There is a useful page showing updates to building work projects at the Old Road Campus by the University of Oxford’s estates department. You can find it at https://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/support-services/teams/estates-projects-planning/headington-planned-developments-and-updates/headington-planned-developments-and-updates
Venue announced for February Ward Focus Meeting
NEXT WARD FOCUS MEETING
The next public meeting for residents who live in Headington Ward will be on
Tuesday 28th February
from 6:00-7:30 pm
at the Nuffield Health Manor Hospital in Beech Road
Details of speakers to follow
Burial fees for stillborns, babies and children
Ruth will propose a motion to Council on 6 February which asks if interment fees for stillborn babies and children can be waived.
Liberal Democrat member motion
Council is sympathetic to the suffering of families in Oxford who experience the loss of stillborn babies and children and wishes to support grieving parents as much as it can.
Council notes that the number of interments of stillborns, babies and children in Oxford during the financial year 2015/2016 was as follows:
- Botley Cemetery – 7
- Headington Cemetery –
- 2 Wolvercote Cemetery – 6
- Total – 15
Council further notes that the average number of such interments between 1998 and 2016 has been 18 per year, with a peak of 23 in financial year 2007/2008.
Income for fees and charges for 2015/16 interments of stillborns, babies and children in Oxford totalled £5,100.
Council notes the debate on baby loss in the House of Commons on 13 October 2016 and the excellent support given by Sands Stillborn and Neonatal death charity, and understands that some local authorities do not make a charge in these circumstances.
Council therefore requests the Chief Executive to investigate whether a mechanism for waiving fees charged by the Council for the burial of children or stillborns of Oxford residents might be introduced.
Reference
Ruth comments, “One of the things we do as local councillors is to push for changes that will make a positive impact on the lives of people across the whole City. One of the ways to do this is to propose motions for debate in the Council Chamber. Here is the text of the speech to accompany it.”
The loss of a loved one is always very sad, but the loss of a much longed-for baby or infant must be almost unbearable. It is hard for us to comprehend how difficult it must be for grieving families to cope with this tragic circumstance at what should be a very happy time.
A baby that dies shortly after birth must by law be formally buried or cremated, although a funeral is not legally required.
It seems that a number of funeral directors in the Oxford area offer a simple funeral service free of charge in such cases, and some also make no charge for caskets.
Several local authorities have already introduced a waiver of fees in such circumstances, and others are considering this.
- South Oxfordshire District Council makes no charge for burial or exclusive rights of burial for persons under 18 years at time of burial.
- Southampton City Council makes no charge for interment to 4’6” for one baby or child in its cemeteries
- The Forest of Dean District Council makes no charge for interments in earthen graves, including digging of the graves, for stillborns and children 12 years and under.
- Wotton Town Council in Gloucestershire has removed fees for interments of under 5s, and halved its fees for children aged 5-12
- Yate Council has waived interment fees for under 5s
- Woking Borough Council is considering a motion on this issue later this week.
The figures supplied to me by an officer show that the income for 15 interments in Oxford City Council cemeteries during the financial year 2015/16 was £5,100.
I believe that Oxford City Council and all in this chamber would wish to do all it can to support grieving families at such an exhausting and upsetting time, and some families would find it hard to manage this additional financial burden.
This motion requests that the Chief Executive investigates whether it would be possible to introduce such a waiver at Oxford City Council cemeteries. The loss of this relatively small source of income would be offset by the compassion shown to grieving families by this Council on behalf of our wider community.
Rat alert!
Please get in touch with local councillors if you have information on rat movements in Horwood Close. We are working with Oxford City Council officers to address this, and are making sure all tenants are aware that bins must be presented properly and lidded when left outside on the street.
Update from Winvic on Beech House development
Here is the January newsletter from the Beech House site in Latimer Road.
Progress on site:
Concrete works to the basement is almost complete, unfortunately we have suffered a few delays in January due to the drop in temperature again. We have erected a protected walkway over the footpath, this will be in place for the duration of our main deliveries into site. The steel frame has been started today and should now progress quite quickly.
Work to be progressed over the next 4 weeks:
We shall be completing the concrete works to the basement and starting the foundations to the maisonette’s mid February. The steel frame will progress along with forming the floor slabs. We are also starting to erect the scaffold around the steel frame.
Amended dates for night time surfacing at the Old Rd/Gipsy Lane junction
Here is a copy of a letter going out to residents from the County Council.
