Latest news from meeting on traffic scheme

A site meeting was held this morning by County officers concerning the new road traffic layout, and Ruth attended together with Patrick Coulter from Highfield Residents’ Association. Here are some notes of what was debated/agreed.

Signage

  • Better/clearer signage needs to be put out at both ends of Lime Walk pending roadworks to alert motorists – County investigating
  • New road junction layout signs in Lime Walk need to be more visible to make sure drivers see them well in advance of the junction, County checking this
  • County officers will not introduce priority direction signs as they believe the current arrangement cuts down traffic speed

Lighting/visibility

  • County officers will carry out a check on lighting at night on this junction. Street lighting have already made some recommendations and budget checks are being made
  • The type of lamps used may be changed, one lamp column may need moving but the number of lamp-posts will remain the same
  • Extra reflectors to be added to bollards (see below)

Bollards

  • Two extra bollards will be installed on each of the corners where there are none at present to protect pedestrians and stop traffic cutting corners – these to have reflectors on three sides
  • County officers will investigate whether reflectors can be put on additional sides of the existing bollards so they show up for traffic from All Saints Road
  • Meanwhile temporary bollards will be set up here as corner cutting by vehicles is perceived to be a significant issue by residents

Build-outs

  • There is a possibility that planter(s) may be fixed here in association with the HRA DIY traffic calming scheme
  • Meanwhile temporary bollards of some kind or a keep right sign will be set up

Speed monitoring

  • The location of the monitoring equipment was discussed. Officers are willing for a local resident to lead on location for this near the top end of Lime Walk midway between the entry points and the All Saints junction and there will be “before” and “after” checks at sites previously used
  • Officers noted that this cut down traffic scheme focuses primarily on helping pedestrians and cyclists by reducing speeds at specific conflict points, rather than reduce volume and speed of traffic throughout the whole area

Latimer Road

  • It’s acknowledged that residents are concerned about vehicles cutting corners on entering Latimer Road from All Saints Road and potential transfer of traffic from Lime Walk. The County is therefore considering how these two concerns could be dealt with inside the budget
  • It would be possible to construct  build-outs in All Saints Rd either side of the entry to Latimer Rd. This would reduce road space to one vehicle at a time
  • There is a concern about whether there would be enough turning space for large vehicles
  • Options will be considered, but in the meantime, one temporary build-out will be set up as a pilot on the Stapleton Rd side, and residents nearby will be informed before the pilot starts

Road safety issue

  • In response to a resident’s question about priority on ‘yellow brick roads’, it was confirmed that if a pedestrian has already started to cross the road then the motorist should give way. Otherwise the driver has priority.

We understand that HRA is holding a meeting to discuss suggestions for further improvements shortly, for example a change to some on road parking (rather than half-on, half off road as at present) in some residential streets, and a meeting on this will be held with the relevant County officer at a later date.

Consultation period starts for Barton West

The six-week consultation period for both the Barton Area Action Plan and for the Sites and Housing Development planning policy will run from Friday 10th February to Friday 23rd March.

Consultation at this stage will be more formal than at the previous stages, as Council has now agreed the draft plans and is seeking representations on the soundness of those plans.  They will be running a ‘duty officer’ type of arrangement on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons throughout the consultation period so that members of the public with queries about either document can come in to the customer service centre at St Aldates Chambers to talk through their questions/concerns with an officer.   They will be doing a large mail out (electronically where possible) to organisations and individuals on their consultation databases, and in addition will be circulating a leaflet to all households in the Barton Area Action Plan area to keep them as informed and up-to-date about the AAP as possible.

Following the consultation, officers will produce a summary of the representations received and the main issues that were raised.  This will accompany each document, and the supporting evidence base, when it is submitted to the Secretary of State for examination.  It’s intended that the  Barton examination will go first and may be completed before the main summer holiday period (although this will of course depend on the number/complexity of representations received, and how the Inspector wishes to handle the examination).   The Sites and Housing examination would then follow in the autumn, although again the precise timetable is dependent on the Inspector.

What is a Town Green?

….and why are they so important?

This is a question that residents are asking us more and more frequently.

Town Greens are significant because designation effectively ends any development potential of the land in question.

In essence, anyone can apply to the Registration Authority (in this case the County Council) for permission to have an area of land designated as a Town Green.  In order be successful they will need to show that a significant number of local people have indulged in lawful sports or pastimes “as of right” (i.e. without permission, force or secrecy) on the land for at least 20 years, rather than “by right” (i.e. in exercise of a legal right to do so).  These requirements reflect the ancient law of custom, whereby long use “as of right” created a presumption that local inhabitants had established recreational rights over the land. The applicant(s) need to submit all of the evidence required to prove this, which may include witness statements, witness forms of evidence and photographs.  But of course the difficulty lies in the interpretation of what constitutes a significant number of people, what they were doing on the land and when, etc.  Town Greens have therefore become a complex area of law and a contentious issue in planning, because they are increasingly being used to thwart proposed development rather than for their original purpose – which was to protect genuine Town and Village greens!

