JR Hospital

Headington Headlines #229

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 24 – 30 August.

Faced with funding cuts, Cheney School will only offer 6th form students 3 A-levels instead of 4. Instead they will increase the availablility of Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards they support, as this apparently makes students “more marketable”.

Two of the three bidders for the Stansfeld outdoor centre have been disclosed. They are Oxford Co-housing and Science Oxford. The third is an unnamed care provider.

Barton United and Headington Amateurs football clubs will have to find an alternative ground from April 2016 to September 2017 while their current facilities are lost during the Barton Park development. The development will ultimately provide new sports facilities including provision for the clubs.

The campaign to save the Ampleforth pub in Risinghurst now has a website www.theamprevival.co.uk/ as well as a twitter account @TheAmpRevival. The story was covered at some length on BBC South Today’s evening programme on Wednesday.

The threatened 48-hour strike by porters at the JR was called off after members of Unison accepted a deal over shift patterns and jobs.

The Headington 5 five-mile running race was held yesterday (Sunday).

My favourite Headington-related tweet of the week:

Dramatic skies over Headington this evening. pic.twitter.com/Ubed4wLm5d

— Ross Mackenzie (@rossmackenzie) August 29, 2015

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

  • Headington Quarry Village Hall – enjoy painting?
  • Noise Osler Road.
  • Northway Town Green access road
  • Northway/Barton Link Road
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 #228

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 17 – 23 August.

A report in @TheOxfordMail says – unsurprisingly – that the two Oxford bus companies support the Access to Headington scheme.

“Badgers set to get their own home” @BartonPark_. Do you see what @TheOxfordMail did there? Read story.

A small start-up company based in Headington, SwitchIT UK, has launched a crowdfunding appeal to raise funds for a classroom and equipment. They are on twitter as @SwitchITuk.

The Ampleforth Arms in Risinghurst, currently closed but hoping to re-open has established itself as an Asset of Community Value. It has a twitter account @TheAmpRevival.

The plans to refurbish and extend Quarry Village Hall have been approved. All that’s needed now is the money – £70,000 is the estimated cost. Perhaps they need a Justgiving page!

The threatened strike by hospital porters at the JR may be averted if union members agree to the new proposals emerging from “productive” discussions on Friday. However it has also been reported that the GMB Union has joined Unison and announced it will ballot for industrial action.

My favourite Headington-related tweet of the week:

Calling all jam makers! Our plum tree is bearing fruit – please feel free to bring a pot and take some away! pic.twitter.com/wAJpCr4tWp

— Butchers Arms (@ButchersArmsOxf) August 17, 2015

Only one active topic on the Headington & Marston e-democracy forum this week:

  • Mobility scooters
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 #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.