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
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.
From Thursday 28 July 2011 callers to the main number 01865 249811 will be asked to select from the following updated menu options to route their call to the appropriate service:
Option 1: for recycling, waste, street services and private drainage (caller transferred to a second menu then to either a trained member of Contact Centre staff or the Direct Services Team)
Option 2: for MOT testing and car parking (caller transferred to a second menu of services then to either the Direct Services or Car Park Teams)
Option 3: for housing (caller transferred to a 2nd menu of services then to either a trained member of Contact Centre staff or Housing Needs Team)
Option 4: for benefits, council tax or business rates (caller transferred to a second menu of services then to a trained member of Contact Centre staff)
Option 5: for planning or building control (caller transferred to a second menu of services then to either the Planning or Building Control Teams)
Option 6: for pest, noise, dogs, licensing, pollution or food safety (caller transferred to a second menu of services then to the Environmental Development Team)
Option 7: for sports, parks or leisure facilities (caller transferred to a second menu of services then to either Sports Booking team or a message advising to call Fusion direct)
No option selected: caller offered chance to hear all menu options again or to speak to a trained member of Contact Centre staff
Those of you who attended the last Area Committee meeting will know that there was a £20K carry-forward sum left over from the last council year from the committee’s funding allocation for community projects in the North East area of the City, comprising Headington, Barton, Marston, Wood Farm, Northway and Quarry. At that time it was unclear how youth services and library services would continue next year. It was agreed that an application for the £20K to be carried forward for projects in this ring-fenced North-East area up until Christmas 2011 would be submitted.
The Corporate Management Team at the City Council (officers) has discussed carry-forward items and a “Provisional outturn report for the year ended 31st March 2011” has made recommendations to the City Executive Board (councillors) to approve a list of approved carry forward requests. Click here for details
We can’t find any mention of the £20K carry-forward for projects in our area in this report so we assume the council officers don’t think this is a priority.
Ruth will ask CEB to reconsider this officer-led decision at next week’s meeting. Councillors Coulter, McManners and Lygo are members of CEB and are also members representing wards in the NE Area
Oxford City Council is introducing the chargeable service in May which will replace the current green hessian sacks.
Residents will be able to choose the size of their brown wheelie bin or opt for biodegradable eco sacks as an alternative or to complement the bin.
The service will cost £35 a year for the brown wheelie bin. Eco Sacks come in packs of 10 for £25 or 20 for £35.
Residents can keep their hessian sacks to use in the garden, or elsewhere. But these won’t be emptied after the end of April. The new scheme is entirely voluntary.
A card will be placed on people’s bins within the city in the next two weeks to inform them of the change.
If you would like more information about how to deal with recycling and waste click here, email recycling@oxford.gov.uk or telephone 01865 248911.
These changes were voted through as part of the Labour budget in February
There is a new post on the Oxford City Council website showing some interesting figures on the two hundred years of the census in Oxford. You can find it here.
Some of you may have heard that the City Council is consulting on how to make decisions. Ruth and I both have strong opinions on this issue — and I’ll speak my mind at another point — but what matters now is that you let your voice be heard. The deadline for consultation is next month but decision are being made right now about the budget which will cut the present arrangements for civic engagement. No wonder the consultation itself is not well publicised. But that makes it all the more important that you do make sure you give your views. Here’s the webpage to go to:
Remember: the deadline is Friday, 25th March. And we would be very interested to hear what you have to say so do also drop us an e-mail or comment on this site. Thanks!
Have a green Christmas this year and recycle your Christmas tree at one of 17 recycling points across the city after the festive season.
Old Christmas trees will be turned into wood chips and used in the city’s parks and open spaces.
Christmas Tree collection points are open from Tuesday 4 January to Sunday 16 January.
The collection points are:
Alexandra Tennis Courts, Middle Way, Summertown
Atkyns Road,Wood Farm
Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre car park
Blackbird Leys Park car park
Bury Knowle Park, North Place car park
Cutteslowe Park, Harbord Road car park
Elizabeth Green, Northway
Florence Park, Cowley
Green Road, Risinghurst
Hinksey Park, Abingdon Road
Long Lane, Littlemore
Manzil Way Gardens, Cowley Road
Margaret Road Recreation Ground
Meadow Lane Recreation Ground, Jackdaw Lane
Oatlands Recreation Ground, Ferry Hinksey Road (car park)
South Park, Morrell Avenue
Sunnymead Recreation Ground, by play area
I don’t know about you, but I’m finding it tricky to keep up with all the consultations that are happening at the moment, especially as many are online and can be easily overlooked!
