big disruption in Henley. This town relies so much on tourism and on its businesses people come to Henley for the regatta and for various festivals and all of that was devastated last year and the guidelines were sometimes very vague.
Experienced pair to go head-to-head for county council seat );
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HENLEY’S representative on Oxfordshire County Council is hoping to retain the position for another four years.
Stefan Gawrysiak, who represents Henley Residents Group, is standing again in the local council elections on Thursday, May 6.
He will be up against Conservative candidate Paul Harrison, from Sonning Common, a former member of South Oxfordshire District Council.
Councillor Gawrysiak, who lives in Elizabeth Road, Henly, with his partner Catherine Notaras, is also a member of the district council and Henley Town Council and was Mayor of Henley in 2013/14.
He won the county council seat at the 2017 elections, defeating the incumbent David Nimmo Smith, a
Call for night-time trial ban of HGVs );
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A PROSPECTIVE councillor has called for a trial of a night-time ban on heavy goods lorries coming through Henley.
Paul Harrison was responding to the campaign for the introduction of a
7.5-tonne weight limit on Henley Bridge to prevent HGVs using the town as a “rat run”.
Later this month, Stefan Gawrsyiak, Henley’s representative on Oxfordshire County Council, the highways authority, is due to propose this in a motion.
Now Mr Harrison, a Conservative who will be challenging Councillor Gawrysiak (Henley Residents Group) in the council elections in May, has suggested the trial.
Council tax going up with leaders blaming effect of pandemic );
RESIDENTS of Henley face paying nearly £70 more in council tax from April 1.
Oxfordshire County Council, which has by far the biggest share of the charge, has agreed a 2.99 per cent increase, including one per cent to help fund adult social care.
This means that the average band D household will now pay £1,573.11 a year for the council’s services, an increase of £47 on the current financial year.
South Oxfordshire District Council has raised its share of the tax by 3.99 per cent. This means a band D household will now pay £131.24 a year, an increase of £5, for it services.
Why I quit Henley Residents Group by Deputy Mayor );
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HENLEY’S Deputy Mayor has explained why he quit the ruling party on the town council.
David Eggleton resigned from Henley Residents Group following a heated debate at a meeting of the council’s town and community committee about plans to replace the town’s 22 heritage litter bins at a cost of £19,000.
He advised it would be cheaper to refurbish the mainly cast iron bins but when colleagues disagreed he became annoyed and quit before the online meeting had finished.
Councillor Eggleton, who now sits as an independent councillor, told the