Re: Night time surfacing – slight amendment to programme
We recently wrote to you to advise you of the surfacing work that will take place over night at the junction of Gipsy Lane-Old Road-Roosevelt Drive-Warneford Lane.
We would like to advise you of a slight change to the programme, which is outlined below. The work that was originally scheduled for Monday 13th February will now take place on Saturday 11th February. This means the work will take place over six continuous nights.
This work will be done overnight between the hours of 7pm and 6am when traffic is at its lightest. For diversion routes, please visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/accessheadington
The closures will be as follows:
Monday 6th February – Old Road will be closed in both directions.
Tuesday 7th February – Warneford Lane eastbound, Gipsy Lane (in both directions)
Wednesday 8th February – Warneford Lane westbound and Roosevelt Drive (in both directions) will be closed
Thursday 9th February – Old Road will be closed in both directions
Friday 10th February – Warneford Lane eastbound, Gipsy Lane (in both directions)Saturday 11th February (originally planned for Monday 13th February) – Warneford Lane westbound and Roosevelt Drive (in both directions) will be closed
The work we are carrying out can be noisy and we do apologise for this. We have a Section 61 agreement in place with Oxford City Council whereby we are only permitted to carry out certain work until 11pm. After 11pm we will only carry on with the less disruptive work in order to cause as little disturbance as possible.
Access to your property
As we will be closing roads, there may be times when access to your property is restricted, however our team on site will be more than happy to assist you getting to and from your property should you need to.
Help for those on benefits and those with long-term health conditions
If you or someone you know in Oxford is on benefits, or has a long term health or mental health condition or other vulnerability, it’s likely they are eligible for Project LEAP. It is for all tenures (including social housing but not Green Square properties).
The following free services are available:
- home visit providing heating control training, installing simple measures, energy efficiency advice
- income maximisation advice
- larger energy efficiency measures where funding is available (eg insulation, boilers)
- referrals to other services such as HHSRS and other support.
More information can be found at can be found at www.projectleap.org.uk.
Access to Headington update
Residents who live near the current works have been sent the following letter by the project sponsor at the County Council.
The first section of the Access to Headington project, which has seen us working at the junction of Gipsy Lane-Old Road-Roosevelt Drive-Warneford Lane, is on schedule to complete at the end of February 2017.
On Monday 6th February, we will begin a short period of night works whereby we will be surfacing the whole of the junction in parts. This work will be done overnight between the hours of 7pm and 6am when traffic is at its lightest. For diversion routes, please visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/accessheadington
The closures will be as follows:
Monday 6th February – Old Road will be closed in both directions.
Tuesday 7th February – Warneford Lane eastbound, Gipsy Lane (in both directions)
Wednesday 8th February – Warneford Lane westbound and Roosevelt Drive (in both directions) will be closed
Thursday 9th February – Old Road will be closed in both directions
Friday 10th February – Warneford Lane eastbound, Gipsy Lane (in both directions)Monday 13th February – Warneford Lane westbound and Roosevelt Drive (in both directions) will be closed
The work we are carrying out can be noisy and we do apologise for this. We have a Section 61 agreement in place with Oxford City Council whereby we are only permitted to carry out certain work until 11pm. After 11pm we will only carry on with the less disruptive work in order to cause as little disturbance as possible.
Access to your property
As we will be closing roads, there may be times when access to your property is restricted, however our team on site will be more than happy to assist you getting to and from your property should you need to.
Lots of new planning applications this week
We have already received a number of concerns from residents about a couple of these newest applications. Early indications are that the application at 74 Windmill Road will attract a number of objections.
Please click on planning applications tab above to see full details of applications on properties in Windmill Road, London Road, Headley Way, Fortnam Close and at the JR.
Up and coming events in Oxford
- Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 February, Quidditch Valentines Cup 4: Old, New, Borrowed, Blue, Horspath Sports Ground and Athletics Track, 8am to 5pm. Players from across the UK and Europe are expected to participate in this Quidditch tournament, organised by the Oxford University Quidditch Club. www.ouqc.uk
- Saturday 18 February, Turl Street Arts Festival 2017, Brasenose Lane, 10.30am to 4pm. Celebration of 20 years of the Turl Street Arts Festival with a number of arts and crafts activities, poetry, busking and food-stalls. The festival is organised by the Turl Street Colleges. https://www.facebook.com/TurlStreetArtsFestival/