Well here’s what happened at ours last night – if you find this interesting, why not come along next time? Headington Lib Dem councillors hold ward focus meetings on the last Tuesday of each month except for August, and they are well attended. This is a facility unique to Headington Ward, and costs of venue hire are paid for by your councillors.

Notes from Headington Ward Focus meeting 29/07/14

All welcomed

Actions arising from the last meeting

• we reported on the relocation of Cherwell Radio following contact with Cherwell Radio and the Oxford Universities’ Hospitals Trust

London Road developments

Roz had sent full notes of her meeting with the lead officers which were shared with those attending.

Works to London Road are happening in two phases:

• Bus and cycle improvement project (south side) Sept-Dec 2014
• Maintenance scheme in London Road from Wharton Road junction to Green Road roundabout starts Jan 2015 and likely to last 18 weeks

Actions

Refer the following comments/questions to Roz:

• Subway closure from Risinghurst to Barton – how will children get to school safely?
• Diversion signs for inbound traffic – via where? And how far out will they be posted?
• Can signs be put out saying “Headington businesses open as usual” or some such
• Could bus companies provide a ticket ‘conductor’ at the Gladstone Road stop to speed people on and off the buses while roadworks are on?
• Roz to post up meeting notes on the HeadingtonLibDems website

Margaret Road crossing

Residents have not been consulted by the County Council but notices have been posted

The closing date for comments is 1 August

Please email your comments to highwayenquiries@oxfordshire.gov.uk

There was discussion re lines of sight at the junction of York Road and Margaret Road immediately in front of the proposed zebra crossing, concern over drainage by the new bumps, and the need for lollipop staff

• Action Ruth to send through comments to consultation

Notes on planning issues

Comments on County Transport Plan LTP4 need to be in by 1 August

The Old Road Campus planning application for the Big Data Institute is on the East Area Planning agenda for next Wednesday. The comments from the independent planning design panel have been uploaded to the planning website. The officers are recommending approval with conditions

Current planning applications in Headington were made available to all who attended

Old Headington sewage spills

We gave an update on works to be carried out in Old Headington by Thames Water (see website)

Actions/comments

• Stoke Place has been similarly affected. Ruth to ask Thames Water if a further assessment can be made
• There is also a shared sewer outside 29 St Andrew’s Road which leads to the main line – may need attention too

Shell Garage

This is likely to attract more customers when the Waitrose offer is known. It is an accident and near miss hotspot for cyclists and pedestrians

Actions/comments

• All councillors have called a meeting with the County officer responsible for accident monitoring and signage, also the police to identify options to mitigate risk of accidents
• Suggestion that the highway could be divided in some way?
• Concern that yellow boxes aren’t being observed in central Headington – hatching enforcement is needed, possibly with CCTV

Windmill Road issues

New signs have been put up in Windmill Road to address speeding issues but only one person had noticed these

The police are carrying out covert speed operations to identify the two roads where people most often break speed limits in Headington and Windmill Road is one of these. They will target those two roads with continual operations using speed guns and high vis. to get the message home.

Comments and actions

• Cross-hatching is needed near driveways opposite the NOC due to near misses and write-offs – councillors to extend above meeting to include this site
• Noise and drunken behaviour plus increased police presence noted at Windmill House. Manager could not attend this meeting but will come to a future one. Cllrs to check with TVP
• Cllrs check with Windmill House manager on gates open overnight
• Cllrs to check with planning enforcement re a building project which has no associated planning permission
• Ruth to check on reported B&B in Windmill Road to see if this has been inspected

Other issues and actions raised in open session

Osler Road

• Cllrs to check whether the pole has been taken away from the new parking slot
• Concern about the exit from Manor Hospital, could a “Think Pedestrians!” sign be put up? Cllrs to investigate
• Line of parking slots by bowls club too long and obstructs sightlines. Cllrs to check
• Overhanging vegetation from Headington House side of Cuckoo Lane between Osler Rd and Old High Street needs cutting back, cllrs to contact Highways
• What happened to the “Unsuitable for HGV” sign? Cllrs to investigate

Headington Centre

• Fix My Street request re faulty utilities covers still not done. Cllrs to chase County Highways
• BT phone box in Kennett Road has bottles in it, generally an eyesore, please can Payphones disconnect and remove? Cllrs to investigate with BT
• Bike racks needed in Kennett Road, yet ones by phone box unused. Cllrs to investigate new location of better cycle racks near Sainsbury’s
• Seemingly abandoned stickered bikes outside Waitrose still not removed after months, cllrs to inform Streetscene
• Following a debate about shop frontages, cllrs to ask Planning Enforcement about a sign in Old High Street

Other issues

• Obstruction of the highway by foliage in Bateman Street – cllrs to report to Highways
• Over what period of time will jobs come on stream at the Bioescalator and where exactly will this be located? Cllrs to report back
• Concern that bungalows in Headington are disappearing to make way for denser housing developments – much needed by elderly and less mobile. Ruth to convey this to Headington Neighbourhood Forum Policy Group on Housing
• The BK Library lift looks out of keeping next to the grade 2 listed building, and is that footpath really wide enough for wheelchairs? Cllrs to investigate
• Concern about Oxford Times article on the demise of the Headington Community Centre – is it true? And where else is there for community facilities? Councillors to investigate
• Can cllrs please find out where the mailing list is going about the Bury Knowle Depot development? Some people have received this and others haven’t.
• Stansfeld – is this owned by Birmingham City Council or is it the property of the diocese of Birmingham? Cllrs to ask Roz as resident expert
• Cllrs to supply details of vulnerable elderly community scheme

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday 30 September, venue to be confirmed. Hopefully we shall be in a position to report back on progress made on the above issues, and if not, then call us to account!