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Thursday, May 24 - Wednesday, May 30, 2018
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Declutter and help Helen & Douglas House
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United’s year: New boss in to steady ship
Page 16
Sport
New relief road will ‘have no E V E R TRADE SECRET , Y T I E K improvement’ on traffic level I L TRADE SECRET , T P SEE I T, TAKE R ICE I Y BU AYdelivery IT AarW range
By Owen Hughes
APPROVAL for plans to build a relief road for a 1,500-home development in can“no improvement” wemake Wantage or will for the market town residents. Vale of White Horse District Council has granted planning consent for two major southern and central access roads to St Modwen’s 227-acre development at Kingsgrove. But a campaign group says even with the two access roads, the Kingsgrove development will increase pressure on other roads around Wantage. Wantage and Grove Campaign Group (WaGCG) manager Julie Mabberley said: “These access roads are only going to affect the Kingsgrove development itself. The relief road would only stop traffic through the north of Wantage. “If they really wanted to help properly, they would have funded the Western bypass road as the development is going to push traffic through smaller roads, like Denchworth Road or the Camel roundabout. “It’s not going to make things significantly worse, but there will be no improvement either.” WaGCG campaigned against the development on the edge of Charlton Village that they say is “destroying the identity of our small market town”. Following the approval of the plans,
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Ms Mabberley added: “We would like things to get done as quickly as possible now. If they’re going to do it, we just want them to get their fi nger out and do it.” The council’s approval of the plans will result in a further £10million of infrastructure investment at the site later this year. The developer said the consents will unlock three key phases of residential development, which will comprise 336 more new homes. The council has also given permission for the scheme’s Development Brief to deliver the neighbourhood community hub, which is central to the community and nonresidential elements of the scheme. Rob Draper, development director, at St Modwen, said: “Kingsgrove is one of the south east’s most significant strategic housing projects, and these milestone consents for major infrastructure delivery at Kingsgrove will substantially reduce the time needed to bring forward high-quality new homes and community facilities. “St Modwen will be working closely with contractors to minimise any impact on the local road network for these consented works.” The development forms part of the council’s new Local Plan 2031 Part 1. Public hearing sessions of Part 2 will begin in July. Details at https:// bit.ly/2kgVSfr
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Arthur, 91,EisDa real high flier
OUR ʻMERRY MONTH OF MAYʼ SALE EVENT MUST END 5PM BANK TH HOLIDAY MONDAY - 28 MAY AN Oxfordshire pensioner was on cloud nine after taking to the skies more than 70 years after training to become a navigator. Arthur Taylor, from East Hanney near Wantage, trained to fly aged 18 but never got his licence. He said climbing in to the Tiger Moth cockpit for his 91st birthday was a “high point” in his life.
At 17-years-old, Arthur tried to sign up to the RAF to fight in the Second World War, but was found out for being below the legal age limit. He said: “During the War, everyone wanted to be a pilot or navigator.” Unfortunately for Arthur, by the time he was old enough to train,
the war ended. He was offered a desk job at the RAF instead, which he turned down. “I’d been thinking about flying for the last three or four years, but never got around to it, then a friend bought me a flying lesson,” he added. Arthur still harbours hopes of getting his wings and flying solo.
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