Headington Headlines

Headington Headlines #223

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 13 – 19 July.

A job fair in Barton on Wednesday attracted over 300 people.

The hospital porters’ strike I mentioned last week is going ahead on Tuesday this week (21 July). They are striking against FTSE100 outsourcing company Carillion plc, which proposes to cut their pay and jobs.

Headington’s LibDem councillors have arranged three more chances for people to find out about the Access to Headington scheme being put forward by the County Council. Details here. If you still don’t know what this is about, start here.

If you couldn’t go to the exhibition last week, the artist’s impressions* of the first phase of @BartonPark_ housing have been released. Comments reported in the paper are generally favourable.
* = architects’ computer graphics images

Remember @QuarryVelo‘s Quarry-Roubaix ride a month ago? Here are some photos by @Howard_S.

There’s been a very lively discussion about the @HeadingtonPlan and in particular about long-distance buses on the e-democracy forum this week.

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

  • Headington Plan: TCS5
  • My Comments on the New Headington Plan
  • Oxford Keyworker Housing Policy
  • £12.m transport improvements for Headington: exhibitions and consultation
I 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 #222

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 6 – 12 July.

There was a fire in a 14th floor flat in Forester’s Tower, Wood Farm on Sunday evening last week (5 July). Fire and Rescue crews attended, the occupants were evacuated safely and the fire was quickly put out.

Porters at the JR Hospital, who are employed by private company Carillon, have voted to strike over the company’s proposals to cut their wages.

BBB Stores (the household goods store next to the Post Office) has finally ceased trading, according to a sign in the window.

There’s a public meeting about the Stansfeld site today (13 July). Find out who might buy it, and help protect the woodland. It’s in Quarry Village Hall, Quarry Road at 19:30.

@BartonPark_ developers Hill showed the detailed plans for phase 1 of the new development at an exhibition in Barton on Wednesday.

Barton Community Association is looking at the possibility of forming a Parish Council which would bring together the existing Barton estate and the new @BartonPark_ development. Councillor Van Coulter @VanCllrvcoulter (Barton & Sandhills) is backing the idea.

And still in Barton, the City Council has announced that it will make £4.7m available for regeneration projects on the estate in parallel with the building of Barton Park. Just how the money will be spent is still being determined, but residents are promised the chance to have their say.

It was the very last Friday Headington Farmers’ Market on Friday (Aaaaah!). Starting on Saturday 25 July it will become a weekly Saturday market for a trial period. (Hurrah!)

@WindmillOxford was delighted to get an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating after a recent inspection.

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

  • Sewing Machine help
  • £12.m transport improvements for Headington: exhibitions and consultation
  • Lord Lieutenant presents local company with second Queen’s Award
  • Petitioning Oxfordshire County Council for Quarry Hollow Traffic Calming and pedestrian safety
I 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 #221

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 29 June – 5 July.

@OxfordshireCC surprised us with an announcement of £12.5m to be spent on a project called “Access to Headington”, covering Headley Way, Old Road, The Slade and Horspath Driftway. A consultation has started – more information here. Do go and see the proposals if you can: the County has opened a formal consultation which expires on 7 August. The display board images are on the consultation website. People who cycle will welcome the changes (with some modifications) but I suspect the most controversial aspects of the plans will be the loss of some grass verges, trees and on-road parking spaces.

Six people turned out for @QuarryVelo‘s inaugural Sunday Social ride, an easy-paced 25 miles round Otmoor ending with a jaunt through the City centre.

There was a small car fire in Atkyns Road, Wood Farm in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Police are investigating it as a possible case of arson.

Remember the story from April of a man in a car in Barton dying after being stabbed, and the subsequent arrests in Cowley on other charges? Now as part of the same investigations another man, Radoslaw Litwiak, has been charged with conspiracy to kidnap and rob.

Work has started to replace the street lights in Staunton Road but progress seems rather slow. Sandfield Road is next.

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

  • Silver joggers
  • £12.m transport improvements for Headington: exhibitions and consultation
  • Lord Lieutenant presents local company with second Queens Award
  • Peggy Seeger Fundraiser Concert Friday 10th July
I 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.