Headington Headlines #406

Your weekly round-up of local news for 11 – 17 February.

Oxford Ink, the tattoo shop in Roundway, Risinghurst closed without warning, apparently owing rather a lot of money in unredeemed gift vouchers, deposits and refunds. This tweet was posted on 6 February.

Just to clarify, this isn’t the tattoo shop that used to be in Windmill Road. The Windmill Road business was Black Mamba Tattoo @blackmambatatto but they closed in 2017.

The Community Governance Review, which starts the process which could lead to a Community Council for Headington (see last week’s Headlines), was agreed by the City Council on Wednesday.

There is an exhibition of early colour photography (autochrome) by Headington resident Ethelreda Laing and modern work by students at Brookes in Headington Library in Bury Knowle Park. It runs until 2 March. More about Ethelreda here on headington.org.uk.

It seems Frontier Estates, who attracted much local criticism over the development of Beech House, are at it again. They apparently want to build student accommodation on the corner of Jack Straw’s Lane and Marston Road. This post on the e-democracy forum says there will be a public exhibition on 28 February from 5 – 8pm at the United Reform Church on Marston Road.

A bungalow in Ethelred Court, Old Headington, caught fire in the early hours of Friday morning. The roof was destroyed. No-one was inside the house at the time as the owner was away, so fortunately there were no injuries.

The Wood Centre for Innovation @WCFI_OI, based at the new science development run by The Oxford Trust @TheOxfordTrust at Stansfeld Park in Quarry, is advertising for small start-ups to take office space there.

As Access to Headington work continues on Headley Way, a series of junction closures has been announced while the junctions are being reconfigured. The closures will affect in turn Fortnam Close, Woodlands (both sides), Franklin Road, Copse Lane, Coniston Avenue, Bowness Avenue and Derwent Avenue, starting with Fortnam Close on 4 March. See this separate post for details.

My favourite Headington-related tweet:

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

  • Exhibition of Student housing proposals at 1-7 Jack Straws Lane and Marston road Frontier ESTates

Headington Headlines #397

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

Fire crews attended a tumble dryer fire in Foxwell Drive, Northway on Tuesday.

Cllr Nigel Chapman (Headington Hill & Northway) planted a giant sequoia in Headington Hill Park on Wednesday. It’s this year’s planting by the Friends of Headington Hill Park.

Cllr @MarkLygo (Churchill) has described the gym at Barton Leisure Centre as ‘a dump’.

Also in Barton, the city council is holding a consultation exhibition today (10 December) about the redevelopment of Underhill Circus. It’s from 2 – 7 pm and they promise mince pies and hot drinks!

I extracted all the policies in the City’s latest Local Plan document which relate to possible development sites within OX3. You can read about it and download the extracted document here.

Slightly further afield, South Oxfordshire District Council has put the green belt land between Barton Park and the Elsfield road back into its draft local plan. @headingtonnews has compiled a helpful history of the redevelopment plans for this land.

@TheAmpleforth‘s success in making it through its first year earned the community pub in Risinghurst a page in the Oxford Mail.

The Bayswater and Boundary Brooks and other streams in the city have become dumping grounds for broken, stolen or just plain abused dockless bikes.

My favourite Headington-related tweet:

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

  • Massive student development proposed by Brooke in Headington Conservation Area
  • Possible new development adjacent to Barton Park