Local news from around Bampton and available vacancies. Please use the links below to read further.

BAMPTON RECREATION GROUND CAR PARK IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Access to the Recreation Ground and Millennium Wood can still be gained via the footpath.
The SCAS defibrillator is no longer registered

POST OFFICE NEW OPENING HOURS
opening hours are Mon-Fri 09.00- 13.00
Sat 09.00 - 12.30

BAMPTON PHARMACY NEW OPENING HOURS Mon - Fri 10am - 12.30pm, 2pm - 6pm
Saturday 9am - midday

CORONAVIRUS - FACILITIES CLOSURES 

 The Downton Abbey Village of Bampton: Documentary featuring Hugh Bonneville

Emergency Response Plan
Volunteers Wanted

NEWCOMERS/NEW INTERESTS?
See what your village has to offer

 DOG OWNERS/WALKERS
BE RESPONSIBLE

 Message in a bottle

VISITORS TO BAMPTON

WODC have closed the public toilets

There are no public toilet facilities in Bampton

BAMPTON PARISH COUNCIL

COVID-19 UPDATE

We know people have been asking about how they can use the Recreation Ground and Play Parks in Bampton. The Trustees have always tried to follow the Government’s guidance and will continue to do so. The latest guidance on the relaxation of the lockdown does allow some sports to start but as each location is different they are fairly general. The Trustees discussed how we can protect our staff and our visitors and we can tell you that:

• The Tennis Club and the Trustees want tennis to start as soon as possible and are already liaising to see how this can be done.

• The latest Covid-19 Secure guidance specifically says You will still not be able to use areas like playgrounds so the Play Parks will remain shut.

• It also says You can only exercise with up to one person from outside your household – this means you should not play team sports so the Multisport court will remain locked.

• As there can be no team sports the need for car parking space is limited so the car park will remain closed although there is street parking nearby. We hope this will encourage people to stay local and walk or cycle to their destinations as requested by the Government. This decision will be reviewed regularly in line with Government advice.

• Sandford Field remains open and will do so unless gatherings of large quantities of people pose a risk to others in which case this decision may be reviewed.

 The Trustees are doing their best to provide suitable and safe opportunities for exercise for the people of Bampton in these troubling times. We hope you will use our facilities safely and respect social distancing guidance while you are there; only exercise with up to one person from outside your household and avoid touching surfaces where possible.

 At this point we would like to mention the CEMETERY. The regulations have not changed so it will remain unlocked. However, there has been an increase of dog faeces which spreads to the graves and memorials when the grass is cut. We believe this is disrespectful and if dog waste continues to be a problem we may have to consider banning dogs from the cemetery.

During the Saturday 18^th April government briefing the minister stated that all parks and cemeteries should remain open. Bampton Parish Council has followed guidelines sent to us throughout the Covid-19 pandemic from the National Association of Local Councils who have the legal expertise to interpret the legislation. The Act of Parliament is relatively brief and can be read on: -
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/made

Bampton Parish Council has kept both the Recreation Ground field and Sandford Field open. We have removed the ability to drive to the Recreation Ground and park in the car park, but the field is open and accessible to walkers. Both the Pavilion at the Recreation Ground and The Old School Community Centre will remain closed until such a time as the legislation changes. The Act states that: -  

“(7) A person who is responsible for a community centre must ensure that, during the emergency period, the community centre is closed except where it is used to provide essential voluntary activities or urgent public support services (including the provision of food banks or other support for the homeless or vulnerable people, blood donation sessions or support in an emergency).”

The Parish Council would open The Old School Community Centre if we needed to operate our Emergency Plan as this is the base we would work from, but these are currently the only circumstances.

Pembroke Place playpark and Mercury Close playpark will remain CLOSED. We were advised to close and lock them following the Prime Ministers briefing on the 23^rd March. It is not possible for gatherings of children, be it of any age, to maintain the 2m social distancing in line with legislation and we cannot be assured that surfaces would not hold and pass on the virus. Should advice to the contrary be sent to us from the National or Oxfordshire Association of Local Councils, or the government in specifically worded guidance, we will of course follow that.

The Parish Council were saddened that we were asked to lock our cemetery. The cemetery will be opened for funerals and the compliance with any of the legislation is for those attending funerals and the undertakers to manage. The legislation states: -

(8) A person who is responsible for a crematorium or burial ground must ensure that, during the emergency period, the crematorium is closed to members of the public, except for funerals or burials.

Additionally a place of worship may open for a funeral and also people may attend a funeral of a member of the person’s household, a close family member, or if neither of the previous are attending, a friend. This permission to attend does not preclude the need for social distancing. A local government bulletin to the parish council at the end of March stated that we should keep the cemetery closed unless for a funeral. It would seem this is because in some areas people were using cemeteries for recreational purposes. Bampton Parish Council do not believe this is the case in Bampton although we are aware that groups of young people occasionally gather in the Gatehouse We will continue to keep the cemetery locked for the short term, but we will seek further guidance next week, and should the previous advice we were given change, we will unlock the cemetery gate to allow people to go into the cemetery as they would previously

 Go to Bampton Recreation Ground Events & Availability

CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE