Barton Park

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 #215

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 18 – 24 May.

The @oxfordguardian reported on the @BartonPark_ developers’ presentation on Phase 1. The report includes a video.

If you missed the Barton Park presentations (the last was on Tuesday) you can see the developer’s display boards here.

Surveyors were seen on Tuesday taking measurements for a possible extension of the car park at @ManorSurgery in Osler Road. The surgery is planning a significant expansion – see HH207 and this Oxford Mail article.

@HeadingtonPlan is running a poll asking if you think the first 30 minutes of parking at the two Headington car parks should be free. Vote here.

The Ampleforth Arms in Risinghurst is on the market for £700k as an “unopposed community pub”.

A crash at the Headington roundabout on Wednesday morning caused traffic delays in all direstions and as far out as Elsfield.

@Oxford_Brookes released an update on their long-term Estates Strategy which includes moving the Faculty of Business from Wheatley to Headington.

Despite the recently-announced cuts in subsidies from Oxfordshire CC, Stagecoach has said there will be no changes to the timetables of routes 14 and 14a serving Marston/Old Marston. The company also says that with the completion of the Loondon Road roadworks, the 800 & 900 hospital services will revert to a 20 minute frequency — they’ve been every 30 minutes while the works have been happening.

My favourite Headington-related tweet of the week:

Just looked out the back and…… #RAINBOW! #fullrainbow pic.twitter.com/7R0Zsyj6lZ

— Spike♋ (@Mr_S_p_i_k_e) May 18, 2015

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

  • Revised Proposals for the Development of Holy Trinity, Headington Quarry
  • Mr. Darke’s ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE THREAD.
  • School places
  • Lye Valley
  • Botnar Trees
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 #214

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 11 – 17 May.

On Monday, work started on the site of the new access junction for @BartonPark_ with lane restrictions on the Headington-bound side of the Northern Bypass (A40). On Wednesday there was an official groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of the development proper.

If you missed the presentation of the developers’ latest plans for Phase 1 last Monday and Saturday, there’s a final chance on Tuesday from 4 – 7 pm at the Northway Community Centre in Dora Carr Close. When they submit their formal planning application there will be the usual opportuntiy to comment via the City Council. They have distributed a flyer with some general information about the development.

The Headington Shark featured on Channel 4 on Monday, in a programme called “Damned Designs – Don’t Demolish My Home.

Oxforshire County Council announced it intends to cut £2.3m from the bus services it supports. The Dial-a-Ride service is to go, but the other services to be affected have not yet been announced. The occasional H1 and H2 services which connect Headington shops with Old Marston, Sandhills and Quarry are possible targets, and the 280 service to Aylesbury might also be a victim. For anyone unfamiliar with the H1 and H2 routes, this is when they run.

Starting on Bank Holiday Monday (25 May), @CreationTheatre are running “Put On A Play In A Week” drama workshops for 6 – 8 and 9 – 12 year-olds in Headington Baptist Church.

The much anticipated closure of Headington Post Office in its present home and a move to the Co-op has been confirmed, with the Post Office opening a consultation on the proposal. Within the consultation it says the new Office will be fully open all day Saturday and offer “selected services” late and on Sundays.

Is St Leonard’s Road car park Headington’s version of the Bermuda Triangle? Weird happenings have been reported.

My favourite Headington-related tweet of the week:

At least three Headington people received Certificates of Honour at Town Hall yesterday: Liz Grosvenor, Carolyn Gulliver, and Marie Vickers

— Headington News (@HeadingtonNews) May 12, 2015

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

  • Petitioning Oxfordshire County Council for Quarry Hollow Traffic Calming and pedestrian safety
  • Headington Post Office
  • Access road from Barton to Northway Estate
  • Barton Park development
  • Revised Proposals for the Development of Holy Trinity, Headington Quarry
  • Electronic issues in St Leonard’s Road Car Park
  • Here we go – scapegoating again.
  • School Places
  • Cafe Culture
  • Lye Valley
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.