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Headington News archive for 2016

New shops and businesses in Headington 2016

Aziz Indian Restaurant

The Aziz Restaurant (established 1990 and judged one of the top ten Indian restaurants in the south-east) moved from the Cowley Road to the Chequers Inn at Quarry just before Easter 2016.

Card Factory

The Card Factory opened at 102 London Road (next to the Windmill Fair Trade shop) on 1 April 2016. This shop was formerly occupied by Johnson's Cleaners (closed 5 February 2015). It was advertised to let with Lambert Smith Hampton at an annual rent of £27,000 (£365 per sq.m). Renovation took place in June/July 2015.

Ice cream parlour

Adria Gelateria Italiana is now open at 5 Simon House, Windmill Road. An application has been temporarily approved for three years for "Change of use of vacant unit to ice cream parlour (Use Class A1/A3) with provision of seating for 18–24 people and alterations to shop front. Erection of delivery cabin at rear (Part retrospective)".

The principle of the change of use from A1 fails to comply with policy RC4 of the Oxford Local Plan, and the Local Planning Authority will reassess the situation in three years' time.

Customers shall not be present for consumption on or off the premises before 7am or after 9pm.

This shop was formerly Osheey Afro-Caribbean Groceries (closed September 2015), and before that Da Root Hairdressing.

Savers Hair and Beauty

Savers Health & Beauty opened in the former Trade Exchange shop at 112 London Road on 6 October 2016. The following planning applications for a new shop front, and for “Display of 1No. internally-illuminated fascia sign and 1 No. internally-illuminated hanging sign” were approved:

An earlier planning application for “Change of use from Retail (Use Class A1) to mixed use (Retail (Use Class A1) and Restaurant/cafe (Use Class A3) at ground floor level” was refused:

GVA originally advertised the business with a commencing rental of £48,500 per year; it was then advertised by JRBT Commercial Property, with a reduced rent of £45,000.

Oxford Vapours

Oxford Vapours opened at 142 London Road next to the former Post Office on 10 October 2016. The BBB Stores closed in mid-2015 and this shop was advertised for rent via Chancellor's at £25,000 p.a.

Helen & Douglas House

A second Helen & Douglas House charity shop openedt at 93 London Road on 29 November 2016. This was Brambles, and then the second home of the Oxfordshire Furniture Warehouse, which closed on 24 August 2016. It was advertised to let by VSL & Partners at £27,500 per annum.

Buongiorno e Buonasera

Buongiorno e Buonasera (Italian deli, coffee shop, and snack bar) opened on 16 September 2016 in the former Iron Bed shop at 92 London Road (on the corner of New High Street). It has applied for a licence to sell alcohol and play recorded music

Craft Burger

C.R.A.F.T. Burger opened on 11 October 2016 in the former Dong Dong restaurant at 1 The Parade, Windmill Road

 

In addition one business moved and one came back:

Connells

Connells Estate Agents moved from 137a London Road to the larger premises at 129–133 London Road (vacated by Allen & Harris in January 2016)

Bar Meze

Bar Meze at 146 London Road reopened as … Bar Meze (different website) in August 2016. It had been closed since 25 April 2016, when it was repossessed by the landlords, Khushi Properties.

Heat pipe between JR and Churchill hospitals

Work on the energy link began on Monday 28 November 2016.

Public art in Headington

The new Flying Blueberry Pie at the Headington Maggie's Centre was unveiled in 2016 and can be seen in the Public art in Headington section.

Lime Walk planning application
91 Lime Walk

A planning application submitted in October 2016 relating to the large Victorian detached house at 91 Lime Walk was withdrawn in December. It was for “Demolition of existing dwelling. Erection of three-storey building to provide 9 flats (3 x 3-bed, 4 x 2-bed & 2 x 1-bed). Provision of new access off Lime Walk, private and shared amenity space and bin and cycle store”.

“Access to Headington”

Work on the “Access to Headington” project started on 17 October 2016 at the junction of Old Road, Roosevelt Drive, Warneford Lane, and Gipsy Lane.

Background

On 9 June 2016 David Nimmo-Smith, the County Council Cabinet Member for Environment (including Transport) approved the £12.5m “Access to Headington” revised plans:

New plans just for Headley Way and Windmill Road were released by the county council on 28 April 2016, and this extra consultation closed on 23 May 2016:

The county council's designs were sent out to the 4,500 homes most directly affected, and are also available here online:

The formal consultation on the Traffic Consultation Orders (TROs) closed on 25 March 2016.

