Last night’s public meeting was well attended with over 100 people turning up.

Residents received an apology for the lateness of the communication.

All residents were given the opportunity to ask questions of the speakers who were from the Hospitals’ Trust and from the contractor, Vital Energi.

There appears to be a further delay in responding to residents because the project team at the Trust has a vacant post to fill, but residents and councillors stressed the need to have much more detailed information as quickly as possible.

The Trust has stated that residents in affected areas will be notified by letter at least two weeks in advance of work starting in their area.

The speakers agreed to hold regular meetings with a residents liaison group and we are setting dates for this today

If anyone wishes to join this residents and contractors liaison group, please let Ruth or Roz know

Your Councillors are working on the following issues:

• set dates for liaison meetings before Christmas
• ask the County Council for assistance with temporary relaxation of parking on DYLs or ask if temporary resident parking permits can be issued while works are ongoing in closed off roads
• enquire who is liable for damage caused to cars parked on street rather than off road in terms of insurance claims, also whether residents need to inform their insurance companies that this change of arrangements is being made and whether this request would incur a charge
• investigate arrangements for disability access while works are happening outside the property
• ask the Trust and Vital for a copy of the impact assessment made prior to the works
• liaising with the Trust’s energy team on financial information supporting the project

Oxford Brookes University has offered to make parking space available for residents overnight at Headington Hill Campus.

120m of trench will be open at any one time. Each section of works will be fenced off, dug, the pipes will be welded together in 12m lengths and laid in the trench with the cable, the trench will be closed and backfilled, then onto the next section

There are plans to keep a disabled parking pick up point available at the end of the trench, and a turning point there is also being considered.

Emergency vehicles will be given access at all times. Refuse collections will continue but earlier than usual, and residents should move their bins to the gate by 7am for collection.

Works will be carried out between 8am and 5.30 pm. Contractor parking is confined to the hospital compounds.

Issues and problems should be reported to the following contacts, preferable accompanied with a photo:

hospitalenergyproject@ouh.nhs.uk

01865 220600

@ouh_estates #energy

copy to Roz, Ruth and Altaf (see contact details above)

.pdf maps of road closures will be posted on this site later today

As you know, councillors were very concerned that a number of major roads would be closed at the same time during the energy project works.

County Cllr Roz Smith took up cudgels on our behalf and has received the following welcome news from the County Council:

After discussing at length  there will not be two sets of traffic lights at the same time on Old rd and London rd, however to avoid using three way lights on London rd we will use two way lights when Latimer Road is closed. We have been in contact and had meetings with Vital Energi (contractors for the project) and we are in contact with them on daily basis.