Home Oxford Advertise Classifieds Search Useful Links About Us Contact Freelance Journalist

Home
Gadgets Review
Euro News
Oxford Property
Business News
Entertainment
Oxford Society
Oxford Leisure
Oxford Books
Headington
Oxford News

Oxford Prospect Magazine Cover April 2008
 

 
 
 
 
 

Headington Forum

Headington_Police_News_Update_May_2008_

Marston_and_Woodfarm_neighbourhood_update_

Oxford through_to_the_finals_of_Council_Worker_of_the_Year

Headington_Author_-_ BRIAN_ALDISS_AT_OXFORD_PLAYHOUSE

Proposed_Abingdon_Resevoir

Missing_Headington man_returns_home_–_Oxford_ _

Traffic_collision_-_Headington_

Headington_south,_Police neighbourhood_update_

Bury_Knowle,_Police_neighbourhood_update_ _

Doorstep_sellers_- Warning!

Headington_News_Update

Headington Police News Update  8 May 2008

Headington North neighbourhood update    

The second NAG took place on 16 April. The three NAG priorities were discussed and the results of actions set at the previous meeting were reported back to the group:-

1. Speeding
The neighbourhood team have conducted some speeding surveys in the area. These have focused on Old High Street, London Road and Headley way. The surveys were conducted between 11am and 1.40pm and recorded approximately 1,200 vehicles over the three sites. The results of the survey showed that vehicles recorded speeding were negligible (0.00% in Old High Street, 0.03% in London Road and 0.09% in Headley way). Members of the NAG who live in Old High Street requested that further surveys be done at different times of the day so over the next few weeks we have arranged to do this to gain further information. We will soon have access to a SID (Speed Indicator Devise) which will give us greater flexibility as a team to be proactive in recording this type of data.

2. Anti-social behaviour
PC Miles organised a successful operation to target anti-social behaviour on the area. This used officers from other areas to ‘flood’ Headington using a high visibility approach to both detect and prevent offending. The patrols focused around the licensed premises on our area which we recognise could be a hot-spot for offending. The operation resulted in several arrests and stop checks of individuals. It was also a useful intelligence gathering exercise. We have worked hard to build up our excellent Pubwatch group which is extremely well attended and supported by the local licensees who are keen to work with us in order to prevent crime and disorder. We recognise that with the summer months coming we will need to stay focused on this issue and continue our work with the licensees and staff at Brookes University to deter any offending. The team frequently patrol Bury Knowle Park to ensure that the park is being used as it is intended.

3. Cycling on the pavement
The neighbourhood team have started to conduct surveys to assess the problem of cycling on the pavement. So far four surveys have been done over a two hour period with the highest figures being recorded on 28 April where 33 offences were recorded between 3pm and 5pm at Headington Carfax. We have further surveys to do before we will have enough information to provide accurate figures for assessment; however this is obviously an issue that we deal with if we come across it on a day-to-day basis.

Although we are still collecting data for analysis for two of our priorities we are working hard to make an impact in these areas. We have currently had two probationer attachments to our team who have assisted with high profile patrols and the issuing of fixed penalty notices. We have a busy month ahead with various operations planned which we look forward to reporting back in the next newsletter. On 28 May following the next NAG we will be at the JR2 with our mobile police station on a crime reduction day. We plan to be there from approximately 1pm and will look forward to meeting any local residents who would like to come and see us. In the meantime we welcome any information on local issues or offences that you may have. Please contact the neighbourhood team on 08458 505 505, by email to HeadingtonNorth@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Please note that the team are not always on duty however we will respond to your non-urgent enquiries as soon as possible. For emergencies please call 999.
 
Crimewatch

Over the last two days there has been a spate of distraction burglaries across Thames Valley Police force area. Although none has occurred in the Oxford Police area, this is a reminder to be vigilent and if you know of a vulnerable member of your family,friend or neighbour please keep a wathful eye out on their behalf.
 

