Jun 29, 2025 | Community Action news
At a time when so much news on insects is poor, we have more good news; another couple of ‘fantastic firsts’ for the village. The first ‘first’ is a nationally scarce hoverfly – Parasyrphus nigritarsis (Zetterstedt, 1843) – a beneficial stripy yellow and black...
Jun 29, 2025 | Community Action news
Bagg’s Bottom, part of the Stonesfield Common, Bottoms and Banks SSSI in West Oxfordshire, is a rare chalk grassland ecosystem. With its complex topography, spring-fed slopes, ancient pollards, and upright brome-dominated grassland, it represents a landscape shaped by...
Jun 29, 2025 | Community Action news
The Brown Hairstreak butterfly (Thecla betulae) has not been observed in our parish so far this century. Late in the evening on 16 May 2025, several larvae of this species were observed and photographed along Bagg’s Bottom, detected using an ultra violet light on the...
Mar 29, 2025 | Community Action news
In September 2024, I produced a report (attached) espousing the botanical interest of the Glebe land , which was sent on by John Sampson to the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment, who awarded a grant to develop a long-term management plan for the site. The management...
Feb 15, 2025 | Community Action news
Dear Catchment Champions. Can you believe that is it our February testing weekend already!? On Sunday 16th many of us will be heading out to sample. ❄️ As it is forecast to be so cold, please make sure that you not only wrap up warm but also remember to hold your N...
Jan 24, 2025 | Community Action news
Under the umbrella of the Environment Group, 2025 is the year we are looking to collect and record data to establish what is going in the environment of Stonesfield recording what we find onto national recording databases. This will be mainly centred on just over an...
Oct 29, 2024 | Community Action news
Sustainable Stonesfield (SUSTO) was formed in 2017 in response to the District Council’s emerging Local Plan 2031 and the potential for up to 200 houses being built in the village. We felt that residents needed a group who would watch out for planning applications and...
Sep 26, 2024 | Community Action news
Back in January 2017, Sustainable Stonesfield was formed after a meeting in the Village hall, called to alert residents to potentially catastrophic increases of inappropriate housing in Stonesfield. There was the potential for a further 200 houses being built. ...
Sep 15, 2024 | Community Action news
Over the last five months as many of you have noticed and stopped for a chat we have been steadily progressing the management of the orchard / limestone grassland site off Brook Lane. As advised by Filipe Salbany from Blenheim (see previous report) we have been...
Jul 10, 2024 | Community Action news
SUSTO promised to remain vigilant regarding the Eastwood/Oakeshott housing development proposal. At the moment there is still no formal planning application for the development, and the site is not accepted in the current Local Plan 2031 and no decision has been made...
Jul 8, 2024 | Community Action news
Steady progress is being made on the plans for the orchard. An important part is getting expert opinions and assessment on the orchard plans. These reports will then be a key element as we develop a longer term management plan. We have a vision. In the month of May...
Jun 14, 2024 | Community Action news, Neighbourhood Plan
We remind you of the Neighbourhood Plan OPEN MEETING on Monday 24 June, at 7.30 pm in the village hall. There will be slides, explanations, and invitations for people to challenge our methods and hold us to task. We will be sharing examples of the policies we have...
May 23, 2024 | Community Action news
You may remember the article in The Slate a few months back about Riverfly. Looking at the numbers of Riverfly in the Evenlode is a key indicator of the health of the ecosystem. Monitoring the Riverfly population and reporting any changes to the Riverfly population is...
Apr 29, 2024 | Community Action news
PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY IN ITS ENTIRETY. WE THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND HOPE YOU WILL AGREE. The Stonesfield Annual Parish Meeting is on Wednesday 8 May 2024 at 7 p.m.in Stonesfield Primary School. For the reasons this sets out, it is of crucial importance that...
Apr 9, 2024 | Community Action news
It brings us great pleasure to share with you the most recent updates from the Garo Hills in India and the Ankarabolava-Agnakatrika forests in Madagascar. In 2022, we worked with our partner Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) to raise funds for its Garo Green Spine project...
