FRIENDS OF WARNEFORD MEADOW

FoWM has just heard that the Oxon & Bucks Mental Health Trust have requested a judicial review of the recommendation by the Inspector that Warneford Meadow should be registered as a Town Green.

Read Julie Waldron's disingenuous comments on the BBC Oxford website.

Read the FoWM press release responding to OBMHT's request for judicial review: Press Release 8-06-09 (pdf, 21 K)

FoWM Annual General Meeting 2009

Friends of Warneford Meadow AGM was held on 2nd June at Cheney Community Hall.

The Annual Report was presented and discussed. FoWM Steering Group members for 2009-10 were elected.

Minutes of the AGM are available here:AGM 2009 Minutes (pdf, 25 K)

Local Politicians Back the Campaign

Spot the MP!

Andrew Smith, MP for Oxford East, supports the campaign to register Warneford Meadow as a Town Green. Also to be seen lending their support to Applicant Paul Deluce are prospective parliamentary candidates Steve Goddard (Lib Dem) and Peter Tatchell (Green Party). Ed Argar (Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate) was also at the FoWM Mayday celebration to hear the arguments for preserving Warneford Meadow for future generations to enjoy.

Click here (jpg, 2234 K)to see the scene in more detail.

It's Apple Blossom Time - but for how much longer?

Traditional fruit orchards, like that alongside Warneford Meadow, are vanishing from England's landscape - with serious consequences for wildlife, according to a recent report.

For more details click here.

OCC Planning Committee vote to register Warneford Meadow as a Town Green

At their meeting on 6th April, Oxfordshire County Council Planning & Regulation Committee decided by ten votes to three to accept the Inspector’s Report and register Warneford Meadow as a Town Green. This is the culmination of two-and-a-half years of very hard work by a lot of local residents to preserve this lovely area of open land for recreation and for its ecological and environmental values, so we're tremendously pleased that Paul Deluce’s application has been successful.

Click here to read about the Council vote on the BBC Local News page.

Click here to read about the Council vote reported in the Oxford Mail.

It is possible that the objectors may request a judicial review and this could delay the registration process further. We shall be watching future developments carefully and will post updated information on this website.

Click the link below to read the Press Notice issued by FoWM following the Planning & Regulation Committee vote.

Press Notice (doc, 37 K)

Meanwhile, Friends of Warneford Meadow currently has an outstanding legal bill for over £3,000, which must be paid whatever happens next. Donations towards this expense will be very gratefully received. If you would like to help don’t forget Gift Aid to CPRE for donations of £50 and over. Information about how to donate can be found below. Any surplus raised will be used to help conserve and maintain the Meadow.

Support the campaign! Buy some FoWM notecards!

FoWM notecards are now available. To view the cards and download an order form, click on the link below:

Firends of Warneford Meadow Notecards (pdf, 69 K)

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.

Inspector's Report (doc, 451 K)

Now the County Council has voted to give Warneford Meadow should town green status.

Click here for FoWM February Newsletter (pdf, 34 K)

How can you help?

If you would like to contribute to Friends of Warneford Meadow to help fund future activities, please contact David Sutton, FoWM Fundraising Officer, at david@sutton-ld.co.uk for further information.

A donation form and Gift Aid form can be downloaded here:

Donation Form (doc, 31 K)

Gift Aid Form (pdf, 138 K)

CONTACT US

You can phone, email, write or call round in person

FOWM Joint Co-ordinator: Sietske Boeles, 108 Southfield Rd, Oxford OX4 1PA. 01865-728153/453011

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.