You are invited to your February Ward Focus meeting

NEXT HEADINGTON WARD FOCUS MEETING

The next public meeting for residents who live in Headington Ward will be on

Tuesday 27th February

Ruskin College Board Room, Dunstan Road, Old Headington OX3 9BZ

from 6:00-7:30 pm

Guest speaker: Pat Woods, Abandoned Vehicles Officer at Oxford City Council 

Ward Focus meetings are run on a drop in and out basis and are free of charge. There is an open session where residents can raise issues of concern. There’s no need to book.

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

Latimer Road – the sorry saga continues

The latest news on the surfacing, signing and lining in Latimer Road following the works done by Winvic is depressing for residents.

We are advised as follows.

A new Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) has been prepared for Latimer Road – the development at Beech House has prompted some changes in the old one. The new TRO is in place but can’t be enforced until the construction site has been vacated.

The County Council and Winvic made a verbal agreement that Winvic would make good the road surfaces/kerbs damaged by construction vehicles at the end of the project. Since that time there has been a succession of site managers at the Latimer Road site, and the exact nature of the ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ is now being challenged. There is email correspondence to show the agreement was made, and there are many many photographs on file showing damage being incurred.

The agreement was to resurface the part of Latimer Road from London Road down to just past the Latimer Grange access road, ready for re-lining in accordance with the TRO.

There was a slight mix-up last weekend – the lining team could not do scheduled work, found out that there had been large numbers of complaints on Fix My Street about Latimer Road, and re-lined Latimer Road but in line with the old TRO. This has led to some confusion.

The lines will be re-done when the road has been resurfaced, and the resurfacing of the road cannot happen until the company agrees the cost of reparation with the County Council. At the moment, an offer has been made which is short of the amount specified in the County quote. Once those discussions are resolved (the matter is currently being considered by Winvic directors) then the work can go ahead, the lining can be re-done in line with the new TRO, signage will be put up and parking can then be enforced. But clearly we don’t yet know when that will be.

This is a matter of great concern to councillors and residents, and we are doing all we can do expedite its resolution.

 

 

 

 

Labour goes ahead with whopping car park tariff increase

At tonight’s City Executive Board meeting, the Labour Group confirmed that it will still go ahead with a percentage rise in car park charges in Headington that is unparalleled elsewhere in the City.

Labour’s budget will propose the following charges for Headington Car Park and St Leonard’s Road Car Park: (currently £1.70 for 0-2 hours)

0-1 hour  £2.00

1-2 hours £2.50

No consultation has been carried out with residents and businesses on these changes. Once again Labour is imposing top down measures without asking for residents’ views.

Car park charges – Altaf speaks up for Headington

Altaf is attending tonight’s City Executive Board meeting to make a case for Labour’s CEB to treat Headington as a special case in this budget round of car park tariff increases. Here is the case he is making on behalf of residents and businesses.

The current parking charge is £1.70 for 0-2 hours.

The proposals are:
(a) To introduce new tariff bands in line with other suburban car parks (b) To make charges £2.00 for 0-1 hour and £2.50 for 1-2 hours

