Headington Headlines #285

Your weekly round-up of local news for 26 September – 2 October.

A 14 year old girl was abducted and raped at around 8.25 on Wednesday morning. The abduction took place near the junction of Banbury Road and Marston Ferry Road. The victim was found around mid-day in Cavendish Drive, Marston. Police are looking for two white men and a silver car, possibly a VolksWagen, and on Saturday released descriptions of the men. Anyone with information, video footage etc is asked to contact Thames Valley Police on the 101 number quoting incident number 1631, or you can report anonymously at Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org/

Earlier in the week, early on Sunday morning, a woman was sexually assaulted in Cuckoo Lane between Pullen’s Lane and Marston Road. Police are looking for two male suspects.

News emerged of a stabbing in Barton ten days ago (Thursday 22 September). A man was stabbed in the head by what is thought to be a Stanley knife and then robbed. @TheOxfordMail describe the location as “an alleyway behind the playground on Waynflete Road”.

Headington Farmers’ Market relaunched on Saturday with more – and new – stalls, owls and other animals, and even a pianist.

After sucessful lobbying by local councillors the faded and ‘unenforceable’ parking control lines in Stapleton and Bickerton Roads are going to repainted.

Oxfordshire County Council held a public exhibition of the first work to start under the Access to Headington scheme. Work starts at the Roosevelt Drive/Old Road/Gipsy Lane junction on 17 October – see the detailed drawing here. My summary note and more links are here.

Access to Headington Exhibition panels
Exhibition panels

There was a power cut in central Headington on Thursday. Waitrose had to close all their chilled food displays.

Two fire engines turned out to New High Street on Tuesday evening, to what turned out to be a small fire in a tumble dryer in the Royal Standard. No-one was hurt.

Work should be starting today on the new pavilion at the Margaret Road recreation groun.

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

  • “Access to Headington”: start of work
  • Descending Headington Hill in the cycle lane… beware walkers.
  • Loss of trees in Headington Quarry
  • The X90 and Trafalgar Square COMPLAIN

Headington Headlines #280

Your weekly round-up of local news for 22 – 28 August.

Headington Farmers’ Market is now under new management. Organisers @HeadingtonA say there will be a re-launch on 1 October, and new stalls. Under the new regime the market’s facebook page is getting some attention again.

Another step in the sad story of the baby found dead on a Marston footpath (see HH 256). The Coroner has stated that the baby girl was still-born. The mother has still not been traced.

Formal consultation on the Headington Neighbourhood Plan @HeadingtonPlan by the City Council is now open and running until Friday 7 October. After considering the responses and making any alterations the Plan will go to an Independent Examiner who will rule if the Plan can go to a local referendum. Information and link to submit comments is on the Council’s website.

Do you remember back in March the Barton Park development was announced as one of ten “healthy new towns” designated by NHS England? Now the developers have announced they have been awarded a grant of £126,000 by NHS England which will be administered by the City Council. Up to £30,000 will be made available to local groups to promote projects which will contribute to the overall objectives, and the Council is inviting bids for these grants.

As well as live music over the bank holiday weekend the @VictoriaArms has plenty more entertainment lined up for September.

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

  • Closure of Parking Shop
  • New Aldi store could replace Currys off Horspath Driftway in Oxford
  • Gardening Club
  • Northway
  • The changing face of Foxwell Drive!
  • Campaign Against Cuts to Services at Horton Hospital Banbury

Headington Headlines #272

Your weekly round-up of local news for 27 June – 3 July.

Vital Energi and the OUH HNS Foundation Trust have released a nine-minute video about the whole Energy Project. It doesn’t say much about laying the heatpipe through the streets – they say “We have deliberately kept away from covering the detail of the Planning Application as this situation changes so quickly that the video would have been out of date before anyone had seen it” – but it does try to explain what the project is all about, why it’s needed and what it will achieve. See it on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX-rbcVSV5Y.

All my posts about the project are under the ‘Energy Project’ tab in the main menu, and there’s a page of links and contact details here.

I took a couple of pictures at the Barton Park A40 access link in Foxwell Drive – see my note.

A Brexit banner at Headington Farmers’ Market provoked an outburst on the e-dem forum.

Our MP Andrew Smith voted against the ‘no confidence’ motion against Jeremy Corbyn, but nonetheless believes Corbyn should quit as leader of the Labour party.

Marston Medical Centre will merge with the Bury Knowle Partnership on 1 July. The Marston centre will stay open for the time being, but it’s not expected to be able to continue for very long, it seems.

A Goth store popped-up in @HubinHeadington on Saturday.

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

  • Local plan for Oxford gets a refresh
  • Local Plan
  • At least six shops to let in Headington
  • Headington Farmers BREXIT UKIP Market
  • Energy pipe
  • Parking
  • Brookes & Islamic Centre events vehicles