Council website changes

There are now two separate web addresses for Building Control and Licensing (including Houses in Multiple Occupation) find below the relevant urls directly into Public Access.

There is another for Planning, but we have tested this and don’t think it’s working properly yet, we will let you have details shortly – it is envisaged that PlanningFinder will link to the new planning website week beginning 5/9/11

Click on the relevant topic to initiate your search

Building Control

Licensing

Do let us have feedback on whether you think this is an improvement!

Road closures St Andrew’s Rd and Dunstan Rd

Winter damage money has been made available for carriageway repairs in St Andrew’s Road and Dunstan Road. In order to effect these repairs, parts of Dunstan Road and St Andrew’s Road will be closed for 2 days on Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th September. We have been assured that a letter drop has been carried out to inform those affected. If you have any concerns about the extent of the works, please contact us.

Have Your Say events September & October

The neighbourhood team from Thames Valley Police hold regular Have Your Say events at which they ask residents to fill in a survey about the area. This helps us identify what issues you are most concerned about. Here are details of forthcoming sessions:

Date: Monday, 19 September 2011
Time: 14:00 – 16:00
Venue: Starbucks, 71 London Road, Headington (outside if good weather, otherwise just inside main door)
Contact: PCSO Jason Martin

Type: Have Your Say Meeting
Date: Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Time: 12:00 – 14:00
Venue: outside main entrance (if weather good, or just inside Waitrose, Old High Street, Headington
Contact: PCSO Jason Martin

Car park petition

We have been asked by a number of residents in our ward and by shoppers living outside Headington where they can go to sign the petition opposing the “preferred option” to put housing development on the Headington Car Park

The following businesses are making available petition pages:

  • Jacobs & Field,
  • Monaco
  • The pet shop
  • Headington Homewares
  • Oxford Design
  • Holland & Barrett
  • Brambles,
  • Pen to Paper
  • Crown paper shop
  • Scott Fraser
  • the Richards surgery.

The petition will close on 5 September.

A number of residents have helped with the petition, including Jill Cummings and Stella Welford

Free electric blanket testing

Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service and Trading Standards are urging people to get their electric blankets tested free of charge ahead of the approaching colder months, after nearly 40% of blankets tested last year, failed.

How to book

Testing is by pre-booked appointment only, strictly on a first come, first served basis.

If you would like to get your electric blanket tested please contact the Electric Blanket Testing hotline on 01865 815607 or email trading.standards@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Notes/Action Points from Ward Focus Meeting

64 residents attended as well as City Cllrs Ruth Wilkinson and David Rundle, and County Councillor Altaf Khan and (from 7:15pm) Roy Darke.

The Bursar from Headington School gave a short welcome and presentation on the School’s plans

Reports back from our last meeting:

  • David‘s meeting with the Director of Estates at the JR will be scheduled on the latter’s return  from holiday
  • The permission for the Manor Ground development is nearing completion
  • Altaf has ensured that a county officer makes a site visit to the bus gate on 17 August  to make safety recommendations
  • Ruth has investigated issues relating to bus passes and language school students; she has contacted bus companies, language schools and the City officers and is pooling her list of language school contacts with other agencies. Several residents made informed contributions re the lapsed Language Schools Forum

The new system of Ward Member Budgets was introduced. It was explained that David and Ruth would be pooling their budgets (ie £3,000 in total) to use on improvements in Headington. Residents suggested small projects on which David and Ruth’s ward budget could be spent:

  • Ramp access to All Saints Church Hall
  • DIY traffic calming and speed indication devices
  • Painting of lamp posts in Old Headington (NB this is in hand)
  • More 20 MPH roundels painted on roads
  • Grant towards heating system in All Saints Church
  • Education for cyclists
  • Watering of small trees in London Road
  • Equipment for youth and community groups
  • Grit bin for St Andrew’s Lane in conservation area-friendly colour
  • More bins
  • Road sign for approach road to JR (NB this may be funded from alternative sources)
  • Christmas lights (NB this will be funded by Headington Business Association this year)

David and Ruth invite more suggestions and ideas – it was explained that decisions on what will be proposed will be made at the next Ward Focus meeting on 18 October

Rob Lloyd-Sweet clarified the status of the Old Headington Conservation Area appraisal. Decisions on whether to permit planning applications in the conservation area will be made with reference to this document. It was made clear that any Action Plan developing from the Conservation Area Appraisal could be led by the community but would be best done through partnership working. Continuing concern over Ruskin’s proposals for the Fields was expressed.

ACTION POINTS FROM THE MEETING:

  • David: to discuss with Headington School traffic issues including parking on Latimer Rd, the development of buses from Thornhill and the lack of buses on Headley Way
  • Roy: next area forum on public transport should include issues related to cycling
  • Ruth: to check which emergency and non-emergency vehicles are allowed to access the JR via the Osler Road gate with the Transport Manager
  • Ruth, David and Altaf: committed to continue to campaign against the development of Headington Car Park
  • David: to investigate with Building Control the issue of utilities failing to tidy up properly after their works
  • Ruth: to attend a multi-agency meeting between city officers, TV Police, bus companies and language schools in September on behalf of Headington Neighbourhood Action Group
  • Altaf: to continue to pursue the issue of the bus gate at Osler Rd / London Rd
  • Ruth: to clarify at the next Neighbourhood Action Group why PCSOs patrol in pairs

Future Issues: community-led planning ; Old Road Campus (including Park Hospital development)

Date of next Ward Focus meeting: Tuesday 18 October 6.00-8.00 pm (venue to be arranged, discussions on-going with the NOC)

What matters to you at the JR

There is an open meeting on 19 October to give members of the public an opportunity to comment on hospital services

Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals: tell us what matters to you
Wednesday 19 October 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Tea and coffee available from 6.00pm
Lecture Room, George Pickering Education Centre
Level 3, John Radcliffe Hospital
Following a very successful engagement event on 11 April 2011 to discuss the quality of our service, the Trust is holding a follow up event for patients, clinicians and other people who kindly gave us their time to give us their views. We would like to invite you to come and help us make sure that your experiences in our hospitals are even better.
Please contact Laura Carpenter to register. Limited places available.
Email: laura.carpenter@orh.nhs.uk

Date and venue set for next Ward meeting!

Following the last very popular Ward Focus meeting, we have arranged another on

Tuesday 16 August

at Headington School

from 6.00-8.00 pm (formal meeting starts at 6.30)

There will be timed items as before so you can come and go as you please.  The agenda is as follows:

6.00-6.30   Surgery time & informal chat with councillors
6.30-7.10   Open debate, current planning applications, reports from Central and North Headington Residents’ Association & from Headington School
7.10-7.30   Tell us how we should spend our ward budgets!
7.30-7.50   Old Headington conservation area – what next?
7.50-8.00   Your ideas about issues to be covered next time
8.00-9.00   Close. Ruth and David will be in the pub afterwards if you want to bend their ears further!

There will be invited speakers from Headington School, CNHRA and Oxford City Council to let you know what’s going on, and to respond to your issues.

As always, we are looking forward to hearing YOUR views about the area in which you live.

We are grateful to Headington School for providing this venue.