Marston

Headington Headlines #91

TonyOX3

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

The Manor Hospital, run by private company Nuffield Health, has installed a new MRI scanner replacing the original equipment dating from when the hospital opened in 2004.

The Friends of Warneford Meadow have set up a limited company as a charity to raise funds to buy the meadow from the Department of Health. The meadow is expected to go on the market early in the New Year.

The overall plans for the Barton West development of some 900 new homes was signed off by the City Council on Monday. Looks like it’s going to happen folks! The next step is for the developers to put forward specific planning applications for consultation and approval.

A man was arrested in Headington’s Trade Exchange shop on Tuesday morning.

The West Wing Atrium of the JR Hospital was the venue for carol singing twice this week: Wednesday evening with The Salvation Army and Songsters, and on Friday afternoon with the Abingdon Brass Band.

The two men charged with raping a woman in Bury Knowle Park in September (see original report) pleaded not guilty at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday and will stand trial in February.

Two new shops are opening soon in Marston: Oxybox take-away and a butcher’s shop called ‘Marston Meat’. Both are in the parade on Marston Road next to the petrol station on Cherwell Drive.

Oxfordshire County Council has confirmed that work to rebuild the collapsed drains which cause the road at Headington cross-roads to flood in even moderate rain is scheduled for next month (Jan 2013). They have also announced that work on the planned expansion of Thornhill Park & Ride will start in January. This will provide 500 new parking spaces and cost an estimated £3.6m part of which will be met from the Government’s Local Sustainable Transport grant.

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

  • London Road Improvements Stage 3
  • Empty shops in Headington
  • Long-stay charging to begin at Park and Ride
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 #87

TonyOX3

After last week’s sparse Headington Headlines some more news for that week, all criminal, came to light.

Burglars stole identification cards, a large quantity of gold including chains, rings and bracelets and £2,500 from a house in Cherwell Drive on Tuesday 13 Nov. Police are appealing for any information.

A woman had her bag stolen by a man who attacked her on Friday 16 Nov. The incident happened at about 10:50pm on the corner of Gladstone Road and Trafford Road.

Sub-postmaster Shiv Singhal was attacked in Atkyns Road, Wood Farm near his home early in the morning of Saturday 17 Nov. The attackers threatened to kill his wife if he didn’t hand over his money, keys and phone then went to his house and stole his car.

And after a much more active week in OX3 here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 19 – 25 November.

Bill McCarthy, Baron McCarthy of Headington, who won a scholarship to Ruskin College before moving on to Merton and Nuffield, died on Sunday 18 November. He was a prominent part of the trade union movement and lived in Headington.

C S Lewis, who lived in Headington and is buried in Holy Trinity Churchyard in Quarry is to be commemorated with a plaque in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey.

Meanwhile the dispute over proposals to alter the interior of Holy Trinity and build over part of the churchyard rumbles on in the e-democracy forum.

A significant step towards the realisation of the Barton West development was taken when the Inspector’s report was published, concluding that the Barton Area Action Plan provides an appropriate basis for the planning of the area. The report will go to the Council Meeting on 17th December with a recommendation that Members adopt the Action Plan. Oxford Mail report | Download the Inspector’s report in full.

Children at three schools in Headington – @WindmillOxford, St Andrew’s Primary and Headington Quarry Nursery dressed up as zebras on Tuesday as part of a campaign to get more zebra crossings installed. @greenoakoxford posted this picture and The Oxford Mail reported.

Concillors @RuthWilk and @DavidRundle held another Headington Ward Focus Meeting on Tuesday. Report here.

A Marston-based blog has started – @MarstonBlog run by @TimDavies. Among other things there’s a summary report of the Marston Community-Led Planning workshop held in Mortimer Hall, Old Marston on Tuesday.

Despite strong opposition expressed during public consultation, County officers are recommending that Windmill School should be expanded to be three-form entry. Documentation here.

A plaque was unveiled outside the library in Bury Knowle Park on Saturday, commemorating the planting of an oak tree as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

High water levels in the Cherwell flooded the gardens of the Victoria Arms @VictoriaArms in Marston. This picture was taken at 11.30 on Saturday morning.

Heads up, Highfield Residents’ Association! Someone’s claiming your ground! My favorite Headington-related tweet this week:

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

  • Proposed Changes To Holy Trinity Church
  • Hit and run on Headley Way
  • Thornhill Park & Ride: proposed charges for 11+ hours
  • Long-stay charging to begin at Park and Ride
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 #76

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 27 August – 2 September —

The future of the Three Horseshoes pub in Old Marston is in doubt. Landlady Jeanette Cadd who has run the pub for 30 years is retiring. She has planning permission to turn the Grade II listed building – an old smithy – into two dwellings but has said she has not finally decided what to do with the pub, which is a free house. There are two other pubs in Old Marston, the Red Lion and the Victoria Arms.

In the wake of Oxford University completing the purchase of the Park Hospital site to facilitate the University’s development of the Old Road campus, Headington Councillor @RuthWilk called for a Headington masterplan to guide development.

A book by Dawn Griffis covering the history of Headington Hill Hall over the years 1939 – 1958 has been published.

@RyeStAntony School has submitted a planning application (ref 12/02214/FUL) for the erection of single storey extension to provide a new science room and office.

A Headington page has appeared on facebook. It’s nothing to do with me.

A lorry overturned in collision with a car at the Headington roundabout on Friday.

The new Dorset House student accommodation is open for business.

Former Headington School pupil Lily van den Broecke won a gold medal coxing the mixed coxed four at the Paralympics.

My favorite Headington-related tweet this week:

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

  • When is a cycle lane not a cycle lane?
  • walking dogs in Bury Knowle Park
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.