Headington Headlines #409

Your weekly round-up of local news for 11 – 17 March.

The main local story of the week was the stabbing of a young woman outside Headington Co-op on Tuesday afternoon. A major police operation followed; Stile Road was closed for 24 hours. A man was arrested the following day. He has appeared in court charged with attempted murder and other offences and has been remanded. He is likely to stand trial in August.

Work is expected to start today (Monday 18 March) on laying a 3-metre wide hard surface along Cuckoo Lane from Franklin Road to Pullen’s Lane. Initially a footpath, the County Council has plans to designate it as a combined cycle- and footpath at some time in the future. The project has been known to Councillors and some local residents for many months, but calls for a public consultation have fallen on deaf ears. You can read more about it in this thread on the e-democracy forum.

Less controversially, Oxford University and Oxford Health showed the results of a feasibility study they have commissioned from Sustrans on making a surfaced cycle- and footpath through Warneford Meadow, connecting Hill Top Road with Roosevelt Drive. There’s still the matter of funding to be settled, and details about how the path will link to the public road at the Churchill end, but representatives of several local interest groups and residents’ associations were generally supportive of the concept.

Nazi graffiti were drawn on a wall of Cheney School after the terror attack on a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. I won’t give the perpetrators publicity by linking to the pictures. Police are asking anyone with information about this to call them on 101. The offensive daubings have now been removed.

The Post Office in Costcutter, Old Marston Road has closed and there’s no information on when, where or if a replacement will open.

Builders who had been working on building new flats on the site of the old Jack Russell pub in Marston have abandoned the job, leaving the site in what locals have described as a dangerous state.

Months of uncertainty over the future of the police office serving Marston and Northway have ended with confirmation that the office will be kept open.

The River Learning Trust who will run the new Swan School in Marston has announced that the Deputy Head is to be James MacNaughton. Mr MacNaughton is currently a maths teacher and assistant head at Cardinal Pole Catholic School in Hackney, and has a master’s degree in leadership. He read philosophy, politics and economics at St Catherine’s College, Oxford between 2007 and 2010.

A piece of cladding came off Plowman Tower in Northway in last Monday’s high winds.

The White Horse pub has reopened after a brief refurbishment.

The Oxford Trust @TheOxfordTrust unveiled their new Ohm sculpture at Stansfeld Park on Tuesday. The keys to the buildings were ceremonially handed over to the Trust by builders Beard Oxford.

Oxford Brookes is holding a free and open Fraud and Cyber Prevention Fair in association with Thames Valley Police on 20th March, 11am to 3pm. Everyone welcome.

Police found a rusty machete in Bury Knowle Park while they were carrying out a search as part of a campaign against knife crime.

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

  • CARMEN AT THE OXFORD PLAYHOUSE
  • Cuckoo lane: Six weeks of tarmac-laying starts on Monday

Headington Headlines #352

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

@ScienceOxford, the people developing Stansfeld Park as a science centre, are starting a series of events called “Science on your Doorstep”. The first one is about the plans for Stansfeld Park and is on 25 January. Details here.

Old Marston Parish Council @OldMarstonPC has agreed to fund the building of a footpath on the south side of Elsfield Road from the cemetery to Marsh Lane.

Elsfield Road, Old Marston
Elsfield Road, Old Marston

More from Old Marston. The Parish Council has a new Chair, Duncan Hatfield, after John Batey stepped down from the role. Tony Greenfield is the new Vice-Chairman. Duncan has been an unsuccessful candidate for the Conservatives in recent local elections. Tony Greenfield has a little-used twitter account @Iamonetoo.

If Latimer Road residents thought they could enjoy a bit of peace now the building of Beech House is winding down, they’ll have to think again. Work is just starting to expand St Luke’s Hospital by adding another storey to accommodate 25 more beds.

Thames Water is closing part of Lime Walk this week, with diversions through Stapleton or Bickerton Roads and All Saints Road. Apparently it’s possible the work may only take three days.

The Ward boundaries in the city are under review by the Boundary Commission and there’s a consultation running where you can submit your own ideas. See my post for more detailed information.

The Oxford Mail published the nominations for its annual food awards, but none of the eateries in OX3 made it to the shortlist.

Regardless of that, on Saturday the @ButchersArmsOX3 celebrated the fifth anniversary of their current incarnation with a mini beer festival.

There were no new posts on the Headington & Marston e-democracy forum this week.

Headington Headlines #303

Your weekly round-up of local news for 30 January – 5 February.

The planning application for the redevelopment of the Stansfeld Outdoor Centre is on the agenda for the East Area Planning Committee on Wednesday (8 February – item 4). The recommendation is that permission is granted subject to conditions.

The overnight road closures for the Access to Headington works at Old Road/Gipsy Lane/Warneford Lane/Roosevelt Drive start tonight (Monday 6 February). Here’s the full schedule. The work originally planned for Monday 13 February has been rescheduled. It will now be done on Saturday 11 February. Either way it will be the last of the overnight road closures for this work.

Both Oxford MPs, @AndrewSmithMP and @nicolablackwood, voted FOR the ‘Brexit Bill’ to give the Prime Minister authority to trigger Article 50. Both were supporting the Remain camp before the referendum.

The application to build at the top of Wychwood Lane, next to the C S Lewis nature reserve, is still not on the Committee’s agenda.

Did you know there’s an Oxfordshire Badger Group? There is, and they’re very worried about the effects of development on our stripey-faced friends. The A40 near the new Barton Park is apparently a particularly dangerous place for them. The Group is on twitter at @OxonBadgers

Headington Quarry Foundation Stage School joined twitter as @HQFSS_Oxford. They need your votes to help get a new climbing frame through the Tesco Bags of Help scheme.

Also new to twitter is Headington Reporting @OX3reporting, a site which posts examples of potholes, blocked drains and similar local issues. Despite the name it’s nothing to do with me, nor I’m assured with @HeadingtonNews.

And don’t confuse the Headington-based account @HeadingHeritage with the not-Headington-based @HeadHeritage.

My favourite Headington-related tweet of the week:

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

  • Disruption