Central South and West Area Committee

We met again today at St. Barnabas’ School on Hart Street in Jericho.  The agenda was short so the meeting lasted on an hour.  We discussed the proposals to make Jericho a conservation area and talked about usual street scene issues including the mess near the “backside entrance” (phrase of the night award to Cllr Stephen Brown!) to a building in the Walton Street area.

We were disappointed that the person from First Great Western who had come to listen to the concerns of many residents about noise and pollution from Jericho sidings was unable to attend due to being stuck in a traffic jam on the M1.  What does that say about FGW’s attitudes to transport I wonder?

We also expressed our horror and the County Council’s proposal put increase the cost of residents’ parking permits by a whopping 25%.

We were pleased to note our committee’s unblemished record this year (rolling to 31 Aug 10) on planning appeals – not only had no appeals against our decisions been allowed, none had even been lodged.

It was good to see  Daniel Lowe, OUSU Vice President (Charities and Community) present at the meeting.

O’Hanlon House Service Users Meeting

I attended the weekly service users’ meeting this morning at O’Hanlon House (which you might know as the night shelter but it is SO much more than that).

The meeting was run by Lucy Flanagan, one of the centre managers and there were several service users present.  We talked about what a councillor is and what councillors can do for their residents/electors.  I was also asked about who can become a councillor and what the process is.  I explained how nominations and elections worked, and the critera for being eligible to stand (resident in area, work in area, own property in area or registered to vote in area – all for the last 12 months).  I also explained a bit about what political parties are and how they work with and as part of local authorities.

I also explained how the electoral roll is no updated monthly and how O’Hanlon house could make sure its residents are registered to vote as soon as possible.  This is important not only for voting but as evidence of identity these days.

Service users had a few queries about when facilities could be used and a few issues which I thought were very well dealt with by the staff present.  Concerns were raised about the much-feared cuts to be announced on 20th October but there is not much anyone can say yet.  I hope the City Council continues to fund the wonderful place as it is hugely deserving of it, and if it is forced to reduce service or even close this will only result in the City Council having to spend much more money on its statutory homeless duties.  I don’t believe that’s any way to be treating its citizens.

It’s wonderful how much is done for any by the residents of O’Hanlon house and I really do hope that national and local funding won’t be reduced too much in the cuts that are going to have to be made because this is a really worthwhile service.

Every time I visit O’Hanlon house I am more and more impressed by its staff and users’ work and the friendly welcome I receive.

Street Pastors: Commissioning and our first night on Oxford’s Streets

blog.jpgWhat an exciting night!  I was commissioned along with around a dozen other Oxford Street Pastors yesterday evening and New Road Baptist Church.  We were addressed by DCI Colin Paine of Thames Valley Police and by Revd Paul Rush of the Ascension Trust, that sets up each Street Pastors Scheme.  I’m pictured here with Ruth Wilson, a member of St. Columba’s United Reformed Church, like me.  There were people from many local churches and denominations being inducted as Street Pastors.  Rob and Gemma Winn from Wesley Memorial Church have worked very hard in setting up the scheme and we are very honoured to have Pearl Lewis from the Salvation Army as our coordinator.

We started at 10pm and walked around Cornmarket Street, George Street, Park End Street, Hythe Bridge Street, Frideswide Square and St. Ebbes.  We met and spoke to lots of people.  Many were just interested in what we were doing, some wanted to know where to find a cab, a few women had tired feet and had taken their shoes off and so were grateful for the Street Pastors flip-flops that we were handing out.  One group of us got into a really deep conversation with someone about problems at home and were the first people this person had felt able to talk to about it.   We picked up quite a few glass bottles off the street and put them in bins thereby reducing the likelihood of their causing injury or being used as weapons.    We spoke to quite a few homeless people who seemed genuinely pleased of the conversation and attention. There were some humbling stories.

I think we successfully stopped a fight from happening by going up and chatting to a group of young men who I think had had one to many drinks.  Street Pastors is not about breaking up fights – that the Police’s job – but it is amazing the effect seeing a person wearing a clear Street Pastors uniform has on people.  They want to chat and their aggression just seems to evaporate.  Quite the opposite reaction that people unfortunately sometimes have to the Police.

