You will also remember that Ruth, as an employee of Brookes, was not eligible to take part in discussions of the application. David, meanwhile, was able to and has this comment on the debate:

For most of the time, the discussion concentrated concentrated on planning aspects of this application. The pros and cons of having a large student population in the city are live issues, but not ones which could be taking as planning reasons in making a decision on this application. I must say that through the debate I felt the planning arguments were finely balanced: there are many positive elements to the application, including its frontage onto Headington Road and  the intention to be as eco-friendly as possible, but there do remain problems in terms of the impact on the nearest neighbours on Headington Hill. That said, what we had to bear in mind was if the application was refused by councillors, what would a planning inspector decided if, as was likely, it went to appeal. I could not, in the end, convince myself that an inspector would see the single reason of overbearing as sufficient grounds for refusal and so I voted for the application. What I argued is that we have to make sure that the conditions are as full and as water-tight as possible, so that significant post-permission changes occur. That point was broadly accepted and I think what we must do now is move forward and look at ways of further improving the engagement between Brookes and the rest of the community — something which I believe the university is keen to do.

I talked to some of the objectors afterwards and, while disappointed, they certainly felt their concerns had had a fair hearing. I know some people would had preferred the decision not to have been made by all councillors but I stand by my belief that an application as important as this is best decided in as open a way as possible, and that is what happened on Thursday.

Cost: Free

Brookes Science bazaar is back with a host of new hands-on activities and one or two of last year’s favourites! * Become a certified micro-astronaut and take a journey to the micro-cosmos (age 5+) * Get a whiff of some smelly science (age 5+) * It all adds up to fun- try the Funmaths Roadshow (age 5+) * Fabulous fruits – learn more about a favourite food group (age 5+) * Get a fly’s eye view with our special glasses (age 5+) * Garlic in your porridge? Fish with green tea –discover the science behind functional food with added health benefits * Habitats and lifecycles – how can some animals live in extreme conditions? (age 5+) * Rocket car derby - design, build and test your won rocket car (age 8+). Places for this workshop are very limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. * Cook up some healthy food and learn what makes for a healthy diet (age 8+) * Speedy dinosaurs - discover how the way we walk can reveal more about the speed of these creatures (age 8+) * Create stories in a virtual world - write your own computer programs with 3D characters (age 8+) Plus much more ………. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Please be aware that children under 8 will not be permitted in workshops designated 8+.

For further information, please phone 01865 483129. Booking on the day is required for some sessions. 

Visit www.oxford.gov.uk/elections to download a form,

or to get more election information

Collect a form from the front desk at the Town Hall
Call the Elections Helpline 01865 252987.

The deadline for registering to vote or to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 20 April.  Postal votes will be sent out from Friday 23 April and should be returned before the close of polling.

VOTE LIB DEM FOR A FAIRER BRITAIN

•  Fair taxes.
• A new, fair start for all children at school.
• A rebalanced, fair and green economy
• And clean, open, fair politics.

Type: Police Surgery
Date: Thursday, 01 April 2010
Time: 5pm - 6pm
Venue: Baptist Church, Old High Street
Contact: PC Chris Miles

Record suspicious behaviour on 0845 850 5505

I thought I would outline some of the suggested options here. An overall aim is to encourage people back onto their bikes by enabling them to feel confident and safe when cycling to school and work.

Option 1

• Install zebra crossing between Bickerton Rd/Stapleton Rd across Old Road
• Install dropped kerb outside Old Rd cycle/pedestrian entrance
• Shared use cycle path from Old Rd entrance to the NOC to Windmill Rd junction
• Off-carriageway shared use cycle path in eastern part of Old Road
• Short section of cycle by-pass leading to northbound Windmill Rd cycle lane
• Remove centre line in Old Road except for Windmill Rd and Gipsy Lane junctions
• Upgrade crossing facilities at Windmill Rd/Slade/Old Rd junction
• Advisory cycle lane on Old Rd westbound from the Slade to Roosevelt Drive

Option 2

• Cycle by-pass at Gipsy Lane lights leading to a shared use path to Finch Close
• Entry treatment at Valentia Road to give priority to pedestrians and cyclists
• Shared use pavement off-carriageway between NOC entrance and Windmill Rd
• Advisory cycle lane (see last point in option 1)

Option 3

• Cycle by-pass (see top bullet point in option 2)
• Off-carriageway shared use path Gipsy Lane to Windmill Road (west-east)
• Side road entry treatements on all side roads from Gipsy Lane to Windmill Road
• Footway delineation lines at NOC entrance to formalise junction
• Improvements to Old Road/Windmill Road junction(see options 1 and 2 above)
• Advisory cycle lane (see last point in option 1)

Other points that were raised included: should this not be linked in with a longer term transport plan?, would it be better to spend all the money on the single most dangerous part of Old Road?, should we look at a cycle by-pass from the Slade into Old Road?, how do we reconcile the differences in height between cyclists on a higher shared path and motorists below? would it be better to hang onto the money and wait till a later funding source becomes available?

