Category Archives: Latest News

To members/supporters of Friends of Quarry

You are probably aware that the City Council intends to demolish the old sports pavilion at Quarry recreation ground, and build a new one. Details of the plans can be seen on the Council’s websitehttp://public.oxford.gov.uk/online-applications/   reference 16/00002/CT3. The website has a facility for you to comment on the plans, should you wish to do so. The deadline for comments is 13 March. Note, however, the website is out of action, for maintenance, until Monday 7 March.

You may also be interested to know that a local resident has organised a petition against car parking spaces at the new pavilion. See https://www.change.org/p/oxford-city-council-no-car-park-at-margaret-road-recreation-ground  The Friends of Quarry committee has sympathy with this view: it is not clear that there is a need for parking, there are traffic safety issues and it would be good to have an attractive public space in front of the pavilion. On the other hand the provision of two disabled parking spaces would be beneficial (provided not just for pavilion users but park users generally).

Many thanks

There are a number of free or discounted energy efficiency measures being offered by Oxford City Council. This offer runs until 31 March.

Please look at the attached poster and use the contacts below for more information.

Oxford Council and NEF have worked hard to access funding for Oxford residents (not just those on benefits or in deprived areas) for a range of energy efficiency measures from free (or discounted) boilers to small repairs such as draught proofing.  All these are accessible until March 31^st via the AWN number 0800 107 0044.  

Debbie Haynes; dhaynes@oxford.gov.uk   01865 252566

FINAL OCCAffWarmad

Once again, Friends of Quarry is organising a two hour Litter Pick of the Quarry as part of the annual OXClean Spring Clean.

Please join us for some or all of the time (families and children are very welcome) and help to keep the Quarry clean. Equipment will be provided.

We will be carrying out the cleaning between 1400 and 1600 on Saturday 5 March. The meeting place is Quarry Hollow Park.

For more information and to let us know whether you want to take part, please contact us at 07970 209045 or at friendsofquarry@gmail.com.

Many thanks

From Thames Water:

At Thames Water we’re offering to fit free water and money-saving gadgets in Oxford homes and provide help that could save a family of four as much as £180 a year on bills.

We’re also offering to fix customers’ leaky loos for free. A leaky loo may appear as a small, constant trickle of water at the back of the pan, but can waste five bathtubs of water each day and add £300 to metered customers’ annual bills.

We want to spread the word of this free offer as widely as possible among Oxford residents and groups and would be very grateful if you could forward this message to your mailing lists or networks. If you have any questions or queries about Smarter Home Visits, or would like to discuss other ways we may be able to work in partnership, please do not hesitate to contact me using the details at the bottom of this email.

We have teamed up with environmental charity Groundwork to offer this service, as using less water potentially means there is more in the local rivers to support the environment and river wildlife.

One visit of 30 to 60 minutes from our professional advisors will involve:

Fitting the latest water-saving technology around your home

This includes replacing your old showerhead with a new efficient one, which won’t affect performance. We can also fit devices to taps and toilets to help you save up to £180 per year on metered water and energy bills.

A home water efficiency audit

We’ll check for leaks on taps and toilets, which we can fix free of charge, and provide tailored water and energy-saving advice.

Who can receive this offer?

Any of our supply customers in Oxford.

 How do I arrange my free Smarter Home Visit?

Email smarterhomevisits@groundwork.org.uk with your address and contact details or call us on0800 043 3277 and we will be in touch to book an appointment.

Over the next few weeks we will also be knocking on doors and calling customers in your area to offer this service, so you can book an appointment then.

To find out more information, please visit thameswater.co.uk/smarter

As we mentioned at the recent AGM, there will be a joint Village Hall & Friends of Quarry  Carols, Friendship & Blessing event on Tuesday 22nd December.

The Village Hall will be open from 1800, with the carols starting at 1815. Refreshments will be available. Food will be ‘bring and share’, so please bring some mince pies or other Christmas treats.

We hope you will be able to join us.

Hi All,

The AGM for the Friends of Quarry will take place at 1930 on 4 November 2015 in the Headington Quarry Village Hall.

Annual Memberships, at £2 per person, will be collected at the beginning of the meeting. We will be opening the doors at 1900.

The Agenda is:

• Annual report and accounts
• Committee membership
• Expansion of Holy Trinity cemetery
• Traffic issues and residents parking
• Village Hall update

The Newsletter containing the annual report is attached.

We hope to see you there.

Newsletter No 24 oct 2015

Dear Friend of Quarry,

Friends of Stansfeld would like to invite you to a Public Meeting of the Friends of Stansfeld, at 7.30pm on Monday 13 July 2015 at Quarry Village Hall, Quarry Road.

At the last public meeting on 4 June 2015, it was agreed to set up the Friends of Stansfeld, as a more formal group to take over from the Friends of Quarry and the Stansfeld Group and work with Birmingham Council.

The following aim was agreed for the Friends of Stansfeld: that the woodland area is protected in perpetuity (and opened up to the public if possible) and that the site provides educational facilities, especially a Forest School.

A working committee has been formed and has met for the first time, with Richard Bradley appointed as Chair.

The current position is that Birmingham City Council received five bids for the 250 year lease on the Stansfeld site just off Quarry Road, and three of these bidders have been invited to submit second stage bids with a 4 September deadline. Birmingham Council is anticipating that the bidders might work with a third party organisation to manage the woodland part of the site.

The role of the Friends of Stansfeld in this is still not certain. However, the Friends may work with the bidders in a number of different ways, from facilitating relationships to forming a joint venture to bid for the lease.

Although there is still much uncertainty, establishing a constitution for the Friends of Stansfeld is an important first step, and it is hoped that this will be agreed at the public meeting. In addition, there will be an update on developments and progress.

We hope to see you at the meeting. Members and non-members are welcome, and there will be an opportunity to join the Friends of Stansfeld. Please forward this to anyone who might be interested in joining the Friends or attending the meeting. If you have any queries, please email friendsofstansfeld@siswick.co.uk

Your village hall needs you!

Saturday, 11^th April is the date for your village hall Spring tidy up.

Hopefully the weather will be kind and we can cut back overgrown vegetation around the hall and clear the leaves from the gutters.

We would also like to give the interior a spring clean – cupboards empty and re-organised.

But we need some help – can you spare an hour on Saturday morning between 10am and 12noon?

Please bring gardening gloves and suitable footwear for outside.

Refreshments will be provided to all helpers!  Do hope you can join us.