All the proposed road humps at side road entries had a consultation of their own, which closed on 8 April 2016:

The earlier (2015) plans

In 2015 the county council held a preliminary consultation on this £12.5m package of transport improvements for the Headington area (from Marsh Lane to Horspath Driftway and the Eastern bypass, including Old Road):

Headington Neighbourhood Plan

The City Council Executive Board approved the draft Headington Neighbourhood Plan for formal consultation, and the six-week public consultation closed on 7 October 2016:

52 new homes near Waynflete Road

The preliminary construction management plan for this new development, submitted by Cala Management Ltd in 2016, has been approved. It relates to 39 and 41 Waynflete Road (which come under the Oxford City Council) and the land behind (under South Oxfordshire District Council):

The following planning application submitted in 2014 by Cala Homes (Chiltern) Ltd to both South Oxfordshire District Council and Oxford City Council was approved by both councils:

“Demolition of existing pair of semi-detached houses (39 and 41 Waynflete Road). Erection of 52 houses and flats (including 40% of net increase as affordable homes) in single-storey buildings, two-storey buildings, and two-storey buildings with rooms in roofs (47 dwellings proposed off Waynflete Road and 5 detached dwellings off Bayswater Farm Road). Construction of roads and footpaths including new accesses off Waynflete Road and Bayswater Farm Road. Provision of open space, parking, garages and landscaping. NB Demolition of existing houses, estate road and only part of new build in Oxford City District”.

The plans were approved by South Oxfordshire District Council in August 2016:

The description is identical on plans submitted to Oxford City Council, except that it did not include the last sentence. The proposal to demolish two houses in Waynflete Road to provide an access road was agreed by the East Area Planning Committee in September:

Ronald McDonald House

Ronald McDonald House Charities was granted planning permission in 2016 for a new four-storey building on the disused tennis courts (0.4 hectares) at the John Radcliffe Hospital. The site is bounded to the north by Hospital Car Park 2a, to the east and south by Woodlands Road, and to the west by the rear gardens of Sandfield Road.

At present the charity can only offer 17 rooms on the top floor of the children's hospital and cannot meet the demand. The approved application is for “Ronald McDonald House to provide 62 bedrooms including communal areas, admin facilities, plant and store rooms along with associated landscaping and drop off area”.

Pullen’s Lane

 

Care home planned for Pullens Lane

Frontier Estates held a public exhibition on 27 July 2016 at St Anthony of Padua Church Hall of new plans for a 55-bed care home on the site of the present bungalow at 1 Pullen's Lane. They will be submitting updated plans to the city council's design review board:

They made two earlier applications for the home:

(1) The first application for “Demolition of existing house and flat. Erection of 55-bedroom care home facility on three levels, together with 17 car parking spaces, landscaping and associated works” was rejected in August 2014:

(2) The second application for “Demolition of the existing buildings and erection of a new 55 bedroom care home with associated landscaping, hardstanding and infrastructure” was withdrawn in May 2016.

 

EF
International Academy (west side of lane)

EF is planning to submit new plans for the EF International Academy, based at Cotuit Hall on the west side of Pullen’s Lane:

In 2013 EF withdrew planning application 12/01106/FUL following concerns expressed by local residents. This was for “Erection of 3 new buildings on 3 floors plus basement to provide teaching, residential and ancillary accommodation, together with underground common room to frontage. Refurbishment of existing Marcus and Brewer buildings, including alteration to existing elevations. Provision of new pedestrian footpath from Pullens Lane”:

The Academy is a school for 16–18-year-olds on two-year residential courses studying for A-levels and the International Baccalaureate. At the moment Cotuit Hall is used only for teaching, but the college hopes to expand it to accommodate 350 boarding students in 142 bedrooms (with between one and three students per room).

A Headington Hill Umbrella Group (HHUG) was formed by local residents:

EF bought Cotuit Hall (which previously housed 102 Brookes students) from Oxford Brookes University in 2011.

EF Language School (east side of lane)

The EF Language School was required (under the granting of planning permission 07/02499/FUL) to provide public art. Their application 11/00034/VAR to delete this requirement was refused on 7 March 2011.

They then submitted application 13/00284/VAR (1) to legitimize the delay and (2) to reveal their design for a marble seat inside their grounds (the former Plater College). The former part of the application was approved on 12 April, but the public art shown on the plans was not approved.

Pullen's End sold

Pullen's End, which was put up for sale for £5 million by John D. Wood in May 2016, sold in August.

This house was built in 1883/4 for Patrick Arkley Henderson, Fellow of Wadham College, and from 1980 to 2006 it was occupied by the historian James Howard-Johnston and his wife, the novelist Angela Huth.

When the house was last put up for sale In 2006, the Church of England planned to buy the house for £2.5 million as a palace for the Bishop of Oxford, but the deal fell through because the church commissioners discovered that there was a covenant preventing offices from being built in its 1.7 acre garden, and it remained in private ownership:

Holy Trinity Church planning application

On 7 September 2016 the East Area Planning Committee approved the planning application by Holy Trinity Church in Headington Quarry for “Erection of single-storey extension to north elevation”:

The church withdrew an earlier planning application submitted in February 2015 so that pre-application discussions could be held with the planning officer.

St Luke's Hospital extension

A planning application for “Removal of the existing pitched roof, a new reception area with 2 additional bedrooms over, an off-site constructed second storey to house 20 new bedrooms and associated external works” was approved in September 2016:

Development near the Lye Valley
Warren Crescent

On 30 March 2016 the Planning Review Committee voted 7:2 in favour of development on land east of Warren Crescent:

The plans are for “Erection of 10 x 3-bed dwellings (use class C3) together with associated car parking, cycle and bin storage. Diversion of public footpath”.

