Thanks to Headington School for hosting this event and to our guest speakers Rob Fowler and Richard Wyatt from Oxford City Council for their updates on the hospitals’ energy pipe project and the consultation on Oxford’s Local Plan.

Key learning points

Energy pipe application

• The application for the energy pipe and associated works including temporary parking at Sandfield Road and the Churchill Hospital is likely to be made available shortly on the Council’s planning site with a reference number of 16/01565/FUL
• Documentation is much more complete than last time
• It is a major planning application so must be determined within 13 weeks
• Notices will go up shortly and there will be a three week consultation period in which members of the public can send in their comments
• Sandfield Road residents are concerned that the temporary parking space for residents affected by the works should not be accessible by hospital staff and visitors. They also have security concerns about their vehicles while they are parked in the temporary parking area. More details about this will be available in the documents which will be put online shortly.

We have conveyed these concerns to the Trust. The Community Liaison officer Jo Lennon is happy to answer comments via email at hospitalenergyproject@ouh.nhs.uk and will come to a Sandfield Road residents’ meeting or the next Ward Focus Meeting if requested.

Oxford Local Plan

• The City Council has produced booklets asking residents for their responses to questions on key topics for Oxford’s future, including housing, employment, transport, education, shopping, green spaces. Copies were supplied to those attending the meeting
• The City Council is planning to promote the Local Plan consultation at community events which are being held in all other parts of the City except for the North East Area.  Residents complained that this was unfair to those living in Barton, Headington, Wood Farm, Quarry and Risinghurst. The response was that there was insufficient resource to cover extra venues e.g. the Headington Farmers’ Market
• The Local Plan is also being promoted on the City Council’s website and in the local press.
• Residents asked for all householders in Oxford City to be sent a booklet so that all were consulted. Ruth and Altaf offered to arrange distribution of booklets to every householder in Headington Ward along with our monthly leaflet.
• Further concerns were raised that consultations at every stage of the Local Plan would be held during the peak holiday period, and during student vacations
• The Local Plan will take a long time to be produced, agreed and adopted – 2019 is a target date. The issues raised in the Headington Neighbourhood Plan will inform planning policy work on the new Oxford Local Plan.

Open session issues raised by residents

Can we get our parking forms processed at Bury Knowle Library like they do in Summertown?

• A speaker from the County Council has agreed to attend our next Ward Focus Meeting.
• We have advised the County Council who to approach at the City Council should they wish to arrange permit collection from St Aldates.
• It used to be that the fees for residential permits do not cover the costs of producing them – Roz will check

Speed limits in residential roads and associated signage

• Speeds are generally exceeded in roads which are used as rat runs
• The introduction of a 20MPH limit in other areas has reduced overall mean speed by 1%
• Private hire vehicles frequently exceed 20MPH in London Road. Please report any registered in Oxford to the Licensing Dept at the City Council. Please report those from other areas (including plate number/reg no.) to your councillors and we will investigate
• 20 MPH signage is inadequate in London Road. Ruth has acquired 4 “polite notices” to keep speed down for Lime Walk and London Road and is asking the County Council if ward budget can be allocated to painting 20 MPH roundels on the highway
• A No Cycling sign is needed in Coffin Walk. There are concerns about unclear signage of shared footway between the Green Road roundabout and the shops, and signage for cyclists at the corner of Sandfield Road and London Road. Roz will investigate this.

Crime and Police issues

• Residents would like to see a higher visibility presence from police in London Road to tackle speeding vehicles and cyclists on pavements. 
• Residents are concerned about van-loads of dubious strangers being off-loaded in Headington to sell low quality items door to door.
• We have passed on these concerns to the police

When will the real time bus indicators start working?

• Ruth to pursue if not up and running by end of June as promised.

Why aren’t the North Place entrance gates working?

• Ruth has been chasing. We will pursue – the reason is that the software for monitoring the use of the gates appears not to be fit for purpose and technicians are trying to resolve this

Why isn’t the library lift working?

• Roz is pressurising the County Council on this. Councillors are concerned that the lift to the Library is not fit for purpose.

Thanks to all who came to the meeting, it was very well-attended. We value your comments and will take action on your issues. See our next Focus leaflet for an update.

The July Ward Focus meeting will be held on Tuesday 26 July from 6:00-7:30pm at All Saints Church House, New High Street.