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Model Parish Council Emergency Plan
How can small communities cope with emergencies when outside assistance from the emergency services is delayed?
Nearly all emergencies affecting communities will be dealt with routinely by joint response of the emergency services, local authorities and the major utilities. However, there may be rare occasions when circumstances, such as extensive flooding, storm damage or deep snow delay the arrival of outside assistance, and the community will need to help itself. It will do this more effectively if it has a plan.
This guidance has been created to assist communities to develop their own plan. The template can be adapted to fit a community’s own needs. To download a template and associated guidance go to Oxfordshire County Council’s website.
A copy of the Oxfordshire County Council / Oxfordshire NHS Primary Care Trust (PCT) booklet: Planning for a Flu Pandemic – Essential information for voluntary and community groups on planning for a Pandemic Flu outbreak can be downloaded here.
Examples of member councils' Emergency Plans are available at the OALC office.
Flu Friends
The Oxfordshire PCT is launching a proactive campaign to emphasise some of the key messages required by the public to help to prepare and manage for the forthcoming swine flu pandemic. This includes the role of 'Flu Friends', Further details are here.
Swine Flu (H1n1): Information for Elected Members
Local authorities play an important supporting role in planning for, and responding to, a pandemic flu outbreak, such as the swine flu (H1N1). It is important that councillors understand this role and contribute to its fulfillment as part of their community leadership role. This guide provides a checklist of what councillors can do to ensure their council is prepared. For the guidance in full see:
- Swine Flu Pandemic Guidance (PDF, 4 pages, 139KB)
- Access a print-friendly version of the guidance here:
Swine Flu Pandemic Guidance: printable version (PDF, 4 pages, 895KB)
- See also an invaluable case study:
Allotments: Advice From the Allotments Regeneration Initiative 
Details from a presentation and other useful material on Allotments provided by the Allotments Regeneration Initiative speaker at the 2009 OALC Winter General Meeting is available in the Members' Area
Help Oxfordshire Rural Community Council (ORCC) to celebrate your vibrant rural community and their 90th Birthday!
An opportunity to include your community in a unique county book. ORCC is inviting communities, through their Parish/Town Council, to join ORCC in 2010 in celebrating 90 years of ORCC work for, and with, strong vibrant rural communities in Oxfordshire. ORCC wants to use the occasion to highlight good examples of local community initiatives. So they are asking Parish/Town Councils to tell them about at least one feature of their community, which makes a special or significant contribution to the quality of community life.
Further details are given in the ORCC’s letter to Parish/Town Councils dated 27 January 2010, which Clerks should have received. If you have any queries, contact Jayne Bullock at ORCC: Tel 01865 883488 E-mail: jayne.bullock@oxonrcc.org.uk.
Calling all Home Workers
Do you work from home? Are you missing the social aspects of working in a team? Would you be interested in setting up a networking group for fellow home-workers in your community? Or maybe you already meet up with others who work locally?
Oxfordshire Rural Community Council (ORCC) is currently scoping a project to benefit the increasing numbers of people working from home in rural communities. Whilst home-workers may benefit from flexible working hours and saving time and money from not having to travel into work, they may miss the mutual support and camaraderie from working as part of a team and find themselves feeling socially isolated.
Some home-workers have got together to form networks within their communities in order to socialise or share business information and best practice. We are trying to plot where such networks are and how often they meet, so if such a network exists in your village please complete the Home workers form on the ORCC website. and return it to orcc@oxonrcc.org.uk by Friday 11 December. ORCC would also like to hear from you if you are not a member of such a group but think you would be interested in joining one.
For further information contact Jane Barker on 01865 883488 or email jane.barker@oxonrcc.org.uk
Little Milton Parish Council Gains Power of Wellbeing
Little Milton Parish Council in South Oxfordshire has become the first local council in Oxfordshire to be able to exercise the new 'Power of Wellbeing', which has recently been extended to Town and Parish Councils that meet certain criteria. These include:
- a qualified clerk
- a minimum of two-thirds of vacancies on the council filled at the last
ordinary elections - eighty per cent of councillors trained in the use of the well-being
power; and - published a statement of intent as to community engagement
Co-options & the Register of Members Interests – A Reminder
Parish and Town Councils should always let the District Council know when filling a vacancy by co-option, either caused by a casual vacancy or due to insufficiency of candidates at an election, so that registration of interest forms can be issued.
Oxfordshire ClimateXchange
The latest news and upcoming events from ClimateXchange is available on www.climatex.org
For practical ideas showing what parish and town councils can do, a copy of the Defra publication: Parish and town councils – Act on CO2: Ways to tackle climate change is available here.
Cotswold Conservation Board: Guidance on Roadside Management for Parish Councils 
An abridged version of the Board’s position statement on The Management of Roadside Verges has been developed specifically for use by parish councils and other groups managing rural roadside verges in and around villages in the AONB.
