Headington Headlines #362

TonyOX3

Your weekly round-up of local news for 19 – 25 March.

In a rather bizarre fashion the Oxfordshire Growth Board revealed the projects to be carried out in the first year of the Growth and Housing Deal recently signed by the Oxford/shire councils. The Oxford Mail had the story before there was anything on the Growth Board’s website, and before Councillors or County officers were informed. The Board has not actually met to approve the spending – they do that this week. It all seems a bit topsy-turvy.

However, the good news (OK, some people may disagree) is that the Headley Way Access to Headington money has been more than covered, and work will start on the full scheme soon after Easter. It will run until about Christmas. The additional funding means that the crossing on the London Road by the bus gate at the end of Osler Road has been reinstated to the programme, although as plans stand at the moment it will amount to little more than a central refuge – no zebra or light controls for pedestrians. The County’s Access to Headington web page has a little more information.

Elsewhere, the County has opened a consultation on its proposal to introduce double yellow lines for the entire length of The Slade on both sides of the road, with exemptions for loading and access to properties. Cyclists will hope this will help stop people parking on the nice new segregated cycle paths. The consultation page tells you how you can comment.

Another theft of an upmarket car; this time a Mercedes stolen in Burchester Avenue, Barton, by a thief or thieves hooking the keys through a catflap.

The two bus companies are having to adjust their services and reduce some frequencies to cope with traffic congestion in the city. The 8 and 9 services are among those affected. The changes come into effect from Sunday 8 April.

A ‘fit trail’ was opened in Barton on Wednesday. Has anyone tried it yet?

Once again Headington features in the shortlist for RIBA’s South Region Awards. This year the Big Data Institute on the Old Road Campus is among five Oxford buildings shortlisted. It was designed by @MakeArchitects Make Architects.

The Big Data Institute
The Big Data Institute
Picture © Make Architects

Builders Hill, they of @Mosaics_Oxford at Barton Park, have been awarded 5-star status in the ‘coveted’ Home Builders Federation annual customer satisfaction survey.

The flats on the site of the old snooker club at the top of Windmill Road are being marketed by Keble Homes. It looks like they are only interested in selling to people who work at, or aspire for their children to go to, private schools in the area.

The eagerly anticipated new magazine Headington Occasional (see last week’s HH) has launched a crowdfunder.

There were no new posts on the Headington & Marston e-democracy forum this week.

Headington Headlines #361

TonyOX3

Your weekly round-up of local news for 12 – 18 March.

A burglar stole an Audi from outside a house in Wharton Road by hooking the keys through the letterbox. It happened in the early hours of Saturday morning last week.

If you haven’t had a chance to see it yet, here are a couple of photos of the sculpture ‘Assembly’ by Saad Qureshi in the quad of Oxford Brookes’ new Clerici Building.

"Assembly" by Saad Qureshi
“Assembly” by Saad Qureshi
"Assembly" by Saad Qureshi
“Assembly” by Saad Qureshi

A new printed publication appearing soon in Headington, the Headington Occasional, has published its prospectus.

Sandhills Primary School was given an ‘inadequate’ rating in a recent Ofsted inspection, although they did note some improvements since the current Head was appointed last year.

Back in January I reported that the Local Government Boundary Commission is carrying out a review of the Ward boundaries in Oxford. A cross-party proposal for ward boundary changes is going to the City’s Executive Board on Tuesday this week (20 March). Here are some of the main changes in the Headington area:

  • staff accommodation in the grounds of the JR to transfer from Headington to Headington Hill and Northway
  • the area between Bury Knowle Park and Barton Road to transfer from Barton and Sandhills into Headington
  • the new development of Barton Park to be included in Barton. Barton and Sandhills renamed Barton
  • streets between Barton Road and the bypass moved from Barton and Sandhills to Quarry and Risinghurst

There’s more details in the papers going to the Executive Board: a map of the proposed boundaries, and a commentary on all the proposed changes across the city.

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

  • Abandoned Bikes in Headington

Headington Headlines #360

TonyOX3

Your weekly round-up of local news for 5 – 11 March.

Posh Fish was named as one of the top 50 fish and chip shops in the country by Fry Magazine, and they should know. It was the only chippy in Oxfordshire included on the list.

The group Philosophy in Pubs which meets once a week in the city centre also meets once a month in The White Hart in Old Headington. They have a Headington facebook page with more information as well as their general Meetup page. Their March meeting is this Wednesday on the topic ‘Is the Self a Useful or Necessary Idea?’, and they stress that no previous knowledge or experience is required!

It looks like the Swan School, planned to be built on the site of the Harlow Centre in Marston, is going to be delayed. No planning application has yet been submitted, and when it is I suspect it’s unlikely to go smoothly. They are now talking of opening with temporary classrooms.

It seems the refurbishment of the Corner House pub has gone well. @ProperEllipsis gives the new décor five stars.

Oxford Brookes mounted a public exhibition of their latest plans to rebuild the Helena Kennedy building on their Headington Hill site, and to redevelop the residential Clive Booth Student Village. They have invited public comments, and there will be more opportunity once the formal planning applications go in. I’ve written a separate short article here.

There were three burglaries at London Road shops overnight last Tuesday/Wednesday. In all of them the doors at the back of the premises were broken open. Police are appealing for information

There’s a meeting this evening (Monday) in Old Marston where Christ Church College will face questions about their proposal to build 750 homes on land they own adjacent to Barton Park. The meeting is at 7pm in Mortimer Hall, Old Marston.

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

  • Abandoned bikes in Headington