Beech House construction traffic in Highfield

We have been contacted by a number of residents with concerns about the high volume of construction vehicles in various streets in Highfield. Residents have reported queues of construction vehicles in Latimer Road, a low loader in Stapleton Road, blocked access to driveways, use of a private road for construction vehicles turning and damage to trees.

The original construction access route approved with the planning consent specified entry and exit via London Road. London Road is now closed for three weeks for the energy pipe trench work. An application was sent to the City Council Planning Dept last week requesting alternative access to the site. There was recognition that this would entail the use of smaller vehicles. Councillors have not been sent a copy of this document so we don’t yet know the exact details.

The process for this type of variation application is for the planning officer to send out the revised scheme to County Council depts. for comment before making an informed decision under delegated authority.

The decision on whether or not to grant consent has not yet been made as comments are still being collated.

Until planning consent is given for a revised access plan,  we are advised that access to the site other than via London Road is technically a breach of condition of planning consent. It is possible to request investigation by the Planning Enforcement team if a breach of condition can be substantiated. In the light of the above complaints from residents, both Ruth and Highfield Residents’ Association have made a request for enforcement action.  We are awaiting a formal response from the City Council and will post it up on this site when we get it.

Ruth and Altaf have also written separately to the planning case officer to make sure that the impact on residents and particularly the safety of childen and families on their way to school is fully taken into account when the delegated decision is made on whether the revised plan should go ahead, and to ask for the County Networks Team to re-consider any comments they may already have made to reflect the experiences of today.

Frontier has sent the following statement following a full and frank discussion regarding construction traffic to/from the Winvic Beech House site.

We have spoken but to confirm I have spoken with our team and can report as follows:

The low loader that came today had not been booked and Winvic had no knowledge of its arrival. The vehicle has been removed and will not be returning to site and the contractor involved has been severely reprimanded.

There have been 2 lorries on Latimer Road and one is a stationary stud welding vehicle and needs positioning to carry out work. It will only be there today and will not be returning. The other deliveries are being called in as required.

Winvic are in touch with [redacted] at Oxfordshire and he is fully aware of what we have in place to manage construction traffic while the energy works are being carried out and the Construction Traffic Management Plan has been updated accordingly.

I can assure you that we will keep working to make sure our scheme runs smoothly with minimum disruption to the community. Please do let us know if there are any other issues.

Up The Junction latest

Roz and Altaf celebrate!

Roz and Altaf welcome the long awaited improvements

The County Council will start works at the junction of Lime Walk and All Saints Road on 7 April.  It will replace the existing timber bollards with new ones that have improved reflectors.  It will also install solar powered keep right/keep left traffic signs on each of the build outs to ‘improve driver awareness’. The estimated completion date is 11 April.

 

Lime Walk parking decision imminent

Item 4 on next week’s Delegated Cabinet Member Decisions meeting is on the removal of a parking bay from Lime Walk. There have been objections from Headington and Quarry County Councillor Roz Smith and the Highfield Residents’ Association.

The meeting is on Thursday 10 October at 11.00 at County Hall. Members of the public should contact Graham Warrington if they wish to speak.  Details as follows: Graham Warrington  Tel: (01865) 815321; E-mail: graham.warrington@oxfordshire.gov.uk

If you would like to look at the officer’s report, you can find it on the County Council’s website here.

Accidents in Headington

Photo courtesy of Headington News

Following the latest accident near the Shell service station in Headington,  David and I have contacted the county officer responsible for road safety to provide us with  a full report on the cause of the accident and how it was dealt with. We do understand your concerns about safety at this junction opposite Lime Walk and are lobbying for improvements

The Music of Lark Rise

Highfield Residents’ Association presents

THE MUSIC OF LARK RISE

at All Saints Church, Lime Walk

on Sat 26th May at 7.00pm

A year in the life of an Oxfordshire Village portrayed in songs and readings performed by Black Fox, and children from the Windmill School.

