Headington Headlines

Headington Headlines #259

TonyOX3

Your weekly round-up of local news for 21 – 27 March.

The planning application (Ref: 16/00604/FUL) by Vital Energi for a 27-space carpark at the JR Hospital to be used by residents of Sandford Road while the road is closed during heat-pipe work has been published.

Plan of temporary car park
Plan of temporary car park

The Trust also explained why they couldn’t use the most direct route via Osler Road and Lime Walk. As Osler Road had just been resurfaced there is a 5-year ban on re-excavating.

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.

Two sheds in Collinwood Road, Risinghurst caught fire on Sunday last week (20 March). The fire spread to neighbouring trees and then a house. No-one was injured and the cause is being investigated.

Ruskin College announced the death of their Principal, Dr Chris Wilkes. He was appointed two years ago having served the College for many years as General Secretary. Vice-Principal Paul Di Felice has been appointed Acting Principal.

The national GP Patient Survey rates GP surgeries. A story in the Oxford Mail reports that of OX3’s surgeries, Wood Farm Health Centre has an overall satisfaction score of 94%; Manor Surgery – 91%; Bury Knowle Health Centre – 90%; Marston Medical Centre – 79%. Not all surgeries are covered due to insufficient data. You can search by postcode or GP practice name here, where there is much more detail of the good and not-so-good performances.

Aziz Restaurant @AzizOxford has moved into the Chequers in Headington Quarry. Their Cowley Road restaurant has closed.

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

  • Northway Estate
  • Access to Headington Proposals

Headington Headlines #258

TonyOX3

Your weekly round-up of local news for 14 – 20 March.

In a surprise announcement the OUH NHS Trust and VialEnergi said they were taking more planning advice and would submit a revised planning application for the heatpipe covering two alternative routes – the original route and another via Lime Walk instead of Stapleton Road. They intend to submit the application in time for the June East Area Planning Committee.

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

The shop that was the dry cleaners next to Up & Running is being refitted. It is reported that it will be a Card Factory shop. Card Factory is a chain of over 800 stores and it looks like they will be competing to a greater or lesser extent with @frogorange, Daisy Chain and Pen to Paper. They already have a store in Cowley.

A mobile bike servicing and repair service has started operating out of Headington Quarry. It’s called Quarry Cycle Services and is of course on twitter as @quarry_cycles. Details of services offered and charges are on their website.

The application for three five-bedroomed houses on the site of the former Quarry Gate pub has been refused, and the one to turn two residential units behind the old Headington Post Office into a six-bedroom HMO has been approved.

The Garden florist shop turned yellow in support of Oxford United playing in the Johnson’s Paints Trophy final at Wembley on 3 April.

Staying on a horticultural theme, Monty Don’s “Big Dreams Small Spaces” show featured a garden in Headington.

No hesitation this week over my favourite OX3-related tweet:

The Headington & Marston e-democracy forum has been particularly vitriolic this week with new threads being started willy-nilly and moderator @headingtonnews having to appeal for an end to personal attacks. Active topics this week:

  • Guardian story the danger posed by the Northway link road
  • Latimer Road
  • Revesing [sic] bleepers
  • Tower block refurbishment
  • New type speed camera on Marston Road
  • Northway and Marston Flood Alleviation scheme
  • Disruption
  • Re Election
  • R Darke
  • Noise and air pollution on Foxwell drive
  • Quarry Gate pub
  • New road humps (Access to Headington)
  • The Headington Plan – whats next? (August 2015) – Parking at the JR
  • Northway Estate

Headington Headlines #257

TonyOX3

Your weekly round-up of local news for 7 – 13 March.

Rebecca of @FrogOrange posted this tribute to Elizabeth Whitwick, co-founder of the Windmill Fairtrade shop, who died recently.

The third community open meeting organised by @theamprevival to help raise money to re-open the Ampleforth Arms as a community pub is on Friday 18 March at 6.30pm in Risinghurst Community Centre

The Amp Revival meeting
The Amp Revival meeting

The Mediterranean Fish Bar in Cherwell Drive received a 5-star hygiene rating in its latest inspection on 12 February.

The cost of parking in Headington’s car parks is going up from 1 April.

@quarryrovers football club has written a comprehensive, well-reasoned and constructive set of comments and proposals about the design of the new Margaret Road sports pavilion. Margaret Road is their home ground.

Heavy rain overnight on Wednesday/Thursday caused the sewer in Ferry Road, Marston to overflow.

A man suffered serious burns and was taken to the JR Hospital after having an as yet unidentified substance thrown over him in an alleyway in Barton on Saturday evening.

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

  • Latimer Road
  • Access to Headington – gloves off for round 2!
  • Possible Extension to Car Spaces in Margaret Road Park
  • Tower block refurbishment