Which option do you prefer? Please click the comments box below the subject line and let us know your views.

If you require information on the planning application process, please phone the City’s planning department (details on the above link) or contact David and Ruth. Closing date for comments on these applications is 1 April 2010.

This was the sight in Kennett Road which faced the intrepid OxClean helpers from New Headington Residents’ Association on Saturday morning! Mary, Cicely, Stella, Kate, Helena, Stephanie and I clearly had a great deal of work to do!  Much of the rubbish was recyclable and we managed to find out that there had been a communications breakdown between one of the local shops and its refuse collection company, and hopefully we have been able to help sort this out

Friends of Bury Knowle Park turned up for their litter pick but in fact found very little to collect in the Park - the Park Rangers are clearly keeping the Park very clean and tidy. Thanks to Rosemary and Jill and Frank for helping out.

In the afternoon helpers from the Central and North Headington Resident’ Association in Sandfield Road did a sterling job to finish clearing Cuckoo Lane and help clear some of the rubbish from the JR site - we were pleasantly surprised that the Headington Hill end of the lane had already been cleared by helpers from Brookes. Many thanks to all, including Karen the organiser, Topsy, Michael, Hans, and Steve Goddard and the other delightful lady pictured here!

1. the prevention of crime and disorder
2. the prevention of public nuisance
3. public safety
4. the protection of children from harm

If you have actual evidence as well as real concerns about nuisance or safety issues arising from any alcohol or entertainment licensed establishment within the Headington Ward - please get in touch with David and me, also the Neighbourhood team on 0845 850 5505 and your local Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator. It’s best to document dates and times of disturbances if you can as this will inform the licensing panel if the case comes to review.

10/00090/PREM

New Premises Licence: Every day On / Off Sale of Alcohol 11am to 11pm, and until 1am on New Years Day

 It was a great privilege to attend the opening of the Fair Trade Shop in London Road this lunchtime and to thank all those concerned for their dogged hard work and enthusiasm in bringing us this exciting new venture.

I was particularly interested in the Ecover containers of fabric softener, non bio laundry liquid, and washing up liquid available - at last, there is no need to buy plastic containers full of washing up liquid, just bring in your old ones and fill them up in the shop! What a great idea, and one that I know will appeal to many Headington residents who are concerned about their environment

The owners of the property went into receivership in November 2009. The receivers have been appointed and David and I are in contact with their London-based agents.

The agents claim not to have been aware of various leaks from the building until January of this year following an intervention by the County Highways Dept at our request, however this is disputed by their tenants, and it is possible that there has been a communications problem.

We are informed by the agents that they have attended to the leakage issues and the guttering. Their contracter checked the premises earlier this month, and reported back to say that the only remaining piece of equipment requiring repair or maintenance is the air conditioning unit, and that as this had been installed by the tenant, it was deemed to be the responsibility of Nat West.

We also understand that a late decision has been made by the receivers that a sum of money can be allocated towards the repair of the pavement outside the Nat West on their private property. We have put the agent in touch with the County officer who is leading on the London Road redevelopment,  as it is the receivers’ intention to try and ‘buy into’ the pavement rebuild which is about to be carried out by the County’s contractors later in the year. We hope that they can come to an arrangement on this very soon.

One complication here will be the trees on that stretch of pavement - if replaced, the roots will continue to cause damage to the pavement surface, and the County planning officers are keen to see them replaced with trees of a more manageable size in line with the design proposals of the London Road redevelopment scheme. It is possible that the trees currently growing there may have Tree Preservation Orders on them, so we have given the contact details of the City Council’s Tree Officer to the agent for the receivers so that she can find out whether this is the case - if so, the correct planning application procedures will need to be followed.

Let’s hope it won’t be too long before the unsightly barriers disappear!