Proceeds go to Maggie’s Centre at the Churchill Hospital

Tickets: £5.00 (adults)  £2.00 (under 16s) on the door

Please support this charitable event

News on meeting with County planners

Ruth has supplied the County planners with a transcript of all the comments we have received from you on the All Saints/Lime Walk junction

Officers have agreed to look more closely at the lighting, drainage and sight line issues

They feel that the corner cutting across dropped kerbs by vehicles will stop when they put up timber bollards at the end of the month (6-8 in total) They will consult Highfield Residents Association on where these should go

The corner cutting is happening at the top of Latimer Road too, so we need to get this sorted out before there is a casualty

Officers want to stick with the idea of not having priority signage as they believe this makes drivers more cautious. This premise was challenged in our meeting!

The possibility of painting 20MPH roundels on the road has not been ruled out, but officers want to monitor the  speed of traffic following the works before a decision is taken on whether or not this is necessary

The County team is meeting reps from Highfield RA on Thursday

Temporary road closures in Lime Walk area from January 9th

A temporary Traffic Regulation Order has been arranged to apply a temporary road closures to various junctions in the vicinity of Lime Walk.  The order is required to enable traffic calming works to be implemented.   Access will be maintained for emergency service vehicles, the works and those residents within the closure area, subject to the progress of the works.

 The works will commence on 9th January, it is anticipated that they will take a total of 52 days to complete, but individual locations will only be closed for shorter periods. The Order will close the following roads, at their junctions described, for a distance of 20 metres:

Bickerton Road, from its junction with Old Road

Finch Close, from its junction with Old Road

Highfield Avenue, from its junction with Old Road

Lime Walk, from its junction with London Road

Lime Walk, from its junction with Old Road

Latimer Road, from its junction with London Road

Stapleton Road, from its junction with Old Road

Valentia Road, from its junction with Old Road. 

Local signage will indicate when restrictions and alternative routes are operative. Exemptions are included for police, fire and ambulance services and for the works and for access to premises which are only accessible from the closed sections of road.

Further information may be obtained from Elio Astone (01865 815258).

Here is a map showing diversion routes

Lime Walk area diversion route

Parking permits in Lime Walk

Objections to the proposal to exclude two properties in Lime Walk should be made to the County Council no later than 10 December –  the address is given below

THE OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL (HEADINGTON CENTRAL)

(CONTROLLED PARKING ZONE AND VARIOUS RESTRICTIONS) (VARIATION No.10) ORDER 20**

 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Oxfordshire County Council proposes to make the above mentioned Orders under Sections 32, 35, 45, and 46 of and Parts III & IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and all other enabling powers. 


The effect of the proposed Orders will be to amend

 

1. The City of Oxford (Headington West) (Controlled Parking Zone) Order 2000 (as amended) and revoke the Oxfordshire County Council (Headington West) (Controlled Parking Zone) (Variation No. 6) Order 2009, effectively replacing Schedule 7 Part A; and;

 

2.  The Oxfordshire County Council (Headington Central) (Controlled Parking Zone and Various Restrictions) Order 2005 (as amended) revoking the Oxfordshire County Council (Headington Central) (Controlled Parking Zone and Various Restrictions) (Variation No.8) Order 2009, effectively revoking and replacing Schedule 4 Part A.

 

 The effect of the proposals is to:

 

1     exclude the following properties from eligibility for residents and visitors permits in Headington West : Acorn Cottage (2A Finch Close), 50 Grays Road (Flats A, B, & C) and 1A and 1B Old Road.

                            

2.   exclude the following properties from eligibility for residents and visitors permits in Headington Central: 50A and 50B Lime Walk, 119A, 119B, 121A, and 121B London Road.

 

Documents giving more detailed particulars of the proposed Order are available for public inspection at County Hall, New Road, Oxford OX1 1ND from 9.00 am to 4.30 pm Monday to Friday during normal opening hours.

 

Objections to the proposal, specifying the grounds on which they are made, and any other representations, should be sent in writing to the Director for Environment and Economy (ref. MJR/TRO) at the address given below, no later than the 10th December 2009. The County Council will consider objections and representations received in response to this Notice. They may be disseminated widely for these purposes and made available to the public.

Dated:     15th August 2008

 

Huw Jones, Director for Environment and Economy, Oxfordshire County Council, Speedwell House

Speedwell Street, Oxford, OX1 1NE.