Newsletter November 2005
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NEWSLETTER No 102 November 2005 ISSN 0308-9959 The changing face of Oxford by Tony Joyce, Chairman A stroll around the area surrounding the castle detailed plans expected in the spring. Here too a site shows how significantly the rejuvenation of further element of residential accommodation is this previously neglected quarter of the city is incorporated, though convincing proposals to proceeding. Morrell’s brewery is now fully deal with all the traffic implications of such a converted to residential accommodation and large increase in retail provision are still the redevelopment of the British Telecom site is required. As in the rest of the West End, we can nearing completion. Despite the continuing expect to see major changes in the usage and presence of hard-hatted construction workers, appearance of the city. the various restaurants on the castle site itself In another key area, an exciting prospect is are opening, the Malmaison Hotel will soon emerging as the university reveals its masterplan welcome its first guests (and our members – see for the Radcliffe Infirmary site. The Tower of the Programme Notes), the apartments are adver- Winds provides a focus for an imaginative tised for occupation and Oxford Preservation development which will further enhance the Trust’s Heritage Interpretation Centre will be university’s facilities and go some way towards ready in the spring. The routes linking Castle alleviating the Bodlean Library’s chronic Street, New Road and Tidmarsh Lane should shortage of convenient storage space. soon be open and in Paradise Street, St Peter’s The Area Development Framework for the new student accommodation is beginning to West End, on which consultations are rise. proceeding, recommends a mixed range of uses The interval between initial discussions on within it. However, in the city centre as a whole, major planning applications of this type and their recent and projected development is tending eventual implementation is usually prolonged, towards rather more segregation into discrete and it is salutary to see these plans, regions: the old university consolidating its constructively scrutinised by our Planning Sub- position in the north/central area; the centre of Committee, now translated from the drawing gravity of retailing moving towards the south; board into reality. One result is a welcome more residential accommodation in the west; increase in the residential accommodation in the while the hospitals, medical research and city centre – though until the new Local Plan Brookes University are concentrated in becomes effective, not enough of this is truly Headington. “affordable”. This is important if more of those The implications of this trend need further whose work or principal interests lie in the centre thought, not least in terms of the effects on the are to avoid commuters’ problems. But living city’s transport patterns which are already falling near one’s work requires a good night’s sleep – under increasing scrutiny. not always uppermost in the minds of the misguided proponents of the 24-hour city. Further south, consultations on the form of the new Westgate development continue, with more Protecting Our Heritage, Shaping Our Future Report From The Planning Sub-Committee SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING Monday 10 October 2005 Update on applications mentioned in the July news- Magdalen College Auditorium letter: Plans were refused for: the St Barnabas Church site, and the land behind 40-49 Juxon To consider an increase in membership Street; the application to demolish 47 Oxford subscriptions, effective from 1 January 2006. Road, Littlemore, and replace with new hous- ing, was rejected at appeal. Also refused are: de- Chairman Tony Joyce explained to the velopment of the Dominion Oils site Lit- members present that subscriptions were last tlemore, a proposal for 74 students’ rooms at increased in 1992 and that it is important for 108 Cowley Road and Christ Church’s applica- the Society to strengthen its financial base so tion for redevelopment of sites in Botley Road that it might be well placed to represent the (the River Hotel, the Westgate Hotel and 1-3 membership appropriately. Mill Street). The proposal to demolish 22 Gordon Balme, Treasurer , explained that Summerhill Road and replace by 4 flats has costs (in particular, postage) had risen con- been passed. Also passed is the proposal at 37A siderably since 1992 and that funds were Jer icho Street to replace garages by 6 car-free needed in order, for example, to finance pub- flats, and the application for large extensions at lications such as "Visions for Oxford in the 21st 8 Charlbury Road, whilst the proposed de- Century". The proposal was to increase sub- molion of 2 Blenheim Drive, replacing it by scriptions from £5 for an individual to £9 if four houses, has been withdrawn. paid by standing order, or £10 by cheque New applications in July and August included and for two people at the same address from two that were almost immediately refused: these £7 to £12 by standing order, or £14 by were a proposal to demolish a garage on land cheque. He urged members to switch to next to 24a Albert Street, Jericho, and replace it standing order if at all possible as this drasti- with two 2-bed flats; and another to add roof cally reduces the administration involved in extensions to 138 Morrell Avenue, which our 1,000 membership. would have destroyed the character of this The motion was put to the membership pre- harmonious and interesting street. Christ sent and was carried nem con. Church’s proposal to demolish St Thomas’ School, in Osney Lane, and replace it with a The meeting was followed by an excellent new 4-floor building for 100 student rooms and slide show given by John Ashdown entitled a new nursery, was met with widespread and "Oxford 1972-2000" and reflecting on his time fierce resistance, and the application was with- as Conservation Officer. drawn. The proposal was likewise withdrawn to Ñ demolish Trajan House on Mill Street, Osney, and replace it with 46 flats in three blocks, with We are very grateful to those members who have promptly responded to our new sub- a gated courtyard for 24 parking spaces and 90 cycle stands. Not yet decided are proposals for scriptions notification letter, sent out on 13 demolition of the Old School next to Wolver- October 2005 immediately following the Spe- cote Church, to make way for a block of 12 cial General Meeting. Thank you. flats, but details of development on the Wind- If, however, you are amongst those members mill First School site, Margaret Road, Head- who have not already done so, then we urge ington have now been agreed. you to complete and return the standing or- September’s applications included one for der form to the Membership Secretary as demolition of 41 Harbord Road, and replace- soon as possible so that all existing orders ment with a 3-storey block of flats, and another are amended well before 1st January 2006. for 23 Outram Road, for extensive side and rear extensions to be used for an additional house, 2 but both were quickly rejected. An application Transport Notes has just been passed to extend and change the Whilst commenting in the last Newsletter (July use of 367 Banbury Road, from care-home to 2005, no 101) on the splitting of the old No 2 guest house with 19 bedrooms. bus route into two parts, I suggested to the Ox- In October an application for a Telecommuni- ford Bus Company that the new No 2 service cations mast in St Cross Road, close to New should run beyond Magdalen Street East to the College Sports Ground, was soon refused. At 69 Rail Station. Unfortunately, this would require Sandfield Road a very large outbuilding in the an extra vehicle to maintain the timetable and garden already in use as hobby room, garage so would not be commercially viable. The same and gym, was declared permitted, despite its be- reason prevents running to Speedwell Street via ing constructed without permission and setting Queen Street, which would have enabled easy an unfortunate precedent in backland devel- interchange with the No 8 to/from Headington. opment. A proposal not yet decided is to build However, it is good to know that the new No 2 five 1-bed terraced houses in the gardens of 46- is much more reliable and the Real Time Infor- 48 Oxford Road, Marston, accessed from a mation displays mean intending passengers public track much used by cyclists and pedes- know how long they will have to wait. trians. Another ambitious proposal awaits a de- One of the reasons for the congestion in cision – to demolish a garage at 87 Divinity Headington that caused the route split in the Road and replace it by a new three to four-bed first place is the extra traffic generated by the house, along with extension and conversion of amount of free parking available on-street. This the existing house into five flats. can only be resolved by extensive residents At least eight of the applications seen since parking zones and it is encouraging to note that July could not be assessed because they lacked the County Council is accelerating the pro- essentials such as location plans with adequate gramme by about 2 years. The Headington and street names, or site layouts, or details of exist- Marston areas should all be in place by 2008 ing structures, or of context, but perhaps our instead of the previous dates. The threat of complaints may eventually bring about some charging for permits still hangs over these new general improvement in standard. areas; County Councillor David Robertson has Gillian Argyle, Mark Barrington-Ward, stated: “To enforce Controlled Parking Zones you Kate Miller, Chris Rayson, David Townsend need the resources and one of the ways that can be achieved is by charging for permits.” Of course, NOTE : Oxford City Council’s “Planning Applic a- another way of raising £700k per year would be tions Online” address has now changed to – to maintain charges for on-street parking in the http://uniformpublicaccess.oxford.gov.uk/ publicaccess/tdc/tdc_home.aspx city centre in the evenings and on Sundays! Or, simply access it via the Society’s website.