Headington Headlines #74

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 13 – 19 August —

@TVP_Oxford are appealing for information on three separate incidents. There was another robbery/burglary in Sherwood Place, Barton on Sunday 12 August. Also over that weekend there were three thefts from vehicles in Cheney Lane. Then in the early hours of Tuesday morning there was an assault & attempted robbery in Hollow Way.

@oxford_brookes released a set of architectural pictures (and some pictures of tea) showing off their new Abercrombie Building.

The Sikhs have started using the old Sharpe+Howse plumbers’ merchants building on the London Road as their new Gurdwara (temple).

Three separate development projects – two in Marston/Northway – involving Kevin McCloud have been delayed for the third time.

On Armistice Day in 1950 four trees were planted around Marston to commemorate those from the district who died during the Second World War. People have been worried that the one outside the old Friar pub would be felled or damaged when Tesco build their planned store there. Independent councillor Mick Haines is using some of his discretionary Ward money to install a plaque marking the tree in an attempt to protect it permanently. The Oxford Mail article mentions the locations of the other trees.

Barnado’s Viking House children’s care centre in Saxon Way announced the opening of a new ‘sensory room’.

@RuthWilk reported a good turnout for the Ward Focus meeting on Tuesday to discuss parking and related issues.

Caffè Corsica was open again by Wednesday. @amhogarth and @joe_bwab were among the first to try the pizza: they reported enthusiastically.

Work was done to raise and resurface the pavement and entrance to the service road on Old High Street between Monaco and Waitrose. Hopefully it will mean an end to the puddle, but more work is still needed on the drainage around the main crossroads.

Thames Valley Police held a Family Fun Day at Oxford Brookes’ Headington campus on Saturday.

My favorite Headington-related tweet this week:

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

  • Puddles outside Waitrose
  • walking dogs in Bury Knowle Park
  • Street lighting which remains on all the time
  • Empty shops in Headington
  • Save Bury Knowle Barn and Stables!
  • When is a cycle lane not a cycle lane?
  • New Lime Walk and All Saints junction “improvements”
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 #65

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 11 – 17 June —

An exceptionally wet day on Monday caused flooding in several areas, including the main cross-roads in the centre of Headington. @HeadingtonNews took a picture.

Thames Water has lifted the hosepipe ban, though the state of drought is still technically in force and the company is still encouraging everyone to be frugal in their use of water.

Dr Jenny Shute, who practices at Bury Knowle Surgery and King Edward Street Surgery, was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours for her services to British skiing after 20 years of work for the sport.

The City Council has been deliberating over the future of the Old Marston Conservation Area and its conclusions are due soon. Several threats to the area have been identified and residents are actively participating in the discussions. @TheOxfordMail has a report.

New fencing for the Sandfield Road play area is being installed.

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

  • Begging outside Budgens/Greggs
  • Arriva 280 bus from Headington to City centre
  • Lack of seating 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.

City council elections: 3 May 2012 – Wards in OX3

Who’s on twitter?

The official list of candidates standing in the local elections to Oxford City Council was published on 4 April. The elections take place on Thursday 3 May. @HeadingtonNews has produced a list of the candidates standing in the six wards which fall within the Headington – Marston – Barton area, and I am grateful for the code from that page which has saved me a fair amount of typing!

My own list is slightly different. I shall be following the campaign on twitter as well as other channels and I thought it would be interesting to see how many of the candidates are themselves tweeters. I already had a dozen or so local councillors and candidates on my oxpolitics list, but starting with the OX3 wards I have searched and found more. Some, I have to say, are not very active – which says nothing at all about their merits as potential councillors. All wards have at least one candidate with a twitter account but the sole one in Quarry & Risinghurst is at present inactive.

So if you want to engage with your local candidates or just follow the campaign, here’s who to follow. I’ll try to make a complete list for the whole of Oxford but I don’t know how soon I’ll be able to do it. Meanwhile if you find any errors or omissions please let me know.

KEY
Current Councillor standing for re-election
Current Councillor continuing to serve, not due for re-election
Current Councillor standing down, not seeking re-election
Name Party twitter Notes

BARTON & SANDHILLS

Alexander Michael CIBULSKIS Liberal Democrat
Graham Edwin LOVELOCK Conservative
Mike ROWLEY Labour & Co-operative Party @redmikerowley Protected account
Mary-Jane SAREVA Green @MarySareva Inactive account
Van COULTER Labour

CHURCHILL

Siddo DEVA Conservative
Julian FAULTLESS Green
Mark Robert LYGO Labour @MarkLygo
Ruth Margaret RUNDLE Liberal Democrat @Ruthr1978 Protected account
Joe McMANNERS Labour @joemcmanners

HEADINGTON

Mark BHAGWANDIN Conservative @markb_gt Occasional blogger
Jane DARKE Labour
Richard John HOWARTH Green
Ruth Elaine WILKINSON Liberal Democrat @RuthWilk Blog & local info
David RUNDLE Liberal Democrat @DavidRundle

HEADINGTON HILL & NORTHWAY

Sietske BOELES Green
Roy DARKE Labour
Nicholas Oliver FELL UK Independence Party
Thomas Anthony KELLEY Conservative
Stephen TALL Liberal Democrat @StephenTall Website
Mohammed ALTAF-KHAN Liberal Democrat @maltafkhan

MARSTON

Sam Anthony FOWKES Liberal Democrat @SamFowkes1
Mick HAINES Independent
Duncan Valentine HATFIELD Conservative
Alistair David Pryce MORRIS Green
Louise UPTON Labour
Mary CLARKSON Labour
Beverley HAZELL Labour

QUARRY & RISINGHURST

Laurence BAXTER Labour
Julia Margaret GASPER UK Independence Party
Raymond Leslie HITCHINS Green
Allen MILLS Conservative
Roz SMITH Liberal Democrat @RoziRogers Inactive account
Dee SINCLAIR Labour