Archive for category: News

England, My England

What have I done for you,
England, my England?
What is there I would not do,
England, my own?
With your glorious eyes austere,
As the Lord were walking near,
Whispering terrible things and dear
As the Song on your bugles blown,
England,
Round the world on your bugles blown!

Where shall the watchful sun,
England, my England,
Match the masterwork you’ve done,
England, my own?
When shall he rejoice agen
Such a breed of mighty men
As come forward, one to ten,
To the Song on your bugles blown,
England,
Down the years on your bugles blown?

Ever the faith endures,
England, my England,
‘Take and break us: we are yours,
England, my own!
Life is good, and joy runs high
Between English earth and sky
Death is death; but we shall die
To the Song on your bugles blown,
England,
To the stars on your bugles blown!’

They call you proud and hard,
England, my England,
You with worlds to watch and ward,
England, my own!
You whose mail’d hand keeps the keys
Of such teeming destinies,
You could know nor dread nor ease
Were the Song on your bugles blown,
England,
Round the Pit on your bugles blown!

Mother of Ships whose might,
England, my England,
Is the fierce old Sea’s delight,
England, my own,
Chosen daughter of the Lord,
Spouse-in-Chief of the ancient Sword,
There’s the menace of the Word
In the Song on your bugles blown,
England,
Out of heaven on your bugles blown!

William Ernest Henley

 

 

 

Carterton Town Council Sets Precept for Coming Year

Carterton Town Council has agreed to limit our portion of the Council Tax Bill to an increase of only 22p a week for a Band D household.  This means that the average household will pay only £88.65 a year for all of the Town Council’s services through their Council Tax.

The Town Council provides a wide range of services including: – Allotments, Black Bourton Cemetery, Bus Shelters, Play Parks, Recreation Grounds, Town Hall, War Memorial and Market, as well as being responsible for the Carterton Community Centre and other CTC buildings.

The Council also runs/supports many free events and civic ceremonies promoted by the mayor each year, including fundraising events for local charities and the popular Remembrance Day and Christmas Lights events.

In addition to these services, the council ensures that the views of Carterton residents are represented to our two principal authorities, West Oxfordshire District Council and Oxfordshire County Council, whether that is supporting, objecting to, or commenting on planning applications or pushing for improvements in roads, transport and infrastructure and other council services.

Unfortunately, the work the Council does for the community is not immune to the exceptional rises in inflation and interest rates we have all experienced in recent years.  These include the rise in costs to heat buildings as well as unpredictable increases in the costs of building materials and hardware for repairs.  The Council debated the budget for several months to investigate all options and reduce the impact of these rises on the budget for the following year, wherever possible.

Major projects for the Council in 2024 – 2024 include:

• Ensure that the interests of Carterton are represented in the West Oxfordshire Local Plan. This will ensure that developments in and around the town are in line with our needs and that residents are consulted on future plans.  This will also ensure that we are able to secure funding for facilities that the town needs, such as improved playparks, a new cemetery and the development of the town centre, which is a core focus of the Council.
• A full asset review of town council properties and facilities, to prioritise repairs, updates and recommendations from our Quinquennial (five yearly) Report.
• Explore plans for a new cemetery and identify potential sites.

The Town Mayor, Councillor Kathy Godwin said: “Over the past couple of years the council has worked hard not to increase the precept too much, instead using reserves to fund vital services.  We were particularly conscious of the impact of the ‘cost of living’ crisis when setting our precept this year but also recognise our responsibility to ensure that council finances are at an appropriate level for the size of our town and the services we provide.  We are not immune to the increases in costs and although we recognise that any increase affects households which are already stretched, we believe that Carterton Town Council continues to provide good value for money.  We keep the town safe, clean and tidy to use and run and support many events throughout the year, which alongside our parks and recreation areas are available for everyone to enjoy’.

 

 

Come along to Carterton Library and meet Paul Grey, a gardener for over 40 years, and former Head Gardener for the National Trust.