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NUMBER AUG/SEP 434 2020 MESSAGE FROM ANNELIESE DODDS MP MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR I do hope that you are keeping safe and well. Many thanks to LITTLEMORE LOCAL comes out six times a year, and for the last all of our key workers and community volunteers in Littlemore five years or so, there have been two versions: and indeed across Oxford. If you have a problem and need my • the longer electronic issue, published online a couple of help, please do get in contact with my office, either at (email) weeks before the 2-month window, and [email protected] available by email to those who ask or (tel) 01865 595 790, Mondays, Tuesdays, • and the 4-page print issue which comes Thursdays and Fridays, from 9am-5pm. out later: it takes a week at the printer, CoViD-19 then 3500 copies are usually distributed to Please go to www.gov.uk/coronavirus for every home (we hope) and to various local up to date instructions about: centres & shops by our team of volunteers, • Protecting yourself & others some of whom are getting on a bit. • Testing for coronavirus During the pandemic they are not being • Local lockdown asked to distribute LITTLEMORE LOCAL, so • Work and financial support only a few hundred paper copies are being • Working safely printed and left in some local shops. • Businesses and self-employed people If you are reading the paper copy, please • School openings, education & childcare check out the longer one! It’s usually • International travel & immigration posted by the Parish Council, by The • Driving and transport in the UK Oxford Academy, and by the editor of • Healthcare workers, carers & care settings Sandford Link, among others. You can find • Health & wellbeing it by putting LITTLEMORE LOCAL into your • Housing & accommodation search engine, or you can email me. • Volunteering & offering help If you are reading the electronic one, • When someone dies Pages 1, 2, 3 & 26 are the print copy. Important information for the public is If you would like to join the volunteer now offered in English, Arabic, Bengali, delivery team to help with future issues, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, please email Cllr Stewart at sue.stewart@ French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Field System: lockdown doodle © Andrew Walton littlemoreparishcouncil.gov.uk. Punjabi, Romanian, Somali, and Urdu. Judith Godsland You can sign up to receive emails when [email protected] coronavirus information on the GOV.UK website is updated. Night Sky, by Luke Williams Walking down the river side Starry and seeing the light twinkle like a trail left by dancing fairies on the water. The lights of man dimmed into shadow compared to the majesty of the starry night sky. Two walk hand in hand waiting for the coming dawn. LITTLEMORE LOCAL No 434: TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Keeping Cockerels. Get an Allotment! Lockdown Poem by John Wilde. Update on the George Inn. 3 Local impact of the Oxford Plan 2036. Looking to the future: Oxford Plan 2050, and other forward planning. Notice about Play Park re-opening. 4 Possible closure of Littlemore Road and Bartholomew Road. 5 Contributions from Littlemore Local History Society (LLHS). 6 Littlemore Lockdown projects. LLHS Quiz Question 4. Eastern Avenue news 7 How to keep your child safe online. How to keep safe on common social media apps. 9 News from Playgroup, John Henry Newman School, and Littlemore Community Partnership 10 Libraries’ summer reading challenge. LLHS Quiz Answer. Energy Superhub Oxford : local cable-laying. 11 CoViD information: Antigen testing, Face coverings, CoViD litter, Eat Out to Help Out, Test & Trace. Recycling News. 15 News from the Village Hall, the Community Centre, and St Mary & St Nicholas Church. Lockdown Poem by John Wilde. 16 News from local groups. GO Active outdoors. 18 News from Restore. It’s not too late to join Oxford Half Marathon. 19 Where is Littlemore? 20 News from Oxford Science Park: CoViD research and development going on in Littlemore. 21 Support Services, Helplines and other useful contact information. 24 Littlemore Parish Council: Logo competition, Parish Council set-up and contact information. 