Old Road

Headington Headlines #300

TonyOX3

Headington Headlines has made it to 300 editions! Here is your weekly round-up of local news for 9 – 15 January. First – roadworks …..

The work installing the heatpipe has slipped behind schedule. Work in Latimer Road has been delayed by two weeks, and in Lime Walk one week. Work in Sandfield Road is still expected to start today (16 January). This blog post has more details.

All my posts about the project are under the ‘Energy Project’ tab in the main menu, and there’s a page of links and contact details here.

The County Council has published plans under the Access to Headington scheme to make an eastbound bus lane in Roosevelt Drive between the Old Road Campus and Churchill Drive. The lane would operate between 3pm and 6pm, Monday to Friday, and during those times only buses and emergency vehicles will be able to leave the Churchill site by that route. All other traffic will have to leave via Roosevelt Drive westbound to the Old Road junction. Consultation on this plan is open – the county says “objections to the proposals and other representations, specifying the grounds on which they are made, may be sent in writing (quoting ref: AK/12.6.320) by 3 February”.

Churchill bus lane - Roosevelt Drive to Churchill Drive
Churchill bus lane – Roosevelt Drive to Churchill Drive

In February the sections of Warneford Lane/Gipsy Lane/Old Road/ Roosevelt Drive which are being remodelled as part of Access to Headington will be closed overnight for about six nights for resurfacing.

In other news ….

A VW Polo was stolen in Burchester Avenue, Barton a weeks ago (Sunday 8 January) after its owner left it with the engine running while it defrosted.

The saga of the Jack Russell pub in Salford Road, Marston goes on. After the empty building was burnt down in an arson attack in November the owners have submitted a new planning application (ref: 16/03108/RES) to build a three-storey block of 16 flats on the site. Some locals including independent councillor Mick Haines are still campaigning for the site to be used for community facilities. According to the Oxford Mail others think the need for more housing is more important.

The planning application to build next to the C S Lewis nature reserve in Risinghurst has still not come before councillors. It was not on the agenda for the East Area Planning Committee on 11 January, although it is listed for consideration at a future, but unspecified, date. Searching the Charities Commission website for the “Wychwood Foundation” still returns a blank. Earlier posts on this story here and here.

As pressure on the NHS builds, all non-urgent operations and related procedures at the JR were cancelled on Friday and again today (Monday).

Bar Meze scored only 2 out of 5 in a hygiene inspection last November. The manager is confident he’ll do much better when it’s reinspected.

Not a tweet but a favourite Instagram this week from the Sandhills A 40 underpass:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPNZSZ5gaTC/

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

  • Internet Connection in Headington

Headington Headlines #278

TonyOX3

Your weekly round-up of local news for 8 – 14 August.

The Headington Neighbourhood Plan was passed by Oxford City Council to go forward for formal consultation. Following the six week public consultation the Council and the Neighbourhood Plan Forum will make any necessary amendments. The Council will then arrange for an independent external inspector to examine the draft Plan. If the inspector confirms that the Plan is satisfactory it will be the subject of a public referendum programmed for May 2017. See the full announcement on the Plan’s website.

The ex-bed shop on the corner of Old High Street is becoming an Italian restaurant, Buongiorno e Buonasera. They already have a restaurant in Gloucester Green. @LuigiMutti tells me it’s due to open on 20 September.

I wrote a short review of Headington’s independent café and gelatería Adria.

Local MP @AndrewSmithMP has said that the dysfunctional Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust should be broken up.

The Triangle Nursery has opened on the Old Road Campus, catering for children aged 4 months to 5 years.

A planning application to build 52 homes just off Waynflete Road in Barton has been approved – not by Oxford City but by South Oxfordshire Council. The land is just outside the city boundary. See my original note in HH #262.

Struggling for a Headington Olympic connection the only one I’ve found so far is Katherine Grainger’s silver medal in the women’s double sculls. Katherine is Chancellor of @Oxford_Brookes, a position she has held since March 2015. She has now won more Olympic medals (5) than any other female British athlete.

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

  • Dong Dong
  • Disruption
  • Barton Park junction

Headington Headlines #275

TonyOX3

Your weekly round-up of local news for 18 – 24 July.

A new shuttle bus service linking the University of Oxford’s science area with Harwell Science and Innovation Campus and the Old Road Campus began operating on Monday. The ‘Science Transit Shuttle’ provides a weekday minibus connection every 30 minutes between 7am and 7pm. Starting in the science area at South Parks Road, journey times are expected to be around 15-25 minutes to Old Road Campus and 50-60 minutes to Harwell. The service is currently restricted to University members and Harwell staff, but may be made available to the public at some future time.

Science Transit Shuttle bus
Science Transit Shuttle bus (picture c/o @oxfordenvsust)

Oxford East MP @AndrewSmithMP voted against renewing Trident in the House of Commons on Monday night.

A fallen tree blocked Warneford Lane outbound on Wednesday.

The Royal Standard pub, owned by Greene King, has ‘updated’ its pub sign. It seems to be one of many old signs the company is replacing. (Thanks to @headingtonnews for the link.)

pubsigns

More on the proposed regeneration plans for Barton, though reading more closely it’s still not clear what if anything will happen.

The bulging wall on the Osler Road/Old High Street section of Cuckoo Lane near the Osler Road end is safe, apparently.

Two loud bangs were heard in the Rock Edge/Old Road area on Saturday. Were they fireworks? Councillor @RuthWilk says there have been similar reports in the past, also at this time of year.

My favourite OX3-related tweet of the week:

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

  • Disruption
  • Closure of Parking Shop