For more information, click here

Latest Planning Decisions

Seven decisions have been made on planning applications week ending 23/12/11 by officers using delegated powers.  There were five permissions and two were withdrawn. Application sites included: Franklin Road, New High Street, Staunton Road, Headley Way  and Sandfield Road. You can view these applications by clicking on our Planning Decisions tab (top bar).

Latest on Car-park and Ruskin Fields

I don’t want to pre-empt the report-back that will occur this evening at our Ward Focus Meeting in the Baptist Church but Ruth and I expect that there will be many who want to have a summary of what has happened on these sites as quickly as possible. What follows is the short version (and still quite long!). Here it is:

There was a marathon meeting of the full City Council last evening where final decisions were made on the two contentious issues of proposals to build on Headington car-park and on Ruskin Fields.

In fact, the first of these did not even get mentioned. It had, as all of those on this forum know, been excluded by the officers from their recommendations. It is worth reading their explanation for the exclusion:

the potential loss of car parking and the effect on
trade at shops in Headington was of considerable concern to the local
community with a petition received of nearly 3,500 signatories against any
development on this site. The site is surrounded by the Old Headington
Conservation Area and for development to be viable it would most likely need
to be built over a number of storeys which could adversely affect the
conservation area. At this stage it is difficult to know whether this is deliverable
and achievable and if it could retain sufficient car parking. For these reasons it
should not be allocated.

As there was no debate on it, their recommendation stands, and so residents can really now celebrate.

On Ruskin Fields, there were representations from both local residents opposing the building on this part of Old Headington Conservation Area and the Principal of Ruskin in favour of it. Again, it had been excluded by officers and what Ruskin wanted was it for it to be re-inserted at this late stage. There was, in fact, an amendment moved to that effect — moved by Stuart Craft (Independent Working Class Association, representing Blackbird Leys) and David Williams, leader of the Greens (who represents the area around Iffley Fields). Stuart’s argument was on the basis of the need for housing anywhere, the Green leader’s was that these ‘two soggy fields’ did not deserve saving. The arguments against, though, remain strong: despite further reports from their agents, Ruskin had not shown a viable access route which would not have done damage to Northway. And these fields do sit in the Conservation Area and are an integral part of it. The amendment was overwhelmingly defeated and so that too has been excluded from development.

HOWEVER, Ruskin may choose at the next stage of the process to press for their site to be included by the Inspector. It would be a costly option for them — and they have already spent over £150k on their proposals — and it is hard to see how they could overcome the natural constraints of the site. But the story may not be over yet.

Of course, two sites — one which would almost definitely have been for student housing and one which would have had 50% affordable housing — have been excluded. There is a housing crisis in Oxford and we do need to build more homes. It is pleasing that at the meeting the plan for an extension to Barton got the green light, but that in itself won’t be enough. Small developments like the social housing element on Manor Ground are now coming to fruitition (how long we have had to work to get that!); our challenge is to find more developments, while protecting the communities that exist.

Latest on the proposed development on Ruskin Fields

Officers have proposed not to include the site within either the Sites and Housing DPD or the Barton Area Action Plan report (up for discussion at Full Council on Monday 19 December at the Town Hall) due to the uncertainty over whether a suitable access could be agreed. Officers have advised the potential developers that they have the opportunity to pursue the site by responding to the consultation in early 2012 and by proposing it as an ‘omission site’. This would mean that they would present their case for the site to an Inspector.

Car park update

In response to all those of you who are anxious about the future of the Headington Car Park, the Sites and Housing document (which includes proposals on this) is due to be discussed at Council on 19th December, as this is the stage where full Council needs to decide on draft policies which will be consulted on and then submitted for examination.  It is going straight to Council rather than to CEB beforehand, so the papers should be available approximately one week before the 19th.

East Area Planning agenda items

The next East Area Planning Committee meeting is at 6 pm on Wed 2 November at the Town Hall.  Here are the applications they will be deciding.

103-104 ST. MARY’S ROAD, OXFORD – 11/02205/FUL

The Head of City Development has submitted a report which details a planning application for the conversion and alterations of external retained workshop to provide 3 two-bed live/work units with private gardens. Erection of two and a half storey building containing 3 flats (1 x one-bed and 2 x twobed). Car and cycle parking provision.

Officer recommendation: Approve subject to conditions.

 4 BRICKLAYERS ARMS, 39 CHURCH LAND, OLD MARSTON, OXFORD – 11/02477/FUL

The Head of City Development has submitted a report which details a planning application for the conversion and alteration to the existing public house to form a four bedroom dwelling, together with erection of five dwellings and garages parking, landscaping and alterations to existing access. (Amendment to permission 11/01331/FUL)

Officer recommendation: Approve subject to conditions.

 FORMER OXFORD BUS GARAGE, 395 COWLEY ROAD, OXFORD – 11/02386/VAR

 The Head of City Development has submitted a report which details a planning application for the variation of condition No. 7 of planning permission 09/01201/OUT for Class B1 business use and student accommodation to allow occupation and student accommodation by full time student attending courses of one academic year or more

Officer recommendation: Approve subject to conditions.

 BURY KNOWLE PARK, OXFORD – 11/02174/CT3

 The Head of City Development has submitted a report which details a planning application for the display of a Green Flag.

Officer recommendation: Approve subject to conditions.