Talk of the town

Wed 17 May 2017, 06:51

I believe that a creeper climbing up around the tin will do a lot of damage, it will get in behind the layers of the building.

Sun 14 May 2017, 17:37

Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia is a good wall cover, grows quickly. Will need maintenance though.

Sun 14 May 2017, 06:39

Has anyone visited 'Gardens by the Bay' in Singapore? Now there's an idea.

Sat 13 May 2017, 20:29

Like the vertical garden idea very much. I thought at one meeting I went to it was said that climbing plants would be trained up the sides ? Russian vine would quickly cover the whole structure (often called 'mile a minute') but perhaps not acceptable to more knowledgable gardeners than me.

Wed 10 May 2017, 12:37

That vertical garden is amazing Miranda!

Wed 10 May 2017, 12:16

John W - conversely the Centre Pompidou was praised by France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design despite quickly becoming a birdshit-laden experiment in faded plastic.

Luckily our Community Centre looks good - better than the barn that overlooks it from the Enstone Rd. More importantly, it will be well-loved and its spaces are apparently already fully booked by the sports clubs it's being built for.

Mon 8 May 2017, 10:15

Apparently the Eiffel Tower was also initially criticised by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design before coming an iconic structure (it's according to Wikipediaand I can easily believe that)....makes you wonder....

Sun 7 May 2017, 08:49

Maybe a vertical garden would look good?
https://www.gardendesign.com/vertical/national-gallery-van-gogh.html

Sun 7 May 2017, 00:25

The contract is on going - the Cladding is not finished ! With the people involved with the overseeing of the contractors bein professional- no doubt this will be rectified and allow the job and good work to proceed - too much negativity . I think the self tapping screw 3 rd row up and 26 th along from the left hand corner needs a quarter turn !

Fri 5 May 2017, 22:21

Not entirely frivolous
Its a large flat surface in a prominent position in Charlbury which could have some potential?

Fri 5 May 2017, 22:07

Yes of curse
But Bansky's can now fetch up to £150,000
Could help the funding situation maybe?

Fri 5 May 2017, 22:06

There's already a dent in the gable end half way up not a good start was that the workmen putting it up ? if so that needs to be added to the snagging list to be corrected before final payment is made.

Fri 5 May 2017, 21:31

I can't condone Graffiti as defacing any thing is a criminal afence.

Fri 5 May 2017, 20:10

Graffiti ?
With all our artists I'm sure we must have a Charlbury Banksy and it's such big are with plenty of scope
perhaps the community can provide ladders and scaffolding to help cover the whole area

Fri 5 May 2017, 12:54

Red Wood Cedar trees may be the solution.

Fri 5 May 2017, 12:39

Did I say that Tony no it's does look like a massive barn from that direction infact from most angles not the prettiest building In the world I just cant see any landscape sorting it out

Fri 5 May 2017, 11:49

Paul so you think a wasteland is better than the Community Centre because you couldn't see it from 9 acres?!!

Fri 5 May 2017, 09:12

In addition to my own view posted earlier, I want to share (with her permission) my 18-year old daughter's perspective. In response to the Community Centre's appearance: "I love it!". She wished the facilities that it will offer had been available when she grew up here. Her view on the debate about 'isn't it really a sports hall': a sports hall doesn't have a narrowly defined function, but is a very flexible space (big box with some lines on the floor) that can morph to accomodate a incredibly wide range of activities and purposes, from football game to children's party (it would hold a massive bouncy castle!) to indoor market etc.

Fri 5 May 2017, 07:46

I don't think it's finished yet, and there's still the landscaping to come as well. Nevertheless, I already quite like it; and the signage works a treat. Yes it's big and maybe not terribly Cotswoldy, but it actually fits in its space and feels both impressive and useful. I'm excited about the opportunities it provides for the community (including for the school for example) and makes me feel proud about what has been achieved after a long and difficult process.

Fri 5 May 2017, 05:43

The cladding looks like it's finished and to be honest it still looks like a massive out of placed Barn someone said it looks better than what was there before that's wrong as you couldn't see it from Nine acres.