Town Furze

In September 2016 planners refused an application to build four houses directly above the Lye Valley South Fen, on the land to the west of 75 Town Furze:

“Connecting Oxfordshire” project

This separate consultation by Oxfordshire County Council on its “Connecting Oxfordshire: Local Transport Plan 2015–2031” closed on 2 April 2015.

This plan includes new hospital routes for the “eastern arc” (from Cowley to Headington), and the most controversial idea in the consultation is probably the schematic “super premium transport route” running northwards along Lye Valley road and across the Lye Brook into the south-east corner of the Churchill Hospital site

The consultation documents are still online: see especially the maps of bus routes on pages 10 and 12 (numbers refer to the numbers in the lower right corner) of the consultation document Connecting_Oxfordshire_vol_2_section_i__OTS which show a schematic ‘super premium transport route’ running across the Lye Brook into the south-east corner of the Churchill Hospital site.

Car Park extensions
Bury Knowle Park

Oxford City Council is proposing to extend the tiny car park at the North Place entrance to Bury Knowle Park and introduce parking charges. At present spaces there are often filled by workers, shoppers, or commuters.

Margaret Road Recreation Ground

Oxford City Council approved the amended plans for demolition of the existing sports pavilion and the erection of a new one, and work began in 2016:

Former Headington Post Office site
(1) Post Office move to Co-op

Headington Post Office moved to its new location in the Co-op on Monday 15 February. It has extended opening hours for selected services (7am to 10pm on Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sunday), with full service from Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm. The former Post Office is vacant and being advertised to rent as an A1 retail shop.

(2) Hookah (Shisha) bar planning application

The planning application by Ms S. Valiyeva for the area behind Headington Post Office was refused. This was for “Demolition of existing garage. Change of use into Shisha Bar (Sui Generis). Erection of soundproof fencing and WC. Provision of canopy and formation of seating area. Rear of 142 to 144 London Road, Headington”.

(3) HMO planning application

A planning application relating to a different area to the west behind Headington Post Office has been approved, namely: “Conversion of 2 x 2-bed residential units (Use Class C3) into House in Multiple Occupation (Sui Generis)” :

(4) BBB Stores

This shop at 142 London Road was carved out of Headington Post Office when the latter ceased to be a Crown Post Office in the 1990s. Oxford Vapours is opening here on 10 October 2016. This shop closed in mid-2015 and was advertised for rent via Chancellor's at £25,000 p.a.

Tower blocks in Northway and Wood Farm

The city council is refurbishing Oxford's five tower blocks, including Plowman Tower in Northway and Foresters Tower in Wood Farm. Almost 300 council tenants will pay nothing, but the 51 leaseholder families/individuals who own their own flats will have to pay £40,000 to £60,000 each for the same refurbishments.

Residents think the charges are unreasonable, and an Oxford Tower Block Leaseholders Association has been formed. This now has a new chairman, Darren Hazell, and a Thame-based solicitor is organizing a barrister to represent the leaseholders at a forthcoming tribunal.

New school proposed for Headington

The Chapel Street Community Schools Trust plans to open a new state-funded school with a Christian ethos in Headington in September 2018.

Stansfeld Park, Quarry Road

The Oxford Trust (Science Oxford) submitted a planning application for the former Stansfeld Centre on 7 October 2016:

The Trust announced on 2 February that it had completed the acquisition of the former Stansfeld Outdoor Education Centre. On 27 October 2015 it announced that (subject to planning permission) the centre would become the Wood Centre for Science and Innovation (WCSI), which will be twinned with the Oxford Centre for Innovation (OCFI).

This 7.2 ha site was originally bought by John Stedwell Stansfeld so that children from St Ebbe’s could stay in the countryside, but in 1933 his family sold it to Birmingham City Council.

Background to the sale

Birmingham City Council agreed on 17 March 2014 to cease their outdoor learning service here after 31 July 2014.

Birmingham Property Services put the centre up for sale by informal tender in 2014. The centre was registered as an asset of community value, so community groups had a chance to raise the funds to bid for the 250-year lease on the land for six months after it was put up for sale. The two unsuccessful bidders were the Oxford Co-Housing group and a care provider.

The Friends of Stansfeld group was formed in June 2015 to represent the community in the sale of the Stansfeld Outdoor Centre. The aim of the Friends is that the woodland area is protected in perpetuity (and opened to the public if possible) and that the site provides educational facilities, especially a Forest School.

Waitrose

In 2016 the Headington Waitrose had planning applications for an outdoor seating area in Old High Street and banners approved:

Expansion of Manor Surgery

The Manor Surgery in Osler Road, whose patient numbers have risen by 2000 in the last two years, was awarded £1.2million in 2016 to extend its practice building to provide six new consultation rooms and two practice nurse rooms. It plans to offer space for an out-of-hours service and community-based clinics.