26 Littlemore Parish Council: notice of vacancy in the office of councillor. Thank you to Lucian Dunlop. Small ads. EDITOR: JUDITH PUBLISHED BY LITTLEMORE PARISH COUNCIL PRINTER: GODSLAND put the title in your search engine to find the longer, electronic issue FINEPRINT KEEPING COCKERELS: URBAN COURTESIES BID TO PROTECT THE GEORGE PUB FOR THE FUTURE There are no laws against keeping chickens in your garden, but The beer garden and some of the car park of The George Inn cockerels are noisy. They’re not essential for the production of has been sold and the new owner, who is based in Bridport, has eggs, and it’s a myth that chickens produce more eggs when applied for planning permission to build 8 houses there (see cockerels are around. They are Issue 433 of LITTLEMORE LOCAL). banned from City-run Littlemore Quite a lot of local people have objected. The grounds are Allotments. If you feel you must used for fun days, as a play area for families using the pub, and keep one in your garden, keep him for community activities several times a year with large numbers as far away from neighbouring attending. The pub car park is used to the maximum when residential properties as possible. there is a match at the Kassam Stadium, and for away matches House him in a darkened coop at when this is a gathering point for transport. Informal parking is night and don't let him out until a allowed at school pick-up time to reduce congestion on reasonable hour to keep crowing to Sandford Road. a minimum. If you've tried all this but you and your neighbours still Whether or not the new development goes ahead, the sale of can't get along - consider re- the land puts the pub itself at risk of closure, so Littlemore homing him in an animal sanctuary Parish Council has applied or a farm. to the City Council to make (Image: Woodcut © Judith Godsland) the pub and its garden into an asset of community value under the Localism Act GET AN ALLOTMENT! (2011) and the Assets of Thomson Terrace Allotments Community Value Association would like to meet Regulations (2012). you, and if you are new to gardening, show how enjoyable Below is an extract from the and rewarding it is to grow your Parish Council’s application: own vegetables, fruit and flowers. A statement with reasons why the nominator concludes that We have some small plots available, it is a good time to grow the land is of community value late salad crops, plant winter vegetables such as leeks, kale, The George Inn is an important part of community life. As well chard, and carrots, and prepare the ground for 2021. The field as providing space for outdoor activities, it is home to darts is between the bypass and Oxford Road recreation ground. teams, over-60s music nights, over-60s monthly lunches, a The main gate is in Kempson Crescent; there is also a gate at weekly draw and other events. The George holds regular fund- the end of Thomson Terrace near the path to Sainsbury’s to raising events for local charities, in recent years has raised allow vehicle access, and there’s pedestrian access from near thousands to support the local Village Hall and St. Mary’s & St. the underpass in Oxford Road. The rent is low. Manures and Nicholas Church, both situated in Littlemore. Without the compost are on sale, and on Saturday and Sunday mornings current outside land, it will be impossible to continue with these there will be plot holders on the field to open the gates so you activities, this is also likely to threaten the continuation of the may look around. We have social events, and all allottees have pub as a going concern. The George is in consistent use, this a voice in the running of the Association. makes it difficult for the nominator to put a figure on number of We hope to see you soon. Contact me by phone 0790 2879 users but can average 50-100 on a normal day. 149 or email: [email protected]. Julia Brocklesby History of use The George has existed since at least the 18th century. It was a POEM BY JOHN WILDE coaching inn when the road was the main highway from Oxford to Henley. The area behind was used for horses and coaches. Truce It has an association with St John Henry Newman who lodged there when he was ministering to people in Littlemore We complained Cllr Lynda Comber, Littlemore Parish Council chairman said about parking “objections to this application shows how well liked this on pavements establishment is.” and on lanes She is hopeful that the City Council will award the status after meant for bikes such an outpouring of support from electors. and on verges once green. If the Pub became an asset of community value Littlemore The more we complained Parish Council would have to be informed if the public house the more they kept coming were put up for sale, or if the owners received a bid. The Parish but then came Corona Council would then have 6 weeks to state if they intend to and everything changed lodge an offer, and a further 4½ months to raise the money. and all the cars left The owners would still have the freedom to select their and there was peace favoured bidder. for months at a time For further information please contact and it was sublime.