Headington Headlines #286

TonyOX3

Your weekly round-up of local news for 3 – 9 October.

@OUHospitals has installed a mobile operating theatre outside the Women’s Centre at the JR. It’s a temporary gynaecology theatre providing more space for births in the Women’s Centre.

mobile theatre at the JR

At last Katrina Percy has had to acknowledge that continuing to work at Southern Health isn’t a viable option for her. Here’s the Trust’s statement. The BBC reported she would get a payoff of “about £190,000”.

@CRAFTBurgerOx, opening where Dong Dong Noodle Bar was in Windmill Road, are on twitter. They open their doors at mid-day on Tuesday 11 October – that’s TOMORROW!

Costa coffee has submitted a planning application for a drive-through coffee shop at Headington Retail Park (as no-one calls it, or ‘next to Homebase’ to give it its proper name).

Aldi are recruiting for their new store on the same site.

Aldi recruitment poster

The Oxford Trust has submitted a planning application for the new science education centre it wants to build at the Stansfeld Centre in Quarry.

The route of the Oxford half marathon on Sunday passed through Old Marston, meaning several roads were closed for a few hours on the day. Parish and City councillors are upset at the organisation’s lack of consultation and its unwillingness to listen to residents’ concerns, which is a shame because it sours what is otherwise a worthwhile and fun event. Here’s a picture of runners not passing through Marston.

Oxford half marathon

The West Area Planning Committee is expected to give planning permission for a change of use which would allow @thespiritoftoad to set up an ‘artisan distillery’ on the site of the old Council depot at the top of South Park (see original story from June this year in HH 269). There is a restrictive covenant on the site which prevents the production and consumption of alcohol: the Council’s officers dismiss this as “not material” to the planning application but say that it will “need to be resolved separately with OPT” (Oxford Preservation Trust). See the Committee agenda paper here (para 26 on p. 8).

 

My favourite Headington-related tweet of the week:

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

  • Local Upholstery Cleaner recommendations
  • Disruption
  • Burning plastic Beaumont Rd/Green Rd

Headington Headlines #285

TonyOX3

Your weekly round-up of local news for 26 September – 2 October.

A 14 year old girl was abducted and raped at around 8.25 on Wednesday morning. The abduction took place near the junction of Banbury Road and Marston Ferry Road. The victim was found around mid-day in Cavendish Drive, Marston. Police are looking for two white men and a silver car, possibly a VolksWagen, and on Saturday released descriptions of the men. Anyone with information, video footage etc is asked to contact Thames Valley Police on the 101 number quoting incident number 1631, or you can report anonymously at Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org/

Earlier in the week, early on Sunday morning, a woman was sexually assaulted in Cuckoo Lane between Pullen’s Lane and Marston Road. Police are looking for two male suspects.

News emerged of a stabbing in Barton ten days ago (Thursday 22 September). A man was stabbed in the head by what is thought to be a Stanley knife and then robbed. @TheOxfordMail describe the location as “an alleyway behind the playground on Waynflete Road”.

Headington Farmers’ Market relaunched on Saturday with more – and new – stalls, owls and other animals, and even a pianist.

After sucessful lobbying by local councillors the faded and ‘unenforceable’ parking control lines in Stapleton and Bickerton Roads are going to repainted.

Oxfordshire County Council held a public exhibition of the first work to start under the Access to Headington scheme. Work starts at the Roosevelt Drive/Old Road/Gipsy Lane junction on 17 October – see the detailed drawing here. My summary note and more links are here.

Access to Headington Exhibition panels
Exhibition panels

There was a power cut in central Headington on Thursday. Waitrose had to close all their chilled food displays.

Two fire engines turned out to New High Street on Tuesday evening, to what turned out to be a small fire in a tumble dryer in the Royal Standard. No-one was hurt.

Work should be starting today on the new pavilion at the Margaret Road recreation groun.

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

  • “Access to Headington”: start of work
  • Descending Headington Hill in the cycle lane… beware walkers.
  • Loss of trees in Headington Quarry
  • The X90 and Trafalgar Square COMPLAIN

Access to Headington starts 17 October

TonyOX3

The hotly-debated and much-anticipated work on the Access to Headington scheme finally starts on 17 October and involves the reconfiguration of the junction of Roosevelt Drive, Old Road, Gipsy Lane and Warneford Lane. This first part is expected to last until mid-February. A small public exhibition on 30 September and 1 October gave people a chance to meet some of the project team, ask questions and leave feedback.

Access to Headington Exhibition panels
Exhibition panels

The work itself will be carried out in three phases each with a different temporary road layout. Four-way traffic lights will be in place throughout, manually controlled during the day to minimise traffic delays.

Once the work is finished there will be advance stop lines for cycles at all the traffic lights, two car lanes out of Roosevelt Drive, and on Old Road a new off-road cycle lane city-bound and an on-road cycle lane towards the Churchill and Old Road Campus. The full plan drawing is here.

You can find more information including FAQs and keep up to date with progress on the County Council’s website, where you can also sign up for a fortnightly email newsletter. These links are also under ‘Useful links’ on the right.