County Councillor Andy Graham Woodstock Division Annual Report May 2024/April 2025
Area Covered: Woodstock, Bladon, Stonesfield, Combe, Wootton, Kiddington, Tackley, Steeple Barton, Westcote Barton, Sandford St Martins
Attended: over 60 meetings of the parish councils and 12 county council/committee including: Education and young People’s Scrutiny Committee and Locality Meetings.
Site Visits/inspections: over 40 locations (highways, flooding and railway crossings)
External Representative for OCC and meetings/events attended on Cotswold Woodstock Traffic Advisory Group, Woodstock LCWIP, Cotswold National Landscape Board, Oxfordshire Museum and Oxford Airport Committee
Highlights
Woodstock – Playing an active role in developing plans for the new Woodstock doctor’s surgery which will be reporting its findings very shortly the Woodstock Supported Village T on the footprint and operational costs, capital costings model, location with timeline.
Review/consultation of the on-street parking scheme improvements has been completed and agreed.
Supported the Local Cycling, Walking Infrastructure Project which will we put forward for funding and approval to the cabinet in 2025.
Ensured Stagecoach reverted to a continuation of using the turning point at the other end of Woodstock (S7)
Road resurfacing in Hensington Road and the A44 with some added pedestrian measures completed.
Banbury Road due for road resurfacing and verge restoration in May 2025
Shipton Road barrier on bend repaired.
Conducted a review of pavements and minor repairs to pavements in the town centre following a walk with highway officers has been concluded and repairs scheduled to take place.
Enforcement at The Feathers Hotel over generators in the past 6 months have now been resolved.
Street lighting replacements in the old town have been completed
Met with residents and cabinet member over the bus routing and impact of Christmas Blenheim events with solutions coming forward in 2025.
And supported several events at the Oxfordshire Museum.
Bladon – Furthered the flooding mitigation on Grove Road now taking place on Blenheim land with bunding (ditching) measures resulting out of positive and constructive meetings with residents and Blenheim and WODC officers completed April 2025.
Reduced speed signs on the A4095 approaching the turn off to Cassington to be brought forward in 25/26.
Combe – Supported gulley and Blenheim clearing of ditches by the railway bridge to mitigate some flooding and a further road surfacing is now scheduled in 25/26.
Site visits to investigate the impact of Combe House renovation with verge restoration needed when the work is completed.
Stonesfield – Supported the fantastic community initiative with a £5,000 grant to save The White Horse pub. Instigated an engineer’s approach to solving the flooding issues on Laughton Hill and new measures to ensure safe walking to school. Measures in Pond Hill to be introduced in 2025.
Wootton – Supported the overhanging silver birch tree issue in Burditch Bank and looking to introduce a new bus shelter with the parish council as part of a new road layout scheme at the junction of the A44 (Judds Garage/Duke of Marlborough) and the funding towards a bus shelter.
Kiddington and Glympton – New Road resurfacing in Glympton and introduction of 30 to 20mph scheme.
The Bartons -. Supporting new flooding mitigation initiatives, emergency planning and the evolvement of a flood plan in 2025 with all parish councils and other stakeholders. Priority funded support for the refurbishment/repair of the playground equipment in Middle Barton. Worked on review of home to school transport Policy to limited improvements but continuing work on more rural bus services which are more essential in this and nearby locations.
Sandford St. Martin – Supported the village with the broadband cost needed to provide connectivity at the village hall and flooding issues.
Tackley – Supported the significant road resurfacing entering the village via tchurch.
Thanks to all parish councillors for all their efforts and the clerks who have done a first-class job in supporting me and the OCC staff in the last year.
Andy Graham
Oxfordshire County Councillor – Woodstock Division