Where pedestrians cross Margaret Road, the kerbs will be lowered and tactile paving will be laid. On the east corner, the existing footway will be rebuilt, and on the west corner the existing footway will be resurfaced.

The junction alterations are part of the “Better ways to school” initiative, its main aim is to encourage pupils to walk or cycle to school rather than to travel by car. Best of all, the efforts of Cllr Roz Smith and I in having a School Crossing Patrol have succeeded, and s/he will help school pupils and escorting adults to cross Margaret Road safely.

The work will start on 24 February and is expected to finish on 5 March

The Headington North and South neighbourhoods have now amalgamated and cover the whole of Headington. The new email address to contact the team is Headington@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk . The members of the team are listed below so please feel free to contact them with any questions.
 
Sgt Claire Grant
PC Chris Miles
PCSO Dave Hession
PCSO Rachel Cooper
PCSO Steph Barras
PCSO Eva Jordan

The change is so new, the web links haven’t changed yet, but we will endeavour to make the necessary changes to our local information link when we know more!

So if you want to have your say, please come and join us!

Residents are being asked to get involved in consultation for Cutteslowe Bowling Green development, and two possible new Playbuilder parks at Bury Knowle and Sandfield Road.

On Friday 29 January there will be the Sandfield Road Playbuilder workshop from 5pm to 7pm at St Anthony’s Church Community hall.

 The event is being hosted by Groundwork Thames Valley who are project managing the £2.5 million play area refurbishment programme for Oxford City Council.

 If for any reason, you are not able to make it to the park on this date,  please email oxfordplay@groundwork.org.uk with any comments.

Here is the latest bulletin from the City Council. If you have any remaining rubbish collection issues, please let David and me know

Thursday 21^st January Today we have operated a normal collection service for Refuse, Recycling and Co-mingled for Blue week customers. 

Food Waste and Trade Waste collections have run to a normal schedule.  In addition, we have collected Co-mingled from Red week (Tuesday) customers in

North East area committee

Date: Tuesday 19th January 2010 at 6.00 pm
Venue: Sandhills Primary School, Terret Avenue

We shall be discussing the management plan for Bury Knowle Park, you can download your copy from the council’s web page (item 5)

Please do come along and join in the discussion, all suggestions to improve the plan are welcome

Click here for more information

The snow has presented a monumental challenge for us but the majority of
staff have gone over and above to complete as much of there deliveries as
possible. Now that the “big thaw” is under way we will be working to clear
the backlog of mail. All deliveries are going out today and I hope to be
back on track by Weds-Thursday next week. With regards to the deliveries
during the snow we had to rely on staff judgement with regards to what
areas we felt were safe to deliver and which were not.

If you believe you have still not received your letter deliveries by Wednesday 20 January please let us know and we will investigate further

We would like as much involvement from residents, young people
and members of the local community as possible so please attend.
We would like to give more information about the proposal and
generate ideas for the refurbishment of the play area at Bury Knowle Park based on community needs.
If you have any queries or suggestions that you would like to voice
about the proposed refurbishment, or would like to get involved in
the scheme then please contact Groundwork at:
oxfordplay@groundwork.org.uk or on 07969 546494

Today’s recycling and refuse collection services were suspended today due to the adverse weather conditions.

However, Oxford City Council, did provide a limited trade collection service in the city centre. We also operated a limited clinical waste collection service to areas that were accessible.

Tomorrow, we hope to be able to collect residual waste, weather permitting. However, we will be reviewing the situation tomorrow morning. We would advise residents to check our website for further information.

Tonight we will continue with our gritting schedule and our gritters will cover major routes throughout the city.

Tomorrow we will be clearing access routes to a number of secondary schools throughout the city.

 

Here is today’s update regarding what Oxfordshire County Council is doing to deal with the effects of the recent heavy snowfall and ongoing planning for the freezing temperatures forecast for the coming days.

Snowploughs and gritters have again been in operation day and night, keeping clear 100 per cent of the county’s priority routes, which amounts to more than 800 miles of road. On top of this we continue to plough a large number of more minor roads and we have done our best to grit pavements where resources have permitted.

Many routes to Oxfordshire’s more rural locations have been cleared in recent days. In large part this is due to the kind assistance of local farmers who have been using their own equipment to supplement the county council’s work. The county council is very grateful for this and wishes to acknowledge their efforts.

The operation to grit Oxford’s five Park and ride sites continues and we have also had teams out in town centres clearing snow from pathways and other areas. The council has also been focusing on snowploughing and gritting routes around schools.

