A PARISH council has been rocked by the departure of five members – including its chair.

Wheatley Parish Council, which had 13 members before the resignations, now just has eight.

The departures have been announced for various reasons, but chairman Anne Davies and her husband Tim, also a councillor, are leaving the village.

Geoff Stephens has stepped down to enjoy retirement, Sarah Coleridge will now be focussing on other commitments, including her role as a governor at John Watson School, and Janet Carr, one of the council’s longest-serving members, is also pursuing other interests.

In her regular article in the monthly Wheatley newsletter Mrs Davies revealed: “This will be my last column as chair.

“This of course will leave five parish council vacancies and I would urge any resident interested in making a difference to the community to consider becoming a councillor.

"There are many evolving developments that will affect Wheatley in the coming months and years, including the future of the Oxford Brookes site, housing developments and the proposed Oxford to Cambridge Expressway.

"If you want to be involved in the process, being a councillor is a good place to start.”

Mrs Davies thanked the other departing councillors for their service and said it had be a privilege to serve.