Advice from bus companies on silver surfer fares

The subsidy for 50% concessionary fares for people over 60 or with a disability will end on 31 October. It was costing the Government £20 million per year, including £15 million to the UK’s largest scheduled coach operator, National Express.
This will affect nearly all scheduled coach services except Megabus (which was never subsidised in the first place), Stagecoach X5 between Oxford and Cambridge (which is registered as a bus and therefore free of charge to NCTS pass holders) and Swanbrook 853 between Oxord and Cheltenham (which is also registered as a bus and therefore free to anyone with an NCTS pass).
From 1st November each coach operator will introduce its own concessionary fares for people over 60 or with a disability.

  • Oxford Bus says: The majority of our fares will still attract a discount of 25%. There is still time for customers to purchase a 12 trip product on our key smartcard at a discounted rate of just £35 for 12 trips. Any trips bought will be valid for 12 months. Smartcards can be shared so that a group traveling together can use the same smartcard.
  • Stagecoach will offer a discount of about 25% on the Oxford Tube
  • National Express will reintroduce its CoachCard. This will cost £10 for 12 months and will give the holder 33% off.
  • Megabus will be the same price as before, as it was not subsidised in the first place.

Any journey on National Express up to August 2012 can be booked by 31 October 2011 at the 50% discount rate. If you can plan and book that far ahead, you can save yourself the fare rise!

East Area Planning agenda items

The next East Area Planning Committee meeting is at 6 pm on Wed 2 November at the Town Hall.  Here are the applications they will be deciding.

103-104 ST. MARY’S ROAD, OXFORD – 11/02205/FUL

The Head of City Development has submitted a report which details a planning application for the conversion and alterations of external retained workshop to provide 3 two-bed live/work units with private gardens. Erection of two and a half storey building containing 3 flats (1 x one-bed and 2 x twobed). Car and cycle parking provision.

Officer recommendation: Approve subject to conditions.

 4 BRICKLAYERS ARMS, 39 CHURCH LAND, OLD MARSTON, OXFORD – 11/02477/FUL

The Head of City Development has submitted a report which details a planning application for the conversion and alteration to the existing public house to form a four bedroom dwelling, together with erection of five dwellings and garages parking, landscaping and alterations to existing access. (Amendment to permission 11/01331/FUL)

Officer recommendation: Approve subject to conditions.

 FORMER OXFORD BUS GARAGE, 395 COWLEY ROAD, OXFORD – 11/02386/VAR

 The Head of City Development has submitted a report which details a planning application for the variation of condition No. 7 of planning permission 09/01201/OUT for Class B1 business use and student accommodation to allow occupation and student accommodation by full time student attending courses of one academic year or more

Officer recommendation: Approve subject to conditions.

 BURY KNOWLE PARK, OXFORD – 11/02174/CT3

 The Head of City Development has submitted a report which details a planning application for the display of a Green Flag.

Officer recommendation: Approve subject to conditions.

Viking Sports Club licence

The application to vary a Premises Licence for the Viking Sports Club, 65 Old High Street was heard yesterday evening at the Town Hall and David attended to represent the views of local residents and negotiate conditions. The licence to include live and recorded music Monday to Friday 19.00 hrs to 23.00 hrs, Saturday 19.00 hrs to 00.00 hrs and Sunday 19.00 hrs to 22.30 hrs was granted

Additional conditions included: limit of 20 occasions per annum, calendar and notification of events to the Friends of Old Headington and Old High Street Neighbourhood Watch

Library proposals – D Day is 12 December

 A special meeting of the Safer and Stronger (!) Communities Scrutiny Committee will be held in the morning of 12 December, and members will read through the officers’ report on the consultation and discuss the options.  Recommendations will be passed to the Cabinet before their meeting in the afternoon. Cynics might say that the Cabinet has no intention of considering the scrutiny recommendations carefully enough because there is insufficient time between the two meetings for them to do so, but we couldn’t possibly comment. It will certainly pose some challenges for the officers to turn this around so quickly.