As you are aware, the council’s contracted supplier Salt Union had not delivered any salt to the county since December. However, we have now received a number of lorry loads of salt. The council will be continuing to grit and snowplough throughout the weekend.

Council adult social care officers are still using 4×4 vehicles to get through the snow and access vulnerable people. There have been no significant difficulties with service delivery and senior managers remain happy with the way that services have been able to continue despite the adverse weather.

It is also the existing number for Adult Social Care and the out of hours Emergency Duty Team and continues with this function during this period.

The council is keen to emphasize the non-emergency nature of this number. If residents begin to use this for emergency service or roads related issues, it will quickly become overwhelmed.

These include:

1. Develop a transport strategy for Headington District Centre and beyond

2. Traffic calming/reduce congestion in Highfield area

3. Traffic calming/reduce congestion in Old Headington

4. Osler Rd cycle safety measures

5. Sandfield Rd/London Rd junction improvement

6. 20 mph soft enforcement measures in Headington residential streets

7. Improve safety at Windmill Rd/London Rd junction

8. Develop cycle routes parallel to London Rd, Headington

9. Improve cycle routes between Brookes Headington and Brookes Wheatley

10. Facilitate closer working of bus companies to rationalise services

through Headington 

11. Improve bus access to/from Risinghurst

12. Upgrade bus service 10 to premium route

13. Review re-instatement of box markings on London Road

The long list will be collated from responses from members of the public and consultees in January. It will be whittled down to a shorter list at a later stage. It has been made clear to us that there will be little money available for LTP3 schemes in the next couple of years because of restrictions by the Tory administration on infrastructure spending, but we hope that one or two of the above schemes can be included in the final plan for relatively little cost.

The Tory cabinet has set down priority objectives for city schemes - if any scheme on the long list satisfies one or more of the following high priority objectives, it stands a better chance of being included within the final action plan:

• reduce congestion
• develop and increase the use of high quality, welcoming public transport
• develop and increase cycling and walking for local journeys, recreation and health

Personally speaking, I would like to have seen “measures to reduce casualties and dangers associated with travel” given high priority along with “reducing carbon emissions, improving  air quality and reducing environmental impact” from traffic. These latter objectives are considered to be ‘medium’ priority and no more by the County Cabinet, which makes decisions on transport in the city despite possessing not one single  democratically elected councillor in the whole of Oxford City.

The draft plan is due to be completed in October 2010 and will come into effect from 2011-2030

09/02382/FUL has been refused by planning officers during week ending 25 December. It was for

Change of use from retail (class A1) to financial and professional services (class A2). Replacement shop front.

104 London Road Headington

In the meantime, please take great care if you are using the cash machines in Stephen Road

Ruth’s contact details are:

email:   ruth.wilkinson@oxfordlibdems.org.uk

mob:    07789 368300

So we are clear: ‘Headington West’ covers the north end of Headley Way (Franklin, Woodlands, Staunton, Sandfield etc), and the south side of London Road, from Brookside up to (but NOT including) Lime Walk. It also includes, outside Headington Ward, Highfield Avenue, Little Oxford and the Valentia Road estate.

The County are sending out today a consultation questionnaire on what you would like to see in the Zone. Obviously, the big issue is the timing — the times at present still reflect football match times, long after the United ground has become the Manor Hospital. But there will also be local issues in your own street that you will want to mention — introducing or removing a disabled bay, say, or changing the balance of parking between residents and visitor. Ruth and I do know some of those but the real experts are you, the residents yourselves. So, please do respond to the consultation — the County have set a deadline of 8th January.

What the County is not including in this consultation is the issue of enforcement. I realise that this is a problem for many residents and is needed, for instance, to combat dangerous parking around school drop-off and pick-up times. We will be interested to hear any issues you have about this so that we can encourage the powers that be to deal with them. Please do drop us a line.

If you have any comments or suggestions you would like to contribute to this plan, then please contact Friends of Bury Knowle Park at buryknowle@googlemail.com by 9 December or drop a line to David and Ruth

Sunday 29^th November 2009

2 pm

Bury Knowle Park

Come and help plant spring bulbs!

All welcome

We’ve got 500 bulbs to plant

  Meet in front of the Library

Bring your own tools, gardening gloves etc

Children must be accompanied/supervised by an adult

Then come in the spring and admire the bulbs you’ve planted!!!

