Old Road works and bus route change

There was traffic chaos in Headington yesterday as motorists tried to grapple with the road works in the Old Road area. The level of consultation and information-giving to residents and road users appears to have been inadequate and we have complained about this on your behalf

Here is our latest information from the County officer

It is our intention to close the eastern section of Old
Road as part of the overall traffic management plan allowing the system to operate under 3-way control (and a pedestrian phase) to ease congestion in the area and specifically at the junction.  This does mean that traffic, including the number 10 bus will be diverted onto adjacent routes; to the north, the diversion route is via Margaret Road and York Road, and to the south, via Titup Hall Drive and Wood Farm Road.
Currently the closure of this section of Old Road is planned for Monday next week and will continue for approx 3 weeks whilst the works are completed and new permanent traffic signals are commissioned.

There is going to be a meeting today (Tuesday) to confirm that the changes above will definitely go ahead and to review whether suitable alternative routes will work. There is a lot of concern about the safety of Wood Farm school children during this period as the traffic volume near the school will be high

We shall update you as we get more information.

Action on Language schools

At our Ward Focus meeting, you raised concerns about language school students in terms of overcrowding at bus stops and slowness of boarding buses. People had also raised related issues about underage drinking and littering in the parks at our Neighbourhood Action Group meeting

Ruth attended a multi-agency meeting at the Town Hall on Monday which discussed these and other related issues. There were representatives from the City Council (Safer Communities team) including a member of the Senior Management Team, the bus companies, Thames Valley Police, the language schools and ward councillors.

We agreed that language schools made a significant contribution to Oxford in terms of its economy, its cultural diversity, and its international reputation.

Four major themes were discussed: crowding, alcohol and litter in parks, noise and low level ASB, and the vulnerability of the students themselves. A press release will follow.

Ruth will update residents at our next Ward Focus meeting .

JOIN RUTH & DAVID AT THE NEXT WARD FOCUS MEETING

These regular meetings are proving popular, with what one resident has called their ‘lively and neighbourly atmosphere’. So come along!

6pm, 18th October  JR Hospital, Lecture Room 1

Barton Area Action Plan

Officers have sent us an update on the Barton Area Action Plan.

The key thing to note is that the next stage of public consultation (on the AAP Proposed Submission – the document that sets out the Council’s draft planning policies) will take place early in 2012, rather than between early November and mid-December 2011. The reason for this is that there is still some important technical work on transport and drainage to complete.

A meeting of the Barton and Northway Working Group will be arranged soon when council officers can feed back the results from the latest public consultation.

Your views count! PCSO patrol patterns

A resident asked why PCSOs patrol in pairs at our last Headington Ward Focus meeting, and Ruth agreed to find out from our Neighbourhood Sergeant.

Sergeant Claire Grant has discussed this with Neighbourhood Inspector Marc Tarbit and they have made the decision that until 2100hrs the PCSOs should be single crewed (unless an operational reason necessitates them working together) as it makes sense to increase the visibility on the area as much as they can.

It’s good to know that our Neighbourhood team is responsive to the questions you ask. Don’t forget that you are always welcome to make suggestions for service improvements at our ward meetings; we promise to listen to what you tell us, and we do our best to take forward and resolve the issues you raise.

Outcome of hearing on 29 Old High Street

The appeal hearing requested by the owner of property at 29 Old High Street took place last Friday. An earlier ruling by the Magistrates Court upheld the Council’s decision to serve a section 215 notice on the owner to ‘tidy up’ the property.

The owner appealed against the decision of the Magistrates Court but the Judge upheld the ruling that the notice should be served. She also ordered the owner to pay £2,000 costs in addition to the £1,600 awarded to the Council in the earlier case. The owner now has  6 months to tidy up the property in the way the Notice sets out.

This comes as a great relief to those living in the neighbourhood of what must have been at one time a most attractive house in the Old Headington conservation area. We hope that the necessary repairs will be effected as soon as possible now that the court case has been resolved.


Notes/Action Points from Ward Focus Meeting

64 residents attended as well as City Cllrs Ruth Wilkinson and David Rundle, and County Councillor Altaf Khan and (from 7:15pm) Roy Darke.

The Bursar from Headington School gave a short welcome and presentation on the School’s plans

Reports back from our last meeting:

  • David‘s meeting with the Director of Estates at the JR will be scheduled on the latter’s return  from holiday
  • The permission for the Manor Ground development is nearing completion
  • Altaf has ensured that a county officer makes a site visit to the bus gate on 17 August  to make safety recommendations
  • Ruth has investigated issues relating to bus passes and language school students; she has contacted bus companies, language schools and the City officers and is pooling her list of language school contacts with other agencies. Several residents made informed contributions re the lapsed Language Schools Forum

The new system of Ward Member Budgets was introduced. It was explained that David and Ruth would be pooling their budgets (ie £3,000 in total) to use on improvements in Headington. Residents suggested small projects on which David and Ruth’s ward budget could be spent:

  • Ramp access to All Saints Church Hall
  • DIY traffic calming and speed indication devices
  • Painting of lamp posts in Old Headington (NB this is in hand)
  • More 20 MPH roundels painted on roads
  • Grant towards heating system in All Saints Church
  • Education for cyclists
  • Watering of small trees in London Road
  • Equipment for youth and community groups
  • Grit bin for St Andrew’s Lane in conservation area-friendly colour
  • More bins
  • Road sign for approach road to JR (NB this may be funded from alternative sources)
  • Christmas lights (NB this will be funded by Headington Business Association this year)

David and Ruth invite more suggestions and ideas – it was explained that decisions on what will be proposed will be made at the next Ward Focus meeting on 18 October

Rob Lloyd-Sweet clarified the status of the Old Headington Conservation Area appraisal. Decisions on whether to permit planning applications in the conservation area will be made with reference to this document. It was made clear that any Action Plan developing from the Conservation Area Appraisal could be led by the community but would be best done through partnership working. Continuing concern over Ruskin’s proposals for the Fields was expressed.

ACTION POINTS FROM THE MEETING:

  • David: to discuss with Headington School traffic issues including parking on Latimer Rd, the development of buses from Thornhill and the lack of buses on Headley Way
  • Roy: next area forum on public transport should include issues related to cycling
  • Ruth: to check which emergency and non-emergency vehicles are allowed to access the JR via the Osler Road gate with the Transport Manager
  • Ruth, David and Altaf: committed to continue to campaign against the development of Headington Car Park
  • David: to investigate with Building Control the issue of utilities failing to tidy up properly after their works
  • Ruth: to attend a multi-agency meeting between city officers, TV Police, bus companies and language schools in September on behalf of Headington Neighbourhood Action Group
  • Altaf: to continue to pursue the issue of the bus gate at Osler Rd / London Rd
  • Ruth: to clarify at the next Neighbourhood Action Group why PCSOs patrol in pairs

Future Issues: community-led planning ; Old Road Campus (including Park Hospital development)

Date of next Ward Focus meeting: Tuesday 18 October 6.00-8.00 pm (venue to be arranged, discussions on-going with the NOC)

Date and venue set for next Ward meeting!

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.