Headington Headlines #132

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 30 September – 6 October.

Ownership of Warneford Meadow has been taken by the Oxford Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust from the Department of Health. The Trust has promised to continue the agreement under which the Meadow is maintained by the Friends of Warneford Meadow for the benefit of the community.

The agents selling the Fairview Inn on Glebelands have set a deadline of 11 October for commercial bids. You’ll remember that locals failed to raise the money to buy it after it was designated an Asset of Community Value. What happens if they don’t get any acceptable bids isn’t clear.

Sandfield Road residents have been complaining about the number of smokers from the JR Hospital who use nearby roads and a children’s play area for their cigarette breaks. But the JR, Churchill and Nuffield hospitals will get their smoking shelters. The planning application was approved on Wednesday by the East Area Planning Committee.

Headington’s 20mph zones may be more rigorously enforced by the police. In keeping with the formula applying to higher limits, action will be taken against motorists doing 24mph or more.

Up & Running will move into the old Cartridge World shop. Hancock’s Funeral Directors had an official opening 8 months after, er, opening. Daisy Chain in Windmill Road reopened after a major refurbishment.

Headington is one of the areas of Oxford that will get free wifi hotspots thanks to a governemt grant.

The Headington & Marston e-democracy forum lit up on Saturday night when people discovered that Headington Hill Park sometimes hosts wedding receptions. If only they paid more attention to Headington Headlines (June this year) they’d have known about it already.

My favourite Headington-related tweet of the week:

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

  • JR Hospital Trust Staff Travel Scheme
  • Warneford Meadow, Oxford – Notice of Intention to Dispose
  • New Headington bus routes
  • Licence for new Brookes building on Gypsy Lane
  • It is time Headington had a business club
  • After 6 months found a fence contractor
  • Traffic in Headington
  • 20 m.p.h speed limits on roads to be strictly enforced
  • Risinghurst Fireworks Display 9th November 2013
  • Marston Heating Supplies
  • Commercialisation of Headington Hill Park?
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.