Bury Knowle

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.

Headington Headlines #138

TonyOX3

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

There might soon be a Friends of Headington Hill Park group. It’s been trailed on the e-democracy forum (link below) and The Oxford Mail picked up the story.

Also on the e-democracy forum there was another blow to @BartonPark_‘s claim that ‘Barton Park’ was chosen after widespread consultation when @AlexLalvani discovered that Grosvenor had registered the domain name bartonparkoxford.com back in May 2011.

The freehold of Kennett House, the block of shops and offices on the corner of Kennett Road, including HSBC Bank, Iceland, two charity shops and Brookes’ offices above, is being sold by auction on 3 December. The guide price is £2.25m – £2.5m. It doesn’t necessarily mean any changes in the immedite future though. The agents’ details are here – go to the online catalogue for 3 December and look for Lot 99. I expect the details will vanish once the auction is over.

More on the refurbishment of tower blocks in Northway and Wood Farm: they may be getting bright stripy tiles! Consultation details in last week’s HH.

Local councillors @laurencepbaxter, @redmikerowley and @delia_sinclair kept up the campaign for a light-controlled crossing on the A40 at Risinghurst. A review is due to finish by April but lack of funds may mean nothing gets done.

PCSOs mounted an anti-speeding campaign in Lime Walk (20mph zone) on Wednesday evening. Five vehicles caught speeding and one stopped for faulty lights and cannabis use.

Bury Knowle Park is to get an outdoor chess table like this thanks to @RuthWilk and @DavidRundle‘s ward budget. You’ll have to bring your own chessmen though.

C S Lewis’ former house in Holyoake Road is under offer (link via @headingtonnews). Earlier report.

Highfield Residents’ Association took over @ButchersArmsOxf on Saturday night for an evening of folk and other fun.

The church of St Anthony of Padua held its Christmas Bazaar on Sunday.

Headington’s Christmas tree is in its traditional place outside Barclays on the corner of Old High Street.

My favourite Headington-related tweet of the week:

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

  • Headington event tomorrow 1-3pm – Silver Star Society Christmas Party, John Radcliffe Hospital
  • The Local Plan: What is it? Why do we have it? How can it change?
  • Changes to the Britannia Inn
  • Host Families required
  • St Anthony of Padua Church Christmas Bazaar this Sunday
  • Who would like to be a friend of Headington Hill Park?
  • New Headington bus routes
  • Auction of block of shops and offices in central Headington
  • Events in Headington
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.

Headington Headlines #128

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 2 – 8 September.

The development of Bury Knowle Park for housing was approved on Wednesday. The Warren Crescent (Lye Valley) decision was deferred.

Oxfordshire County Council released their final recommendations for the London Road bus lane improvements which will go before cabinet member Cllr David Nimmo Smith @DNimmoSmit1 for approval on 12 September. I wrote a blog article about it.

@TheMasonsArmsHQ held this year’s Headington beer festival over the weekend and had sold out by Sunday!

Headington’s pawnbroker The Trade £xchange has closed down, and @OxFurniture who only moved to Headington a few months ago have been given three months’ notice to quit by their landlord.

The house in Holyoake Road where C S Lewis lived for 7 years is up for sale as a redevelopment opportunity.

The outdoor screening of ‘Brave’ in Bury Kowle Park finally happened after being postponed twice beause of poor weather.

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

  • Electric car charging points in Headington
  • Quarry Gate pub
  • Aerial photographs of Headington and Marston
  • Proposed Changes to Green Road Roundabout
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.