A pre-application briefing has been sent to residents groups by the University of Oxford relating to a prospective redevelopment of land at their Old Road Campus. A meeting will be held on 20/1/11 by the University with residents’ group reps. There is no application submitted to date, but if you want more details please contact your local residents’ group or get in touch with David or me
The City Council has a number of consultations happening right now. These include:
Parks and open spaces (ends 31 Dec)
Housing strategy (ends 17 Jan)
The budget 2011-2015 (ends 31 Dec)
Implementation of dog control orders (ends 31Jan)
These can all be accessed via the City Council’s consultation page here.
There will be an open meeting for Highfield residents to discuss the revised Highfield scheme on 6 JanuaryThe consultation on whether funding should be discontinued by the County Council for Bury Knowle Library will be held between March and May 2011.
We have called in the decision on increased car parking charges in the Headington District Centre (by double in one case!) for further scrutiny on 10 January. The paper showing these prospective increases can be accessedhere – please click on the link from item 8 to view it. If you have any comments on this document please email either David or me as soon as possible
We have held site meetings over the past couple of weeks with county officers, representatives of the contractor, residents and representatives of voluntary groups to sort out some concerns and perceptions about various aspects of the London Road project. These are some of the issues we raised
1La Croissanterie/Monaco, Old High Street
Extra bollard to be put in by access road to stop Waitrose delivery lorries mounting the kerb near Monaco (safer for pedestrians)
Bike racks to be re-positioned to increase pavement space for buggies and wheelchairs outside the cafe
2Stephen Road/Nat West corner
Road surface will be brought up to pavement height with gentle slope to rest of Stephen Road surface. It will be OK for buggies once this has been done
Look both ways sign still being debated: pedestrians assume the raised box is a crossing point pedestrian stop place, but it’s a box to govern the lights for the bus gate. County officers consider this an unsafe crossing place for pedestrians so they have raised the platform and covered it in pyramidal shapes that are harder to stand on
Confusion over white line dividing cycle track/pedestrian footway and the white kerb edging for partially sighted people – we are informed that this will improve as soon as the kerb edges get worn and dirty
4Junction with Kennett Road
Litter bin obtrusive on corner and spoils sight lines for motorists emerging from junction, officers will consider moving this to a location next to the bus shelter on the South side
5Noticeboard on the south side of London Rd and bus shelter
Bus shelter to be installed adjacent to noticeboard so the latter will then not stick out so obviously and will get read.
Bus shelter only has a back to it so the shelter will give some shelter from the west
Bus stop to be placed as before except that the coach stop is moving further up London Road
6 Lamp post by pedestrian crossing (outside Iceland) in front of pedestrian crossing
This is still a concern. A lamp post has been positioned directly in front of the pedestrian crossing and a partially sighted resident has objected to this
Lighting is needed thereabouts for safety at the crossing and from the construction point of view needs to be at a building line (this happens to be exactly where the crossing is located). Lamps also have to be alternate sides of London Road so this one has to be in that area
We asked if we could combine the lamp post and the pole with the pedestrian crossing button on it in one pole: this would require a lamp column with a wider base, in part to accommodate the extra electrical fittings needed. This appears to be something that can’t be changed at this stage, but we have asked our county councillors to assist in lobbying for this
If the lamp post can’t be relocated, then we decided that lines should be painted on it so that partially sighted people can see it more clearly, possibly black lines (for contrast against the grey) at eye height (standing) and another at eye height (wheelchair)
7London Road (Andrews estate agents)
The landlord for this property did not wish to take part in the repaving scheme. The management of the uneven surfaces and area around the tree outside is the responsibility of the landlord, not the County Council. The Area Steward’s team has advised them that they are responsible for any accident occurring on that private land and that they are likely to be sued by members of the general public should they trip or fall in that area
