The City Council has been swamped with requests for brown bins or the new bags and demand had outstripped supply.
Officers advise that
We now have bins back in stock and delivering with upto four crews instead of the one. All should have their new bin within 10 working days of ordering by the end of the month. In the meantime crews will empty the hessian bags until the residents new bin arrives until the end of the month when normal delivery times will be being met (10 WORKING days from clearance of payment)
One of the City Officers has sent us through instructions on how to tell whether properties in the City have HMO licences. This involves using “LocalView” on the City Council’s website.
To get to this page (which is surprisingly difficult if you use search terms like Local and View (!)) you can take one of two options:
either
1. Go to http:\\www. oxford.gov.uk Choose “About Oxford”
On the drop down menu, choose “Your neighbourhood”
The Street Warden service changes today and becomes the Community Response Team, with Community Wardens having a greater focus on tackling anti-social behaviour including environmental crime and enforcement.
The new contact number is 01865 252080.
The service will provide a rapid response investigative service for the whole of the city, focused on deterring, tackling and reducing anti-social behaviour. Their main areas of work will be working with other Council teams and partners to reduce:
Interpersonal, malicious behaviour directed against an individual or group
Environmental damage
Behaviour that restricts use of public spaces
David and I can now bid for extra resource from us in any area of particular need or with specific tasking and operations, so please let us know directly if you have any concerns as well as phoning the above number.
If you have a reliable and presentable car, that you only use a few hours each week, then you might be able to make great savings by putting it into the Car Club. Then your neighbours get to use it too! The cost of insuring, taxing and maintaining it are covered for you!
If you are interested in leasing your car, please email info@oxcar.co.uk or see their website for more details
Part 7 of our series showing our manifesto in practice
Lib Dem manifesto p.23
“If you choose micro-generation, you will be able to sell the energy back to the National Grid at a profit, with a more attractive feed-in tariff than under current government plans”
Feed-in tariffs were protected under the spending review. Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne has announced that the Renewable Heat Incentive, which pays for every kilowatt hour of heat produced, will go ahead in 2011
Lib Dem manifesto p.58
“Begin a ten year programme of home insulation, offering a home energy improvement package of up to £10,000 per home, paid for by the savings from lower energy bills, and make sure every new home is fully energy-efficient by improving building regulations.”
At the beginning of November, Chris Huhne announced the Green Deal. Through the Green Deal, people will be able to pay the up front costs of home insulation work through the lower bills that will result.
We’ve also recognised that those in fuel poverty need extra help. This is why, under the new Energy Company Obligation, we’ll be requiring energy companies to help poorer customers, by providing basic heating and insulation to the most vulnerable households. Until the Green Deal and ECO kick in, we’ve put in place the Warm Home Discount which will help around 2m households per year take up to an anticipated £130 off their bills.
Lib Dem manifesto p.58
“We will set out a clear renewable route map to 2050, covering grid access and investment in electricity networks.”
We are mapping out the path to renewable energy in 2050, and have enabled £110bn investment in low carbon electricity infrastructure over the next decade.
Lib Dem manifesto p.59
“Block any new coal-fired power stations – the most polluting form of power generation – unless they are accompanied by the highest level of carbon capture and storage facilities.”
Chris Huhne has stated the coalition would not allow any new coal power station to be built without being equipped with CCS technology.
Lib Dem manifesto p.62
“We will increase the UK’s aid budget to reach the UN target of 0.7% of GNI by 2013”
The overseas aid budget has been protected from cuts and will rise to £11.5bn over the next four years. The effect will be that the UK will reach the United Nations goal of giving 0.7% of national income by 2013.
Lib Dem manifesto p.63
“We will prioritise health and education programmes in the developing world which aim to promote gender equality and reduce maternal and infant mortality”
In September 2010, Nick Clegg announced that the government will refocus its aid efforts to put the lives of women in developing countries at its heart.
Lib Dem manifesto p.68
“We will hold a full judicial enquiry into allegations of British complicity in torture and state kidnapping as part of a process to restore Britain’s reputation for decency and fairness.”
The coalition government has announced a judicial enquiry into Britain’s role in torture and rendition since the al-Qaida attacks of September 2001. A three-person inquiry panel will be headed by Sir Peter Gibson, a former appeal court judge, who is currently commissioner for the intelligence services.
It was a great privilege to attend the opening of the Fair Trade Shop in London Road this lunchtime and to thank all those concerned for their dogged hard work and enthusiasm in bringing us this exciting new venture.
I was particularly interested in the Ecover containers of fabric softener, non bio laundry liquid, and washing up liquid available – at last, there is no need to buy plastic containers full of washing up liquid, just bring in your old ones and fill them up in the shop! What a great idea, and one that I know will appeal to many Headington residents who are concerned about their environment
It’s always been confusing for residents (and us councillors too!) to know which neighbourhood team to contact for issues in and around the London Road and adjacent streets. The setting up of one team to cover the whole of Headington is really good news for local residents and David and I have lobbied hard for this, for some time!
The Headington North and South neighbourhoods have now amalgamated and cover the whole of Headington. The new email address to contact the team is Headington@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk . The members of the team are listed below so please feel free to contact them with any questions.
Sgt Claire Grant
PC Chris Miles
PCSO Dave Hession
PCSO Rachel Cooper
PCSO Steph Barras
PCSO Eva Jordan
The change is so new, the web links haven’t changed yet, but we will endeavour to make the necessary changes to our local information link when we know more!
Following on from the presentation by county officers at area committee, David and I have submitted proposals for local schemes to be included within the county’s LTP3 “long list” (or should this be “wishlist”?) both directly to the County and also as part of the City Council response
These include:
1. Develop a transport strategy for Headington District Centre and beyond
2. Traffic calming/reduce congestion in Highfield area
3. Traffic calming/reduce congestion in Old Headington
4. Osler Rd cycle safety measures
5. Sandfield Rd/London Rd junction improvement
6. 20 mph soft enforcement measures in Headington residential streets
7. Improve safety at Windmill Rd/London Rd junction
8. Develop cycle routes parallel to London Rd, Headington
9. Improve cycle routes between Brookes Headington and Brookes Wheatley
10. Facilitate closer working of bus companies to rationalise services
through Headington
11. Improve bus access to/from Risinghurst
12. Upgrade bus service 10 to premium route
13. Review re-instatement of box markings on London Road
The long list will be collated from responses from members of the public and consultees in January. It will be whittled down to a shorter list at a later stage. It has been made clear to us that there will be little money available for LTP3 schemes in the next couple of years because of restrictions by the Tory administration on infrastructure spending, but we hope that one or two of the above schemes can be included in the final plan for relatively little cost.
The Tory cabinet has set down priority objectives for city schemes – if any scheme on the long list satisfies one or more of the following high priority objectives, it stands a better chance of being included within the final action plan:
reduce congestion
develop and increase the use of high quality, welcoming public transport
develop and increase cycling and walking for local journeys, recreation and health
Personally speaking, I would like to have seen “measures to reduce casualties and dangers associated with travel” given high priority along with “reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality and reducing environmental impact” from traffic. These latter objectives are considered to be ‘medium’ priority and no more by the County Cabinet, which makes decisions on transport in the city despite possessing not one single democratically elected councillor in the whole of Oxford City.
The draft plan is due to be completed in October 2010 and will come into effect from 2011-2030
The Oxford City Homes Contact Centre is now able to deal with your bin collection, recycling, bulky refuse and street services enquiries on the Oxford City Homes freephone number – tel0800 227676.
For out of hours emergency waste, recycling and street services enquiries, call the duty out of hours officer on 07802 904000.
