Temporary closure of Headington Hill this SUNDAY

The A420 Headington Road will be closed on Sunday 18th October from 08:00-15:00 between the junction of Marston Road and Gipsy Lane.

A “No Waiting” restriction will also apply. This means that vehicles will need to be removed from the highway where there are yellow “No Waiting” cones in place.

The closure is to enable tree work including tree removal by crane.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revised plans published for student blocks in Latimer Road

The Frontier amended plans are now on the website. The original application was for 175 students, but amended plans cite 167, see below.
15/00858/FUL | Demolition of residential houses at 36, 38 and 40 London Road and 2 Latimer Road. Erection of 167 student study rooms and ancillary facilities on 4 and 5 levels plus basement, together with 2 x 2-bed and 2 x 3-bed maisonettes. Provision of 4 car parking spaces, 88 cycle parking spaces, landscaped areas and ancillary works. (Amended description, amended plans and additional information) | 36 38 40 London Road And 2 Latimer Road Headington Oxford Oxfordshire OX3 7PA
http://public.oxford.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=NLARZ3MFJ8800
There is some delay time while the link loads as there are more than 400 documents  associated with this application
The end date for comments by residents and neighbours is now 29th October and the application will be determined by the East Area Planning Committee no earlier than Wed 2nd December

Is flooding a problem for you?

 

There will be a public meeting on Tuesday 13 October from 7:00-9:00 at the Town Hall called the Flood Forum.

The Forum is open to all residents across Oxford and gives people an opportunity to talk about flooding issues in their area to representatives of partner agencies including:

  • Environment Agency
  • Thames Water
  • Network Rail
  • Oxfordshire County Council
  • Oxford City Council

We are encouraging groups like the Stoke Place Residents’ Group, the Friends of Old Headington, and the Friends of Lye Valley to attend the meeting. If you have neighbours or friends affected by flooding issues in Oxford, please do encourage them to go along as this is their opportunity to raise their issues directly with the people who can make improvements.

 

Projects in Headington – recycling and energy

At our next meeting City Council speakers will tell us about the controversial new recycling initiative and we’ll have an update on a major new green energy project linking the JR and Churchill hospitals.

Please put the date in your diary

Tuesday 27 October

6:00 – 7:30 pm

Headington Ward Focus Meeting

Manor Hospital Conference Room, Beech Road 

If you would like to contact your Lib Dem city councillors for advice on any issue please contact

Latest planning decisions

…are on applications in Lime Walk, Staunton Road, the JR, Windmill Road, Stapleton Road and All Saints Road. Details below.

15/01730/FUL partly approved, partly refused

16 Lime Walk

[no details currently available as server down]

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15/01798/FUL PERMITTED

Demolition of existing conservatory. Erection of single storey rear extension

104 Staunton Road

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15/01932/FUL PERMITTED

Erection of single storey side and rear extensions

Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, JR

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15/02264/CPU PERMITTED

Application to certify that proposed formation of rear boxed dormer window in association with loft conversion is lawful

35 Windmill Road

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15/02281/FUL PERMITTED

Erection of a two-storey office building (Use class B1)

Land between 7 and 9 All Saints Road

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15/02409/FUL PERMITTED

Erection of outbuilding

13 Stapleton Road

 

 

Council IT update

The websites of the City Council and County Council have been down since the end of last week. Most systems have now been restored. The Customer Contact Centre is accepting calls and face-to-face visitors for all excluding Waste and Recycling enquiries. Switchboards are under a great deal of pressure.  Unfortunately the planning application search facility is still down but staff are working to resolve this.

Lib Dem County Group statement on potential closure of children’s centres

Oxfordshire’s 44 Children’s Centres provide a wide range of services to children and families. They are highly valued by all those who access them as places offering support and advice on the challenges of bringing up children from infancy to adulthood. 

The Tory administration’s proposals to reduce the number of Centres from 44 to 7 or 8 “hubs” will remove entirely the universal provision currently provided. In spite of the administration’s assertion that “there has been cross party agreement” on the issue, Liberal Democrats opposed the last OCC Tory budget on the grounds that the savings planned (particularly the proposed £6m of savings from the Children’s Centre Budget of £16m) was highly damaging to the social provision of the County Council and unacceptable. Nothing has changed in the last year except the threat from Central Government of yet more savings in the coming year. Liberal Democrats accept the need for savings, but believe that they could be found by some amalgamation and sharing of management, whilst keeping the pressure on Central Government to understand that there is no further room for major cuts in OCC Social care provision without cutting proven frontline valued services. Liberal Democrats also believe that such wholesale cutting is storing up untold social and financial costs for the future.  

As well as cutting most of the Centres themselves, the Tories propose to cut staff at the Children’s Centres by more than 50%. The redundancy costs involved will mean that very few savings will be delivered in early years. Furthermore, “Sure Start” money (given to Councils years ago to set up Children’s Centres may well have to be repaid. This again will limit any savings which the Tory proposals might generate.

The Tories propose to focus the little money left on “the most vulnerable” communities. A very large number of other families, currently accessing and benefiting from the Children’s Centres will get no service at all. There is every likelihood that some of those will quickly move into “the most vulnerable” category increasing future cost provision.

The Tory proposals are shortsighted, desperate  and will not work – even in financial terms.

In order to make all possible savings, Liberal Democrats are arguing that the Council’s effort and energy would be much better spent researching, consulting and persuading the District Councils, the Parish Councils, Schools and the Children’s centres themselves to find ways of running the Centres leaving the County Council to provide the Social care expertise. This would generate more immediate and long lasting savings.