Ruth Wilkinson and David Rundle

 County Cllr Altaf Khan inspects a pavement in Franklin Road   

Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats under Freedom of Information show that Oxfordshire County Council spent half a million less than the average last year on pavement maintenance, compared to the other 19 county councils who provided figures. Perhaps as a consequence, there were 88 claims for compensation in Oxfordshire last year, 56 of which have not yet been settled.

These figures come as the Liberal Democrats reveal that 90 councils have paid out over £82m in compensation following pavement trips and falls over the last five years.

Cllr Purse, Shadow Cabinet member for Growth & Infrastructure, said, “It is not just the compensation that councils have to pay out that concerns us, but the additional costs of treatment that inevitably fall on the health service if people are injured by falling on uneven surfaces. And even more important for the individual concerned is the potentially serious loss of mobility and confidence. It is for that reason that the Liberal Democrats have proposed additional sums for road and pavement maintenance for each of the last four years in our draft budgets - it is a shame that this has not been taken up by the administration.”

Cllr David Turner, Shadow Cabinet member for Transport Implementation, said, “The failure of the Conservatives to support our proposals for more weed control on pavements is creating a big future bill to repair pavements crumbling under the pressure from uncontrolled weeds.”

Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Patrick added, “National studies show that the average time spent walking is no down to just 11 minutes day. We want to encourage more walking and good quality and well-maintained pavements are just as important as road surfaces. We have welcomed the concept of increasing pedestrianisation in Oxford City, but we hope that people are taking particular care whilst the works for this are going on in Queen Street. We don’t want to see the figures for falls and trips increase dramatically this year.”

Oxfordshire County Council is seeking to recruit two independent members from the community to join its Standards Committee.

The committee is responsible for promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct by councillors and others who sit on the council’s committees. There is a limited time commitment involved as the committee normally only meets twice a year but it plays an important role in corporate governance.

More information is available here or from the Committee Services team on 01865 810177.
The deadline for receipt of applications is 18 September 2009.

David and I are getting more and more concerns raised with us over commuter parking.

• It could be, for example, that a resident in one part of a Controlled Parking Zone decides to drive to another part of that CPZ  and park there for the day while they go off to work, thus creating parking problems for other people - this seems to happen near the JR.
• There is London commuter parking going on in and around Bury Knowle Park in areas like North Place.
• There are perennial problems with parents dropping off children and leaving cars in residential streets near schools while they go off shopping

If you are inconvenienced by commuters parking in your road, please let us know - we want to build up a picture of just how big this problem is becoming in our area. Thanks!

The County’s Trading Standards department together with Fire and Rescue Services are offering free checks on electric blankets. Last year they found that a third of those they examined failed the safety check

If you would like to make an appointment to have your electric blanket tested, please phone 01865 815607. Tests will be carried out from 7 September onwards at venues across the County

 Those of us who get planning alerts will receive notification of trees to be felled or pruned in conservation areas, and these applications have the suffix CAT.  Here is an example below:

HEADINGTON HILL HALL
HEADINGTON HILL
OXFORD
OXFORDSHIRE
OX3 0BT OX3 0BT (09/01799/CAT)

Fell Cherry, Silver Birch, Willow and x3 Sycamore trees; prune Oak and Sycamore trees (as specified)

I have queried the procedure for these with the Tree Officers. 

During the 6 week notice period they have to consider the impact on the conservation area and, bearing in mind the reasons, if any, given for the proposed work, decide whether to make a TPO.  Interested third parties can make comments if they wish which officers will also take account of if they are made within the notice period.

In this case the Tree Officer had a pre-notice meeting with Brookes’ arboricultural
consultant to discuss the proposed works.  It is not expected that a TPO will be made because the works are reasonable landscape management and will not have an adverse impact on the appearance or character of the Headington Hill conservation area.

If residents want to make comments on these CAT applications, they can do so, but it should be in writing and on the specific merits of the proposed works. General anti-tree felling comments are not helpful because comments need to be specific to the location . Tree Officers will make TPOs to protect trees which are important to the appearance asd character of the conservation area unless works are justified by need.

NB  Applications for consent to do work to TPO trees have a TPO suffix.

The North East Area Committee is meeting on Tuesday 18 August at 6.00 pm at the Royal British Legion hall, Hadow Road.

Items on the agenda include the review of public conveniences within the City (including Bury Knowle) and consideration of the Oxford Brookes University planning application 09/00695/FUL. The committee is able to make comments on the latter application for consideration by the Strategic Development and Control Committee which is meeting on 26 August

The NEAC agenda is available here

All members of the public are allowed to speak at the Open Session about these or any other agenda item or issue. You will need to arrive slightly earlier than the start time and fill in a Speaker’s form, giving your name and indicating what subject you would like to address the meeting about.

We are expecting a very lively (and lengthy) meeting