RECENT NEWS

Music for the Meadow

FoWM Music for the Meadow 2009 concert took place at the Jacqueline du Pre Building at St Hilda’s College on 6th November. A good sized audience was entertained with a range of music provided by local musicians of all ages, including the debut of the Meadow Minnows choir of five to seven year olds. Judging by their charming performance, the Minnows have a great future before them. The evening’s music making culminated in a spirited version of This Land is Your Land, with refashioned lyrics:

This land is your land, this land is my land

From the Divinity area to the Boundary Brook

From the Warneford orchard, to the golf club waters

This land was made for you and me

Thanks are due to Mel Houldershaw and Sietske Boeles for organising this hugely successful community event. In all, the concert raised over £300 towards the Town Green appeal.

Fair Trade Silk Sale

19th November

This was the perfect opportunity to start Christmas shopping!

the event raised almost £250 for the campaign fund.

Apple Day 2009

A FoWM tradition continues

This year’s Apple Day was a great success. The weather was perfect and a stream of visitors from the neighbourhood came to stroll on the Meadow and pick apples from the Orchard. Rupert Griffin once again brought his apple press so people could transform their apples into apple juice. Graeme Salmon's guided tour of the Orchard was popular and much appreciated by all who took part. There were stalls selling honey, jams and jellies, books and bric-a-brac. FoWM apple mugs sold briskly.

Many thanks to Elizabeth Mills and Sietske Boeles for planning the day and making sure that it all ran smoothly.

In all Apple Day raised over £300 for FoWM and the Town Green Appeal.

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.

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)

East Oxford Archaeology

Those attending the FoWM AGM on 2nd of June had an opportunity to find out more about the exciting archaeology of East Oxford and to get involved in uncovering more. Jane Harrison, Project Officer for the East Oxford Community Archaeology Project, explained the Project's aims, the archaeology of the area and most importantly how to become part of the investigation in a myriad of different ways.

Further information can be found on the Project website.

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

Press Notice (doc, 37 K)

Poetry Reading

On 8th May local poets, Bernard O'Donoghue and David Constantine, gave a reading in support of FoWM.

The audience at this well attended event enjoyed hearing Bernard and David introduce a selection of their work and had an opportunity to discuss with them their approach to the craft of poetry.

The Robin in Life and Literature

On Tuesday March 17th FoWM sponsored a talk by naturalist Andrew Lack about his recent book, Redbreast: The Robin in Life and Literature.

Andrew entertained with insights into the life of one of our best loved garden birds, illustrated by readings from seven centuries of robin literature.

February 2009 Newsletter

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

APPLE DAY 2008

SUNDAY 5th October, from midday.

Despite constant drizzle and rain, a much reduced Apple Day went ahead. A modest but welcome contribution to the FoWM funds was raised .

CONCERT at QUEENS COLLEGE

Many thanks to all who took part. The concert was a great success and the money raised has helped us to achieve our aim of meeting all outstanding legal costs.

EVENING OF MUSIC

SATURDAY June 14th, 7.30pm Jacqueline du Pre Rooms

Thank you to all the musicians. It was a fantastic evening and we raised over £500.

FRIENDS OF WARNEFORD MEADOW AGM 2008

Took place TUESDAY MAY 13th, 7.30pm, Cheney School 6th Form Common Room. Twenty-eight FOWM members attended the AGM. The draft minutes are available.

TOWN GREEN INQUIRY

Resumed MONDAY May, 19th, Oxford Town Hall at 11am and ran for a further 4 days, finally finishing on May 22nd. For more details see under Town Green in the Plans for the Meadow section.

PROMISES AUCTION

The auction on Jan 19th raised £3500 towards paying the legal costs of the public inquiry. Many thanks to all those who made promises and to all those who, seduced by the silver tongue of auctioneer Mick Ganly, made bids for them.

PLANNING APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN

On Nov 16th in a letter to local Residents Associations Julie Waldron,Chief Executive of the Oxford and Bucks Mental Health Trust, stated that " We have taken the decision not to pursue the appeal against the Council for non-determination of our planning appeals". This is a major victory for local campaigners. See Oxford Mail article.

TOWN GREEN UPDATE

The Public Inquiry into the Warneford Meadow town green application took far longer than anticipated. By Friday Oct 12th the Inquiry had not finished hearing the evidence of those supporting Paul Deluce, and had not started to hear the evidence of those opposing the claim. The Inquiry will therefore sit again in the week commencing Jan 18th (note this is a Friday).