Members of the public may address both meetings. Copies of reports are generally made available a week ahead  and can be found on the county council website

Planning decisions

There have been three planning decisions made under delegated powers this week, two were permitted and one was refused. They are on properties in London Road, Old High Street and Windmill Road. Please see Latest Planning Decisions on the top toolbar for more details

Latimer Road/London Rd crossing

This afternoon a County traffic engineer very helpfully explained to Ruth and to elderly residents how the toucan crossing works at the top of Latimer Road.

The ‘green man’ light appears and noise sounds for just 7 seconds, then the lights stay on red for traffic for a further 16 seconds but the green man and the sounds disappear during that time. Then there is a further 3 seconds when the lights will remain red if the camera sensors pick up movement

Residents find this confusing, as they are used to the green man light ‘flashing’ when the lights are about to change – this is a feature of pelican lights

The County Officer will let us know whether tactile cones can be installed under the pedestrian control box. He will also tell us who to contact for more information on whether the toucan can become a pelican (!) and whether there is sufficient room for a central crossing refuge

It’s heartening to see a County officer making a site visit and working proactively  to explain traffic systems in this way

Further suggestions on ward spend – just received

42 I would like to see some sort of classes for adults in Headington(not Barton/Risinghurst or Brookes) that is accessible by foot to try to establish some sort of heart into Headington!
43 I would like to suggest that more trees(and metal surrounds) could be installed along side the roads. There are a number of gaps where trees have previously been, and have now been removed(for what reasons I have no idea) by the council.

More ideas on spending money in Headington!

Here are some further ideas sent to us electronically for open discussion next Tuesday at our Ward Focus Meeting (JR Lecture Room 1, nearest entrance: Osler Rd). Some great ideas here, please keep them coming! Even if we can’t afford them right now, they will inform community-led plans for Headington

Spend item Approx costs £ Notes
A week’s free parking.
Many gardens in public view are  bare, especially in rental properties – perhaps some money here would be a very cheap investment and produce good results, again particularly in the Cons Area where a lot of people walk Use of volunteers? Cubs/Scouts/Guides? Parks could provide bedding plants fairly cheaply
Where a 20 MPH sign and change IS required is on Headley Way near Headington School, having spent many mins waiting for the bus there and seeing school children cheerfully trying to kill themselves rushing across. Inform Bursar of Headington School/ County Transport Planners
Like to see the money spent on bringing back the hut on the Windmill school site back into service it cannot be used because of asbestos. It would make a good children’s a youth art club
“Landscaping” of the Waitrose car park See above re Parks
The money should be spent on something that will be of benefit to ALL Headington residents, rather than just a few residents of a specific road. Bring back “leafy Headington”:
– Plant more trees along pavements in areas where views will not be restricted
– Encourage residents to have green front gardens again, bushes, window-boxes, plants – e.g. £20 contribution for all who wish to participate		 Issue of trees along pavements leading to root heave. Discuss with Tree Officers
Set up Headington Residents Association with annual (?) social event / celebration of nationalities to develop an integrated community Discuss with Chair of CCoHRA (Co-ordinating committee of Headington Residents’ Associations) and Headington Action
Education campaign for dog-owners in Headington who do not clean up after their pets Discuss with Community Response Team
The £5,000 could be spent on creating and publishing our own Local Land & Sites Development Plan to inform the City & County Strategic Plans. You, as our Councillors, could brief a local architect to E-map the area and sites – with your knowledge of local preferred uses. This E-Map could be on your website & circulated to residents to affirm or counter propose; and a 10 year local-plan published. Car Parks, Student & Retirement Homes, Bus Services, Traffic Routes, Cycle lanes, Libraries, Parks, Pedestrian crossings and etc could all be marked. Eventually, through continuous circulation to residents, the Headington & Marston Decade Plan 2012-22 could become the official democratic strategy. We are keen to assist in the development of a community-led plan and have asked the Head of City Development to update us all on how this can be done most effectively – he will attend Tuesday’s ward focus meeting
Warning signs in Gypsy Lane that there is a school there and that traffic should take care. See the crowds of children crossing this busy road in the morning in a hap-hazard way together with the minority who are delivered by car and whose parent drivers make impromptu manouevres at various points along the road. Outside Headington ward
I noticed that there were a lot of pedestrian/vehicle safety-related suggestions.  We would much rather the money was spent in someway that helped the disadvantaged in the area (e.g. disadvantaged children, the disabled).  Perhaps a ‘wheelchair route’ around the bits of Headington people like strolling around?  For example you could connect up the hospital park area (next to Osler road) with the croft /St Andrews Lane and Bury Knowle.  You could ensure access, improve any bits of pavement that needed improvement and have 2 ‘safe’ crossings (one across St Andrews road, the other from the top of the Croft to Bury Knowle (i.e. across The Old High Street) .  A bit like the national cycle route idea. Involve Oxford Unlimited

These ideas are not yet costed

What do you want to spend your money on?