Click here to view the guide on the AONB website, along with rest of the Board’s full position statements.
The Future of Farming and Forestry in the Cotswolds AONB
'The Future of Farming and Forestry in the Cotswolds AONB - what do climate change and globalisation mean for farming and forestry in the Cotswolds AONB'. The report is on the Cotswolds AONB website
Chilterns Buildings Design Awards
The entry leaflet for this year’s scheme can be downloaded here. Closing date for entries is, as usual, the 1st March. As always the Chilterns Buildings Design Awards are offered jointly by the Chilterns Conservation Board and the Chiltern Society. If you are thinking of submitting a scheme can you please ensure that:
- You have the permission of the owner of the building to enable viewing by the judges
- You send photographs with any entry
- You give the names of the owners, architects / designers and builders
If you have any queries do not hesitate to contact:
Colin White MRTPI, Planning Officer at the Chilterns Conservation Board
The Lodge, 90 Station Road
Chinnor, Oxfordshire OX39 4HA
Direct dial tel: 01844 355507
Tel: 01844 355500 Fax: 01844 355501 office@chilternsaonb.org www.chilternsaonb.org
Oxfordshire Playday 2010
The Oxfordshire Play Partnership is organising the county’s participation in National Playday 2010 – and they are looking for people and organisations to help organise five fun, dynamic and playful events across Oxfordshire. Every August, National Playday celebrates the right to play of children and young people of all ages and abilities. For 2010, Oxfordshire has decided to run FIVE big Playday events – one in each district of the county (Cherwell, Oxford City, South Oxfordshire, Vale of the White Horse and West Oxfordshire).
Each district has set up a steering group to organise the Playday events, comprising staff from local authorities, Oxfordshire Play Association, play organisations, community groups and young people, - and they are looking for more people to join the steering groups. If you have an interest in play, children’s rights, health, communities, children, young people or any other aspect of Playday, please contact Oxfordshire Play Association on 01865 779474, or email jane.gallagher@oxonplay.org.uk.
Good Practice Note on Play Policy
An OALC Good Practice Note on Play Policy has been produced in collaboration with Oxfordshire County Council, Oxfordshire Play Partnership and Oxfordshire Playing Fields Association. It sets out the background and rationale for a play policy. A very brief model policy covering the main points is provided as an Appendix. A copy can be downloaded in the Members' Area.
New ‘How to’ guide to Involving Children and Young People from Participation Works
Participation Works (www.participationworks.org.uk) have produced a new guide to involving children and young people in designing and developing play spaces. You can download it from their website.
Design for Play
This guide to creating successful play spaces produced by Play England is now back in print. The guide provides useful advice on running the consultation process and help with planning a scheme. It is packed full of case studies that illustrate the Playbuilder concept.
Design for Play: A guide to creating successful play spaces is available to download from http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/
A printed copy may be ordered free of charge by calling 0845 600 9506 and requesting code DCSF-00631-2008. The County Council also has a limited number of printed copies available.
Managing Risk in Play
The Department of Schools, Children and Families has published an implementation guide to managing risk in Play provision (December 2008).
Managing Risk in Play Provision: Implementation Guide is available to download from http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/
Alternatively a printed copy may be ordered free of charge by calling 0845 600 9506 and requesting code DCSF-00942-2008. The County Council has a limited number of printed copies available on request.
Oxfordshire Play Partnership
A copy of the latest issue of Inspiring Play, Oxfordshire’s Play Partnership newsletter, is available here.
Please download a copy of the membership here; and the Minutes of the Partnership's latest meeting, here.
Other documents relating to Play issues available here are:
Local Strategic Partnerships
OALC has representatives on most of the local strategic partnerships in the Oxfordshire. If your Council wishes to find out more about their work or raise an issue through the OALC representative, please see the details below. The OALC representatives can be contacted via the OALC office.
Cherwell Community Planning Partnership
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Cllr. Bernard Lane |
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Cllr. David Wood Cllr. Malcolm Leeding Cllr. Lesley Legge Mrs. Catherine Hitchens Cllr. Ian Charlton |
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Cllr. Ken Hall |
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Cllr. Ian Charlton |
Mrs. Catherine Hitchens |
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Job Vacancies & Jobs Wanted
Fencott and Murcott Parish Council
Clerk to the Parish Council
Fencott and Murcott Parish Council is wishing to appoint a clerk to the council.
The duties will include ensuring that the council fulfils its legal, financial and
bureaucratic responsibilities in addition to giving it secretarial support.
Knowledge of a council's duties are more important than having accounting skills. Annual time involved is expected to be less than 100 hours. Remuneration will be based on council pay rates and reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.
Those interested are invited to contact the acting clerk - 01865331432
roger@guyyiix.com- to obtain a full job description and discuss this opportunity in depth.
Contact the OALC office for details of those seeking posts.