For more details about Friends of Bury Knowle Park, click here

There has been a rise in cycle thefts around Oxford, including North Headington. If you want to report a lost bike, email eastoxfordbikedatabase@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk . Please provide details about the cycle including frame number, colour, make and any distinguishing features. This data will be input onto a local police database and the police will run a check when they stop a thief on a cycle. It doesn’t matter if the cycle is worth £20 or £2,000. If you would like the police to engrave your bike with a postcode then please email the Headington North neighbourhood team to arrange a time for them to visit you.  (see details on the central orange menu bar)

If you would like to sign a petition against the closure of public toilets in Oxford, including the toilets at Headington Hill Park, please click on this link.

David and I are campaigning for improvements to be made to our existing public toilets and for opening hours to be extended - if other councils can manage this for less money, then we think Oxford City Council should too

THE OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL (HEADINGTON CENTRAL)

(CONTROLLED PARKING ZONE AND VARIOUS RESTRICTIONS) (VARIATION No.10) ORDER 20**

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Oxfordshire County Council proposes to make the above mentioned Orders under Sections 32, 35, 45, and 46 of and Parts III & IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and all other enabling powers. 

The effect of the proposed Orders will be to amend

1. The City of Oxford (Headington West) (Controlled Parking Zone) Order 2000 (as amended) and revoke the Oxfordshire County Council (Headington West) (Controlled Parking Zone) (Variation No. 6) Order 2009, effectively replacing Schedule 7 Part A; and;

2.  The Oxfordshire County Council (Headington Central) (Controlled Parking Zone and Various Restrictions) Order 2005 (as amended) revoking the Oxfordshire County Council (Headington Central) (Controlled Parking Zone and Various Restrictions) (Variation No.8) Order 2009, effectively revoking and replacing Schedule 4 Part A.

 The effect of the proposals is to:

1     exclude the following properties from eligibility for residents and visitors permits in Headington West : Acorn Cottage (2A Finch Close), 50 Grays Road (Flats A, B, & C) and 1A and 1B Old Road.

2.   exclude the following properties from eligibility for residents and visitors permits in Headington Central: 50A and 50B Lime Walk, 119A, 119B, 121A, and 121B London Road.

Documents giving more detailed particulars of the proposed Order are available for public inspection at County Hall, New Road, Oxford OX1 1ND from 9.00 am to 4.30 pm Monday to Friday during normal opening hours.

Objections to the proposal, specifying the grounds on which they are made, and any other representations, should be sent in writing to the Director for Environment and Economy (ref. MJR/TRO) at the address given below, no later than the 10^th December 2009. The County Council will consider objections and representations received in response to this Notice. They may be disseminated widely for these purposes and made available to the public.

Dated:     15^th August 2008

Huw Jones, Director for Environment and Economy, Oxfordshire County Council, Speedwell House

Speedwell Street, Oxford, OX1 1NE.

David and I respond to a large number of enquiries about trees, and appreciate that residents are very concerned and upset when a well-loved tree is felled because it is diseased.

As you may recall, I asked at NE Area Committee if we can have tree matters discussed on a forthcoming agenda. This is to let you know that one of the Council’s Tree Officers will attend the NEAC meeting in December to respond to any questions about tree-related planning issues which have arisen in our local area.

The officer would like to know what information we would like him to bring along to the meeting. If you have a planning-related concern about trees that you would like to raise, please can you let David or me know by 30 November so that we can alert him in advance?

A substantial number of people we spoke to felt the proposed build-out in Margaret Road would not be a cost-effective use of money which could be better spent on infrastructure improvements elsewhere.

Having analysed the responses from local people, the County Officer has said they will be undertaking an improvement to the Margaret Road/York Road junction instead, and are hopeful that this will take place in this financial year.

Your local councillors are pressing for a lollipop crossing person in Margaret Road following discussions with parents of children who attend Windmill School - at the moment this is looking promising, but we must wait and see.

Many residents  have expressed an opinion on this issue. Some  will be relieved, others dismayed, others downright angry — there is a wide variety of views within the area to be affected by the closures and adjoining streets. Some will feel that the area has been robbed of possible closures after the press coverage a couple of months back but, as I have said before, the newspaper was misinformed by the present MP for Oxford East: he went to the press claiming that trial closures were definite without either having a written guarantee that they were to take place and without thinking through the controversy his action would cause. He should have known better. But that is behind us and the question now is how we move forward.

