Headington Headlines

Headington Headlines #247

TonyOX3

A happy New Year to all readers! Here is your weekly round-up of local news for 28 December – 3 January.

First, a round-up of latest developments on the Hospital Energy Project:

There’s some good news for residents affected by the Hospital Energy Project road closures. As discussed at the recent liaison meeting, the Trust has now confirmed that people can apply for up to 25 free visitors’ parking permits for their own parking zone or a neighbouring one. Details on the Trust website.

For those of you interested in the legality or otherwise of the County Council giving permission for the road closures needed to lay the heatpipe, their Chief Legal Officer’s position statement is given in full on the Headington LibDem Councillors’ website. I’ve posted some short quotes here.

The County Council’s website now has a page about the project.

This twitter conversation reflects a strong strand of local opinion (click the image to see it all).

Remember, the first road closure starts today: All Saints’ Road between Latimer Road and Stapleton Road junctions.

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.

In other news, a planning application (ref: 15/03642/RES) under Reserved Matters has been submitted covering the layout, scale, appearance and landscaping of the first phase of @BartonPark_.

The planning application for the improvement to the Manor Surgery car park is online (ref: 15/03694/FUL).

The shisha bar planning application (mentioned in HH 240) has been refused.

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

  • Disruption
  • £12.m transport improvements for Headington: exhibitions and consultation
  • Barton Park development
  • Allotments free at Pullens Lane
  • Grit?

Headington Headlines #246

TonyOX3

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

A defibrillator has been installed outside Risinghurst Post Office

The first Hospital Energy Project liaison meeting was held on Tuesday evening. My report is here.

A nine year old was treated for smoke inhalation after a candle set fire to a towel in a home in Barton Village Road on Tuesday. Neighbours heard a smoke alarm and warned the family.

Barton Neighbourhood Centre served Christmas dinner to anyone wanting food and company on Christmas Day.

Twin baby girls – Francesca and Poppy – were born on Christmas day in the JR Hospital. “We had been planning to go to my Nan’s for the evening”, said father George Bishop.

Large crowds turned out to see the Quarry Morris men @HeadingtonQMD perform their traditional Boxing Day mummers’ play at the Quarry pubs.

Only one active post on the Headington & Marston e-democracy forum this week:

  • Disruption

Headington Headlines #245

TonyOX3

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

The Hospital Energy Project information machine has still to start functioning. Despite several attempts by a number of people including me, there’s still a discrepancy between the Trust/Vital and County Highways over when the All Saint’s Road work will be finished. The Trust say 27 January, the County’s traffic order says 17 January. They both agree it starts on 4 January.

On the positive side a meeting this coming Tuesday should see a Liaison Group set up, with representatives from the affected roads, Councillors, the Hospital Trust and contractors Vital Energi taking on the task of sorting out the inevitable problems. It’s not a public meeting but does include people who volunteered at the open meeting on 9 December. I will be reporting on the outcome. There is another article, including a mention of the liaison meeting, in the Oxford Mail.

BBC local TV news on Tuesday night featured a report on parking spaces, or the lack of them, for car club cars (see also HH 240). Headington Transport Group’s Charles Young was featured; also Cllr Roz Smith.

Despite widespread cynicism in some quarters, Headington/Barton/Risinghurst “Team Purple” came top of the City Council’s recycling league competition last week.

Skipton Building Society’s first anniversary celebrations went well, as this report tells. It was also covered by @ThatsOxfordTV as part of Headington’s @LiveAdvent2015, with photographer @RossMackenzie talking about his work.

Holy Trinity Church, Windmill School and Headington Quarry School staged an outdoor, travelling nativity play in Quarry on Friday with real sheep and ponies. Their route went from the Coach House in Quarry Road, to the church, and then to the Mason Arms before finishing at Headington Quarry School.

I can’t really make one of my own tweets the favourite of the week, but here it is again.

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

  • Disruption
  • Lost watch
  • X90

A Merry Christmas to you all!