Points to note

  • CEB agreed to the single two-hour tariff in 2011, its aim was to encourage longer stay in Headington and support local businesses & the Farmers’ Market (which is now weekly, and profits go to community activities).
  • In the budget consultation, over 500 people signed a petition asking for the earlier proposal of a £2.50 rate for 0-2 hours to be withdrawn, so there is evidence that there will be substantial resistance to increased charges.
  • The current proposals are contrary to the expressed wishes of the public. Headington Neighbourhood Plan was made in 2017 and for which there was overwhelming support in the referendum. It states:“The Business and Retail PWG supports the improvement of traffic flow in Headington to enhance the experience of potential customers in the area’s main shopping and business area on London Road and Windmill Road. To this end it proposes that:BRC1: Changes to Car Parking ChargesAt off-peak times only, the car parks on St Leonard’s Road and Old High Street should provide free parking for 30 minutes followed by stepped parking charges.”
  • There has been no consultation with residents or businesses either on the changed tariff bands now proposed or on the newly proposed charges.
  • There is no evidence that any risk assessment on the local business economy has been carried out.
  • The data on which Oxford City Council has based its estimated income figures from these proposed charges was derived from usage data collected from other car parks in the city including Summertown: no statistics are available on length of stay at Headington Car Parks for 0-1 as opposed to 1- 2 hours. This methodology is flawed as it does not take into account local factors.We understand the assumption that Summertown and Headington tariffs should be brought in line, but how that is done without an unreasonably big jump for Headington shoppers and visitors is difficult. We are concerned this may have a negative impact on the sustainability and vitality of the Headington district centre and its Saturday market without demonstrable evidence to the contrary.We believe there is a sound case for CEB to consider imposing a transitional tariff for one year only. During that year, better length of stay data can be collected specific to the two Headington car parks, and there will be time to assess the economic impact, if any, that the intermediate increases in parking charges may have on the vitality of the district centre and its adjacent amenities, Bury Knowle Park and the Library.Submitted by Headington Ward Cllrs Altaf-Khan and Ruth Wilkinson.

Rationale for Access to Headington scheme

The following statement was sent today by one of the County Council transport planners in response to queries about the validity of the Access to Headington improvements. We display it here for the benefit of residents.

I can confirm that prior to government funding being awarded the project was subject to a full Department for Transport business case. This confirmed that the proposals would deliver significant benefits linked to reduced vehicle delay and an uptake in cycling as a result of junction improvements and new and improved cycle lanes and priority at junctions. This was reported in a paper that went to a Cabinet Member Decisions meeting in June 2016, when the scheme was also approved by the county council following an extensive period of consultation. The paper can be viewed via the following webpage. I can confirm that prior to government funding being awarded the project was subject to a full Department for Transport business case. This confirmed that the proposals would deliver significant benefits linked to reduced vehicle delay and an uptake in cycling as a result of junction improvements and new and improved cycle lanes and priority at junctions. This was reported in a paper that went to a Cabinet Member Decisions meeting in June 2016, when the scheme was also approved by the county council following an extensive period of consultation. The paper can be viewed via the following webpage

The same paper also confirmed that alternative roundabout designs were considered early in the design process for the Marston Road/Headley Way/Marsh Lane junctions. However, detailed modelling confirms that these designs would still cause large queues and delay, whereas junction modelling of the proposed signalised arrangement estimates that total vehicle delay and queuing will be significantly reduced. As a result, more of the junction’s capacity can be given over to prioritising buses through selective vehicle detection, cycle safety can be improved with the introduction of cycle pre-signals, and additional controlled crossings for pedestrians and cyclists can be installed, without having a negative impact on general traffic. 

In terms of the bus-link at Northway then this was planned for local bus services only given the roads in Northway are narrow and the route to the JR Hospital less direct than the B4495, which also serves more destinations. Furthermore, the Access to Headington aligns with the Oxford Transport Strategy (OTS), which proposes a series of projects that look to address citywide connectivity on Oxford’s orbital and radial routes, with proposed improvements on the B4495 delivering the first phase of infrastructure needed to achieve rapid transit and cycle networks as set out in the OTS. There have no changes to the OTS since Access to Headington was planned, design and consulted on which would require the scheme to be re-considered.  

 

Access to Headington – latest news from County Council

The County Council is still waiting for additional funding to be approved.

In the meantime they are still looking to get preparatory works completed to reduce the level of disruption when works start in earnest. With that in mind they want to continue some off-peak working on the islands outside the JR access on Headley Way.

They are aiming to turn their attention to the roundabout this time. Key points to note:

  • Working off-peak weekdays (Mon 12 Feb – Fri 16 Feb) 9:30 – 3:30.
  • This will take advantage of the reduced demand due to half term and mean they get the most difficult pieces done when fewer people are travelling.
  • Temporary lights will be on during the posted times
  • A temporary roundabout will be reinstated after works are completed.

