Headington Headlines #409

Your weekly round-up of local news for 11 – 17 March.

The main local story of the week was the stabbing of a young woman outside Headington Co-op on Tuesday afternoon. A major police operation followed; Stile Road was closed for 24 hours. A man was arrested the following day. He has appeared in court charged with attempted murder and other offences and has been remanded. He is likely to stand trial in August.

Work is expected to start today (Monday 18 March) on laying a 3-metre wide hard surface along Cuckoo Lane from Franklin Road to Pullen’s Lane. Initially a footpath, the County Council has plans to designate it as a combined cycle- and footpath at some time in the future. The project has been known to Councillors and some local residents for many months, but calls for a public consultation have fallen on deaf ears. You can read more about it in this thread on the e-democracy forum.

Less controversially, Oxford University and Oxford Health showed the results of a feasibility study they have commissioned from Sustrans on making a surfaced cycle- and footpath through Warneford Meadow, connecting Hill Top Road with Roosevelt Drive. There’s still the matter of funding to be settled, and details about how the path will link to the public road at the Churchill end, but representatives of several local interest groups and residents’ associations were generally supportive of the concept.

Nazi graffiti were drawn on a wall of Cheney School after the terror attack on a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. I won’t give the perpetrators publicity by linking to the pictures. Police are asking anyone with information about this to call them on 101. The offensive daubings have now been removed.

The Post Office in Costcutter, Old Marston Road has closed and there’s no information on when, where or if a replacement will open.

Builders who had been working on building new flats on the site of the old Jack Russell pub in Marston have abandoned the job, leaving the site in what locals have described as a dangerous state.

Months of uncertainty over the future of the police office serving Marston and Northway have ended with confirmation that the office will be kept open.

The River Learning Trust who will run the new Swan School in Marston has announced that the Deputy Head is to be James MacNaughton. Mr MacNaughton is currently a maths teacher and assistant head at Cardinal Pole Catholic School in Hackney, and has a master’s degree in leadership. He read philosophy, politics and economics at St Catherine’s College, Oxford between 2007 and 2010.

A piece of cladding came off Plowman Tower in Northway in last Monday’s high winds.

The White Horse pub has reopened after a brief refurbishment.

The Oxford Trust @TheOxfordTrust unveiled their new Ohm sculpture at Stansfeld Park on Tuesday. The keys to the buildings were ceremonially handed over to the Trust by builders Beard Oxford.

Oxford Brookes is holding a free and open Fraud and Cyber Prevention Fair in association with Thames Valley Police on 20th March, 11am to 3pm. Everyone welcome.

Police found a rusty machete in Bury Knowle Park while they were carrying out a search as part of a campaign against knife crime.

Active posts on the Headington & Marston e-democracy forum this week:

  • CARMEN AT THE OXFORD PLAYHOUSE
  • Cuckoo lane: Six weeks of tarmac-laying starts on Monday

Headington Headlines #380

The City Council’s Executive Board will consider a proposal to introduce parking charges at Court Place Farm, Marston. This is the site of parking for OXSRAD, Oxford City FC and for the Council itself. It’s said to be used currently by commuters, probably working at the JR. The report to the Exec Board is here. If approved, the proposal will have to go to the County Council as Highways Authority, when it will be opened to public consultation.

Bury Knowle Park was again awarded a Green Flag, one of six Oxford parks to receive this recognition.

Cyclists beware! @quarry_cycles spotted this cut-through cycle stand in Headington. The cut, covered with tape, lets a padlock cable be forced through so the bike plus padlock can be lifted and carried away.

The Headington Shark was in the news this week, being cleaned and repainted to mark its 32nd birthday.

And from @HeadingtonNews again, my favourite Headington-related tweet:

Active posts on the Headington & Marston e-democracy forum this week:

  • Beech House

Headington Headlines #329

Your weekly round-up of local news for 31 July – 6 August.

Black Mamba Tattoos in Windmill Road has moved into the nearby Vente Hairdressers.

News broke on Tuesday that the Trauma Unit at the JR was unsafe if a fire broke out. There are several problems including, inevitably, the cladding. The Trust decided to evacuate the building and move patients and beds elsewhere in the hospital. This was completed by the end of Friday afternoon.

Connor Sparrowhawk’s mother’s personal details were leaked to medical staff facing a tribunal to decide if any of them were at fault over Connor’s death.

Barton residents are being offered a free course in video production and the chance to make a film about how they travel around the local area.

Some properties in Colwell Drive, Barton were evacuated on Thursday after a tree fell on a house. Luckily no-one was injured.

Bury Knowle Park is one of 6 Oxford Parks to be awarded a Green Flag this year.

I made a map of all 729 HMOs in OX3 (HMO = house in multiple occupancy). It’s taken from Oxford City’s published register dated 21 July 2017. Go on, take a look!

Active posts on the Headington & Marston e-democracy forum this week:

  • I see stagecoach has published a bus road design guide
  • Local Plan 2036