LTP3 [Local Transport Plan]

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

Planning permission refused (change of use)

Planning application

09/02382/FUL has been refused by planning officers during week ending 25 December. It was for

Change of use from retail (class A1) to financial and professional services (class A2). Replacement shop front.

104 London Road Headington

Icy pavement outside the NatWest Bank

We are aware that a water leakage from the building occupied by the NatWest Bank is causing health and safety hazards as the water turns to ice overnight. The County Highways Department has been alerted as this is a possible infringement of the Highways Act.  We are working with Thames Water, the County Council and the assistant manager at NatWest to resolve this situation as soon as possible, and we hope to contact the property owner shortly to make sure that the drainage system and down pipes are replaced or upgraded

In the meantime, please take great care if you are using the cash machines in Stephen Road

Future plan for Bury Knowle Park

Following on from discussions with the Friends of Bury Knowle Park, and comments made by Park users, the City Council has put together a draft management plan for Bury Knowle Park which you may like to read. To see the full document, please click here

If you have any comments or suggestions you would like to contribute to this plan, then please contact Friends of Bury Knowle Park at buryknowle@googlemail.com by 9 December or drop a line to David and Ruth

Council contact numbers for City Works enquiries

PLEASE NOTE the contact numbers given in the Labour Party propaganda leaflet are WRONG

  recycle-new-h.jpg

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 – tel 0800 227676.

For out of hours emergency waste, recycling and street services enquiries, call the duty out of hours officer on 07802 904000.

County Tories turn down 10:10 energy saving programme

10:10 logo

Logo of the 10:10 initiative

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg MP yesterday announced at the Core Cities conference in Liverpool that every city in the group under Liberal Democrat control has signed up to the 10:10 campaign. Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield make up half the Core Cities group of England’s major regional cities. But on the same day, the Conservative group on Oxfordshire County Council voted out a Lib Dem motion which would have committed the council to achieve the same 10% reduction in carbon emissions during 2010.

The city regions represented by the Lib Dem run city councils together have a population of over five million people, contain over 50,000 businesses and emit 40,406kt of carbon (or 7.8% of the UK total). The Liberal Democrat councils’ commitment therefore shows real leadership in these major cities. Oxford City Council has also signed up to the 10:10 campaign, with cross-party support. (There are no Conservatives on Oxford City Council.)

Oxfordshire County Council committed during 2006 to reduce carbon emissions in its own buildings (including the county’s schools) by 18% by 2012. In a media event at Oxford Castle with Conservative Party Leader David Cameron in attendance, the county administration invited people to judge their commitment to the environment by their achievements in energy reduction. Recent reports indicate that despite a 4% reduction in carbon use in the first year, current levels are falling well short of target. There is now no clear programme for achieving the 18% target by 2012.

Oxford East’s Labour MP Andrew Smith recently voted against the Lib Dem parliamentary motion calling for the Government to sign up to the 10:10 campaign, though he turning up to climate change demos lobbying on the campaign! Lib Dem spokesman in Oxford East Dr Steve Goddard said: “It is a shame that our MP‘s principles have deserted him at the crucial moment. Sadly this is not the first time – he also voted to close several post offices in Oxford despite posing with campaigners trying to save them. It’s clear that if you want real action on climate change the only party to support is the Liberal Democrats.”

The motion and voting record can be seen here, on Public Whip

Planning alert website under threat

As some of you may already have spotted in the news, Planning Alerts has
been effected by legal action by the Royal Mail: see this link.

Tom Watson MP has tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling on
the Royal Mail to allow non-profit organisations to use the postcode
database for free. If you feel strongly about this, please write to your MP asking him to sign this Early Day Motion (number EDM 2000) and protest at the actions of The
Royal Mail.

You can write to your MP here

–You can also sign the petition —

Nearly 1,200 people have so far signed a petition on the Prime
Minister’s website, if you wish to add your name, please click here
I have!

Proposed changes to Margaret Road junction

The County has proposed to make some alterations in Margaret Road: they are asking for comments on proposed changes to the junction of Margaret Road and Wharton Road, and also on a build-out in Margaret Road.

County Cllr Roz Smith and City Cllr Ruth Wilkinson are making a site visit at 6 pm tomorrow Friday 2 October to discuss these proposals with local residents. If you would like to come along and give us your views, you will be very welcome.

If you cannot come to the meeting but would like a copy of the proposals, please email Ruth for details