Oxford News
Thames Water propose major project for Didcot Valley Park
The water company has submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment screening opinion to both South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils for the development of the ‘Didcot Valley Park Trunk Main’.
It proposes a new pipe, 4.7km in length, to connect Hagbourne Hill Service Reservoir with the existing Steventon Diversion Main at a point just south of the A4130.
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One kilometre of the southern part of the underground water main will be in the South Oxfordshire district, with the remaining 3.7km in the Vale of White Horse District Council area.
Didcot Valley Park development, being built by Persimmon Homes, will result in a total of 4,250 new homes, along with local centres, schools, community and leisure facilities, open space and green infrastructure in the west of Didcot.
Agent Stantec submitted initial documents to the councils on behalf of applicant Thames Water Utilities Ltd for the new main, which said the provision of drinking water to the large-scale development will require ‘modification’ to the existing clean water supply network.
The application said: “The proposed project is of local importance and there will not be any permanent above ground works located in an sensitive sites.
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“A key consideration for the pipeline construction is the temporary nature of the potential environmental effect.
“The pipeline will not be visible at ground level after completion and restoration of the affected land and as such any impacts on the landscape will be short term in nature.”
The councils will advise the applicant on whether an Environmental Assessment is required for the development by early April.
UNESCO first adopted March 21 as World Poetry Day during its 30th General Conference in Paris, with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard.
The heritage organisation said: “World Poetry Day is the occasion to honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry recitals, promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry, foster the convergence between poetry and other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting, and raise the visibility of poetry in the media.”
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This time on Looking Back, we’ve found a selection of fantastic poetry celebrations in Oxfordshire from the year 2014, now 12 years ago.
Language lovers converged for the day of celebration on bookshops, schools, at recitals and conferences.
Take a look back through this Oxford Mail archive gallery to find pictures from a decade ago of World Poetry Day celebrations in Oxfordshire.
We’ve made a gallery of pictures showing all the Oxfordshire spots which have been used for TV and film sets over the years.
Some of the biggest productions filmed here in Oxfordshire include Spectre in the James Bond franchise, which transformed Blenheim Palace in Woodstock into the Palazzo Cardenza in Rome.
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Many period dramas were also created in the county, like the BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, which was partly filmed at Chastleton House in the Cotswolds.
Cotswolds villages have been repeatedly transformed and used as filming locations for their historical appeal, like the villages of Brill, Broadwell and Castle Combe.
Find all the pictures in this archive gallery of historic Oxfordshire filming locations here.
Three Year 10 pupils from Aureus School in Didcot travelled to London for the Royal Navy International Women’s Day event, held on HMS President during Careers Week and designed to showcase opportunities within the Royal Navy and beyond.
Students Antonia Pop, Ellie Swan and Tilly Mulvey are all taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.
Ellie Swan said: “It was fantastic to see the possible career paths within the Navy.”
Rob Hayden, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award manager at Aureus School, accompanied the students to the event.
He said: “During the day, students had talks from individuals within the Navy and from guest speakers, including Hannah Botterman, who last year won both the Rugby World Cup and the Six Nations with England.”
He said: “Students also had the chance to network with the speakers and other attendees.
“The event showed the students a wide range of inspirational females within the Navy and other careers.”
Aureus School, part of the GLF Schools multi-academy trust, says its vision is focused on ‘cultivating ambition’ and ‘high standards for all’.
Headteacher Kirsty Rogers says the Didcot-based co-educational comprehensive has undergone a ‘transformative journey’, creating a community where students feel a strong sense of belonging. She emphasises inclusivity, high expectations, and a broad curriculum that encourages ambition, resilience and respect, supported by dedicated staff and diverse extra-curricular opportunities.
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