Issued: Wednesday, 07 May 2008, 16:24:41
 
Marston and Woodfarm neighbourhood update

By Neighbourhood Special Officer, PC Jon Shaw

The Third NAG meeting is scheduled to take place on the 12 May. During the last month the team have been working very hard to complete the scanning phase of the three neighbourhood priorities. I am pleased to report the following updates:-

1) Speeding
During April we carried out the covert speed surveys in Headley Way, Marston Road, Marsh Lane, Croft Road and Marston Ferry Road. The surveys were carried out by the Safer Roads Partnership with the assistance of one of the PCSOs. During the survey we measured the speeds of 1,746 vehicles, of this 0.09% of the vehicles were over the speed limit. The majority of the vehicles that were over the speed limit were travelling one or two miles per hour over. The road that had the most offending vehicles was Marston Ferry Road with 12 recorded travelling in excess of 46mph. We will now be carrying out a three day survey on the Marston Ferry Road to establish the worst times of offending, I will report back once this information has been received. I have also secured the loan of our own SID (speed indicator devise) which we will be deploying on the roads where speeding is evident but not enforceable.

2) Anti-Social Behaviour
I have now received a date for the full anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) hearing which is to be held at Oxford Magistrates Court in early June. We have started conducting a survey of all the residents of Plowman Tower to establish what and where ASB is happening, who is responsible, and when and why it is happening. Once this has been completed we will collate the results and deliver them at the next NAG meeting. We have now drawn up six Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) for youths living on the Northway Estate; these have been sent to the CANAcT team for approval and signing. Once they are approved a meeting will be set up with the child and their parents and the contract issued. We will then work with the individuals to try and stop them from offending and breaching the ABC. If information does come to light that they are ignoring the contract we will look at further measures, this may result in the issuing of an ASBO.

3) Parking
The PCSOs have been assessing the extent of the parking problems over the last few months at peak times around the schools and speaking with offending motorists. It has been identified that motorists are parking on the zig-zags outside St Josephs and St Michael’s primary schools and on junctions fully on the pavement around Arlington Drive / William Street / John Garne Way and Eden Drive. We will now be liaising with the head teachers at the schools and arranging to attend and deal with the offending motorists by issuing £30 fines for obstruction or £60 and three points for stopping in a pelican controlled area. This is a long term strategy, and with the assistance of the schools we will be publishing our activities in the newsletters and hoping to reduce the problem.

During the last month PCSO John Cope has started to set up a Neighbourhood Watch on Northway Estate. He has already got co-ordinators for Plowman Tower and Chaundy House. If you are interested in becoming a co-ordinator or just want to know what is involved please email the Marston email box and I will forward your details on to John and he will contact you directly. I would like to thank the community for the information we have been receiving from them. Without this we would not have been able to issue the amount of ABCs we have done. Please keep reporting incidents as they happen and we will continue to collate evidence and deal with offenders. Please contact us on 08458 505 505, email MarstonNorthway@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk  or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Please note that the Marston email box is not monitored seven days a week and if the team are on rest days it may take up to five days for us to respond. Please be patient and we will deal with your requests or information on our return. In an emergency dial 999.


Oxford City Council through to the finals of Council Worker of the Year

On 1st May 2008 it was announced that Oxford City Council’s Area A Cleansing have been short listed in the Team category for the Council Worker of the Year Awards 2008.

Thames Valley Police nominated the team in recognition of the support they give the police in cleaning up after the effects of drug misuse and homelessness.

There were 130 nominations in the Team category and only six finalists were chosen.

Members of the public will ultimately decide the winners in each category. Films about each of the finalists will be available to view on www.localgovernmentchannel.com  or by watching Local Government Today on the Community Channel.

Oxford residents will be able to show their support for Oxford by voting online or texting LGATV 6 Oxford to 80039

Voting will be allowed up until 1200 on 3rd July when the winners will be announced.

Peter Sloman, Chief Executive says “I am proud that we have been nominated for this award. I think the residents of Oxford should also be proud that we have a team that has been recognised nationally as providing a great service.

“I am pleased that the nomination has been made by a policeman that works on a day to day basis with the team so really understands what it takes to do their job.

“I would encourage everyone to log on onto the website and vote for Oxford.”

Jeremy Vine, the Council Worker of the Year Awards host says: "Council workers so often get blamed for everything, even the stuff that wasn't their fault.

“These awards are fantastic because they show the standards that are being set by people who really understand what public service is. It's not about politics, it's sheer hard work that will scoop these awards - on a good day a local council can connect with voters in a way that Westminster and Brussels really struggle to."

