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Headington Headlines #127

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 26 August – 1 September.

To many people’s surprise @OxfordshireCC launched a consultation asking for thoughts on traffic and transport problems and solutions in and around Headington. Read my comments here and respond to the Council here.

In Thursday’s debate on Syria Local MP Andrew Smith @OxfordLabourMP voted for the Labour amendment (which failed) and against the Government motion backing military intervention. Oxford’s other MP @NicolaBlackwood (Con) voted the other way.

A nasty episode came to an end when two people, one of them from Bonar Road, were jailed for four years for a prolonged and vicious assault on a man living in Wood Farm.

The @Victoria Arms beer festival happened over the weekend, and @TheMasonsArmsHQ‘s beer festival is next weekend.

The White Horse on the London Road has started charging people to use its car park. It’s to deter students and commuters using it for long-stay parking. A two-hour stay costs £2. If you spend £5 or more in the pub you get your £2 back.

The ninth annual Barton Bash took place on Saturday.

Headington Road Runners @HeadingtonRR staged the Headington 5 run on Sunday. The event earned some criticism because a marshalling error meant the route was only about 4.5 miles, disappointing some competitors who’d hoped to record good personal times for 5 miles.

Someone is stealing the toilet rolls from Bury Knowle Park toilets. So far police have not appealed for information, but some awful jokes did the rounds on twitter (no, I’m not repeating them).

Feel-good story of the week – a young man, Jorge Villaescusa, who lives in Headington chased after a bike thief in Cornmarket and was able to return the bike to its grateful owner.

There are some significant Headington meetings coming up in the next two weeks. On Wednesday this week the East Area Planning Committee meets in the Town Hall to decide on the planning applications for Bury Knowle Park depot and the Warren Crescent garages (which might affect the Lye Valley SSSI). See the e-democracy forum for more information on these two. The following week the Headington Ward Focus meeting on Tuesday 10th has the County’s transport strategy as the main topic and County officers have said they will attend. The Headington Transport Group is meeting on the same day, again with the transport strategy as the main agenda item.

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

  • Lilac rubbish sacks and compulsory wheelie bins
  • Headington Transport Strategy Consultation
  • Planning meeting re Bury Knowle Park depot, and Warren Crescent
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 #124

TonyOX3

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

Labour Councillor @Laurencepbaxter (Quarry & Risinghurst) wrote to @DNimmoSmit1 (Con, Henley-on-Thames), County cabinet member for transport, urging the installation of traffic lights and a pedestrian crossing at the Collinwood Road junction on the A40.

As Oxford City consult on air quality, or rather the lack of it, Headington came in for special mention. At the same time Oxfordshire County Council are working on a strategy for accommodating even more traffic.

However, the Headington Transport Strategy has come in for criticism for its lack of community involvement. The full story is on my blog here.

@kalicer reviewed the Royal India, at the Chequers in Headington Quarry.

Morrisons got planning permission for a new shop front on the old Blockbuster store and the shopfitters have already started preparing the shop.

A police traffic enforcement operation in Northway, Marston on Thursday resulted in fines for motorists found shaving while driving, writing notes of a phone conversation, and reading directions from a book on the steering wheel. 14 drivers were fined for using hand-held mobile phones.

A police car responding to an emergency call was involved in a minor collision on the London Road on Friday. Never say my reporting isn’t balanced!

Headington businesses and local community groups have raised £2000 for floral displays.

@Oxford_Brookes is putting on an exhibition of the public art which they are required to provide to enhance their new buildings. It runs until Thursday this week.

Two men were arrested in Headington on Tuesday with ‘a large quantity of drugs’.

Friends of the Earth published a map showing areas of the country ‘being considered’ for the issue of fracking licences. Not just Headington but the whole of Oxford is covered.

In a first for Headington Headlines, at the time I put this report to bed there were no posts on the Headington & Marston e-democracy forum this week.

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 #118

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 24 – 30 June.

The BetFred bookmakers in Cinnaminta Road off The Slade was robbed on Friday evening. Two people have been arrested.

W H Smith is planning to trial franchising local newsagents to run under its own branding. One of the first is reported to be in Headington. I’m guessing Crown News.

Emergency vehicles attended a Heyfordian coach in central Headington on Saturday afternoon after its engine caught fire. The passengers were evacuated (picture c/o @LazyGamerUK.

The vicar of St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington, joined twitter. Welcome to @DarrenMcFarlan2.

Wecome also to a new hairdressing salon which has opened in Risinghurst. Good luck to @GracieJs1.

Oxford Brookes’ Chancellor Shami Chakrabarti officially opened the Abercrombie Extension on Wednesday.

A planning application (ref 13/01588/FUL) has been submitted to build three four-bedroomed houses on the Crown & Thistle car park.

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

  • Interesting side effect of the road works at Wheatley
  • Headington bike hire scheme
  • Neighbourhood Plan for Marston?
  • Crown and Thistle
  • Supermarkets in Headington
  • Barton Road Cricket Ground
  • Disabled access to Headington Library
  • Plans for resurfacing of London Road between Bury Knowle and Green Road roundabout
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.