Meeting on Tuesday for up to date news on Headington planning!

Do you care about the future of Headington Car Park?

The future of Bury Knowle Library?

The future for Ruskin Fields?

The new housing development for Barton?

Then come along to our Headington Ward Focus Meeting to hear what decisions have been made over the last week!

  • Tuesday 20 December
  • 6.00-8.00 pm
  • Headington Baptist Church Hall, Old High Street

Bus stops and works by utilities companies

As you will recall, SSEB recently laid cables along the London Road and the bus stop outside Dorset House was taken out of action. We have been trying to find out how the communications process can be improved when this happens.

The utilities company should liaise with the County Network Supervisor over all works affecting the highway, and where this work might affect a bus stop, the Bus Team at the County also needs to know. They ensure that the bus operators inform users of the alternative stop and  place the information in the shelter with the assistance of the bus team.

The county puts details of roadworks on their Streetworks Register. The bus companies can pick up the information from there and can access privately operated webpages (although the latter don’t include works to pavements, only to highways) 

In this case there was a communications breakdown at several points in the chain, and we are working with county officers to improve communications with residents and with local councillors in future

Temporary road closures in Lime Walk area from January 9th

A temporary Traffic Regulation Order has been arranged to apply a temporary road closures to various junctions in the vicinity of Lime Walk.  The order is required to enable traffic calming works to be implemented.   Access will be maintained for emergency service vehicles, the works and those residents within the closure area, subject to the progress of the works.

 The works will commence on 9th January, it is anticipated that they will take a total of 52 days to complete, but individual locations will only be closed for shorter periods. The Order will close the following roads, at their junctions described, for a distance of 20 metres:

Bickerton Road, from its junction with Old Road

Finch Close, from its junction with Old Road

Highfield Avenue, from its junction with Old Road

Lime Walk, from its junction with London Road

Lime Walk, from its junction with Old Road

Latimer Road, from its junction with London Road

Stapleton Road, from its junction with Old Road

Valentia Road, from its junction with Old Road. 

Local signage will indicate when restrictions and alternative routes are operative. Exemptions are included for police, fire and ambulance services and for the works and for access to premises which are only accessible from the closed sections of road.

Further information may be obtained from Elio Astone (01865 815258).

Here is a map showing diversion routes

Lime Walk area diversion route

Latest on the proposed development on Ruskin Fields

Officers have proposed not to include the site within either the Sites and Housing DPD or the Barton Area Action Plan report (up for discussion at Full Council on Monday 19 December at the Town Hall) due to the uncertainty over whether a suitable access could be agreed. Officers have advised the potential developers that they have the opportunity to pursue the site by responding to the consultation in early 2012 and by proposing it as an ‘omission site’. This would mean that they would present their case for the site to an Inspector.

Road closure Mon 12 December – St Andrew’s Lane

TEMPORARY ROAD TRAFFIC ORDER – S14(2) ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984

St Andrews Lane, Headington, Oxford: –

Temporary Road closure for new gas service

A temporary Traffic Regulation Order has been arranged to apply a temporary road closures to St Andrew’s Lane.  The order is required to enable a new gas connection to no. 19. The works are planned to take place on Monday 12th December.   Access will be maintained for emergency service vehicles, the works and those residents within the closure area, subject to the progress of the works.

Headington Car Park omitted from development plans

The agenda for the next Full Council meeting has been made available.  Seven sites have not been included within the Proposed Submission for development. Here is the section on Headington Car Park.

* Headington Car Park – the potential loss of car parking and the effect on trade at shops in Headington was of considerable concern to the local community with a petition received of nearly 3,500 signatories against any development on this site. The site is surrounded by the Old Headington Conservation Area and for development to be viable it would most likely need to be built over a number of storeys which could adversely affect the conservation area. At this stage it is difficult to know whether this is deliverable and achievable and if it could retain sufficient car parking. For these reasons it should not be allocated.

It is still technically possible for this decision to be reversed at Full Council on 19 December, but this is fairly unlikely. We shall report back to Headington ward residents with the final decision on Tuesday 20 December at our Headington Ward Focus meeting, Headington Baptist  Church, Old High Street, 6.00 – 8.00pm.

Congratulations to all our residents and businesses for voicing our opposition so effectively!