architecture

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 #168

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 16 – 22 June.

Headington’s bike hire scheme was relaunched under the management of a new company. They are still using the name Oxonbike and all the details are on their website (confusingly using the domain name in the plural – Oxonbikes). The deal seems to be the same as before and the locations are also the same, though the actual bike racks have a different design and technology. Their twitter account is @oxonbike.

It seems the London Road road works have been put back to late Summer and will run through into 2015 with a break over Christmas.

The Stansfeld outdoor centre off Quarry Road has been registered as an Asset of Community Value.

Headington Quarry School celebrated its 150th anniversary this weekend.

Two aspiring politicians who stood in OX3 wards in the city elections in May are trying their luck again in the Cowley Ward by-election on 17 July. @KatHarborne (Con) stood for Quarry & Risinghurst and @DavidHenwood2 stood for Headington Ward.

And talking of elections, there’s an election to choose the 12 people who make up Old Marston Parish Council next Thursday, 26 June. @theabingdontaxi, who lives in the village, has written a guest blog about the role and powers of the Parish Council and asking for information about the candidates. Apparently it’s the first time in 16 years an election has been needed because there are more candidates than places to fill.

@Oxford_Brookes‘ John Henry Brookes Building by architects @DEArchitects, which I reported in May had won a RIBA regional award is one of six buildings in the “Campus” category to win a RIBA National award. The national award winners go forward for consideration in the Stirling Prize.

The first artist’s impressions of Oxford University’s Big Data Institute, which will be the next addition to the Old Road Campus, have been released. It’s being described as having a “ship’s prow”.

There was a break-in at The Six Bells on Beaumont Road, Quarry in the early hours of Sunday morning last week (15 June). The intruder forced a window, broke into a fruit machine and stole cash and spirits. Police are appealing for information.

My favourite Headington-related tweet of the week:

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

  • Headington bike hire scheme
  • Shell garage closure?
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 #162

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 5 – 11 May.

My blog has a tab for Elections 2014 in OX3. I published a list of the biographies and personal statements of most of the canididates standing for election in the six OX3 wards of Oxford City.

The John Henry Brookes building won the Building of the Year award in RIBA’s South region.

Headington Library will close for refurbishment from Monday 23 June to Thursday 3 July. The layout will include a new children’s library and a passenger lift.

Osler Road is going to be completely resurfaced! The work is scheduled to start on 2 June and last for three weeks. Residents and other users will have to find alternative parking arrangements. Although the letter to residents doesn’t say so, buses will have to be diverted via Headley Way.

Headington Quarry Village Hall held a fund-raising craft fair on Saturday.

The Parish Council election in Old Marston has been postponed due to the death of Parish Councillor Roy Jones.

The Duchess of Cornwall was in Headington on Friday to open the second phase of the University of Oxford’s Botnar Research Centre at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre. The Duchess is patron of the NOC Charity.

A thread on the e-democracy forum reports that it is now officially confirmed that people can travel into and out of the City on the X90, Oxford Tube and airport buses.

Also on the forum, pictures of the new outdoor chess table in Bury Knowle Park. Discussion thread.

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

  • I don’t understand Julia Gasper’s point
  • Cooking smells from Jacob and Field in Osler Road
  • What is the purpose of this forum?
  • Bury Knowle park in days gone by
  • Craft event – raising funds for our village hall
  • Old Marston Parish Council elections postponed
  • Outdoor chess table in Bury Knowle park
  • Using Oxford Tube and X90 coaches to travel within Oxford
  • Bury Knowle Park playpark
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.