Sir Simon Milton, chairman of the Local Government Association says, “I am delighted by the number of entries from local authorities to the Council Worker of the Year awards.
”Council workers across the country all too often go above and beyond the call of duty and help local people in some of the most incredible ways. These awards are a chance to recognise the tireless work that they do to improve the lives of millions of people across the country each year."

David Brindle, The Guardian's Public Services Editor, said: "Council workers make a vital contribution to the quality of our daily lives, but all too often we take it for granted. These awards are to be warmly congratulated for reminding us of that contribution and for celebrating the very best in public service."

Headington Author -  BRIAN ALDISS AT OXFORD PLAYHOUSE
 

Friday 30 May at 5pm
Fans of science fiction writer Brian Aldiss will be in for a treat on Friday 30 May when the writer visits Oxford Playhouse to give a talk on the ways in which science, literature and life are linked.
 Best known as a science fiction writer, Brian Aldiss is also an important mainstream novelist, a poet, an essayist, a dramatist, a struggling artist, an SF historian and a critic whose work has been published in dozens of countries around the world. His book Trillion Year Spree is the definitive history of science fiction, and tells a story in which Oxford has played a surprisingly large part.
Aldiss’ visit to the Playhouse will be a rare opportunity to hear on of the UK’s leading authors talk about the influences that have shaped his work and the work of others in his field.
A book signing will follow the event.
For tickets to see Brian Aldiss at Oxford Playhouse on Friday 30 May at 5pm, call the   Box Office on 01865 305305 or visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com 
 

Speaker: Thames Water

 
Date 30 April 2008

iCalendar Entry (Hide help)
This feature will add the event as a reminder in Microsoft Outlook or other iCalendar-compatible software. Click on the link and, if asked, choose to open the file.

Time

18.00 to 22.00

Location

Oxford Brookes University
Headington Campus
Gipsy Lane
Oxford OX3 0BP

About this event

Thames Water’s plans for a large new reservoir near Abingdon have been put on hold following a Government decision to conduct a wide-ranging review of the strategy for water supply in the UK. This review will be published early in 2008 and it will then become clear whether the place for the reservoir will proceed and in what form. We have arranged the presentation from Thames Water to follow the publication of the strategy to provide a prompt update on the proposals. No one knows the outcome of the review – however, the development of the plans to date provides an interesting insight into the issues that must be addressed in planning a large environmentally sensitive project of this sort.

This lecture is likely to generate a lot of interest and there is a small possibility of changes if the publication of the strategy is delayed.

Registration Please visit the Oxford website to register.

Cost Free of charge.

Programme

18.00 - refreshments 18.30 - lecture starts 22.00 - lecture finishes

Poster Download poster (PDF)

Organiser IET Oxford Network

Missing Headington man returns home – Oxford    

A man who went missing from his home in Headington has returned home safe and well.

Steven Williams, aged 40, of Leiden Road, Headington, was reported missing to police on Wednesday (16/4). He returned home over the weekend.

We would like to thank the media and public for their help in tracing him.

 

Traffic collision - Headington    

Police are appealing for witnesses following a non-stop collision in Headington on Thursday (10/4).

Shortly before midnight, a cyclist was involved in a collision with a small black vehicle on Old High Street, by Summerfield supermarket. The cyclist, a 22-year-old man, suffered minor injuries.

PC Richard Saywell, of Abingdon Roads Policing Department, said: “I appeal to the driver of the car to contact police as it is an offence to drive away from an incident like this without passing on your details. I also appeal to anyone who witnessed the collision to get in touch.”

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Abingdon Roads Policing Department via Thames Valley Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505. If you don’t want to speak to police and don’t want to leave your name contact the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.
Headington south, Quarry and Woodfarm neighbourhood update    


Update from Neighbourhood Specialist Officer PC Kidd.

The Headington South, Quarry and Wood Farm neighbourhood priorities are:-

• Anti-social behaviour
• Speeding
• Parking

We are currently working with a group of five local youths responsible for anti- social behaviour in and around Wood Farm. In connection with this we are also working along side Oxford City Council’s Crime and Nuisance Action Team (CANAcT) and are in the process of sorting out acceptable behaviour contracts (ABC) for these youths. The recent problems with youths causing anti-social behaviour seem to be calming down in Broad Oak and outside the Wood Farm community centre on Titup Hall Drive.

