Thanks to you, we won! Headington Ward election results

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Congratulations to newly elected Headington Ward councillor Altaf Khan! Here are today’s City Council election results in which we increased our majority significantly. More votes were cast for Altaf than for the other three candidates combined.

Altaf – Lib Dems – 946

Con 234

Green 181

Lab 514

Many thanks to all for your support! We shall publish dates of our future Ward Focus meetings shortly. Now for the hard work ahead!

 

Altaf takes over from David in local elections

As you may know that David is standing down for a well-earned break after serving the people of Headington for 12 years.  He has moved to a new job further afield  but will stay in touch with Headington issues. We don’t let members of our team escape that easily!

IMG_1669David has achieved much in that time and has made it very clear that his successor should be an experienced and able councillor to meet the needs of such a busy ward.

Happily Altaf has both those qualities. Many of you know Altaf already as he was your elected County Councillor before the boundaries changed last year. He has also served as Ward Councillor for Headington Hill and Northway Ward since 2006, and is a valuable member of our Headington Lib Dem Councillors team.

Altaf’s County Council experience is extensive, particularly in the key areas of education and community safety. He has taken part in a review to raise educational attainment in primary schools across the County. In his time at the City, he has been an Executive Board Member for community development and community safety.

As a ward councillor he has served on planning committees and made representations on behalf of residents on major housing, transport and parking changes.

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Altaf is keen to make Headington a cleaner, greener area. He is campaigning for litter blackspots across Headington to be cleaned up and for the removal of graffiti across the ward. He listens to public concern and knows that residents don’t feel they are consulted properly about changes affecting their neighbourhood. He is fighting for greater community involvement in planning decisions.

Altaf has lived and worked in OX3 for over 20 years, and his children attend local schools. He knows the area well, and is committed to improving the well-being of local residents. He feels honoured to take over from such a well-respected councillor, and is already working hard knocking on doors and taking up casework for the people in Headington Ward.

Please do elect Altaf-Khan in the local elections on May 22nd. to KEEP A WINNING LIB DEM TEAM!

 

Bury Knowle Depot build to go ahead

The City Council has met its pre-commencement conditions for the build on the Depot site so work can now start.

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Details submitted in compliance with conditions 1 (commencement), 2 (approved plans), 3 (materials), 4 (affordable homes), 5 (boundary enclosure), 6 (refuse and cycle storage), 7 (landscape plan), 8 (landscaping), 9 (engineers surface finishes), 10 (soakaway and underground services), 11 (Arboricultural Method Statement), 12 (Arboricultural Method Statement), 13 (access road), 14 (lighting scheme), 15 (Construction Site Management Plan), 16 (residents travel), 17 (parking permits), 18 (Construction Travel Management Plan), 19 (sustainable drainage scheme), 20 (ecology report), 21 (Natural Resource Impact Assessment), 22 (Geotechnical Survey report), 23 (roof lights), 24 (secured by design) and 25 (Construction Traffic Management Plan) of planning permission 13/01814/CT3.

 

Update on Osler Road closure 2-23 June

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We have taken action on your behalf to clarify issues about the temporary closure of Osler Road for resurfacing, and here is an update.

Osler Road works.

We met the city council works managers on site to discuss and clarify the process and a letter has gone out to some residents in Osler Road from the Council. We have just been told that the street closure notices which will be put up on Thursday state that Osler Road will be closed for 6 weeks, this is incorrect and the road will only be closed for 3 weeks. This error was discovered by Council staff too late for corrections to be made.

The work on phase 1 from the JR to the London Road end of Osler Road will take 2 weeks. A 30mm tarmac overlay will be applied to the area between the JR and St Andrew’s Road and this will happen in week 3.

From Day 1 on 2nd June, work will start on the piece of road outside the JR entrance. Work will move further down the road each day in 50m-70m sections. It is expected that initial work removing eight inches of the base course will reach the opticians by Friday of Week 1.

Three ‘layers’ will be built:

  • a construction layer
  • a base course
  • a running layer

There will be gatemen at either end of the works who will advise drivers of diversion routes to the JR , and will only let in people who live in Osler Road or who have carers visiting them.