I am determined that we do not lose the opportunity actually to get measures to help the Lime Walk area. I have represented Headington for over seven years and in that time I have seen detailed proposals drawn up, then torn up, followed by a refusal to consider any changes in the area. What has happened has now put the issue back on the agenda and we must capitalise on that. The County is now, after years of saying ‘no’, offering to come up with measures for the area, within what seems to me a curiously short time period. I welcome that but what I will welcome more is fuller consultation with all local residents so that they can be engaged in the solutions to the problems that they have to face.

I and my ward colleague, Ruth Wilkinson, will be meeting members of the Highfield RA traffic group later this evening. We expected the meeting to be about our response to the County in consulting on trial closures. The agenda will be different now. What remains the same is my determination — and that of everyone around the table, I am sure — to get to solutions of the situation and not to allow this very real issue once again to disappear from the County’s view.

As always, if you want to contact me or Ruth, please do drop us a line.

The Oxford City Homes Contact Centre is now able to deal with your bin collection, recycling, bulky refuse and street services enquiries on the Oxford City Homes freephone number – tel 0800 227676.

For out of hours emergency waste, recycling and street services enquiries, call the duty out of hours officer on 07802 904000.

Logo of the 10:10 initiative

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg MP yesterday announced at the Core Cities conference in Liverpool that every city in the group under Liberal Democrat control has signed up to the 10:10 campaign. Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield make up half the Core Cities group of England’s major regional cities. But on the same day, the Conservative group on Oxfordshire County Council voted out a Lib Dem motion which would have committed the council to achieve the same 10% reduction in carbon emissions during 2010.

The city regions represented by the Lib Dem run city councils together have a population of over five million people, contain over 50,000 businesses and emit 40,406kt of carbon (or 7.8% of the UK total). The Liberal Democrat councils’ commitment therefore shows real leadership in these major cities. Oxford City Council has also signed up to the 10:10 campaign, with cross-party support. (There are no Conservatives on Oxford City Council.)

Oxfordshire County Council committed during 2006 to reduce carbon emissions in its own buildings (including the county’s schools) by 18% by 2012. In a media event at Oxford Castle with Conservative Party Leader David Cameron in attendance, the county administration invited people to judge their commitment to the environment by their achievements in energy reduction. Recent reports indicate that despite a 4% reduction in carbon use in the first year, current levels are falling well short of target. There is now no clear programme for achieving the 18% target by 2012.

Oxford East’s Labour MP Andrew Smith recently voted against the Lib Dem parliamentary motion calling for the Government to sign up to the 10:10 campaign, though he turning up to climate change demos lobbying on the campaign! Lib Dem spokesman in Oxford East Dr Steve Goddard said: “It is a shame that our MP’s principles have deserted him at the crucial moment. Sadly this is not the first time - he also voted to close several post offices in Oxford despite posing with campaigners trying to save them. It’s clear that if you want real action on climate change the only party to support is the Liberal Democrats.”

The motion and voting record can be seen here, on Public Whip

As we have said before, the County has not made any firm commitment to going ahead with closures. Last week, we received the latest communication about the proposals from the County. They have asked for our opinion and we will be sending a formal response but before we do so, we’d be interested to hear from you. We certainly intend to emphasise to the County the importance of seeing any trial closures in the context of wider traffic management measures — we certainly do not want to get into a situation where, if there are trial closures and the County judges them as a failure, that there are no other options on the table. We will also stress that the range of possible measures should be put to the local population for their comment, with the intention of making sure we do get action to help deal with the traffic problems in the area. Of course, that consultation will also need to make clear what would be judged a success or failure for any trial closure.

Any there other comments you’d want us to add? We already have a sense of the range of attitudes in the area, but are always ready to hear from more of you! You can respond by leaving a comment here, or by e-mailing myself, Ruth or Altaf.

These surgeries are very popular, and many people have benefited from advice on how to protect their property from burglary, which is one of the priority issues local residents have raised.Do drop in, even if it’s just to say hello!

If you are unsure then Trading Standards advice is not to deal with anyone who cold-calls and to get several quotes and references. Oxfordshire County Council Trading Standards also have an approved list of traders in Oxfordshire. A list of traders can be obtained from Trading Standards calling 0845 051 0845 option 1 or 2

However if anybody leaflet drops and inform you they are from Swindon area and match the above scenario please contact Martin Woodley Doorstep Crime Team Leader for Thames Valley Police on 01865 815331.

Her web page is here.  Her class in University Parks is oversubscribed, so sign up quickly!