The government has published the whitepaper on the proposed changes to the planning system. There will be a period of consultation that ends on 29th October 2020. To find out more and to have your say just follow this link.

A local resident has informed us that they have an infestation of the Box Tree Moth caterpillars, which is an invasive and very destructive species. The RHS considers to be one of the worst garden pests in the UK. For more information: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=760

Notice of Appointment of Date for the Exercise of Public Rights – download the notice here

Bus gates are being introduced into various parts of Oxford and one has been proposed for Marston Ferry Road. These are bypassing the usual planning procedures. Concerns have been raised that this could cause a number of already struggling businesses to close and be detrimental to the economic recovery of Oxford. There is a chance to have your say during this limited consultation period. To find out more and to have your say – follow this link to the consultation – deadline is 9th August!

St Nicholas Parish Church will be holding their annual Holiday Club online this year due to Covid-19. It will run from 17th to 23rd August. You can find out more details by following this link.

Construction is due to Start on 10th August 2020 and expected to take up to one year to complete. The developers have produced a leaflet for the surrounding community. You can download a copy of the leaflet here.

Marston Ferry Road will be closed from 20:00 12th August until 06:00 13th August. This is to allow for carriage re-surfacing works.

The university have produced a letter outlining their responce to Covid-19 and how they will be managing it in the coming term. They have asked us to publish it and make it available. You can download the letter here.

After several weeks of contacting the County Highways and Oxford Direct Services, the underpass is now clear of water. ODS cleared the gulleys of any debris. The county electrician went to service the pumps and found that one had stopped working and that there was an  issue with the control panel. The panel has been fixed and one of the pumps is now working. The other pump will either be repaired or replaced.

We received reports of contamination of the water in the brook. We contacted Galliford Try the developers at the Swan School. They informed the Environment Agency who are responsible for the brook. The Agency have identified a pipe coming from the site that was resposible and have ordered that it be blocked to prevent further contamination. Ref: 01829346

The local plan has been approved by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and passed by the City Council. The are three sites in the Old Marston Area that have been designated for possible development. For more details please follow this link.

To find the latest government guidelines – just visit their website

Guidelines from Oxfordshire County Council: The number of corona virus cases has been increasing in East Oxford. The County Council have issued some guidelines: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/council/coronavirus-covid-19/controlling-local-coronavirus-outbreaks

The police have published some advice on keeping your home secure during the hot weather. Download this document for more information.

We have received these guidelines from the local police:

Have you bought anything online recently?…

Almost 34% of all retail sales during May 2020 were carried out online, and new research suggests that only 16% of UK consumers intend to return to their old shopping habits post-lockdown.

Online shopping fraud during lockdown

Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, received over 16,000 reports relating to online shopping and auction fraud during the lockdown, with losses totalling over £16m. Members of the public have reported buying mobile phones (19%), vehicles (22%), electronics (10%) such as games consoles, AirPods and MacBooks , and footwear (4%) on sites such as eBay (18%), Facebook (18%), Gumtree (10%) and Depop (6%), only to have the items never arrive. 

Top tips for shopping online securely:

Choosing where to shop:
If you’re making a purchase from a company or seller you don’t know and trust, carry out some research first. For example, by checking to see if others have used the site and what their experience was.

Email accounts:
Use a strong, separate password for your email account. Criminals can use 
your email to access other online accounts, such as those you use for online shopping.

Scam messages:
Some of the emails or texts you receive about amazing offers may contain links to fake websites. Not all links are bad, but if you’re unsure don’t use the link, go separately to the website. And remember, if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. 

Payment method:
If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, use a credit card if you have one as other payment providers may not provide the same protection.

What to do if you’ve fallen victim to online shopping fraud

We all make mistakes and these days the scams can be incredibly convincing.

If you think you’ve visited, or made a purchase on, a bogus website, you should first, take a note of the website’s address, then close down your internet browser. You should then report the details to Action Fraud and contact your bank to seek advice.

Whether you’ve been a victim of fraud will depend on how much information you’ve provided to the website, so keep an eye on your bank transactions, if you can. Contact your bank immediately about anything that you don’t recognise, even small amounts.

For more information about how to stay safe online, please visit www.actionfraud.police.uk/cybercrime