Bertie Park decision being reconsidered!

Cllr Upton is chair of the planning committee. She summed up before the vote: “I actually think, having grown up in the countryside, I love having wild space to go around that’s not actually a MUGA or a playground. I think having a nature trail around Site B could be actually rather nice, especially asContinue reading “Bertie Park decision being reconsidered!”

Planning permission not the end of the story for Bertie Park

Oxford city council planning committee has approved plans for building 100% social/affordable housing on Bertie Park. This depends on the award of a Homes England grant. If they don’t get the grant, they have to go back to planning committee. They will plant blackberry bushes to make sure that people can’t wander off the pathContinue reading “Planning permission not the end of the story for Bertie Park”

Bertie Park goes to Planning Committee 23rd June

Bertie Park is 90 years old. It was built at a time when it made more sense to invest in recreation grounds to keep people healthy, than hospitals to treat the sick. This means that most people in this area played on Bertie Park, their kids play on it, or their grandchildren do. That’s whyContinue reading “Bertie Park goes to Planning Committee 23rd June”

Labour silence on Bertie Park

Oxford City Council accept that “the overwhelming local community view … is that Bertie Park is needed.” Labour’s leaflet says they are “investing in our parks and shared spaces.” They’ve got “new play equipment” for Hinksey Park, Fox Crescent and Friars Wharf. But they want to shrink Bertie Park down to 20% of its size.Continue reading “Labour silence on Bertie Park”

List of Oxford parks, recreation grounds and allotments “suitable for development”

Oxford’s Office and Research and Development space is increasing by 72%. OCC say this a “seismic shift” in the city’s economy (read here p.6). So our housing crisis will only get worse. All parks, recreation grounds and allotments are now “Green Infrastructure.” The following “parcels” of land are now considered grey belt, and suitable forContinue reading “List of Oxford parks, recreation grounds and allotments “suitable for development””

OCC can’t answer Bertie Park speech

We talked to council on 26th January. OCC’s policy for Bertie Park says our recreation ground has to be re-provided. OCC always knew this was impossible: The planning application was submitted 2 1/2 years ago … Thames Valley Police are worried about crime, anti-social behaviour and community conflict if the development goes ahead: Recent OCCContinue reading “OCC can’t answer Bertie Park speech”

Bertie Park gives OCC a headache!

Thank you to all who took part in the recent consultation! In spite of the rain, we got 88 people to comment this time around. There are now 3 who support, and 357 objections to OCC’s plans for Bertie Park. Any homes built on Bertie Park have to be safe from flooding now and inContinue reading “Bertie Park gives OCC a headache!”

No idea when Bertie Park will go to planning!

OX place is the council-owned developer who wants to build on Bertie Park. They want to build a 250m path on the land behind Wytham Street to compensate us for our loss. To access it they need to build a new bridge across the Redbridge Stream. The Environment Agency first objected to OX Place’s bridgeContinue reading “No idea when Bertie Park will go to planning!”

What Oxford City Council have said…

* OCC have twice said there’ll be another consultation before Bertie Park goes to planning. Now they say there won’t, because their plans haven’t changed. * When notices went up around Bertie Park in 2024, they said the development did not follow the local plan: Now they say it does. * OCC say their drawingsContinue reading “What Oxford City Council have said…”

Why everyone in Oxford should care about Bertie Park

OCC are working on their new “2042” local plan. They want to lump recreation grounds in with “Green Infrastructure.” Nature is the priority. The “potential for recreation and movement should also be considered” … Green Infrastructure does not have to be “overly designed or dominated by fixed equipment”… It could have “wild areas and facilitiesContinue reading “Why everyone in Oxford should care about Bertie Park”