Headington Headlines #211

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 20 – 26 April.

Don’t forget the London Road will be closed overnight between Headington and the Green Road roundabout for the next 4 nights. The closure is from 8pm to 6am. Buses will divert via Windmill Road, The Slade and out onto the Eastern Bypass back to the roundabout.

It turns out to be a rather crime-rich collection of headlines this week. Here goes — —

On Tuesday a man was found with stab wounds in a car parked in North Way, Barton. He was taken to hospital but died from his injuries, and police launched a murder investigation. A man was arrested on suspicion. Matters then get a little strange. Police mounted an operation in Kelburne Road, Cowley on Thursday and a second arrest was made. Another operation then took place in nearby Mayfair Road, and another man was arrested. Both men appeared separately in Oxford Magistrates Court on Saturday, where it emerged that Rafal Stawski of Mayfair Road had been charged with the Barton murder, and Marek Hndia of Fettiplace Road, Barton was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery against Stawski. Police are taking no further action against the original man arrested in connection with the murder. Both the accused men have been remanded to Oxford Crown Court on dates in May. Whether or not the two alleged crimes are related we probably won’t know until the crown Court hearings, if then, unless the police make any further statements.

Police have released an e-fit of a man they want to question in connection with an assault and robbery in Wood Farm on 4 April (see HH 208).

On Tuesday two men were convicted and jailed for six years and three months for an armed robbery at Stan James Bookmakers at the Roundway last April (see HH 155). The Oxford Mail report queries how the Lord Mayor of Oxford and two city councillors gave the men personal references.

And finally (whether or not it was in OX3) three men were arrested and a man was taken to hospital after an alleged incident of GBH in South Park on Tuesday.

In other news — —

The BBC’s Sunday Politics show last Sunday came from Old Headington parish hall. Was anyone from Headington there?


Setting up for the show. Photo: Penny Fox, via @headingtonnews

The Marston parking survey (see HH210) has been delivered to local residents.

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

  • Access road from Barton to Northway Estate
  • Quarry Gate pub
  • Headington Neighbourhood Planning
  • London Road “Improvement” Scheme
  • New student development at top of Latimer Road
  • St. George’s day in Headington
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 #210

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 13 – 19 April.

Marston residents will be surveyed about the possible introduction of permit-only parking.

Cheney School Academy Trust has been recommended to run the new primary school that will be built in @BartonPark_. As well as the eponymous secondary school, Cheney also runs Bayards Hill Primary in Barton. A final decision will follow later, but with local support it’s fairly sure to happen.

The site of the old Friar pub on Marston Road has been put up for sale by Tesco after the company abandoned its plans to open a new store there.

An overflowing sewer in Barton caused raw sewage to flow down the street.

Headington Action @HeadingtonA have shared their reponse to Oxfordshire CC’s long-term transport strategy “Connecting Oxfordshire”, or LTP4, on the Oxford Futures website. (Oxford Futures is an initiative of Oxford Civic Society @oxcivicsoc.) Have any other Headington organisations or individuals responded? It would be interesting to see any more.

The planning application (Ref: 15/00858/FUL) to build student accommodation on the corner of Latimer Road is now on the City Council’s website.

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

  • Pavement Clutter
  • Headington Quarry Village Hall
  • Access road from Barton to Northway Estate
  • Oxfordshire Business Awards 2015
  • Environmental Election Hustings April 22nd
  • Friar site for sale
  • Quarry Gate pub
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 #189

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 10 – 16 November.

It was announced on Monday that Olympic rowing gold medallist Katherine Grainger will succeed Shami Chakrabarti as Chancellor of @oxford_brookes in March 2015. Neither Katherine or Shami seem to be on twitter (under their own names, anyway).

Independent Marston Councillor Mick Haines’ long campaign to get lights installed on the cycle path in the Croft Road park finally came to fruition.

The “Shark House” in New High Street has been up for rent several times in the past few years, but this time it’s gone wild on twitter and even made The Guardian. Canny marketing by agents @ScottFraserUK.

Furthermore, it seems shark house owner @Bill_Heine plans to move back there himself and is looking for “bubbly and gregarious” lodgers.

The ever sharp-eyed @HeadingtonNews noticed that Pullens Gate in Pullens Lane has been sold by agents @ScottFraserUK. It was on the market at an asking price of £2m. but I bet it went for a touch less. Mansion Tax, anyone?

Oxfordshire County’s Cabinet Member, Environment @DNimmosmit1 approved the proposed 50mph speed limit on the A40 northern bypass between the Headington roundabout and the Marston junction as part of the changes associated with the @BartonPark_ development. It won’t come into force until the new access junction is built, and there’s still no news yet about the Foxwell Drive Town Green application.

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

  • Oxford Hospitals Notice-Boards
  • Headington Festival Weekend 2015
  • no lights
  • Christmas lights in Headington
  • Temple Cowley Pools Public Meeting Mon 17th 6pm