Welcome to Binfield Heath, a civil parish near Henley-on-Thames in South Oxfordshire. It encompasses Binfield Heath village and the hamlet of Crowsley.
PARISH NEWS
Binfield Heath Parish Council will meet on Monday March 24 at 7pm in the Scout Hut
All local people are invited. If you have any matters you would like to raise with the council you can do that in the public question time. Subjects that might need to be added to the agenda should be discussed first with the council clerk, Mandy Sermon. Contact her on clerk@binfieldheath.org.uk ahead of the meeting.
Click on the link below to access the agenda
Don’t miss…
Open Gardens Sunday, 25 May
If you would like to open your garden, no matter how large or small, to the public, and help raise funds for Thames Valley Air Ambulance, please contact Jane Packham.
For more details go to the newsletter page
Changes to garden waste service
The subscription system for the SODC brown bin garden waste service will change from April 1 2025.
SODC is introducing a scheme which will provide a sticker permit for residents’ bins to identify fully paid-up garden waste customers.
As this is a change to how the garden waste service is managed, there are actions subscribers will need to take to continue receiving garden waste collections. The new payment system for the permits opens at the end of February.
Existing customers will be invited to subscribe to the service, with full information on the council website. Each house will receive a bin hanger flagging the changes.
Customers will then need to make an annual payment for a permit, replacing the existing direct debit scheme. The payment year will run from 1 April to 31 March. When customers pay for a permit, there will be a link to sign up for an account. The account sign-up is also available on the councils’ websites.
When customers sign up, they will be sent a garden waste permit sticker to put on the top of the lid of their brown bin. Each bin needs its own permit and customers will receive a new sticker annually each time they renew.
The permits will ensure that only households that have paid for the service have their garden waste bins emptied.
The new online system allows customers to manage their account and change their details easily. The council will be able to contact people quickly if there are any major disruptions to the service, such as during adverse weather.
An FAQ page covering all the changes is available on the garden waste section of the council’s website: South FAQ. The customer services team can assist with queries. Garden waste sack customers can find out more information on how the new permits will work for them.
Update on The Forge
From the trustees
While the building will sit undisturbed for a few more months, behind the scenes it’s all go with the Forge. The trustees and their consultants have developed a plan and are now engaged on several fronts to bring it to life.
Selection of a main contractor, following a competitive tendering procedure, is perhaps the most important step of all, as the company will be responsible for re-roofing, reinforcing the structure, insulation, external cladding and much more. The trustees have a shortlist of potential candidates who are being assessed according to their quality of work, experience of community projects and of working on period building renovation.
Meanwhile, the trustees are working with specialist consultants to design the heating, lighting, plumbing, security and other systems that will make the building a comfortable and secure space for many activities suggested by residents.
The trustees are also considering the IT systems and operating procedures necessary to make a workable facility and are grateful to those who have shared their experience in these areas.
Further updates will follow via the newsletter and website as we put more flesh on our plans. If you have any questions or comments about the project, please send them to binfieldheathforge@gmail.com
Finally, a reminder that the main planning drawings can be viewed on this website on the Forge page.
Go to The Forge page of this website to see some of the plans in detail. Double-click on this link to see the full application: https://data.southoxon.gov.uk/ccm/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P24/S2597/FUL#exactline
SODC rubber stamps our NP
The Binfield Heath Neighbourhood Plan was ‘made’ by the district council on 24 October 2024. The final decision report and the Binfield Heath Neighbourhood Plan have now been published on the Council’s website. It is now functioning as part of the Local Plan.
Attention now turns to using and monitoring the application of the Neighbourhood Plan.
One hundred and eighty-five people voted to support the Binfield Heath Neighbourhood Plan at the referendum on September 5, with only nine indicating they were not in favour. The referendum took place at Shiplake Memorial Hall.
Votes in favour of adopting the Neighbourhood Plan: 185 (95.4%)
Votes against adopting the Neighbourhood Plan: 9 (4.6%)
Turnout: 194 (34.4%)
The Neighbourhood Plan now becomes part of the South Oxfordshire District Council development plan and SODC will use it to help decide planning applications in the parish.
A big thank you from the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group to everyone who has contributed towards the success of the Plan, from ideas and support to votes. It gives local residents a stronger say in the future of the parish.
The Neighbourhood Plan can be downloaded using this link:
https://www.southoxon.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/1-NDP-DG-v1-Dx5-compressed-1.pdf
or go to
Stay up to date
From this website you can keep up with events in the village with links to more information if you need it. This the fastest way to find out what's going on in your parish and backs up the latest newsletter which you can find on its own page. Here are some links to your day-to-day questions.
Which bin is it this week?
Green or grey? How to get a brown bin… what goes in which? This year’s full calendar can be found on the Parish Council page of this website. More information can be found on SODC’s website on https://www.southoxon.gov.uk/south-oxfordshire-district-council/recycling-rubbish-and-waste/when-is-your-collection-day/waste-collections-calendar/
Potholes and broken signs
These are both an increasing problem. If you are aware of a pothole locally contact fixmystreet.com and give the area and if possible the address and postcode. It's the fastest way to get results. Similarly, if road names or speed signs are damaged, also report them to fixmystreet.com
Roadside rubbish
Fly-tipped rubbish continues to be a problem from time to time. It has to be collected by District Council contractors at considerable extra cost to the taxpayer. If you see fly-tipping - or the results of it - report it online to admin.southoxford@biffa.co.uk
Planning applications
Comment on planning applications direct with SODC at the click of a button, without having to know the application number. Go to the Planning page of this website.
News mail-outs
Receive occasional news mail-outs from the Parish Council on matters that affect you . If you change your email address just sign up again with the new one. If you no longer wish to hear news from us in this form please let us know and we will delete your email details. Visit the village Facebook page to connect with friends and neighbours and join in the chat. Go to the newsletter page for the latest edition of the parish news from Marina Hart.
Contact us
For all enquiries regarding Binfield Heath Parish Council or related subjects please contact clerk@binfieldheath.org.uk