The following three planning applications relate to the two-storey extension and alterations to the existing car park:

Local election results, May 2016

Each city council ward in Oxford elected one councillor on 5 May 2016 to serve a four-year term until May 2020. The results in the Headington & Marston area were as follows:

  • Barton & Sandhills: Mike Rowley (Labour & Co-operative) re-elected
  • Churchill: Mark Lygo (Labour) re-elected
  • Headington: Ruth Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat) re-elected
  • Headington Hill & Northway: Nigel Chapman (Labour) in place of Roy Darke (Labour), who has retired
  • Marston: Mick Haines (Independent) re-elected
  • Quarry & Risinghurst: Chewe Munkonge (Labour) re-elected.

Detailed results for all the city council wards:

More flats and houses proposed for Headington
(1) 4 Lime Walk

“Erection of a two storey building to create 4 x 2-bed flats (Use Class C3). Provision of 2 No. carparking spaces, private amenity space, bin and cycle store.”

(2) Margaret Road garage

The planning application for this site, which is owned by the Doris Field Charitable Trust, has been refused. The plans including a rebuilt garage as before, plus six flats:
“Demolition of existing garage and workshop. Erection of three storey building to provide 3 x 2-bed and 3 x 3-bed flats (Use Class C3). Erection of garage together with 6no. car parking spaces.”

(3) 73 Barton Road

The following planning application has been refused: “Demolition of existing garage. Erection of building to form 1 x 1bedroom dwellinghouse (Use Class C3). Formation of first floor level to existing dwellinghouse and subdivision into 1 x 2 bedroom and 1 x 3 bedroom dwellinghouses (Use Class C3). Provision of private amenity space, car parking spaces and bin and cycle store”:

Brookes developments

The East Area Planning Committee approved the following major planning application at its meeting on 6 January 2016:

Refurbishment of part of University campus consisting of:
1. Demolition of existing main hall and lecture theatre
2. Construction of replacement main hall.
3. Overcladding and refurbishment of Sinclair Building.
4. Removal of elevation and recladding and refurbishment of Clerici and former library buildings.
5. Replanning of forecourt, car park and landscaped area to Gipsy Lane frontage.

A separate planning application to replace the side extension of the Sinclair Annexe Building, and to re-clad it, was approved in 2015:

On 12 January 2015 Oxford Brookes announced a ten-year estate investment plan costing an average of £13m per annum. This includes moving all teaching, research and support activity from the Wheatley campus to the Headington site.

The Faculty of Business (2,500 students) will move into the Clerici Building in 2016/17. The Faculty of Technology, Design, and Environment provision (TDE) will move from Wheatley to Headington by 2021/22, and there may be some new building.

New school proposed for Headington

The Chapel Street Community Schools Trust hoped to open a new state-funded school with a Christian ethos in Headington in September 2018, but no site was found.

 

 

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Shops to let in Headington centre at end of 2016
Clic Sargent Charity Shop

108–110 London Road. Closed August 2016

This shop was advertised to let at £30,000 per annum by VSL & Partners, and is now being refurbished

Headington Post Office

142–144  London Road. Closed on 13 February 2016

The post office is now in the Co-op, but the previous postmaster reopened here temporarily on 18 November 2016 and started selling stationery etc. The building still appears to be available to rent via Chancellor's at £2,333 per calendar month:

Morrisons

73–75  London Road. Closed in November 2014

The former Morrison's shop at 73–75 London Road was offered to rent leasehold at £60,000 per annum. The premises measure 1,893 sq. ft, and loading is only possible via the front of the shop. The owners have recently renovated the building, and businesses are understood to be interested.

Pet & Garden Stores

150a London Road. Closed on 27 February 2016

Was advertised to let with the Central Business Agency at £25.000 per annum, or freehold for sale (offers invited):

 

Vacant offices in Headington centre
Connells Estate Agents

137a London Road

This ground-floor office was vacated in May 2016 when Connells moved to larger premises at 129–133 London Road. The premises are for sale (offers in the region of £400,000); alternatively a new lease can be offered at a commencing rental of £27,500 per annum. There would be a restriction on not using the premises for estate agency, lettings, or financial services. Planning permission was granted in 1961 for this shop to be tacked on the end of the row of former Victorian houses called Westbourne Terrace (61/11381/A_H)

Offices above Lloyds Bank

The first-floor offices above Lloyds Bank at 87 London Road were being advertised to rent for £18,500 per annum, but this has come down to £12,500. The second floor of these offices is currently occupied by Nigel Grice & Associates

Barclays Antiques

This shop at 107 Windmill Road was for sale with Breckon & Breckon, price £795,000. but the advertisement has now been taken down and the business appears to be continuing.

Surgery closes

Richards Medical Centre at 12 Old High Street closed in September 2016 after the retirement of Dr Peter Saunders.

