Headington Headlines

Headington Headlines #101

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 25 February – 3 March.

From this morning (4 March) Beaumont Road will be closed from Quarry Hollow to Green Road while the County Council instals a new surface water rising main. The closure is scheduled to run until 16 April.

Headington Action (@HeadingtonA) organised a well attended and enthusiastic meeting when it was agreed to go ahead with producing a Neighbourhood Plan for Headington. Cllrs @RuthWilk and @DavidRundle have published a report of the meeting. This is the start of a long process on which I and others will try to keep you up to date.

Two days later a group aiming to help develop an integrated transport strategy for Headington met for the first time. The inaugural meeting was also organised by @HeadingtonA.

The Post Office letterbox in All Saints Road was the object of a possible arson attack last Sunday (24 Feb) although the cause of the small fire is unclear.

Also last Sunday there was a robbery at Threshers off-licence in Cherwell Drive, Marston.

Headington’s Blockbuster store is going to close and will become a Morrison’s supermarket. There are reports too that the owner of the closed Crown and Thistle pub in Old Road may be looking at alternative uses for the building.

Our very own Dee Sinclair, City Councillor for Quarry & Risinghust and candidate for the new Headington and Quarry Division in the County Council elections in May, is to be the next Lord Mayor of Oxford from May this year. Come on Dee! With such a high profile you’ll just have to get that @delia_sinclair twitter account going!

@ThriveBarton‘s work in Barton is the subject of an article in the Newsletter of the Volunteering & International Psychiatry Special Interest Group of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It’s on page 5.

A man from Aldbarton Drive, Barton was sentenced to four months jail for dangerous dogs offences. Three people had been attacked and needed hospital treatment.

The two men who were in court on charges of rape in Bury Knowle Park (see original press report) were acquitted.

The City Council’s Sites and Housing Plan was formally adopted on 18 February – the end of a long process. The definitive version is here.

So far only Oxford Civic Society @oxcivicsox has commented on the latest planning applcation for 29 Old High Street. They are broadly supportive. Application ref: 13/00311/FUL.

Lime Walk was closed between London Road and All Saints’ Road for a short time on Friday for emergency water main repairs.

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

  • A Neighbourhood Plan for Headington?
  • A Lord Mayor on this forum again from May 2013!
  • New Lime Walk and All Saints junction “improvements”
  • Crown and Thistle
  • Spate of burglaries in Headington
  • Blockbusters in Headington is closing after all
  • Zhen Shan Ren (Truth Compassion Tolerance) Art Exhibition
  • Redevelopment of Northway
I try to cover news from the OX3 postcode in Headington and out as far as Barton, Sandhills and Risinghurst (see map). To feed into next week’s summary you can comment on this article, or tweet either with the hashtag #ox3 or @mentioning @TonyOX3.

Headington Headlines #100

TonyOX3

Well, I made it to the 100th edition! No special celebrations though, and here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 18 – 24 February.

Cancer charity Maggie’s Centre has raised £3m and plans to start work on a permanent building later this year.

Lime Walk residents took matters into their own hands and decorated the All Saints’ junction chicane with plant pots and windmills to emphasise the 20mph speed limit.

William Hill’s application to open a betting shop in the old Cartridge World was turned down.

A cyclist was taken to the JR with minor head injuries after a collision with a car in Warneford Lane on Wednesday.

Starting today and lasting until Friday the Eastern by-pass between Kiln Lane and the Green Road roundabout is going to be resurfaced overnight between 8pm and 5am. Speed limits and restrictions will apply.

Police raided a cannabis farm in Hawthorn Avenue on Tuesday. A man was arrested and later released on bail.

My favorite Headington-related tweet this week:

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

  • A Neighbourhood Plan for Headington?
  • Joint Bus Ticketing Starts 24 July
  • New Lime Walk and All Saints junction “improvements”
  • Saxon Way bus gate
  • New Night Journeys on 280
  • HS2 Shoppers Bus through Quarry
  • New Menu at The Six Bells
I try to cover news from the OX3 postcode in Headington and out as far as Barton, Sandhills and Risinghurst (see map). To feed into next week’s summary you can comment on this article, or tweet either with the hashtag #ox3 or @mentioning @TonyOX3.

Headington Headlines #99

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 11 – 17 February.

The details of Martin Young’s latest planning application for 29 Old High Street have reached the Council’s website. Its reference is 13/00311/FUL.

@RuthWilk reported that on Thursday police in Headington issued 7 tickets for no seat belts, 5 for use of mobile phone while driving, 2 for speeding, 6 warnings for speeding and 1 for cycling on the pavement.

Headington Action @HeadingtonA joined twitter.

There was a power cut in parts of Headington on Wednesday.

I’ve heard that Marston Heating Supplies is closing down after many years of trading.

The Somerset on Marston Road has re-opened after the owners returned from holiday.

The house on the Dorset House site on the corner of Latimer Road has a ‘SOLD’ sign.

An e-petition has been started on the City Council’s website asking for the Marston cycle path to be gritted in winter. A message on the e-democracy forum explains what it’s about and you can follow the campaign on twitter at @marstongrit.

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

  • Northway
  • Badgers
  • Foxwell drive Path
  • Headington Festival 2013 – organisers needed
  • 2 new shops in Marston?
  • ePetition to grit Marston cycle tracks in winter
I try to cover news from the OX3 postcode in Headington and out as far as Barton, Sandhills and Risinghurst (see map). To feed into next week’s summary you can comment on this article, or tweet either with the hashtag #ox3 or @mentioning @TonyOX3.