Headington Headlines

Headington Headlines #270

TonyOX3

Your weekly round-up of local news for 6 – 12 June.

The heatpipe planning application was submitted to the City Council on Friday. I’ll let you know when it’s online.

As part of the hospital energy project, the chimney at the Churchill was taken down on Tuesday.

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.

The Access to Headington scheme was approved on Thursday in accordance with the officers’ recommendations, retaining some on-street parking on Headley Way and Windmill Road.

A C Nielsen are proposing to vacate their site next to Thornhill park and ride and for the site to be used for housing. They have submitted a change of use planning application (Ref: 16/01394/B56) which says “Change of use of Nielsen House and annex from office to residential to provide 30 x 1-bed flats and 63 x 2-bed flats. This application is for determination as to whether prior approval of the Council is required.” As I understand it, under current planning rules the change of use doesn’t need permission unless there are adverse transport and highway impacts or contamination and flooding risks.

A woman went into labour on a bus which was stuck in Barton after police closed Barton Village Road  following an assault on an Iceland van driver. The bus driver called an ambulance and the woman was taken to the JR. I don’t know how she is but hopefully all was well. As for the assault, two men have been arrested.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Southern Health admitted responsibility for the death of Connor Sparrowhawk.

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

  • Closure of Parking Shop
  • Energy pipe
  • AC Nielen [sic] building and A40 surveying work
  • Urgent Request for Information
  • Access to Headington gets the go ahead

Headington Headlines #269

TonyOX3

Your weekly round-up of local news for 30 May – 5 June.

Vital Energi gave a preview of their latest and hopefully final plans for the heatpipe roadworks before they submit the planning application this week. Read my write-up here.

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.

Queen Street in the city centre is closed to all motor vehicles from today. Some bus routes are affected – see where to get on and off your Headington bus here. The same link has details of the @Stagecoach_Ox services affected by the cuts in the County Council’s subsidies. The 17A & 17C services will no longer run after 21 July and there are timetable changes to the 14 and 14A routes.

The papers for the County’s meeting to decide on Access to Headington have been published, with the officers’ recommendation to accept the latest version retaining some parking on Windmill Road and Headley Way. My thoughts – and links to the papers – here.

Investigators were called to @WindmillOxford Primary School in Margaret Road on Tuesday after reports of a possible gas leak. Children were not in schoool as it was half term.

Demolition of the houses on the corner of Latimer Road started on Tuesday, to make way for the new student block.

The traffic lights at the Headington roundabout failed on Wednesday morning. Again.

Richards Medical Centre at 12 Old High Street will close after the retirement of Dr Peter Saunders in September (via @HeadingtonNews).

@HeadingtonNews also reported that Nielsen’s have sold their site on the London Road to a property developer and will move to the Oxford Business Park by early 2018.

Congratuations to @HeadingtonSch whose rowing team became national schools girls’ eights champions for the eighth successive year.

A planning application (ref: 16/01267/FUL) has been submitted on behalf of @thespiritoftoad to build an ‘artisan distillery incorporating visitor centre, tasting room, storage barn and café/restaurant’ on the Council Depot on Cheney Lane, at the top of South Park. Here’s the Oxford Mail’s take on the story.

The play area at the bottom of Sandfield Road is one of three sites trialling a voluntary no-smoking policy in the enclosed play area. Anyone familiar with the park will know that smokers escaping the JR West Wing tend to go just inside the gate into the park near the bus stop. Local councillors want to know what you think about the no-smoking idea.

It’s been a busy weekend. Oxford Brookes’ open day, the Farmers’ Market and a sunny, well-attended @HeadingtonFest all happening over the two days.

But less happily, there was a break-in in Wharton Road on Sunday and three bikes were stolen from a garden shed.

My favourite OX3-related tweet of the week:

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

  • AC Nielsen building and A40 surveying work
  • Possible distillery and visitor centre at Headington end of Cheney Lane
  • Closure of Parking Shop
  • Energy pipe