The Slade

Significantly less work has been going on over the last few days. Overnight temperatures need to be higher in order that materials can properly cure and allow the line markings and anti-skid to last as long as possible.

End to disruption in Latimer Road in sight?

Advice from planning enforcement is that the handover of the site from Winvic to the university is scheduled for this afternoon. This will hopefully see a noticeable reduction in the number of contractors involved with the site on a daily basis and a reduction in the number of vehicles at the site.

Short term parking should ease now that Winvic’s involvement is coming to an end. The disabled parking space is free and available for use.

The container on the road will be removed today along with the plant machinery as well so the road and site should be a little more clear. The skip onsite will be exchanged today in preparation for the final phase of planting/landscaping which is scheduled from 16th February 2018.

All of Winvic’s involvement with the 36-40 London Road site is being handed over today. Site manager Mark Wait is onsite to oversee this.  They will have obviously have some involvement with the tree planting but Brookes will be overseeing a lot of this.

Following the planting/landscaping, there is to be the resurfacing of ‘worn’ section of Latimer Road. This will leave the area looking much better and should be the last stage of disruptive work in the general area of the site. The date for this is yet to be confirmed. We are checking to see if damage to Latimer Grange will also be rectified.

Latest proposals for increased parking charges in City-owned car parks

Current charges for Headington Car Park are £1.70 for 0-2 hours.

The City Council has withdrawn the proposed hike to £2.50 for 0-2 hours after hundreds of people opposed it.

The City Council has made alternative proposals in appendix 7 to item 8 on the agenda for the next CEB meeting on 13th February. New proposed charges at Headington Car Parks are:

£2.00 for 0-1 hour

£2.50 for 1-2 hours

You can see the full figures here (go to appendix 7)

These proposals do not reflect the views of the public made during the Headington Neighbourhood Plan referendum in which there was a stated need to make the first half hour of parking in City Car Parks free.

If you would like to ask a question about this decision at next week’s City Executive Board meeting, here is the process.

Attending meetings

City Executive Board meetings are held in public and you are welcome to attend.

Meeting dates and start times are on the calendar and a notice of each meeting is posted at the front of the Town Hall on St. Aldate’s, Oxford.  The majority of meetings are held in the Town Hall.

On occasions the meeting will agree to consider an item in private and if this is the case you will be asked to leave.  This happens within limited circumstances for reasons that you will see detailed on the agenda and listed in our constitution.

Asking questions, making comments or speaking

When the Chair agrees, up to 15 minutes is allocated for all public questions. Questions can be asked about any item for decision at the meeting. 

They must be sent in writing to the Head of Law and Governance in advance of the meeting.  

For a Thursday meeting, questions must be submitted by 9.30am Tuesday.  

You should email executiveboard@oxford.gov.uk or telephone Catherine Phythian, Committee and Member Services Officer. Tel: 01865 252217

No supplementary questions or questioning is permitted.

Ruth and Altaf are number-crunching alternative tariffs and charges in order to achieve a fairer outcome and a Headington Ward Councillor will speak at the CEB meeting. We are very concerned that these changes are being proposed and decided upon  without further public consultation.

Careers information event coming soon at the Mini Plant

Careers Fest is taking place on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th February at the MINI Plant Oxford.  The event highlights opportunities available to young people in Oxfordshire.

Over 55 exhibitors are signed up, consisting of employers, further education colleges, universities and training organisations and to date there are over 1,800 people registered to attend.  This year also sees the introduction of a twilight session aimed at parents, carers/guardians and families, along with FE/HE students.

If you would like to see careers fest in action please pop in to see staff during the following times;

  • Tuesday 6thFebruary        9:30am – 2:45pm (avoid 1pm – 1:45pm as this is lunchtime)
  • Tuesday 6thFebruary        4pm – 7pm
  • Wednesday 7thFebruary    9:30am – 11:45am