Headington Headlines

Headington Headlines #98

TonyOX3

Here’s my rather planning-heavy weekly round-up of local news for 4 – 10 February.

Warneford Lane is closed for resurfacing between Morrell Avenue and Gipsy Lane. The closure is scheduled to last two weeks.

Greg, the Gregg’s pigeon, struck again closing the shop once more.

The multi-use sports facility at Peat Moors (west of The Slade opposite Wood Farm) reopened after a £40,000 refurbishment.

Oxford City Council installed three new bench seats on the pavement up Headington Hill. The bottom one looks out across South Park; the middle and upper ones face the other side of the cutting.

The details of the proposed Haboakus developments in Northway finally went public, though they seem to have sidestepped the Council’s planning search system. Writing on the e-democracy forum Councillor Roy Darke reports that there will be a public meeting in Cowley on 20 Feb – details not yet available. Background and links on the ‘Development‘ page.

The East Area Planning Forum took place in the Town Hall on Tuesday evening. The Committee agreed to extend @Ruskin_College‘s planning permission for new residential blocks. Item 117 in the Council Minutes refers.

@EFOxford want to install a circular stone seat within their own grounds as the piece of ‘public art’ they are required to provide under a planning permission granted earlier. The artist’s proposal looks artistic enough, but is it right to describe it as public? You can comment here.

Martin Young has submitted yet another planning application for 29 Old High Street. This one is for the “partial demolition of existing house and demolition of existing garages and outbuildings. Erection of two storey side and rear extension. Provision of new access, car parking and turning area. Rebuilding of stone boundary wall”. It’s reference 13/00311/FUL, but there are no details yet so nothing to comment on.

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

  • Traffic lights
  • Saxon Way bus gate
  • Redevelopment of Northway
  • Church Bells in Ferry Rd, Marston
  • Badgers
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 #97

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 28 January – 3 February.

An unpleasant aggravated burglary involving an attack with petrol took place on Monday morning at the Corner House pub on the corner of Hollow Way and Horspath Driftway. @TVP_Oxford appeals for information.

There was a multi-vehicle collision on the eastbound A40 between Marston and Headington on Thursday morning.

New shelters were installed over the ticket machines in Headington car park.

Oxford Scribes’ calligraphy exhibition opened in Bury Knowle Library. It’s on until 11 February.

Holy Trinity Church (Headington Quarry) issued a press release announcing a decision not to proceed with the proposed extension and agreeing in principle to interior changes subject to further design work.

Tesco put up some fencing on the old Friar pub site on Marston Road and started a local row because it encroached on public land. Cllr Roy Darke took up the case and the offending fencing will be moved back (see this message and earlier posts).

@Ruskin_college has applied to extend the validity of its planning permission for new student accommodation blocks. Permission was granted three years ago but shortage of funds means no work has started. The extension appeal will be heard at the East Area Planning Committee meeting on Tuesday.

Headington Went Strictly on Saturday in a fund-raiser for @CLIC_Sargent.

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

  • power fluctuations
  • Long-stay charging to begin at Park and Ride
  • Empty shops in Headington
  • 2 new shops in Marston?
  • The Friar, Marston Road
  • Can anyone suggest a good window cleaner?
  • Pullen’s Lane due to be closed today
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 #96

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 21 – 27 January.

On Monday morning two armed men threatened staff of Lloyds TSB and escaped with an undisclosed amount of money.

Gregg’s was once again obliged to close because of a pigeon which keeps getting into the shop. Food safety regulations mean they then have to throw away any uncovered food – which the pigeon then goes round the back to eat according to a writer on the H&M e-dem forum. It’s easy to laugh but it’s not much of a joke really. The story escalated during the week, with coverage on @PhilGayle‘s morning show on @BBCOxford radio on Thursday.

A man had to be cut free from his car after a two-car collision in Girdlestone Road on Saturday afternoon.

@LaurenceReade wrote a nice memoir and appreciation of Headington Quarry, followed by another on Risinghurst and C S Lewis.

Caffè Corsica, the Pizza café on London Road, seems to have closed. The interior has been stripped and there is a Chancellors’ ‘For Sale’ sign (commercial premises and flat over) above the shop.

Chinese take-away OxyBox opened in Marston (Marston Road, near the junction with Cherwell Drive). They already have an established branch in Kidlington.

At the time of writing there’s no report from the meeting on Friday where Oxford City councillors were being asked to agree the sale of Bury Knowle Stables and Barn. The competitive bids were inadvertently published online and were visible for a few hours before being hastily taken down. No, I didn’t see them.

Osler House (on the JR Hospital site just off Osler Road) has got a new licence for plays, films, sporting events, dancing, live music and alcohol. You may remember they are keen to attract more outside bookings.

Headington School (@HeadingtonSch) came back to twitter after an absence of 9 months. One of their ex-students Sophie Sumner (@sophiesumner8) who grew up in Oxford won US reality TV show “America’s Next Top Model” last year.

The school was also a venue for the first of two weekends of the Oxford Music Festival. The other venues are @JdP_oxford and Keble ‘not on twitter’ College. The Festival Concert will be held in the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building (@StHildasOx) on Sunday, 10th February at 6:00 pm.

Windmill Road building supplies firm @Blanchford popped up on twitter again after posting just three tweets about 9 months ago. Let’s hope they stick with it this time!

If like me you were wondering what had happened to the helpful older man who worked in the mornings as car park attendant at the Manor Surgery, I can report that his job finished at the end of September last year. He told me he is keeping well and misses his job, though not in the recent cold weather!

6th Headington Guides are to receive an £800 grant from @OxfordshireCC‘s Big Society Fund. Their application was supported by County Councillor Roz Smith.

It was reported that HM Treasury is taking over the sale of Warneford Meadow from the Dept of Health. Good thing for the Friends? Bad thing? Don’t know.

My favorite Headington-related tweet this week:

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

  • Empty shops in Headington
  • Long-stay charging to begin at Park and Ride
  • Installation of new pumping station in Headington Quarry
  • 2 new shops in Marston?
  • Save Bury Knowle Barn and Stables!
  • London Road Improvements Stage 3
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.