Don’t miss out! Save £140 on your electricity bills this winter through Better Housing Better Health 

Oxford City Council is urging Oxford residents to contact Better Housing Better Health to help get £140 off their electricity bills this winter.

The discount is available under the government’s Warm Home Discount (WHD) scheme. This is a one-off discount on electricity bills between September and March. It is available to people with prepayment meters.

There are two ways to qualify for a discount. People who get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit will receive a letter from their energy supplier telling them how to get their WHD.

Working age people can qualify for the WHD if they are on a low income, getting means-tested benefits, or have a disability or children under five. Eligibility can vary depending on the energy supplier, and there is a limited amount of help available for people who are not pensioners.

To avoid missing out, the council says that residents should not delay contacting their energy supplier to claim the WHD. People who need support to find out if they qualify or to claim WHD should contact the free Better Housing Better Health service.

Better Housing Better Health gives Oxford residents a single point of contact for services, advice and grants in order to stay warm and well in their homes.

The Better Housing Better Health helpline number is 0800 107 0044, which is open between 9 am and 5 pm on weekdays.

Latimer Road remedial works

Roz has been given the following information by the Highways Department.

Direct Services will be carrying out some minor carriageway/footway remedial works over the next two weeks but the date hasn’t been set as yet for the carriageway resurfacing works – we are still awaiting a date from the surfacing company … Once they get back…with a firm date, we will be sending out residents’ letters before the work starts. I’m hopeful it will be completed by the first week of September at the latest.”

Notes from the Headington Ward Focus meeting

Thank you for coming to our Ward Focus meeting in such numbers! We are sending out a summary of issues raised there in our Focus leaflet this weekend, but here is a flavour.

Hospital Trust news

JR planning application (please see link for press release from the Trust)

  • Considered by the city council to be a minor application, this means it will be determined by an officer using delegated powers unless called into committee by councillors
  • ED is short for Emergency Department (NHS officially preferred name for A&E) has two floors
  • Small change to footprint and some of it is infill
  • The outcome will be faster diagnosis, greater efficiency and bigger ambulance parking area – the application includes inter alia mini-operating theatres, an isolation ward, more resuscitation bays, better bereavement/family facilities and the project was prompted by inspection findings by the Care and Quality Commission.
  • Financial negotiations are in process
  • Time period of build likely to be Nov 18-Nov 19.
  • Deliveries will be made outside peak times via Headley Way

Ronald McDonald House

  • Build likely to start approx. Nov 2018 and last approx. 12 months then a 3 month refit
  • Construction traffic route is down Sandfield Road to Woodlands Road, and back out again to Headley Way via Woodlands Road
  • Parking problems not envisaged for hotel users as all the parents of sick children will be given stickers enabling them to use hospital car parking spaces.
  • Working hours – no evening/weekend working

There is currently one further build on site (University funded)

Questions/Issues

  • Need for construction and other works-related traffic to observe the 20 MPH limit – can this be written into planning consent?
  • Please can deliveries be made at times other than school drop-off and collection too?
  • Can signage be put up to show no access to JR in Sandfield Road?
  • Main contact for both builds is Jo Lennon lennon@ouh.nhs.uk
  • Residents urged to contact councillors if they have any queries or concerns

Access to Headington 

  • Utilities infrastructure issues have delayed the work
  • Work has stopped in one place because a nest was found
  • Shops asking for reduction in business rates due to loss of trade
  • Works outside the JR will take 6-8 weeks and involve putting in temporary traffic lights
  • Banks won’t be lost on the right hand side going downhill so the trees on that side will be retained
  • We are pressing to see  the design changes at the Headley Way / Woodlands Rd junction which aim to make cycling safer

Other issues raised

Noise nuisance from St Luke’s build at McMaster House

Latimer Road – UNITE coaches

English language schools – ASB and noise from 2 locations, Why don’t they have bus passes?

Lack of presence by police disappointing – updates needed on recent incidents, operations and rough sleeping.

JR Hospital A&E extension – speaker at tonight’s Ward Focus Meeting

We welcome Jo Lennon to tonight’s Ward Focus meeting. She will tell us more about the extension and improvements planned for the A&E department at the JR Hospital and will let us know when construction is due to start on the Ronald McDonald patient hotel accessible from Woodlands Rd.

The police will also be there to update us on recent incidents and activities.

Refreshments will be available.

Headington Ward Focus Meeting

Tuesday 31st July
All Saints Church House, New High Street
6:00-7:30 pm
All welcome to drop in or out at any time. JR speaker likely to arrive after 6:30pm

Come and meet your new councillor Stef Garden!

New planning application at the JR “in Sandfield Road” (sic)

18/01851/FUL

Enlargement of resuscitation area to ground floor front elevation. Formation of ambulance bays. Installation of gantry and flue to roof. Alterations to landscaping. John Radcliffe Hospital Sandfield Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX3 9DU

The neighbourhood expiry date for comments is Bank Holiday Monday 27th August.

For more information please click here