Towards the end of our session we met a very drunk young man who couldn’t stand up and was rather ill.  We helped him, giving him water, and making sure his friends knew how to look after him and were not going to leave him.   We finished around 3.45am after an incredibly rewarding evening.  I can’t wait to go out again!

We were really grateful for the support of Karen Crossan, Oxford City Council’s nightsafe manager; and of Thames Valley Police for being so friendly and supportive.  You may ask why I am writing about this in my council blog.  Well apart from the fact that most of our pastoring happens in my ward, Carfax, I think doing things in the community, whether they be as a response to faith or not, is very important for councillors if we are to stay in touch with our constituents.

On a theological note, I think that doing things together with other denominations of Christians is extremely important and is absolutely the way we grow together in common understanding of our calling.  Sure – we have differences of opinion on some things but I think we are all agreed that we are called to share God’s love, care and listening with all those we meet on the streets in our 10pm-4am sessions.

New Councillors Info

I just received this from media and communications.  Good to see they are introducing us to council staff.

ole0.jpg

I was intrigued to read that the new Green member for St. Mary’s appears to see students as a “danger” to East Oxford.  Personally I see students as a positive benefit that adds greatly to the vibrancy, vitality, and viability of the area.  Sure – there are problems with HMOs and Cars but students themselves are not the problem.  Oxford would be a much poorer place without its two world-class Universities and their students.  In fact without them hardly anybody would have even heard of Oxford!  It certainly would not be the great tourist centre it is.

My thoughts on the threat to Temple Cowley Pools

Another week of lots of emails from residents, this time upset about the proposed closure of Temple Cowley Pools.  And quite rightly so too.   I have been campaigning against its closure since 2006 and got a lot of signatures on my petition on 2009 when I was standing for the East Oxford Division county seat with Ben Armstrong.

The main pool at Temple CowleyTemple Cowley area has had masses of new residential development in the last 10 years and as such a good local facility like Temple Cowley Pools is absolutely vital. Putting it in Blackbird Leys just will not work as many people don’t have access to cars and even if they do we already have a bad traffic problem in Cowley on Oxford Road and Cowley Road. The current site is safe for hundreds of families and children (many of whom are social tenants and living in relative poverty) to get to either on foot or by bike.  I personally have enjoyed being a user of Temple Cowley Pools since 1989 when I first arrived in Oxford.

I don’t object to replacing Temple Cowley Pools with a new facility but am very clear that it MUST be within 1/4 mile of the existing site if it is to continue to provide essential services for the local community.  The site of the current post office sorting office on the corner of Hollow Way and Garsington Road springs to mind.  But I don’t really see what’s wrong with the current site.  Closing yet another local facility off Temple Road and building YET MORE housing surely can’t be a good thing.   Temple Cowley Pools are also extremely close to many bus routes and so easy to get to for thousands of Oxford residents.

The real problem is the council’s continued lack of investment and neglect of Temple Cowley Pools.  The consultation they are doing is also an utter farce.  The questionnaire is extremely loaded and lots of people have complained to me about that too.  The consultation is a farce in my opinion.

I am appalled at what the ruling group of the City Council is doing and even more appalled at the apparent silence from the two ward councillors, both Labour members, in Cowley Marsh.  Neither of them lives near Temple Cowley Pools as their addresses (Malik and Abbasi) on the Council website will show.

City Centre Neighbourhood Action Group

This is somewhat of a gathering of the great and the good but useful nonetheless.  It is a Thames Valley Police initiative and includes councillors, council officers (including Ben Smith, Neighbourhood Policing Coordinator Community Housing & Community Development; Karen Crossan, Nightsafe Manager; Julian Allison from licensing; and Linda Jones, Estate Manager for Tenancy Services for Central Oxford), and several from Thames Valley Police.   Representatives from OUSU also attended.

We discussed the City Cente Situational Report which shows that most crime in the City Centre has reduced rather pleasingly.  Graffit was a bit on the rise and this would be looked at.