A speed indication device (SID) has been used on the Slade, Girdlestone Road, and Windmill Road and over the next week it will be used on Nuffield Road, Masons Road, Quarry High Street, Quarry Hollow and Quarry Road. The use of this device will help us to identify the roads that have a speed problem and enable us to conduct speed enforcement operations in the right place. We will include a summary of the results of the survey in the next newsletter.

Work is still ongoing with parking issues in the area, and has drastically improved outside, both, Windmill and Wood Farm primary schools. Tickets are still being issued and drivers are being educated on ‘parking awareness’. The number of tickets we are issuing is suggesting that the issue of parking is getting better but we still need to keep a vigilant eye on the situation.

Pupils at Windmill Primary School held a road safety week and designed two excellent parking banners that have been put on the railings outside the school and were featured in the Oxford Mail last week with some very excited looking children. It is well worth a trip to the school to have a look but remember if you are driving please don’t park outside the school to view them.
 

Bury Knowle, Barton, Risinghurst and Sandhills Police neighbourhood update    

25 April

We are pleased to announce that the Barton office is now officially open. We now are going to hold weekly surgeries at the community centre every Tuesday. The time is to be confirmed, but could be from 11am to 2pm. The idea of this is for members of the community to come and speak to us about their problems, concerns or just about anything else they want to talk about! The official launch of the office coincided with the launch of the Underhill Circus development, which took place on 11 March. The police team enjoyed being part of the event and would like to thank everyone who played a part in making it an enjoyable evening.

As a result of the public consultations held during February we now have our new three priorities that we are going to focus on. They are as follows:

Priority 1 – Antisocial Behaviour
We have identified two areas which are causing the most concern for local residents: The shops at Underhill Circus, Barton and the ball park in Richards Way, Risinghurst. We have been closely monitoring both areas for a long time as they were also priorities last year. Several methods were used in order to reduce the amount of antisocial behaviour taking place in both locations. However we do not intend to rest on our laurels. We intend to fully re-analyse the problems, in co-operation with all other partnership agencies, in order to find long term solutions to the problems.

Priority 2 – Parking
This is a new priority that has been raised due to concerns expressed by the residents of Risinghurst. We aim to tackle the issue of obstructive parking (particularly at McDonalds) and parking on grass verges causing the grass to degrade. We will liase heavily with Oxford City and County Council in order to try and resolve this issue to the best of our abilities.

Priority 3 – Drugs
This is another priority that has carried over from last year. The main area of concern is spread over the Barton Estate. During the past year Thames Valley Police and Crime and Nuisance Action Team (Canact) have worked well to reduce the drug problem on the estate. An example of this was the high profile closure of an address on the estate which was previously used as a drugs house. We will be looking to continue in this vein throughout this year.

Officers have already begun the work required to tackle not only the above issues, but others problems faced by members of our community. Four arrests have been made recently in connection with antisocial behaviour in the area and more are to follow. We are also cracking down on the drug problem in the area. Details of this will follow in the next newsletter. We have now completed the first round of Environmental Visual Audits (EVAs) for our area. This has been an interesting process and we have enjoyed working alongside the City Council.

Doorstep sellers - Warning!

April 21, 2008 ·

.Doorstep sellers are in the Oxford area at the moment . They are selling Fish and are believed to be from Newcastle,they have broad accents so should be easily distinguished. Trading Standards are interested in their whereabouts.If spotted please call Trading Standards on 0845 051 0845 option 2 and inform them of the location and if possible any details of the vehicle, colour or registration.Thank you for your time regarding this matter.

If you have any information about the above message that is of an urgent nature please contact our police enquiry centre on 0845 8 505 505 and state you are responding to this Ringmaster message.

Home
Gadgets Review
Euro News
Oxford Property
Business News
Entertainment
Oxford Society
Oxford Leisure
Oxford Books
Headington
Oxford News

 

 

Home Gadgets Review Euro News Oxford Property Business News Entertainment Oxford Society Oxford Leisure Oxford Books Headington Oxford News

Home Oxford Advertise Classifieds Search Useful Links About Us Contact Freelance Journalist

Send Email: #  with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2008 Oxford Prospect Magazine
Last modified: 05/08/08