The road will be closed to buses and the alternative route to the JR will be via Headley Way. The pavement on the JR side will remain open. The pavement on the Croft side will be closed to pedestrians. Cuckoo Lane will remain open, but cyclists will be advised by gatemen  to walk their bikes along the pavement.

It is expected that no weekend work will be required unless there is a major hold-up due to adverse weather conditions or unexpected problem. Work will take place from 07.30-16.00.

The road will not be open to any vehicles only for the duration of the works but access to frontages will be allowed for residents.  Residents will be able to access their drives throughout (though may need help from City Council operatives) except for those periods when work is taking place immediately outside their homes. Residents will be notified when this is likely to happen as the project team will put a leaflet through the door the day before.

At all times, Osler Road residents should be able to park somewhere in Osler Road (the top spaces next to the JR wall will also be available) unless there is work immediately outside their gates. As access to the road is barred to vehicles belonging to non-residents, there should be space elsewhere in the road to park. If anyone finds their access is blocked, the police can be contacted using the 101 non-emergency number to remove the offending vehicle.

With regard to the parking consultation, a section 58 notice will be served which stops utilities companies digging up any part of the newly surfaced road for five years, unless it’s an emergency.

Some wooden posts have been salvaged from the Lime Walk/All Saints junction; several of these will be put in on verges approaching the London Road junction to discourage vehicles mounting the pavement.  Drainage issues there are being investigated by a council works team on Friday. The kerb opposite the opticians will be 2-3 inches higher than it is now to discourage vehicles from mounting the pavement. Other wooden posts more in keeping with those already near the JR will be put in on verges where vehicles have clearly mounted pavements and spoilt the grass.

It is just possible that the collection day for rubbish and recycling may have to change, if this is the case residents will be informed by letter drop the preceding day.

We think we have covered all bases! If you have any further concerns, please let us know!

Car park entrance gets a makeover next Monday!

Headington Car Park

 

Headington Car Park pedestrian entrance

 

We are pleased to tell you that the entrance to the Headington Car Park will be upgraded in works starting next Monday 19 May so Altaf and the team’s campaigning has paid off!

 

The work involved is as follows-

  • Take out centre island
  • Plane off surface
  • Relay new entrance road
  • Construct new speed hump
  • Take out old random bollards
  • Install 14 new Manchester bollards
  • Reconstruct the footpath to the north
  • Install granite setts around the tree pit
  • Resurface south side footway
  • Replace all lining

One lane will be closed for the duration of the works

Carriageway Resurfacing works at Osler Road

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A letter was sent out to Osler Road residents yesterday informing them about up and coming roadworks.

Oxford City Council is to carry out works to reconstruct / resurface the carriageway in Osler Road. This work is to commence on 2nd June 2014 and is expected to take 3 weeks.

The work to be done is to plane off the existing carriageway surface and relay a new macadam surface the full width of the carriageway.

As the work involves all of the carriageway, alternative arrangements must be made for parking of cars.  Large and heavy equipment will be in use, and it will not be possible for half of the road to be worked on while cars remain parked on the other side. When work is completed all parking restrictions will reinstated in accordance with the Traffic Order.

A Road Closure has been arranged in order to facilitate the works and to ensure the safety of road workers . This will naturally cause difficulty in access to premises although the footways will be fully accessible throughout the work. If residents have special requirements, they should make themselves known to the foreman of the works. If the work is completed earlier than the 3 week period then the road will be fully re-opened.

If you have any comments on the proposals, require further information, or know of any cars which may not get moved in time please contact David Tidball at the City Council or contact Engineering  Services on 0800 227676.

Your councillors are inundated with comments from local residents worried about temporary parking. If you would like copies of the plans please let us know, we are asking the City Council who has received consultation letters and who has not.

 

Our current information is that

“The parking will be displaced from the London road to the JR but the parking restriction will be lifted for Osler road until the resurfacing works are completed therefore residents will be able to park at the top end layby. After 1 week we should have the base coarse layers down which will mean the residents will be able to gain access to their properties for off road parking in the evenings .

Once the section from London rd. to the JR is completed we will open this section of road up.”