Oxford Brookes

Headington Headlines #236

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 12 – 18 October.

@OxfordCity announced a £2.2m scheme to protect properties in Marston and Northway from flooding. The scheme still has to be appproved at the City’s Executive Board next month.

Urban designers, planners and architects @WestWaddyADP have won an award for ‘Excellence in Masterplanning and Design’ at RTPI South East Planning Awards for their long-term work with @Oxford_Brookes.

Here’s ex-Councillor for Headington @StephenTall honouring an election bet in Whitehall last Tuesday. On the good side, he’s raising money from Médecins Sans Frontières.

The contract managers for @BartonPark_ are holding a “Meet the Buyer” event for materials suppliers for the development. It’s on Wednesday 21 October from 10.00 to 16.00 at the Community Centre on Underhill Circus, and will be opened by Council Leader Bob Price.

In other Barton Park news, reports that Barton residents are unhappy with the intention to call the main street through the development Barton Park Road, and further that they don’t think much of the name Barton Park anyway will come as no surprise to dedicated readers of this blog. You may remember that two years ago I challenged the developers’ original claim to have consulted the community over the name and never got any satisfactory answers to my questions.

The planning application (Ref: 15/02543/FUL) for the erection of 3-storey building to provide 30 ensuite student rooms on the site of the old Friar pub on Marston Road is on the City Council’s website. The front elevation looks like this.

After persistent campaigning by residents, official speed warning signs have appeared in Quarry (via @danlevs).

Oxfordshire County Council has published a “Summary of Feedback” to the Access to Headington proposals earlier this year. I collected a number of responses from people and organisations at the time – see this link.

The jury at the inquest into the death of Connor Sparrowhawk at Slade House in July 2013 found that neglect contributed to his death. Slade House, run by Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, is now closed. The Trust has “unresevedly apologised” for its failings. As I reported last year, the Trust has been criticised for failings at other units it operates.

Leys News @LeysnewsEditor, a free monthly community newspaper for Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys, is planning a new paper covering Sandhills, Risinghurst and Quarry. They offer free training for volunteers.

Jessica Bruce of Risinghurst is claiming a World Record for running a marathon pushing a baby buggy. She and her 7 month old son Daniel finished the Abingdon marathon on Sunday in 3 hours 17 mins 51 seconds.

My favourite Headington-related tweet of the week (for all the wrong reasons!):

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

  • Headington bike hire scheme
  • Magdalen Wood Tree Felling
  • £12.m transport improvements for Headington: exhibitions and consultation
  • Caravans along Marston Ferry cycle path
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 #235

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 5 – 11 October.

@Oxford_Framing joined twitter.

@Oxford_Brookes‘ public art project “The Rain Pavilion” was finally on full view last weekend, just in time for the rain on Monnday.

Wood Farm Health Centre in Leiden Road reopened as Wood Farm Healthy Living Centre after a complete refurbishment, although the change of branding doesn’t seem to have reached its website yet.

The full planning application for student accommodation on the corner of Latimer Road is now on the City Council’s website (ref 15/00858/FUL).

Full marks to Leaders letting agency @LeadersOxford who took advantage of the total breakdown of civil society caused by bagmageddon by giving away reusable shopping bags carrying their logo.

The Diocese of Oxford wishes to recruit a Vicar for St. Mary’s in Barton. The church has entered into a partnership with St Aldate’s in the city centre which it is hoped will benefit both churches.

My favourite Headington-related tweet of the week:

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

  • Open Magdalen Wood Tree Felling
  • Stolen ‘children crossing’ banners in Quarry
  • New Recycling promotion
  • Bus drivers and London Road
  • “Longwall is coming up fast”
  • New Recycling promotion
  • Friends of Bury Knowle Park still active?
  • Cars and vans driving and parking on the pavement
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 #215

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 18 – 24 May.

The @oxfordguardian reported on the @BartonPark_ developers’ presentation on Phase 1. The report includes a video.

If you missed the Barton Park presentations (the last was on Tuesday) you can see the developer’s display boards here.

Surveyors were seen on Tuesday taking measurements for a possible extension of the car park at @ManorSurgery in Osler Road. The surgery is planning a significant expansion – see HH207 and this Oxford Mail article.

@HeadingtonPlan is running a poll asking if you think the first 30 minutes of parking at the two Headington car parks should be free. Vote here.

The Ampleforth Arms in Risinghurst is on the market for £700k as an “unopposed community pub”.

A crash at the Headington roundabout on Wednesday morning caused traffic delays in all direstions and as far out as Elsfield.

@Oxford_Brookes released an update on their long-term Estates Strategy which includes moving the Faculty of Business from Wheatley to Headington.

Despite the recently-announced cuts in subsidies from Oxfordshire CC, Stagecoach has said there will be no changes to the timetables of routes 14 and 14a serving Marston/Old Marston. The company also says that with the completion of the Loondon Road roadworks, the 800 & 900 hospital services will revert to a 20 minute frequency — they’ve been every 30 minutes while the works have been happening.

My favourite Headington-related tweet of the week:

Just looked out the back and…… #RAINBOW! #fullrainbow pic.twitter.com/7R0Zsyj6lZ

— Spike♋ (@Mr_S_p_i_k_e) May 18, 2015

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

  • Revised Proposals for the Development of Holy Trinity, Headington Quarry
  • Mr. Darke’s ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE THREAD.
  • School places
  • Lye Valley
  • Botnar Trees
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.