Tag Archives: roger dudman way

The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing

Just a few weeks ago, Oxford City Council put forward a proposal for the regeneration of the canal the other side of the Oxford Retreat pub on Hythe Bridge Street.

It really is pretty nice over there already, especially in summer, but can be a bit treacherous when the rain decides it is going to freshen up things. It’s also very nice on the Thames.

Durga Devi - drawing (c) Jan BaileyJust a few weeks back,  when the weather was fair, I took a walk, five minutes from where I live on Mill Street, and noticed a little yellow sign on the way to Port Meadow. It is an application for student flats close to Fiddler’s Island, according to a letter by Julian Le Vay, who according to the Oxford Mail, lives in Abbey Road.

The application was withdrawn earlier this year, but Julian writes that it’s been re-submitted.  We are still living with the Port Meadow student block fiasco – see the Ballad of Roger Dudman Way – and probably we have to really stay quite alert because our esteemed councillors don’t necessarily have eighteen heads with three eyes in each head and multiple arms, like some forms of Durga.

Oxford City Council appears “inept or corrupt”

HERE ON Mill Street, I take a long and hard look at the local Mick's Cafe, the Botley Roadcommunity and now that even Jocks like me have suffrage in England, I will be voting on the 2nd of May next.

So when a leaflet popped through my door from the Green candidate, Sushila Dhall of Green Oxford arrived with some allegations about the infamous Roger Dudman Way development, I read it with some interest.

I wrote to Ms Dhall – see correspondence below.  In other news, had a lovely breakfast at Mick’s New Cafe this morning. BBC Radio Oxford was outside the Westgate Hotel conducting a vox pop about St George’s Day. Unfortunately, I am no good – because I am a sweaty sock.

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Dear Mike,
I am referring to the fiasco surrounding the Roger Dudman way development, where a vital report from the City Council Heritage Officer was suppressed by the city council planning department after 1.5m of the apex of the roof was removed, as if this answered the concerns, which it did not at all, soil contamination surveys were not carried out, an Environmental Impact Assessment was deemed uneccessary (by the planning dept), which included a lighting survey and the impact on the view, trees were said to be able to be planted where they cannot, the plans were misleading in that they showed the view cone (meant to be protected) would not be affected, which it is, severely, the wording of the report said that the buildings would be visible as ‘glimpses from parts of the Meadow’, consultation which was said to have taken place did not. The whole things was pushed through on the basis of a number of misleading statements and pictures. Now the planning department is standing by it despite the errors and misleading statements made by them. With the proposed Blavatnik building on Walton St the proposal is for a building far taller than should be approved according to City Council documents and yet planning officers have not required it to be lowered, again drawings are misleading, local people not consulted (except in as far as local people have taken it upon themselves to spread the word and organise a meeting), and there appears already to be a bias in favour of approval, although given the level of publickly expressed discomfort this may change.
Re the Roger Dudman way buildings; a legal challenge against teh City Council is currently ongoing.
I hope this is helpful.
With best wishes,
Sushila

On Mon, Apr 22, 2013 at 11:48 PM, MIKE MAGEE <mike.magee@btinternet.com> wrote:
Hi Sushila, and thanks for bunging your leaflet into Mill Street, which is where I live at number 27  as a registered voter.

When you say that the Labour dominated City Council “appears inept or corrupt”, can you give me some more evidence, please?

If the officers are corrupt, I would like to have them prosecuted for what they are doing for Oxford.

I look forward to your reply.

Mike Magee

The ballad of Roger Dudman Way

Where there’s a will, there is a lay.
So starts this wee tale of Roger Dudman Way.

Mick's Cafe, the Botley Road
Head west from Domino’s, through the tunnel of love,
Be shaken, if not stirred by rattling freight trains above,
And, flanked by Mick’s Café and the YHA
See the new glory that’s called the Roger Dudman’s Way.
Mick’s Café has shut, I am sorry to say.
‘Twas the jewel in the crown of Roger Dudman’s Way.

As you beat your way towards pastures new,
You’ll see Oxford Station and, this is certainly true,
You’ll see five storeys hove into view.

This is the Great Wall of Roger Dudman’s Way,
Blocking Port Meadow, or that is what they say.
The structure’s for students, and not really for geese;
They will have to soar high to stay in one piece.

Roger Dudman, the man who inspired the route
Was Lord Mayor of Oxford, and a leftie, to boot.
Of Dudman’s life we know little, it’s true,
But he held a grand post so was one of the few
To wear the great chain, and preceded by mace
Trouped through the town with consummate grace.

The latest Lord Mayor fell flat on his face,
For saying the word “sexy” that’s quite a disgrace.

And so we conclude this Dudman paeon,
To celebrate the daze of the Dudman aeon,
With hymns and raptures day by every day
To celebrate Mr Dudman  and his now famous Way!