Minutes:
Council received the following public address:
Ms Helen Marshall, spoke on behalf of Protect Rural Oxfordshire (PRO) against the proposals in relation to Park & Ride Sites set out in Agenda Item 14, Local Transport Plan 2015 – 2031. PRO believed the sites proposed in the Plan would have a severe detrimental impact on the greenbelt and that the County Council should have conducted proper research into the impact of such sites before including them in the Strategy. PRO further questioned the logic of locating Park & Ride sites in the Countryside, thus moving congestion onto rural roads. Furthermore, there was no information in the Park & Ride Strategy explaining why 6 of the proposed sites were in the greenbelt and the cumulative effect this would have, or whether alternative sites had been considered. She urged the Council to reject the LTP4 until a proper evidence based study had been carried out into Park & Ride provision in Oxfordshire.
Ms Julie Mabberley, speaking in relation to Agenda Item 14, urged the Council to oppose the Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) on the basis that the Strategy was not strategic and did not include planned funds for the transport infrastructure needed to support the proposed growth in the Wantage & Grove area in terms of road infrastructure, public transport, cycling and local schools.
Ms Jill Huish, local Resident and user of children centres in Oxford spoke in relation to agenda Item 8, Questions with Notice from Members of the Council against the closures of Children’s Centres. She related her personal experiences with the centres, including the extensive support she received through Domestic Violence. She urged the County Council to reconsider closing the centres as they provided essential support to mothers and families such as outreach, domestic violence, breast feeding, mental health support, speech therapy, freedom support and nutrition allowing families to help themselves before intervention was needed. She believed the closure of the centres would see an increase in Social Services intervention and leave many families in Oxfordshire isolated and vulnerable.
Mr Alexander Murray, Local resident of Witney spoke in support Agenda Item 15, Motion from Councillor Laura Price. He expressed deep concern that the trust had been implementing changes to the Community Hospital without due and proper consultation and that further changes would result in patients from Witney having to go elsewhere for treatment. He urged the Council to support the Motion put forward by Councillor Laura Price.
Mr David Hartley, West Oxon 38 Campaign Group spoke in support of Agenda Item 15, Motion from Councillor Laura Price. He expressed deep concern over the implemented changes carried out thus far including ward closure and staff losses at the Witney Community Hospital. He further expressed concern that the implementations had not been carried out with the expected transparency or formal consultation with all 'stakeholders' and that the decision by the OCCG, raised serious questions regarding the future integrity of WCH to offer the high standard of health provision it had been clearly able to manage up until these apparently arbitrary and unilateral changes.