At our Ward Focus meeting next Tuesday 18 October at the JR Hospital, we shall be asking your views on how your money should be spent.

Many ideas have come forward from previous Ward Focus meetings and from email correspondence, and we have started to give each idea an approximate ballpark costing to help us all make the final decision on Tuesday. There is still time for you to come up with last minute ideas until then – please email them to us in advance of the meeting

Here is the amount we have available to spend in Headington ward:

Ward Budget for Councillors from City Council: £1500 p.a.

David + Ruth = (£1500+£1500) = £3,000

Localities Budget from County Council: £100,000 p.a.

Allocation for 6 months: £50,000

Number of County divisions: 8

Allocation for Headington and Marston division = (£50,000 divided by 8 ) = £6,250

Headington and Marston division comprises 3 wards: Headington, Marston, HH & Northway

Allocation to Headington if divided equally = (£6,250 divided by 3 )  = £2,083.33

So the total spend overall = £5083.33 though our County Councillors need to agree what is spent from the Localities Budget.  We can make the money stretch further if we can negotiate match funding with other groups and organisations in Headington.

Ward spend ideas Oct 11

Spend item Approx Cost £ Notes
Ramp access to All Saints Church Hall 1200
Painting of lamp posts in Old Headington Already in process
More 20 MPH roundels painted on main roads and side roads. 75 Each
Grant towards heating system in All Saints Church This may be funded from alternative sources
Education for cyclists More details needed
Watering of small trees in London Road
Equipment for youth and community groups More details needed
Grit bins inc St Andrew’s Lane 450 Each
More bins 500 Each
Road sign for approach road to JR 1000 this may be funded from alternative sources
Christmas lights Funded by businesses, underwritten by HA
Community skip for bulky waste £123.72

£171.01

£255.28

 3 cubic yards

10 cubic yards

12 cubic yards
Paint nos. on dustbins to save muddle in e.g. Horwood Close Could be done by Community Payback if there is a day’s work for 10 people!
Extra bollard in Beech Rd to stop parking abuse 450
Promo board for businesses/noticeboard in HCP 1000 City Works to do transparencies, businesses or match funding to provide graphics
Repair roof to shelter and improve pedestrian access to HCP 750
Improve lighting to BK Library
General road and pavement maintenance More details needed
Yellow boxes on roads 750 Per location, excludes Traffic Regulation Order costs
Spend item Approx Cost £ Notes
Illuminated speed sign to be shared on a rota basis across Headington. DIY traffic calming and speed indication devices 3000 Unipar are county suppliers. Another Ward also wants one
Maybe Business Headington needs some financial help to get properly up and running
Osler Rd bollards and signs 1000
Line painting 450 Min charge per visit for half days work
Re-locate notice board near Iceland, to inside edge of pavement. Surely only one side of the board is needed for display purposes, and the pavement space is needed! 450 Assume no underground obstructions
Meeting to instruct people on how the planning process operates, and review strengths and weaknesses of current format 0
London Rd cycle lane approx by Headington School to White Horse east-bound, then by bus stops near Dial House. Not clear at times what cyclists are meant to do. Signage More details needed
Monaco puddle In process
Improvements to Cuckoo Lane More details needed
Make the zebra near the Co-op more visible, either re-painting the lines on the road or making the beacons more visible. That zebra was a great idea, but there have been lots of near-misses 900 Outside the wardRepaint
London Rd cycle path between Bury Knowle surgery and Green Rd, east-bound:  increase the frequency of the cycle symbols. People joining part-way along are quite justified in not being aware there is a cycle path. 500 Outside the ward