FRIENDS OF WARNEFORD MEADOW

Warneford Meadow - Town Green

The Meadow has now been registered as a town green. You can see the registration documents by clicking here: TG Registration Docs (pdf, 374 K).

FoWM Merchandise for sale

During the campaign to gain registration for the Meadow, thousands of pounds were raised by the community to pay the costs of legal representation. A successful and popular way of fund-raising was the production and sale of FoWM merchandise. Many supporters said that buying FoWM cards and mugs made them feel part of the campaign as well as helping to spread the word.

It is still necessary to raise funds to help cover running costs and FoWM merchandise is still for sale. Click here to view our latest catalogue containing items – old and new – that are available for purchase: 2010 Catalogue (pdf, 356 K)

Beyond Magdalen Bridge: the Growth of East Oxford

FoWM Steering Group member Graeme Salmon has just published Beyond Magdalen Bridge, a short account of the growth and development of the area of East Oxford including Warneford Meadow. At the AGM, Graeme introduced his book and described some of the fascinating history of our neighbourhood. More information about the book, including how to purchase a copy, can be found here: Beyond Magdalen Bridge Prospectus (pdf, 71 K).

EXPLORE THE LESSER KNOWN GREEN SPACES OF OXFORD and raise money to help maintain them.

On Sunday June 27th, 10.00 am – 4.00 pm, CPRE Oxford are holding a Sponsored Walk: the nine mile circular walk around Oxford has been created by CPRE Oxford to highlight the threats to many of the city’s much-loved green spaces.

The walk will stretch from North Oxford’s Trap Grounds, which achieved Town Green status in 2006, along the canal and Mill Stream to the Oxpens Meadow, then through green spaces eastwards up to the Warneford Meadow and along unsuspected green stretches back to the Trap Grounds.

At each site there will be children’s activities and information stalls.

The funds raised will go towards the work of the Friends of Warneford Meadow and the Friends of Oxpens Meadow who are fighting for Town Green status.

For more information, a sponsorship form and route map, please contact: Becky on email: administrator@cpreoxon.org.uk or tel: 01865 874780 or go to the CPRE Oxford website: www.cpreoxon.org.uk

Friends of Warneford Meadow Annual General Meeting 2010

The FoWM AGM was held on Thursday 20th May at 7.00pm in Southfield Golf Club, Hill Top Road, Oxford, OX4 1PF.

The agenda included the presentation of FoWM Annual Report & Accounts 2010 and a look ahead to the future of the Meadow, now that it has been registered as a town green. A copy of the Annual Report (pdf, 106 K) is attached to this email message.

Latest FoWM Newsletter

The FoWM April Newsletter (pdf, 529 K) is now available for download. Please pass it on to anyone you think will be interested to read the latest news of the Meadow campaign.

NHS LOSE JUDICIAL REVIEW

High Court Judge David Waksman, has dismissed the NHS appeal and upheld Oxfordshire County Council’s decision to register Warneford Meadow as a Town Green.

Many thanks once again to the thirty local people who gave evidence to the public inquiry about their use of the Meadow, and the many others who have contributed to raising FoWM legal costs of over £60,000. Thanks also go to the Campaign to Protect Rural England for help with fundraising, and to our lawyers Ross Crail and Alastair Wallace for their hard work in helping us succeed.

Read Judge Waksman’s judgement in full by clicking here (pdf, 176 K).

Click here (doc, 36 K)for the FoWM Press Notice released in response to the announcement.

OBMH will not appeal against JR Judgement

The following statement from OBMH was broadcast on Radio Oxford on 23rd March:

OBMH accepts the outcome of the Warneford Meadow Judicial Review and will not be proceeding to further appeal. We are of course extremely disappointed at the effect this will have on our plans to make improvements across our estates to benefit our patients.

Many of our wards need major improvements to bring them up to the modern standard which our patients deserve. The Department of Health and the NHS in Oxfordshire had agreed to allocate all proceeds from the sale of the Meadow to upgrading the Warneford hospital and we had planned to use

proceeds from the sale of surplus land to replace these out of date facilities.

We remain committed to improving facilities for our patients at the Warneford Hospital. We accept that this will now take longer than we planned and hoped.

Fundraising

Following the outcome of the Judicial Review, there are still some outstanding legal bills to settle. It will then be a pleasure to begin raising money to enhance and maintain the Meadow as a resource for the community. If you would like to support the campaign, you can do so by buying FoWM merchandise, or making a direct donation. Gift Aid will add a further 25% to the value of donations of £50 or more.

For more details, click on 'How to donate' from the menu on the left.

If you wish to buy mugs or other FoWM merchandise, please click on 'FoWM merchandise' from the menu on the left.

What is Warneford Meadow?

Warneford Meadow is an 18 acre area of untouched and undeveloped open land behind Warneford Hospital between Headington and the Cowley Road.

In the early years of the last century, the Meadow was bought by the Warneford Asylum – as it was then called – to prevent the land falling into the hands of a speculative builder and thus retain a healthy environment for the patients.

For many years the hospital ran a farm, in part for the rehabilitation of patients. This included the Meadow and an apple orchard which was planted alongside it. By the 1960s, the Meadow was still grazed by a herd of dairy cows. Later, a local farmer paid to harvest the hay from the Meadow each year. The orchard has been allowed to run wild, yet it still produces an annual crop of many different varieties of apple.

Meanwhile, people from the neighbourhood used the Meadow as a place for recreation and enjoyment. By 2002, a number of paths across the Meadow had been confirmed as public rights of way.

Why has the Meadow been under threat?

In 2006, applications were made for outline planning permission for a high density development on the Meadow and other sites in the Warneford Hospital grounds. These were turned down and, before further plans could be submitted, a local resident applied to register the Meadow as a Town Green. Town Green status would mean that the Meadow could never be developed and would therefore be saved for future generations.

Objections were made by the NHS - who own the land - and a lengthy enquiry followed. Then the Inspector, Mr Vivian Chapman QC, recommended to Oxfordshire County Council that Warneford Meadow should indeed be registered as a new green.

You can download and read the Inspector's Report by clicking on the link below.

Report (doc, 451 K)

CONTACT US

You can phone, email or write.

FOWM Joint Co-ordinator: Andrew Carter, 35 Hill Top Road, Oxford OX4 1PD. 01865-426955

or

email us at info@friendsofwarnefordmeadow.org.uk

or contact any other member of the Steering Group who are

Andrew Carter, Chris Dunabin, David Sutton, Graeme Salmon, Anne Copley, Elizabeth Mills and Sietske Boeles.