Ruth Wilkinson and David Rundle

Reminder: temporary closure of Sandfield Road

Ruth Wilkinson — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:13:02 +0000

Just to remind everyone that the London Road entrance to Sandfield Road will be closed for one week from 4 December because of roadworks - signs are in place already.

Got a parking problem?

Ruth Wilkinson — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:07:16 +0000

The contract for monitoring car parking in Residents’ Parking Zones has been transferred from APCOA to NCP.

The telephone number to contact NCP is 0845 337 1138. There are various
options to chose from such as

Help Line 0845 337 1138

Option 1 Payments
Option 2 Parking Shop
Option 3 Control Room (to report an illegally parked vehicle or to request parking information)
Option 4 NP (PCN queries)
Option 5 Oxfordshire County Council
Option 6 Suspensions

I will post this up as a sticky link on the left hand toolbar shortly

What’s on in Headington in December?

Ruth Wilkinson — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 14:03:59 +0000

Just click on this link to find out what’s happening in Headington throughout December! And a big thank you to Maria Mansfield for collating it all on behalf of us all

Help with planning applications

Ruth Wilkinson — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:23:51 +0000

Planning Aid is an organization which provides free, independent and professional town planning advice and support to communities and individuals who cannot afford to pay planning consultant fees. It complements the work of local planning authorities, but is wholly independent of them.

Planning Aid can help people to:

· Understand and use the planning system

· Participate in preparing plans

· Prepare their own plans for the future of their community

· Comment on planning applications

· Apply for planning permission or appeal against refusal of permission

· Represent themselves at public inquiries.

I shall put a sticky link on the left hand menu to this web page as it may be a useful contact point for residents’ associations and those making (or commenting on or objecting to) planning applications

Headington Christmas Experience

Ruth Wilkinson — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:10:53 +0000

Congratulations to Jill Cummings and all involved in organising the very successful Headington Christmas Experience over the last three days!

This is a picture of the Leiden brass band entertaining us in London Road this lunchtime. County Cllr Altaf Khan and I enjoyed meeting business owners and thanking them for their support for the community by providing promotions and contributing to the “Odd one out” competition. All the residents we spoke to said they had thoroughly enjoyed the events of the last week, and the children out and about today thought the balloon modeller was cool!

It was a really ‘feel good’ experience on a really ‘feel cold’ day! A big Thank You to all concerned!

Credit where credit’s due: the up-side of Waterwatch

David Rundle — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 23:33:35 +0000

Anyone who has visited this site will know the frustration that many residents have felt about Thames Water — frustrations shared by both your local councillors and your Parliamentary Spokesperson, Steve Goddard. So, it’s fair to give a balanced picture. While many issues have been for too long needling local people and, in some cases, causing problems none of us would like to experience, it’s true to say staff from Thames Water have recently been jumping to it.

I say this because this morning I attended a meeting in Brookside about the continuing problem residents have there with repeated flows of sewage through the brook which gives the cul-de-sac its name. It was held in one resident’s house (thank you), had seven local householders present, and had two specialists from the Environmental Agency present, along with four from the Thames Water. For the first time, residents could feel they were talking to real people who could reply immediately to their questions. The result was not a resolution, as yet, but at least, it was an agreement on a way forward, with Thames Water promising to commission the work and report back regularly to the residents.

So, I’m not about to declare Thames Water my New Best Friend — there’s a lot of work to be done on the Brookside issue, as elsewhere. But, if what we have seen is a line of improvement which continues upwards, maybe next year they will be on my Christmas Card list!

Delegated planning decisions

Ruth Wilkinson — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:53:54 +0000

There have been a number of delegated planning decisions made this week, but none in our ward.

WaterWatch update

Ruth Wilkinson — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 20:32:44 +0000

More good news for residents living in Old Headington. Thames Water assures us that a job has been raised for their clean water side to check the ‘clinking’ metal cover in Old High Street that rattles every time a car passes over it (near North Place).
The reference number is 81119 596127.

The bent metal manhole cover near Laurel Farm Place is puzzling us as it does not seem to belong to anyone! We’re still working on how to replace that!

The slightly sunken manhole cover in the middle of St. Andrew’s Road towards the triangle with Osler Road is definitely going to be replaced, but the job is being added to the non-urgent list.
All in all we think we are making progress and, once Thames Water come and give the St Andrew’s Road foul sewer and fresh water sewer a good cleanout by the end of the month as promised, things should be on the up. There is still a strange smell being reported in Old High Street/St Andrew’s Road though, and we’re still on the case.

There will be a big meeting about the Boundary Brook contamination on Friday - more later!

Latest planning applications

Ruth Wilkinson — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:31:07 +0000

Two planning applications have been lodged for properties in Sandfield Road and Woodlands Road this week 18-24 November. If you want to see them in full, please click on planning applications in the left hand tool bar.

Stephen Road planning decision called in

Ruth Wilkinson — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:48:51 +0000

Those who attended the planning meeting of the North East Area Committee last Thursday will remember that the planning application relating to 10/12 Stephen Road was discussed. The decision of the area committee has now been called in by the Strategic Development Control Committee for further consideration. There are two ways that decisions by area committees can be called in - either by the most senior officer in charge of planning at the Council (Michael Crofton-Briggs) or by four councillors. This decision has been called in by the portfolio holder for planning, Cllr Colin Cook, and three other councillors.

The membership of that committee is: Councillors Abbasi, Altaf Khan, Benjamin (Vice-Chair), Brundin, Christian (Chair), Cook, Goddard, Gotch, Khan, Keen, Timbs and Young. The Committee has a meeting scheduled for today but it is too late to include this item within the agenda. The next date scheduled for the committee to meet is the 18 December and I have asked one of the officers to double check that date for us as it’s so near Christmas. A number of meeting dates have been changed at short notice recently so I will post this up when it has been confirmed.