The OUSU reps, Eorann Lean and Kat Wall, also presented an excellent report about Student night-time safety which highlighted a few areas of concern that Thames Valley Police agreed to work on.  According to the survey, which was responded to by 148 students, the current challenges are as follows:

  • 41.6% leave clubs and pubs alone more often than not
  • 43.5% walk alone in the city centre at night more often than not
  • 38.9% walk beyond the immediate city centre at night
  • 48.4% never call a friend if they realise they will be walking alone in the dark
  • 33.3% sometimes feel threatened, 7.1% most times feel threatened (although 49.2% say they rarely feel threatened when out at night)
  • 7.9% sometimes have been threatened when out at night/54% never been threatened or harassed when out at night/37.3% rarely

Central South and West Area Committee

Another area committee meeting tonight.  I can’t believe it has been a month since the last one!  We met at St. Barnabas’ School in Jericho at 5.30pm.  As the committee is 4 Labour and 4 Lib Dems we voted Oscar and Mark as co-chairs and Susanna and Nathan as co-vice chairs.  So now half the committee is either chair or vice chair 🙂

Members of the public attending the meeting

We had an address from John Power about antisocial behaviour at Tumbling Bay, particularly in the light of last week’s fatality there.

Then we had an update from Thames Valley Police’s Oxford City Centre Inspector. Matthew Bullivant.  Crime statistics have dropped markedly although there are still a worrying number of thefts from the person.   Matthew was also asked why TVP had not objected to Tescos’ application to sell alcohol from 6am at the site of the the old lighting shop on St. Aldates.  He reassured us that he has a robust approach to licencing.

Mark and Oscar: co-chairs

We moved on to planning applications and the one we discussed was an outline application from the Jericho Community Association for a community centre.  There were some difficult issues raised and building the centre will not be without cost to some local trees and the amenity of immediate neighbours, but the permission was unanimously granted nonetheless.  I must say I entered the meeting thinking I may well vote against this but the discussion convinced me that the benefits outweighed the losses and that the chance to provide an important community facility should not be lost.

We agreed to the planning application at the ice rink for a small enclosure for a new chiller without discussion.  This only had to go to committee because it is the City Council applying to itself for planning permission and to do it in a closed office under delegated powers would not be very transparent!

Dave Huddle from Parks then gave us a street scene update.  He promised to look at the litter problems in Jericho and to make sure the bins along the river in Hinksey Park ward were emptied regularly enough during the summer months.

Our final discussion was about the proposed scheme for the licensing of Houses of Multiple Occupation, which is something I am very interested in, living in a very HMO-dense street.  It will be interesting to see how it operates but I’m afraid I can’t see the council inspecting an licensing the estimated 5,000 HMOs in the City in much less than a year! I would encourage you to comment during the consultation period (until 21 June) if you have a view.

I was a bit alarmed to discover that HMO licensing appears to be an executive function rather than a council function.  That in my view makes it too political but we’ll see how it pans out.

We finished just after 8pm.

Community up in arms about proposed use of Manzil Park as builders yard

Manzil Park in AutumnI’ve had nearly 20 emails from East Oxford residents today voicing great concern about the proposal to hand some of Manzil Park over to builders as a yard for 2 years while doing a building project.  I too am rather concerned about this.  My reply to people is:

“I entirely agree that turning a large part of Manzil Park into a builders yard for such a period would be hugely detrimental to the local community and the amenity of all local residents, particularly younger children. There must be better local sites to use as a builders’ yard. As a resident of East Oxford myself I am extremely concerned about this.

I am unfortunately not part of the City Executive Board or indeed the ruling political group on the City Council so my absolute powers are limited but I will undertake to do all I can to influence those in power to rethink this potentially disastrous proposal.”

An interesting discussion with Carlyle Group

I had a meeting to discuss the proposals for the area between St. Aldates and Queen Street today and it seems there is a bit of an impasse between the City Council and the Developer over what to do with the site that we know as St. Aldate’s Chambers.   There is a planning application that has been waiting for determination for over a year now and the problem seems to be over a section 106 agreement

I’ll write more on this later.