Headington Community Council

Forum members and supporters are distributing an explanatory leaflet to residents, to complement the pamphlet sent out by post by the City Council. Read the leaflet below or read a pdf version here.

Further information about a Community Council can be found here.

Community Infrastructure Levy

At its AGM in March 2018 Headington Neighbourhood Forum (HNF) agreed that the activity of the steering committee would continue in its steering and monitoring role while Headington Action (HA) would take on the responsibility of implementing projects and, where appropriate, applying for Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds from the City Council to assist implementation.  CIL monies may only be spent on infrastructure projects that reflect local priorities and are based on sound evidence. Such projects may include the provision, improvement, replacement, operation or maintenance of infrastructure, or anything else that is concerned with addressing demands that development places on an area.

Where a Neighbourhood Plan is in place the Plan’s area is entitled 25% of the CIL (15% if no Plan in place), which for Headington equates to about £60,000. A process for approving applications for CIL funding for projects in Headington has been agreed with City Council officers and a small number of CIL fundable projects have been prioritised by HNF/HA.

The first application for approximately £4,000 to extend the Mid-Winter Lights to a further two pavement trees in Headington Centre has now been approved.

An application is in the pipeline from the Friends of Headington Hill Park to construct some gates at the bottom of the park and also to improve the pedestrian access from Oxford Brookes into the park at the top.  HA have already funded a tree trail with noticeboards for the park and this will be in place shortly.

The HNF/HA Greening of Headington project group has had a scoping meeting and now seek some volunteers and a project manager. The hanging baskets could be the first scheme to be tackled.

HA’s Loneliness and the Isolated in Headington project has appointed a project manager.

Voluteers – HNF/HA urgently need people to help implement all these projects.  If you would like to help in any way, large or small, please contact either HNF  or HA
.

Oxford Heritage Asset Register

Fifteen places have been nominated this year to be added to Oxford’s Heritage Asset Register.  Of these, six are in the Headington Neighbourhood Plan Area.  They will be considered at the East Area Planning Committee on July 4th 2018.  The committee paper recommending approval can be viewed here.

Cuckoo Lane
All Saints Church, Lime Walk
8thOxford Scout Hut (formerly All Saints Mission Chapel)
Hilsboro, 14 Holyoake Road
18 Windsor Street and 6 Perrin Street
85 (All Saints Vicarage), Old Road

If you have suggestions for additions in the next year’s round of nominations, please contact Headington Neighbourhood Forum or Headington Action.

Oxford’s 2nd Neighbourhood Plan submitted to the City Council

The Summertown and St. Margaret’s Neighbourhood Forum has formally submitted their Neighbourhood Development Plan, together with supporting documents to Oxford City Council, as the Local Planning Authority. This Plan proposal is now available for public consultation. The public consultation period will  run for 6 weeks from Wednesday 30th May to 11th July 2018. The Neighbourhood Development Plan together with the associated supporting documents will be available to view both on the City Council’s website (www.oxford.gov.uk/ssmconsultation) and ‘hard copies,’ can be viewed at the following three venues:

  • Oxford City Council’s Offices at St. Aldate’s Chambers, 109-113 St. Aldate’s, Oxford, OX1 1DS 
  • North Oxford Association, Diamond Place, Summertown, Oxford OX2 7DP
  • Summertown Public Library, 17 South Parade, Summertown, Oxford OX2 7JN 

Representations should be made using the form provided (attached) which can be downloaded and then completed and returned to the Planning Policy via email (planningpolicy@oxford.gov.uk).  Guidance notes for completing the comment form are also attached to this email.

The ‘Plan Proposal’ together with the representations received during the public consultation period will then be passed on to the appointed Inspector when the Plan is submitted for Examination.

Headington Festival

SATURDAY 2ND JUNE
10am – 3pm in Headington
Food, crafts, refreshments and the stalls of the Saturday Market in the centre of Headington.

SUNDAY 3RD JUNE
1pm – 5pm in Bury Knowle Park
Many local organisations’ stalls; sports to try; fire engine and police vehicle to explore; foods and ice cream; craft ales; farm animals to pet; results of the children’s wildlife photography competition and the photographs displayed.

Click here for more details

Community Projects

The Headington Neighbourhood Plan comprises both Planning Policies that are taken into account in planning applications and Community Projects (see AGM Agenda for priorities) that the Neighbourhood Forum wishes to promote or develop itself. 

The five-year life of the initial Forum ended on September 10th 2019 and the City Council has redesignated the Forum for a further five years.

The Forum collaborates with Headington Action to take the Community Projects forward.

Oxford Local Plan 2036

Oxford City Council has published its report on the Local Plan public consultation.

It is extremely pleasing to see that the public support the Headington Neighbourhood Forum’s view on the need for keyworker housing.

The Forum weren’t able to include a planning policy that supported replacing affordable housing requirements on institutional sites (hospitals / universities) with keyworker housing since it would have not complied with the current Local Plan, but the consultation shows strong support for changing that policy in the new Local Plan.