Author: Sonja Francis

OXFORDSHIRE County Council and keen recyclers from all over the county have worked together to identify the best and worst Easter Eggs for wasteful packaging.
Organisations all over the country have been calling on companies that produce consumer goods to cover them with less packaging and therefore save on waste and raw materials. Easter Eggs are often packaged extravagantly with cardboard and plastics.
Waste managers at Oxfordshire County Council joined forces with members of Community Action Groups (CAGs) in the county to investigate the situation.

Community Action Groups are made up of residents who work within Oxfordshire communities to save resources and reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill sites.

The CAGs were the first of their kind in the country and were set up by Resource Futures in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council. The model is now being copied in other parts of Britain.

What were the findings?

The best egg was produced by Sainsbury’s and contained more than 80% confectionary as part of its overall weight.
The worst egg was a Nestle Kit Kat product that was nearly 50% packaging.
A locally produced egg, made by the Cake Shop in the Oxford Covered Market, was one of the top performers at nearly 80% confectionary. It came in a box that could be re-used as a container or for a child’s craft activity and the packaging was made entirely from cardboard making it easy to recycle.
The full report, containing details of all the eggs we examined is available online at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/waste
Councillor Roger Belson, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, said: “Easter is another time of year when the amount of waste packaging produced is phenomenal. I am sure that nobody would mind in the least if Easter Eggs came with as little packaging as possible. After all its the chocolate that people want!

“Organisations from all over the country, including ourselves and our Community Action Groups, will keep up the pressure on consumer goods producers to cut back on ridiculous over packaging. In the meantime it would be wonderful if people in Oxfordshire made their Easter Egg selections with a view to favouring those that aren’t extravagantly packaged.”

DECISIONS of Thame Town Council’s Planning Committee on Tuesday 3 April:-

8238
P07/E0201 46 CEDAR CRESCENT
Alterations to existing loft conversion including insertion of three
velux rooflights to front elevation and dormer to rear. Erection of
carport to side elevation and enlarge vehicular access.
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Not in keeping with the character of the area
22 PARK STREET
Proposed cellar access in location of existing side access to former shop and relocation of bedroom window including frontage planters. Demolition and re-building of first floor wall.
Amendment No. 3

8239
P07/E0202 46 CEDAR CRESCENT
Demolition part of existing rear extension and garage. Erect single
storey extension to incorporate garage to side elevation and extend
to rear elevation. Infill side entrance door and reinstate front door.
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Design, with a highly visible PVC lantern light
22 PARK STREET
Enlargement of Flat 2 and terrace over.
Amendment No. 1

8240
P07/E0296 THE WHITE HOUSE, MORETON ROAD, MORETON
Proposed stable and garage blocks.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
Comment: Subject to sufficient landscaping
22 PARK STREET
Demolition of first floor front wall, to be replaced by cavity wall with brickwork to match existing.
Amendment No. 1

8241
P07/E0247/A W LUCY & CO LTD., HOWLAND ROAD
Erection of an internally illuminated lightbox sign.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
Comment: The Committee requested that the lighting be kept to
a practical minimum
CHINNOR RUGBY CLUB, KINGSEY ROAD
Erect digital scoreboard onto clubhouse.

8242
P07/E0310 14 COTMORE GARDENS
Single storey rear extension and new garage.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
13 ORMOND ROAD
Conversion of integral garage into a room and addition of cloakroom in existing porch area.

8243
P07/E0331 16 GRENVILLE WAY
Garage conversion to form dining room.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
Comment: The Committee, as usual, regretted the conversion of
a garage into living space.
MOOREND LANE FARM, MOOREND LANE
Erection of agricultural workers dwelling.

OXFORDSHIRE’S County Youth Orchestra is to appear on television with top fertility expert, Professor Lord Robert Winston.
The orchestra, which includes three members from Thame, will be participating in ‘Play it Again’, the BBC1 series about well-known people learning to play a musical instrument, on Sunday April 15, when they will be shown accompanying Professor Lord Winston as he performs The Old Castle from Mussorgsky?s Pictures at an Exhibition on the saxophone.

OXFORDSHIRE County Council Leader, Councillor Keith Mitchell, has re-shuffled the authority’s decision-making Cabinet.
Two new Cabinet members have been appointed. Councillor Ian Hudspeth, who represents Woodstock on the county council, has been appointed Cabinet Member for Transport Implementation. He takes on this role from Councillor David Robertson who retains his role as Deputy Leader of the County Council and Cabinet Member for Strategic Transport Policy.

Councillor Hudspeth’s areas of responsibility include:
transport scheme implementation;
highways; traffic and parking;
road safety and public transport.

The second new Cabinet member is Councillor Judy Heathcoat, who represents Faringdon on the county council. She has been appointed Cabinet Member for Community Safety. Her areas of responsibility include:

The Fire and Rescue Service;
consumer protection;
emergency planning;
police issues;
The Coroner’s Service;
travellers
drugs and alcohol awareness.

She also takes on the post of district liaison in the Vale of White Horse.

The two departing members of the Cabinet are Councillor Ray Jelf, who was Cabinet Member for Community Safety, and Councillor Don Seale, who was Cabinet Member for Adult Learning and Cultural Services.

Councillor Seale’s role will be taken on by Councillor Jim Couchman, who is already a member of the Cabinet. He will take on responsibility for adult learning; libraries; museums and heritage; the arts; archives; leisure and recreation; the registration service and the music service in addition to his current responsibilities for adult social services; health issues and the voluntary and community sector. His new title will be Cabinet Member for Social Care and Community Services.

Other changes see Councillor John Howell take on responsibility for social inclusion and equality issues; and Councillor David Robertson take on responsibility for council policy co-ordination and council business management from Councillor Jim Couchman.

Councillor Keith Mitchell, the Leader of the County Council, has taken on responsibility for economic development from Councillor Roger Belson, the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development.

Councillor Mitchell said: “None of these changes will affect the high quality services that we provide. Oxfordshire County Council is ranked as an excellent authority by the Audit Commission. It provides real choice and value for money. These changes will not alter that. I welcome the new Cabinet members and look forward to working with them in the months to come.”

Summer 2007 Term
Continuing Courses in Thame Commencing 23rd April.
Computers for Improvers
Tuesday 7pm-9pm