NEW MEADOW ART

An impressive new contribution from local artist Helen Ganly. See here for more art inspired by Warneford Meadow.

Friends of Warneford Meadow at the DRARA Open Gardens event, Sunday 10th June 2007

OPEN GARDENS!

The DRARA Open Gardens event (Sunday 10th June 2007) raised over £260 for the Warneford Meadow Town Green appeal.

WARNEFORD 360!

A 360 degree panorama of the Warneford Meadow is now available for Friends to view and download.

TRUST TO APPEAL

May 9th. NHS announce they will appeal against the SDCC decision not to hear their planning application. See FOWM comment on Main Page.

RADIO OXFORD

Andy Boddington, the Campaign Manager of CPRE Oxfordshire interviewed on Radio Oxford, 26th April 2007 (listen here).

TEMPORARY REPRIEVE!

The Oxford SDCC at their 25th April 2007 meeting, rapidly adopted a resolution advising the OBMH Trust to withdraw its planning applications for the Warneford Meadow (More details).

THE MEADOW ON TV

BBC Oxford News (25th April 2007) covers the proposed development of the Warneford Meadow. (see more in Press Comments).

BARONESS ANDREWS

(Parlimentary Under Secretary of State) gives her views on Material Considerations in Planning Cases'. Should the OBMH NHS Trust be able to claim its financial needs as a material consideration in proposing development on Warneford Meadow?

MEADOW PHOTOSHOOT

A FOWM Photo shoot for the Oxford Mail took place on the Warneford Meadow on Tuesday 17th July 2007.

SUMMER MEAL

FOWM had a display at the DRARA Summer Meal (Meal in the Street) Saturday 14th July 2007.

FOWM Stalls

FOWM Stalls were present at Headington Festival, Bury Knowle Park, Sunday June 3rd, 1pm-5pm AND the DRARA Open Gardens Day, Sunday June 10th, 2pm-5pm.

PICNIC LUNCH ON MONDAY

Mileway Gardens Residents' association are having a picnic on the Warneford Meadow (near the Nursing Home on Roosevelt Drive) at 12 noon on Monday 7th May. Please join, and bring along your own food and liquid refreshment; balls frisbees etc.

NEIGHOURHOOD WALK

A community walk by the Divinity Road Area Residents' (Sunday 29th April 2007) Association (DRARA), visited a number of locations of local historical interest including the Warneford Meadow. (More details).

TEMPORARY REPRIEVE FOR WARNEFORD MEADOW!

Colourful Friends of Warneford Meadow protesting outside Oxford Town Hall during and after the SDCC meeting (25th April 2007).

Within less than an hour of discussions about the nature and process of the planning applications for Park Hospital, Warneford Hospital and Warneford Meadow, Oxford City Council's Strategic Development Control Committee (SDCC) unanimously adopted the following resolution at their 25th April 2007 meeting:

1. To decline to comment on the principle of development on the three sites

2. To advise the applicants to withdraw the applications.

3. For the Planning Officers to take account of the Oxford Local Plan and any new material changes since the plan's inception.

4. In the light of the above that the Planning Office advises the applicants to submit new applications*.

(*In order to have a full and correct resolution, we await publication of the SDCC minutes.)

Another crack squad of Friends of Warneford Meadow protesting outside Oxford Town Hall in the minutes before the SDCC meeting (25th April 2007).

It must be said that Councillors acted with great integrity. The immediate follow-on could be that the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental health (OBMH) Trust and the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust appeal against the non-determination made this afternoon. Finance of the Trusts was generally considered not to be a planning consideration and Councillors found confusion in the applications, and the planning process. The Warneford Meadow (and its supporters) live to fight another day!

However no buying any champagne - please, instead, donate to the Town Green fund.

CPRE OXFORDSHIRE CAMPAIGN BRIEFING

An excerpt from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE, Oxfordshire Branch) Campaign Briefing published 24 April 2007, regarding the confusing development proposals for Warneford Meadow being put to SDCC on the 25th April 2007.

-----------------------------------------------------

Warneford Madness.