First World War 100-year remembrances: 1916

27 Headington men died in 1916
Conscription started on 2 March 1916

February 1916

Poppy Sapper Raymond Jacobs (26) of the Royal Engineers, a stonemason of Magdalen College who lived in St Leonard's Road and died at Loos on 7 February 1916: buried at the Mazingarbe Communal Cemetery

March 1916

Poppy Private Harry Smith (17) of the Royal Berkshire Regiment, wounded in France on 8 December 1915 and died there on 4 March 1916: buried in the Lapugnoy Military Cemetery

April 1916

Poppy Private John Tolley (29) of the OBLI, career soldier, of New Inn Cottages on the London Road died in Mesopotamia on 3 April 1916: buried in the Knut War Cemetery

Poppy Private Ernest James Butler (20) of the Wiltshire Regiment, a page-boy in a shop's refreshment department whose parents moved to 59 Windmill Road, died in Mesopotamia on 9 April 1916: buried in Amara War Cemetery

May 1916

Poppy Private Arthur George Tolley (32) of the OBLI, a married gardener whose parents lived in Holyoake Road, killed in action in France on 5 May 1916, and buried in the Hébuterne Military Cemetery.

Poppy Driver Harry Goodgame (23) of the Royal Engineers, a building labourer of Bateman Street, killed in Belgium on 7 May 1916: buried in the Brandhoek Military Cemetery.

Poppy Private Gerald Judge (26) of the Royal Fusiliers, a regular soldier whose wife lived at 49 Windmill Road, killed in France on 24 May 1916: buried in the Zouave Valley Cemetery

July 1916

Poppy Private James Frederick Durham (19) of the OBLI, printer who lived at 31 Holyoake Road, killed in action France on 13 July 1916: buried in Pont-du-Hem Military Cemetery

Poppy Private William Cox (21) of the OBLI, chimney sweep whose family lived at 23 Quarry High Street, killed in action in France on 14 July 1916: buried in the Hébuterne Military Cemetery

Poppy Private John Edward Crawford (18) of the OBLI, printer who lived at Jeffcoat Cottages, Old Headington, killed in action in France on 19 July 1916: remembered on the Thiepval Memorial

Poppy Private Leonard Victor Harry Smith (18) of the OBLI, gardener at Headington Hill Hall whose family lived at 58 Lime Walk, killed in action in France on 19 July 1916; buried at the Pozières British Cemetery.

Poppy Private George Tolley (20) of the OBLI, printer's labourer of Holyoake Road, killed in action in France on 19 July 1916; buried in the Laventie Military Cemetery, La Gorgue.

Poppy Second Lieutenant (Arthur) William Webb (37), career soldier and father of five who lived at Lime Walk, awarded DSM, killed in action in France on 24 July 1916 and buried in the Dantzig Alley British Cemetery

Poppy George Thomas Pritchard (20), former news boy whose family lived in Quarry, died of wounds in France on 27 July 1916 and buried in the Carnoy Military Cemetery.

Poppy Edward Gurl (23), labourer who lived in Trinity Road, Quarry, killed in action in France on 31 July 1916 and buried in the Dantzig Military Cemetery

August 1916

Poppy Alfred Cull (34), labourer who lived in the lodge of Bury Knowle House (now public conveniences) killed in France on 13 August 1916 and remembered on the Thiepval Memorial

Poppy Ernest Jacob (24), career soldier who lived at 85 Lime Walk, killed in action in France on 19 August 1916 and buried in the Caterpillar Valley Cemetery

September 2016

Poppy James Batts (38), baker who lived in Old High Street, died of wounds in France on 2 September 1916 and buried in the St Sever Cemetery, Rouen

Poppy Leonard Davenport (27), of Davenport House on the corner of Pullen's Lane, Surveyor in Malaya, died of wounds in France on 6 September 1916 and buried at La Neuville British Cemetery, Corbie

October 2016

Poppy Alick Marshall (27), a chauffeur whose laundress mother lived at Beaumont Road, Quarry, killed in action in France on 1 October 1916 and buried at the Bernafay Wood British Cemetery, Montauban

Poppy John Bellamy (23), an accountant who lived at 131 Lime Walk, died of wounds in France on 4 October 1916 and buried at the Dernancourt Communal Cemetery. He has a stained-glass window in All Saints' Church

Poppy Bertie Jeffs (21), blacksmith's apprentice of 39 Windmill Road, whose plane was shot down in an air battle over France on 10 October 1916. He has no known grave, but is remembered on the Arras Flying Memorial

Poppy John Durham (22), tobacconist's porter of 31 Holyoake Road, died of wounds in France on 11 October 1916 and buried in the Merville Communal Cemetery

November 1916

Poppy Thomas Keen (19), last known job “house boy”, who lived in Wilberforce Street, killed in France on 5 November 1916. He has no known grave, but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial

Poppy William George Higgins (28), assistant grocer, who lived with his wife at Stapleton Road and was killed in France on 7 November 1916. He has no known grave, but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial

Poppy Percival Surman (36), labourer and former soldier, who lived with his laundress mother in Beaumont Road, killed in France on 11 November 1916. He is buried in the Blargies Community Cemetery

December 1916

Poppy Ernest Schofield (39), printer at OUP who lived with his mother in Bateman Street, died of pneumonia at Rouen on 20 December 1916. He is buried in the St Sever Cemetery

Biographies of all 120 Headington people who died

Headington items on That's Oxford TV, 2016
Pub News in 2016
Fairview

Planning application 16/02112/FUL was approved in November 2016 to turn this pub in Glebelands into a five-bedroomed house.