Tue 28 Mar 2017, 17:26 (last edited on Tue 28 Mar 2017, 17:27)

Paul. I am assuming you were unable to make the meeting where the Trust explained the rationale behind the size and the materials being used . In essence, the significant area of the building is dedicated to a sports hall and we comply with the minimum dimensions that Sport England require to give grant funding. You may recall that we were in the 20% of applications reviewed at the final stage that received a large award from Sport England - £500,000. 80% got rejected and some of these were from national sports bodies.The playing area alone has to be 34m x 18m with a minimum clear height of 7.5m. This very much determines the size of the building. I absolutely do not want to detract from the sheer positivity shown by the community at the meeting that involved Charlbury primary school stating they are going to use the sports hall for all their physical educational requirements. i would be very happy to walk your round the site and talk you through the development and reasons behind various decisions made. Please contact me through this site if you would like to do this.

Tue 28 Mar 2017, 14:56

half clad, looking different every day, ,,,well , that is construction. ! work in progress !

Tue 28 Mar 2017, 09:27

Yes a big thanks to all
Involved but it seems to have turned it away from original post the sheer size of the place I have not seen the wooden cladding yet has any one else ?.

Mon 27 Mar 2017, 15:36 (last edited on Mon 27 Mar 2017, 19:00)

Thank you for the kind comments but there are many key contributors in addition to the ones mentioned earlier: Kate, Jim, Ian, Jim, Chris, Nick, Richard, Rosalind, Simon, Roger, Paul, Tanya, Angus, Daniela, Lynette, Sue, Tony, Liz, Ed, Ant, Jessie, Eileen, Sarah, Charlie, Sheila, Jenny and so many more.

Mon 27 Mar 2017, 14:36

Thank you Amanda for reminding everyone of the long history that lies behind what we now see being achieved. The history is, of course, a chequered one but at last somebody of Margie's character and calibre has stepped up to steer the project to completion. Thanks Margie.

Mon 27 Mar 2017, 11:55

Now that the Community Centre is taking shape (something at one time I thought I'd never live to see), we should remember those who took the project through the most turbulent times in the early years of the century. Our thanks should also go to Trevor Jones, the then Chair of the Thomas Gifford Charity and his deputy Willem Hackman as without their efforts this would not have happened. We should too remember the work of our late County Councillor, Brian Hodgson who fought for OCC to add the interest to the money they were holding from the sale of the old Primary School. As interest rates were at the time much higher that made a significant difference to the final amount. As a founder member of the Friends of Charlbury Library he ensured that the Library became part of the new Centre.

Mon 27 Mar 2017, 09:27

I totally endorse that, Tony.

Mon 27 Mar 2017, 08:23

Yes, few people know just how much Margie has done - the town owes her a massive debt of gratitutde, she's amazing. And she would never claim the credit she deserves.

Sun 26 Mar 2017, 13:01

Absolutely agree with you Tony, Margie has been a true leading light over recent years on this project.

Sun 26 Mar 2017, 12:02

Amongst all the people who have contributed time, effort & money to get this centre where it is today a special thanks should go to Marjorie Glasgow who as chair has 'driven' the project through all the obstacles that arose along the way.

Fri 24 Mar 2017, 22:02

The consultation evening yesterday night was incredibly inspiring. Jane Holt, head of Charlbury Primary School, was just one of the many speakers who spelled out why this is going to be such a great resource for the whole town.

Fri 24 Mar 2017, 21:41

I see the stone and wood cladding has started to be applied at one end of the building. In my view it looks very good!

Fri 24 Mar 2017, 12:20

Excellent!

Fri 24 Mar 2017, 06:21

Such a drag to want something sometime
One thing leads to another I know
Was a time wanted you for mine
Nobody knew
You arrived like a day
And passed like a cloud
I made a wish, I said it out loud
Out loud in a crowd
Everybody heard
'Twas the talk of the town

Tue 21 Mar 2017, 18:55

Alan I accept your comment, but was just trying to support the people who have put so much effort into this project

Tue 21 Mar 2017, 18:49

I voted for it but the sheer size compared with the other biuildings and it's totally unlike any thing there its massive I will wait and see like others if it blends in.

Tue 21 Mar 2017, 18:46

The stone verses cladding must be a financial factor, stone being much more expensive, this building I'm sure is being constructed on a low and tight budget.
The Spendlove school wasn't a particularly​ nice building to look at but i think this building is more about what it will bring to the Town.