Planning has become a dangerous, bureaucratic minefield. It is said that there are only three people left in England who are capable of understanding it: one died young; one fled the country; and the other expert has now gone completely mad." This mad expert now seems to be in charge of the applications to develop Warneford Meadow. The papers to be considered by Oxford City's main planning committee tomorrow are as strange as they come. The Meadow, they suggest, might be used for key worker housing, student accommodation, medical research, administration or academic use… they only forgot to add housing for refugees from Mars. What will the site be used for, exactly? Only half the site can be developed under the local plan but the 50% expands and contracts at a blink of an eye. Half of what will be developed, exactly? Oxfordshire County Council has been unable to analyse traffic data from the developers because it was submitted just a week ago. How many extra cars on narrow streets, exactly? Given this chaos, the planning committee is not being asked to give outline planning permission. It is being asked to approve development in principle and then hope that the City's officers can sort out the mess. What sort of decision is this exactly? The applicants, the Oxfordshire Health Economy, have had a couple of years to prepare to their application. City officers have had half a year to consider and negotiate the details. If it is still a mess after all this effort, it will always be a mess. The Strategic Development Control Committee can solve this at a stroke. They should tomorrow reject the principle of any development on Warneford Meadow. That will be exactly right.

-----------------------------------------------------

A Backdoor To Destruction!

The Oxford Strategic Development Control Committee (SDCC) will consider three applications pertinent to the Warneford Meadow on Wednesday 25th April at Oxford Town Hall, St Aldates, at 14.30 (agenda).

Oxford City Council Planning Officers will recommend deferral, which really means they approve of consent in principle. For a full version of their supplementary report to SDCC and other recent documents (including an updated Traffic survey report), see here.

Below is an illustration from the latest NHS Warneford Meadow Disembowelment Plan.

The SDCC is being asked to consent only to very vague proposals but may find itself unable to reverse the decision once the developers come back with more detailed plans. The applications themselves are opportunistic attempts by a poorly funded Hospital Trust to generate money for short-term benefit, and do not represent the long-term interests of the local community.

All Friends of Warneford Meadow are encouraged to attend the council meeting, show support for the Meadow - with banners if possible - and prevent democracy being squashed along with our environment. It's also not to late to write to (or email given time is short) your local Oxford city councillor and protest the development - this is particularly important if your councillors are on the SDCC (listed here). Please consider emailing/writing to ALL SDCC members on this occasion.

PUBLIC MEETING

Tuesday, April 17th, 7.30pm, at Cheney School Community Hall saw FOWM report on the latest situation on the NHS Planning Proposals and the Town Green Application.

Speakers included:

Kate Ashbrook General Secretary of the Open Spaces Society, Chair of the Ramblers Association and an experienced protector of common land and public rights of way.

Stephen Tall a Liberal Democrat Councillor who as a member of the North East Area Committee has taken a particular interest in the Meadow.

Oxford Lord Mayor Jim Campbell recieving the FOWM petition, with some younger Friends of Warneford Meadow.

PETITION HANDED TO OXFORD LORD MAYOR

The Friends of Warneford Meadow handed over a petition signed by a thousand people to Oxford Lord Mayor Jim Campbell on Saturday 14th April 2007, on Warneford Meadow. The petition objected to the development of the Meadow and adjacent Warneford Orchard.

Oxford Lord Mayor Jim Campbell recieving the FOWM petition, with the oldest Friend of Warneford Meadow.

TRUST PLANS

Planning proposals were not presented to the March planning meeting (SDCC committee) so we assume it will be deferred to April.

FOWM GIG MARCH 17th

Thanks to everyone who helped with the fundraising gig on March 17th which raised over £500 towards the Town Green application. Special thanks to the five great bands who all performed for free:

JC's Digital Kitchen

Borderville

The Repeats

Fat Sue

Stadium Horn

Below JC's Digital Kitchen - mid performance at the Warneford Meadow Town Green fundraising gig. (March 17th, 2007)

TOWN GREEN

The 6 week period for objections to Paul Deluce's Town Green application ends on April 7th.

WHO OWNS THE MEADOW?

Andrew Smith MP confirms FOWMs claim that the Meadow is being transferred to the Radcliffe Trust.

GEORGE MONBIOT

Major article in the Guardian, March 6th, on Radley Lakes.

FOWM STEERING GROUP

Meeting on March 5th appointed Floris van de Broecke and Sietske Boeles as joint Chairs/Co-ordinators, Kerry Patterson as Meetings Secretary and Graeme Salmon as Treasurer. It co-opted James Rowland to act as Minutes Secretary. Webmasters are Floris, James and Andrew Fry. A new Traffic Subgroup is Sietske, Floris and David Sutton.

FOWM CONSTITUTION

A constitution for FOWM was agreed at a public meeting on March 1st. Elected to the Steering Group were:

Kerry Patterson, Floris van de Broecke, Anthony Eccles, Sietske Boeles, David Sutton, Chris Dunabin and Graeme Salmon. See minutes of the meeting .

NHS LAND SALES

Article in the Observer, Feb 18th, about NHS land sales.