Crown & Thistle

This pub in Old Road closed in 2011. Fleurets advertised it as a pub to let (guide rent of £22,500 per annum) in early 2016, but the advertisement has now been withdrawn.

Meanwhile three four-bedroomed houses are being built on the car-park:

The Chequers

This pub and restaurant at 17A Beaumont Road, Headington Quarry was advertised for sale by Fleurets in early 2016, but the advertisement has now been withdrawn. The description stated: "The premises also offer potential for conversion to residential (subject to obtaining the necessary consents) and there is a potential building plot adjacent to the premises which is included."

Ampleforth Arms

The Ampleforth Arms pub in Collinwood Road, Risinghurst is boarded up, and was put up for sale with offers of £625,000 + VAT invited (reduced from the original £700,000 + VAT). The pub was built by Ind Coope in 1938, and was the local of C. S. Lewis

The Amp Revival group got it listed as an asset of community value and is raising the money to buy it.

Royal Standard

The Royal Standard has had a planning application approved for "Formation of decked area to north elevation. Replacement of decking at rear to create new decked access and a lean-to covered area. Provision of enclosed bin store":

A second application for "Formation of timber raised decking with glass guarding with stainless steel handrail" was withdrawn:

Quarry Gate

A planning application submitted in June 2016 for the site of the Quarry Gate pub at 19 Wharton Road (on the corner of St Leonard's Road) was refused at September's East Area Planning Committee meeting. It was for “Erection of three storey building to provide 1 x 1-bed, 3 x 2-bed and 2 x 3-bed flats (Use Class C3). Provision of car parking and bin and cycle storage”

An earlier application for three five-bedroomed houses was refused:

The pub was demolished in 2015. No member of the public sought to get it listed as a heritage or community asset, and Seville Developments were told that prior approval for the method of demolition was not required for the method of demolition”: 15/00591/DEM.

The developer gave as the reason why demolition needed to take place: “To facilitate future redevelopment of the site”. They stated in their application:
“The Quarry Gate is a former public house located on the corner of Wharton Road and St Leonards Road in Headington. The building is not listed. The proposed demolition does not constitute “relevant demolition” for the purposes of s.196D of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as the site is not located within a Conservation Area. Oxford City Council has no Article 4 Direction in place which prevents the operation of the GPDO in respect of demolition.”

This pub was for sale for a very long time (with its price latterly reduced from £899,000 to £775.000) and was bought by Seville Developments for £600,000 in mid-2013. Internal work on the building took place in January 2014 and until now Seville have been using it as their offices.

Bury Knowle Park stables & barn

Planning permission was granted in November 2013 for “Conversion of Bury Knowle Stables and Barn to 1 x 2-bed dwelling (stables) and 1 x 4-bed dwelling (barn) (Use Class C3). Provision of parking and bin and bicycle stores. Demolition of outbuilding and lean-to (amendments to planning permission 12/01605/CT3).”

The stables and barn were sold by Kemp & Kemp (offers in excess of £450,000 were invited).

The East Area Planning Committee approved the original plans on 6 September 2012 to convert these buildings into three two-bedroomed dwellings: 12/01605/CT3. (An earlier application was withdrawn pending a decision by English Heritage.)

The buildings belong to Oxford City Council, which in 2012 sold off its redundant property.

Islamic Studies Centre

The new Islamic Studies Centre on the Marston Road opened in 2016. It was originally expected to cost £60 million, but this proved to be £25 million short.

In 2012 the Centre for Islamic Studies made an offer to the City Council for Harcourt House on the Marston Road for student housing

All Saints Road/Lime Walk corner

The house at 73 Lime Walk was renovated and sold, but the old buildings in its back garden (facing All Saints Road) and the large warehouse behind (accessed from Lime Walk) were demolished in January 2012. These buildings were the former Burton’s dairy shop (which once housed Highfield Post Office) and its loading shed.

They are being replaced by two x 3/4-bedroom houses fronting Lime Walk and a two-storey office building fronting All Saints Road. This relates to planning application 11/00648/FUL by C. G. Burton and E. L. Woodhead for 73–81 Lime Walk. In April 2013 amendment 13/00174/FUL to that permission was approved.

An application for the erection of a two-storey office building (Use Class B1) at the rear of 73 Lime Walk (between 7 and 9 All Saints Road) was approved in September 2015:

The application to build a maisonette and two flats to the rear of 73 Lime Walk was withdrawn in May 2014:

Lock Court

Lock Court on the former city council depot site in Bury Knowle Park is nearing completion. It is named after Sir Joseph Lock who built Bury Knowle House, in whose grounds it stands. It is a car-free development with no parking and no residents' parking permits.

