FLOODING!
Within the Planning Application, OCC have given information on how they would deal with the risk of flooding with the CLR. The information is very sketchy, and their flood modeling indicates that the flood plain would not be at risk to flooding where the CLR is to be built! We think this is just a little wrong, and we have supplied the EA with more evidence on this. Please visit the Flooding section of the website to download our presentation on this. We also have a fact file looking at a number of other complete inaccuracies within the planning application and this will be available online shortly.

DO YOU/ HAVE YOU USED THE COUNTRY PARK?
Proposals for the CLR would in effect cut the Country Park in two, destroying this well used public space forever. We would like to hear from you if you have used the Park could you email us here, telling us: Where you live, how many years you've been using the Park and what for e.g. dog walking, recreational activities etc.

WITNEY TOWN COUNCIL MEETS WEDNESDAY 3rd DECEMBER
On the agenda will be the CLR proposal. To date we have had no official response from WTC on their leaflet, and we will be speaking at the meeting on this. We hope that with the new facts, and on reflection of their inaccurate leaflet, that your elected members will take the time to read all the facts, and with the overwhelming evidence that Shores is a much better solution for Witney, will publicly endorse this, or at the very least give us a detailed account as to why they have been backing the white elephant that is the CLR. Members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting that starts at 7pm in the WTC offices in Market Square...if you are planning to come, please let us know so that we can give them accurate numbers....over 30 members of the public will mean that they will need to relocate the meeting to the Corn Exchange.

WITNEY FIRST MEETS DAVID CAMERON
Last Thursday 27th November we had a meeting with David Cameron and voiced our concerns over the planning application for the CLR. Mr Cameron told us that in his conversations with WODC he had been assured that all the options would be considered in detail. We have asked Mr Cameron to speak to WODC again and confirm that this is the case, and that all options would be considered when the final decision is made on the planning application. We have also presented our findings on the flood modeling that the Council have used in the planning application which are very concerning..essentially the flooding of 2007 has not been taken into account, and they still say that flooding is not an issue. Our new evidence has also been presented to the Environment Agency, who to date, have had insufficient information from OCC for them to make any comment on the planning application, and they have requested OCC give then what they need. You can see this new evidence in the Flooding section on this website.

WITNEY TOWN COUNCIL DECIDE TO START PUSHING COGGES LINK PUBLICLY- WHY?!
Witney Town Council have printed, at the expense of the tax-payer, a leaflet supporting the CLR…quite why WTC feel that they should get involved in such an inappropriate manner is questionable. In their information they suggested that CPRE and Witney First were giving out inaccurate information. When challenged publicly via a Press Release about this (since all our information comes directly from OCCs planning application for the CLR!), none of the 17 members have responded, even after two weeks - doesn’t that make you feel good about local democracy? The press release was also sent to every member of West Oxfordshire District Council (49 members) and Oxfordshire County Council (74 members), and I am sure that you will be surprised to hear that only 4 OCC and 3 WODC members have responded.

PUBLIC EXHIBITION - OCC MISLEAD?
Oxfordshire County Council held their public exhibition, and certain staff present told many Witney residents that funding was only in place for the Cogges Link Road, and that if the public didn't accept that, then no road solution could be paid for! Since landowners as far back as 4 years ago, offered the money to pay for Shores Green, this is simply untrue and misleading information.

You may have been keeping up with the letters in the Gazette, and read that in fact landowners had already offered to pay for Shores Green. The letter is available here and a detailed report on this issue here.

YOUR MPs REACTION
Since Mr Cameron is supposed to be representing the electorates’ views here in Witney, we have been trying to draw him into showing his support. It may come as little surprise that he obviously doesn’t, and also seems to be well briefed into making an argument for the CLR, when apparently he plays no “formal role”. We thought you’d like to see his response to us below. We have asked him to comment on why he feels the CLR should go ahead given the overwhelming evidence that Shores is so much more sensible, and we’ll let you know any response we get. Feel free to contact him too..his research assistant’s email is ALDENN@parliament.uk

“Thursday, 2nd October 2008 Ref: DC/na/L

Thank you for your letter expressing your concerns about the proposed Cogges Link Road. I should say in advance that I have no formal role in the planning process, which in the case of this application is the responsibility of Oxfordshire County Council. The provision of this link road has been in plans for Witney since the 1980s. It is to help alleviate the congestion caused by the combination of traffic growth and the development of the town. As everyone knows, the problem in Bridge Street has always been particularly bad. As I have always understood it, the case for a second river crossing is very strong. Cogges Link is much closer to the town centre than Shores Green and is therefore likely to be more effective in relieving congestion in the most sensitive parts of the town such as Bridge Street.

As you probably know, the planning application has now been submitted and there is lots of new information to be considered, both by the District Council as a statutory consultee and the County Council as the planning authority. It is also vital that we make sure the lessons of last year's floods have been learnt and that before any decisions are taken, the relevant authorities are satisfied that appropriate measures are included within the design of the scheme to reduce the risk of future flooding.

Thank you again for contacting me about this important issue.

David Cameron”

PUBLIC EXHIBITION
Oxfordshire County Council plans to exhibit their application at The Marlborough Hotel, Witney on 9th, 10th and 11th of October. Please go along to the exhibition, having read the facts on this website, and let them know how you feel!  The timings of the exhibition are: 1-8pm on the 9th, 10-6pm on the 10th and 10-1pm on the 11th. There will also be an alternative exhibition held in the Corn Exchange to coincide with these times, where you can see the alternative Shores Green scheme, and also study the pros and cons of each.

LETTERS OF OBJECTION
Literally hundreds of people have already written to the Council voicing their objections. So much so, that they have told us that it will take them a couple of weeks to work through them all and let us know how many objections have been made. It is not to late to take action, More info here.

FACEBOOK GROUP
More than 250 people have already signed up in just 2 weeks! We have also had many people sign up to be kept informed by email of what is happening and how they can get involved. Over the next few months we want to communicate to as many Witney residents as possible and if you can tell your friends, work colleagues and family about Witney First, it will help us to reach this goal faster! Many thanks for your support.