Annual Town Meeting 2023, flipchart notes

Desire for increased police presence and knowledge of timings of PCSO attendance. Some questioned whether the lack of police was a perception
Agreement that Police based their work on data. Need to report to 101 reported evidence. Resources will be allocated if we report.
There used to be volunteer group. There used to be more community engagement. Should we form one, as happens in Reading?
Anti-social behaviour should tell us what’s not being provided
COVID caused some groups and services to be closed, and they haven’t been reinstated
Crime Summit at Waitrose being run by David Johnston MP on 15 June
Town Council can signpost and facilitate new schemes, as it has done with Community Speedwatch (already proving effective)

Concerns over parking on verges
Thames Street and Wood Street specifically mentioned re parking
Walter Bigg car park (partly funded by OCC) should be unrestricted
Concerns over illegal parking at the side and in front of the Town Hall
Parking insufficiently enforced
Is there a case for some form of park and ride as town grows?
Speeding is a big concern for many, including New Road, Croft Road, Goldsmith’s Lane, and St John’s Road. People regularly driving through red lights at main cross road (High Street/Castle Street/St Martin’s Lane). Calming measures are needed, e.g. bumps, mini roundabouts, 20 mph limits, solar powered speed cameras (but these are expensive). Accident waiting to happen otherwise
Need for more formal crossings, e.g. Market Place (St Martin’s Lane), Goldsmith’s Lane, Croft Road. These are expensive.
Goldsmith’s Lane should be one-way. More one-way systems as in European towns
Watch bus services aren’t reduced further. How are community needs represented to Thames Travel/Oxford Bus Company?
Bus services to new housing developments
Maintain upkeep of pavements and footpath
Concerns over air pollution. Above acceptable levels in High Street
Hopefully bus companies will introduce electric vehicles. Diesel-powered vehicles noisy and pollutant
Town Councillor Mark Hoskins to be lead on local transport
Cholsey Parish Council have created an integrated transport plan. We should follow their example

Nature – importance of, and ways to sustain and engage residents
Open spaces, e.g. poor air quality on High Street, increasing the productivity open spaces, e.g. orchards.
Litter – number of litter bins (litter situation is far poorer than other European countries). Litter is an issue and 1155 have taken over the litter pick from the Town Council
New housing – maintain dialogue with developers
Neighbourhood Plan is very environmentally conscious
Nature Recovery Networks – there will be opportunity to feed into this (public consultation)
What about Council ESG policy? Businesses are already looking at their policies
Treating this properly as a true emergency. District and County Councils are very clear on this. Residents need to be part of this; it has to be a community effort
Clean bathing water at riverside. New application to be made, involving Town Council, District Council and Thames21. This is address releases of untreated sewage upstream, putting pressure on other bodies. There will be signs up around the beach area in future.

Need for community space, but let’s audit what we already have and make that known, e.g. churches, sports park
The Regal. What’s happening? One last legal huddle. Current understanding: it will be demolished. Everything has taken a lot longer than it should. New District Councillors may be able to help us get it finally across the line
Young people’s facilities. Long time since disappearance of youth club. OX10 Group holding meeting with stakeholder.
County lines/ sexual exploitation meeting recently
River – irresponsible/dangerous behaviour by young people
Infrastructure levy (106 and CIL). Improve understanding of this. Council has created Grants Officer role and developed new CIL Strategy (Cllr Hughes leading). Neighbourhood Plan helps to access and increase these funds.
Schools – County Council has published its plan: Primary (Highcroft), Wallingford School can’t expand on its present site and will have to reduce catchment area, new secondary school to be building in north Didcot
Creating a café culture for teenagers, e.g. opening hours which suit that audience, e.g. evenings
Need to continue to be aware of poverty in the town, e.g. increase space for Food Bank

Banking, especially as community grows and individual banks close. Wallingford has been identified as a key place for a banking hub
Markets – we currently have three; there’s a need for shade/protection during challenging weather, e.g. space between Town Hall and St Mary’s
Empty shops – intentional policy of some property investors. There aren’t that many?
Town Council has no influence on who takes up shop units. Nor District Council
What do people think is missing from the retail mix? Butchers, alternative pharmacy, greengrocer, children’s clothes
Challenge is the proximity and growth of Didcot as a retail centre, and also Oxford and Reading. We have to accept this and Wallingford’s niche
There’s a good reason why there are so many eateries (including coffee shops) in Wallingford. The USPs of Wallingford and Didcot have to be accepted
Car parking at weekends – ask Beechcroft if their spaces in Goldsmith’s Lane car park can be used
Accommodation for tourists – this also has to be borne in mind

Wallingford has long rich history. Are we making the most of this? Bringing Wallingford’s history to life more, e.g. Civil War re-enactment, engaging young people, other education/entertainment using re-enactors. Curfew Bell celebration event mentioned
Library and museum are both working with young people to increase understanding of the built and natural environment
However, heritage must be balanced with modernity. We can’t always be looking back. We’d need also to look to the future and be creating a welcoming town where inclusivity and diversity are valued
Big heritage jobs ahead: Town Hall, Kinecroft (ramparts) and Bull Croft should be the priorities
Lots of socio-economic benefits to the heritage projects. Will help make the town viable.

A sense that we are not using Window on Wallingford effectively or strategically.
The opportunity to connect into street WhatsApp groups, many of which were set up during pandemic
Council has been poor at telling residents what’s happening with certain projects, e.g. The Regal