The flats are being let under Oxford City Council's Choice-Based lettings scheme. Details of the rents can be found here.

Planning application 13/01814/CT3 was approved by the East Area Planning Committee on Wednesday 4 September 2013 with extra conditions and informatives proposed by Cllrs Rundle & Wilkinson. It was for "Erection of 2 x 1-bed, 7 x 2-bed and 1 x 3-bed residential units (use class C3) in 3 blocks arranged around central courtyard, together with covered cycle and bin stores, and landscaping". A second approved application 13/01815/CAC was for Conservation Area Consent to demolish the existing sheds, and a third 13/01814/CND2 referred to submission of details in compliance with conditions. (An earlier planning application 12/02622/CT3 was approved on 16 April 2012 but that decision was called in and then withdrawn.)

The solar panels

The solar panels in the roof of these flats had to be modified:

New development at Northway

Construction of the new development at Northway started on 14 January 2015. The building work is being carried out by Haboakus (Kevin McCloud’s development company Hab in partnership with the housing association GreenSquare). Oxford City Council is providing land in Northway for the developers, who in return are rebuilding Northway community centre, and providing 47 new homes in Dora Carr Close and 21 flats in Westlands Drive. The Emmaus Charity furniture store moved to Cowley in May 2016.

The two Northway planning applications for the £18m regeneration project in Northway and Cowley were approved by the East Area Planning Committee on 5 June 2013; and the Planning Review Committee approved the associated Cowley application on 25 June:

  • 12/03280/FUL Demolition of existing buildings. Erection of 47 residential units (9 x 1-bed, 14 x 2-bed, 15 x 3-bed, 4 x 4-bed, 5 x live/work units) plus community centre in 5 blocks on 2, 3 and 4 levels. Provision of 78 car parking spaces, 102 cycle parking spaces and landscaping
  • 12/03281/FUL Demolition of existing building. Erection of 21 flats (14 x 1-bed, 7 x 2-bed) on 3 floors, together with 21 car parking spaces, 56 cycle spaces and landscaping.
Windmill Road developments
Dring's Yard development

The planning application submitted by Keble Homes for the old Dring's bus depot site (the burnt-out Richens Mobility building) at 2 Windmill Road (behind Simon House and Caffe Nero) has been approved. It is for: “Erection of three storey building to provide 2 x B1 units on the ground floor, 4 x 2 bedroom flats (Use Class C3). Provision of private amenity space, cycle and bin storage.“

There have been three similar planning applications: the first two which proposed more flats for the site were rejected, and then 08/01282/FUL submitted by Neil Richens was approved in 2008 and was twice renewed.

Keble Homes announced in July 2014 that they had bought the site, and demolition work was completed in October 2014.

Richens Mobility occupied the site until 22 July 2006, when their workshop suffered a severe fire. They initially moved to the Roundway, but are now closed.

Bury Knowle Club

The Bury Knowle Club at 2D Windmill Road closed at the end of 2014. Situated above Leaders (formerly QB Management) and Salon Scandinavia, the club opened in 1933 and membership was for men only.

The premises (1,773 sq ft) were put up for sale by VSL & Partners at £300,000 freehold at the end of 2013, and planning permission was granted to Keble Homes to convert the premises into 2 x one-bed and 1 x two-bed flats.

Old Road Campus/Churchill & Park Hospitals
Link Street

A planning application has been approved to form a Link Street around the campus:

Sobell House

The Sobell House Charity plans to build a new specialist facility at the Churchill Hospital aimed at patients with more complex illnesses such as dementia. It will overlook Southfield Golf Course and cost £5m.

New Heart Centre

A new £45m heart centre, jointly run by the University of Oxford and the British Heart Foundation, is planned for 2018.

Bioescalator/Amenities Building

Planning application was approved by the East Area Planning Committee on 3 June. This was for

  • 15/00996/RES: “Erection of Bioescalator/Amenities Building, together with landscaping and ancillary works. (Part reserved matters of outline planning permission 12/02072/OUT relating to Plot B4, seeking approval of appearance, landscaping, scale and layout.)”.
Big Data Institute

The Big Data Institute will develop approaches for generating, storing, and analysing large datasets in medical science for a better understanding of human disease and its treatment. The following planning application was approved by the East Area Planning Committee on 6 August 2014:

  • 14/01586/RES: “Erection of medical research building (Big Data Institute) on 3 levels plus basement and plant enclosure at roof level, together with landscaping and ancillary works. (Part reserved matters of outline planning permission 12/02072/OUT relating to plot B5, seeking approval of appearance, landscaping, scale and layout)”
  • Oxford Mail, 8 August 2014:
    “World's first Big Data Institute given go-ahead”
  • Oxford Mail, 20 June 2014:
    “£45m data institute plan sets sail”

Following a consultation in May 2014, the University reduced the size of the planned Big Data Institute:

The outline planning application submitted by the University of Oxford relating to the integration and development of the 28-acre Park Hospital site (which it now owns) with its Old Road Campus in Headington was approved at the East Area Planning Committee meeting on 8 January 2013.