Tue 21 Mar 2017, 17:19

Just a few facts to temper the heat on this topic. All 2,407 registered electors of the town were invited to vote on funding for this project in a 'Parish Poll'. This was notified to all householders by The Chronicle, by posters on our noticeboards and by repeated reminders on our website.
518 townspeople came out to vote on that dark November night and 67% of them were in favour of granting money to finish the project.
The building conforms exactly to the plans approved by WODC many months ago which were published for all to see.
It seems to me that everyone has had ample opportunity to express a view and to exercise their right to register their opinion.
Surely we must abide by the democratic principle: if you didn't vote. don't moan!

Tue 21 Mar 2017, 16:12

I agree with Paul. Not about the visual impact of the community centre - I'm happy to suspend judgment on that. But about the undesirability of attempting to close down legitimate debate by pointing to the volunteer effort that has gone into something. A community like ours owes a lot to the people who are willing to get stuck in to try to make things happen. But the fact that people have given a lot of time and effort to something doesn't necessarily in itself make it the right solution for the town.

Tue 21 Mar 2017, 16:00

Tony Morgan I have only pointed out the facts I have put money into the project in some form or another not that that any of your business which is the same for many others that have attended fundraising in one form or another I do hope this blends in and is constantly in use but at the moment it's sticks out like a sore thumb the lack of natural stone seems to be it's let down. If people can't have views on here on here with out people saying unless we do loads and spend all our time helping the town out then perhaps this site should be shut down. Several times I have posted comments on here only to be ridiculed about my spelling or my grammar the facts are Iam dyslexic and during my time At school we were left out as the problems with being dyslexic weren't realised at the time 35 years ago.

Tue 21 Mar 2017, 13:51

If i recall, before the builders came in and being half way through the construction process, the land was nothing more than waste land having been left for nearly 20 years. An improvement in the making i would say. ~To be sure that the end result will be better than the sum of its ( still being built ) parts.

Tue 21 Mar 2017, 13:47

Would be interested to know what contribution to the town the complainers make personally in time & expertise

Tue 21 Mar 2017, 07:30

I am relying on the 12.9% increase in the Charlbury portion of my recent Council Tax Bill helping to landscape it out of view.

Mon 20 Mar 2017, 21:07

Wingers lying in wait is presumably why Charlbury Town are nine points clear at the top of their league...

Mon 20 Mar 2017, 20:44

Charlbury residents should take this as a warning not to bring anything new to the town as the wingers always lie in wait

Mon 20 Mar 2017, 19:44 (last edited on Mon 20 Mar 2017, 21:46)

Perhaps easier planning permission may benefit Charlbury. The commercial centre of the town, we are told, is suffering and people can't buy the meat locally anymore! We could perhaps consider more innovative developments that moved away from cod C14th building styles. It seems to work for much of Europe where very modern and creative additions to towns and villages are accepted as progress. Also what could be more appropriate a building than a tithe barn at the centre of the town.

Mon 20 Mar 2017, 19:10

The lack of stonework compared with other buildings in the area I just can't see any landscaping hiding it I believe that if we could have the vote for the funding now there would be a big swing still let's wait and see the finished Building.

Mon 20 Mar 2017, 17:01

A lot of this has already been discussed in forum.charlbury.info/thread/4270 .

Mon 20 Mar 2017, 16:57

.westoxon.gov.uk/online-applications/files/D9909787E573CE3FB7CCE4D9574005DD/pdf/15_00914_FUL-PROPOSED_ELEVATIONS__ALL_PHASES_-338924.pdf
Does this help ?

Mon 20 Mar 2017, 16:51

It's going to have wooden cladding Paul, so I am waiting to see what that looks like but it's the lack of windows that makes it so barn like, and so few solar panels. Landscaping will help but won't hide or shield the size of the "barn". Time will tell.

Mon 20 Mar 2017, 16:07

I will being it up as Quite a few people I have spoken to in town have mentioned the New Barn being built I have hard of Barn conversion before but never the other way around the new centre is built to look like a Barn. How has it gone through planning is beyond me as this will never blend in as it is not in keeping with the area. A couple that were there 2 weeks a go said this should now make getting planning in Charlbury easy for all.sorry It's a massive eyesore that will never blend in.