Car Park

There will be a 459-space multi-storey carpark (replacing the current 260 spaces, so the net increase is 199 spaces) built on the Old Road Campus.

Two applications for a temporary 100-space car park while work is going ahead were approved:

  • 14/01494/FUL: “Demolition of various vacant prefabricated building. Retention of one prefabricated building plus the construction of 3 storey research building, catering building, 100 space car park and ancillary work for temporary period during construction of proposed Big Data Institute (BDI) Building on adjacent land”
  • 15/00996/RES: “Construction of 100 space temporary car park, together with ancillary works and new vehicular access from Roosevelt Drive during construction of Bioescalator/Amenities Building on adjacent land”
Cancer Research Centre

A new £138m cancer research centre is to be built near the Churchill Hospital and could be ready in 2016:

Precision Cancer Medicine Institute

Universities, Science, and Cities Minister Greg Clark visited the Old Road campus on 23 October 2014 and announced that a new £110m cancer centre, the Precision Cancer Medicine Institute is planned to open in 2017 or 2018 on the Churchill Hospital site or the Old Road campus. It will have 200 workers and will study drug, surgery, and radiation therapy in cancer patients.

Children's nursery on Old Road campus

The University of Oxford was granted permission at the end of 2014 to change the use of an office on the Old Road Campus to a children's nursery. The building is sited in The Triangle (just to the west of the former Park Hospital):

"Change of use of building from administrative office and teaching accommodation to children's nursery for a temporary period of up to 5 years, together with external alterations including provision of new external doors, external stairs and canopies. Surfacing of garden area to provide play area, and use of land and surfacing to provide 6 drop-off bays and 9 car-parking spaces. Provision of pram/buggy store."

Latimer Road: 175 student rooms

The demolition of four houses on the west corner of Latimer Road and London Road started on 31 May 2016 in preparation for the building of Beech House, which will accommodate 175 students.

A new planning application has been submitted “to enable the student accommodation to be occupied by cultural and academic visitors and by conference and summer school delegates outside of term time”:

This relates to the following approved application, submitted by Frontier Estates (Oxon) Ltd in March 2015, with the following (amended) description:
“Demolition of residential houses at 36, 38 and 40 London Road and 2 Latimer Road. Erection of 167 student study rooms and ancillary facilities on 4 and 5 levels plus basement, together with 2 x 2-bed and 2 x 3-bed maisonettes. Provision of 4 car parking spaces and 1 car parking space for disabled drivers, 88 cycle parking spaces, landscaped areas and ancillary works.”

In May 2016 details were submitted “in compliance with conditions 3 (Samples), 4a (Tree Removal), 4b (Operational Details), 5 (Arb Watching Brief), 6 (underground services), 7 (Hard standing - trees), 13 (Construction Travel Plan), 15 (Bin and bike stores), 18 (Bio-diversity enhancement), 19 (Drainage) and 20 (Screening)”:

The planning application for this development was originally refused at the East Area Planning Committee meeting on 2 December 2015 but was called in by twelve councillors and was approved at the meeting of the Planning Review Committee held on 27 January 2016, with conditions on completely screening the view to the school building next door.

The developers first outlined their plans for this new student development at a public exhibition at Oxford Brookes University on 21 October 2014, and their consultant David Morris listened to the concerns of local residents at The Hub in Headington on 7 November. They then held a public exhibition on 27 January 2015 at St Clement's Family Centre.

Barton Park

Planning permission for 237 residential units in the first phase of the development was approved on 2 March 2015:

Changes in local government rules have forced the city council to consider whether to transfer its £52.3m stake in Barton Park – for 354 council homes – to a housing association or a new housing company:

In November 2015 work started in Northway, where the access road for buses and emergency vehicles to and from Barton Park will join the northern bypass, following tree-felling on both sides of the northern bypass in April 2015:

Work on the main Barton Park development started on 13 May 2015, marked by a groundbreaking ceremony:

The firm Hill, which specializes in environmentally friendly homes, will build the first 237 houses of the 885 houses planned for the site.

The infrastructure plans 14/03201/RES were approved on 11 February 2015, and the first residents are expected to move in during 2017.

The main road will be called Barton Fields Road, and the other streets will be named after flora and fauna and people with a strong connection to Barton, including Vashti de Montfort Wellborne, John Boyce, and Barry Holden.

For full details about this development please see the separate page:

73 Barton Road

The following planning application was refused in 2016: “Demolition of existing garage. Erection of building to form 1 x 1bedroom dwellinghouse (Use Class C3). Formation of first floor level to existing dwellinghouse and subdivision into 1 x 2 bedroom and 1 x 3 bedroom dwellinghouses (Use Class C3). Provision of private amenity space, car parking spaces and bin and cycle store”: