Newsletter Longford Park
Introducing Longford Park’s new Community Development Partner
My name is Rosie Phillips and I am the new Community Development Partner at Cherwell District Council. I have been appointed to work specifically on Longford Park, and Bicester’s Kingsmere development. I will be the residents’ contact point at this Council, and will be involved in helping the Longford Park Community Association come together to set up and run the new Community Centre. I’m very keen to meet as many residents as possible, especially with ideas for activities and groups that residents would like to set up. The new primary school have kindly offered me space to work on site from September, and I’m actively pursuing up to date information on the community facilities that are planned for Longford Park. I’m in post on Longford Park for 2 days a week (Wednesdays and Fridays) and will be visiting Longford Park regularly over the coming weeks. My working hours are flexible to cover evening events and meetings, so please contact me via my email rosie.phillips2@ cherwell-dc.gov.uk or say hello when you see me on the development. I have a bright turquoise car! I may not know the answers to all your questions immediately, but will do all I can to get them from the right people!
Summer 2017
Residents Newsletter
Longford Park Neighbourhood Watch
(by Carl)
Back in April Longford Park residents took the first steps in setting up a Neighbourhood Watch network for our area. Residents met with members of the Banbury Town Neighbourhood Watch Policing Team and our PCSO, Rob Bliss. PCSO Bliss explained that the Neighbourhood Watch scheme designed to encourage the community to care about the area they live in, and is proven to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour by acting as a link between the community and the police, assisting the police to get messages out to residents quickly. Residents were reminded about the importance of reporting suspected crime to the Police 101 number and not using social media to alert others to prevent alerting criminals. During the meeting residents also heard from Michelle Miller, a Police Community Relations Officer for Cherwell and West Oxfordshire. Michelle’s role is to look at crimes across the area, identify patterns and speak to victims – carrying out home visits and conducting talks in the community. Both PCSO Bliss and Michelle were keen to point out that Longford Park is in a relatively safe area, with the entirety of Cherwell and West averaging five burglaries a week, including rural areas. Residents were reminded to complete an inventory of their
valuables, take photographs and write descriptions down (including mobile phone IMEI numbers) and email details to themselves to prevent information loss. Residents were also encouraged to use UV markers to mark hardware and leather, smart water to mark precious jewellery, and engraver or nail polish to mark more expensive items locked in sheds and out buildings. Residents were also given advice about nuisance and rogue traders, Nottingham Knockers (criminals selling cleaning products with the ulterior motive of reconnaissance) with the message to report ANY instances to 101 in order to track and record the incident. Resident Sarah Gibbs has volunteered to be Longford Park’s Lead Co-ordinator, with Colin Stoddard backing her as second point of contact. Sarah has welcome packs available for Longford Park residents who wish to participate in the scheme. If you are interested please contact Carl Purkins via the contact details in this newsletter and I will put you in touch with Sarah.
Longford Park Residents Newsletter
Summer 2017
Artistic installations on Longford Park As part of the Estate’s ongoing development, Cherwell District Council have appointed Birmingham based Eastside Projects to curate a series of public projects at Longford Park funded by the Builders consortium. Eastside Projects are a not-for-profit, artistrun organisation, commissioning, producing and presenting experimental art practices and demonstrating ways in which art may be useful as part of society. They are interested in changing the way that art is commissioned for new property developments in the UK, initiating a working method that involves artists at a much earlier stage of a development, in order that they can be part of the design and planning processes. The Longford Park projects will take place both in the country park and within the housing development
and include The Artist House by Heather and Ivan Morison; a model village in the form of birdhouses by Richard Woods; a heated outdoor cast-iron sculpture by Nicolas Deshayes; and a participatory budgeting process by Rosalie Schweiker.
residents to submit ideas on how to use her £6,000 budget. Rosie held a drop in session at the rugby club where residents were encouraged to share ideas. Residents can also submit their ideas via a website (https://eastsideprojects. typeform.com/to/nYKjpp) or paper form up until 8 July. Rosalie has brought together a committee of residents who will work through the ideas and turn them into costed proposals which will then enter a ballot to be held on 29-30 July. We will bring you more on these exciting community projects in further newsletters.
Rosalie wants Longford Park residents to help in her commission, inviting
Longford Park Joggers A small jogging group has been established among Longford Park residents looking to improve their fitness. The Longford Park Joggers comprise of beginners and regular runners and together they take a 5k circular route through Bodicote, the Timms estate, and Oxford Road. The group meet at 7.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, outside the Taylor Wimpey offices at the entrance to Longford Park. The group also has a private Facebook page (request access). Longford Park residents of all abilities are warmly welcomed!
Join us
Pinnacle Property Management Barratt residents on phases one and two of Longford Park have been receiving letters from Pinnacle Property Management regarding estate charges applicable to their properties. Pinnacle is a not for profit organisation instructed by Barratt West Midlands to take on the Management of their open spaces on Longford Park from 01 June 2017. The open spaces being managed are those which are on land which is not being adopted by the Local Authority or conveyed to an individual resident’s ownership, such as private car parks.
On Phase One these fees include maintenance of boundary hedges, green areas and communal driveways. On Phase Two fees cover communal driveways and car parks and include electric charges for security lighting. The charges apply to Barratt open spaces only and do not apply to Taylor Wimpey or Bovis customers. Visitor’s spaces on the road
are not included as these will be adopted by the County Council. Until handover, Barratt were maintaining these areas at no cost to residents. All Barratt customers made an initial payment upon completion which was held by Barratt until Pinnacle took over. As such accounts with Pinnacle are currently in credit. 2
Pinnacle have advised that any queries regarding the handover, the apportionment taken upon completion, or their remit on Longford Park, should be directed to Barratt Homes for clarification: Westmidlands@ newhomecare.co.uk
Longford Park Residents Newsletter
Summer 2017
Town, District and County Councils… Who does what?
Longford Park scoped for possible inclusion in BBC Two documentary (by Carl)
The Longford Park development is being scoped for possible inclusion in a new BBC2 documentary series about housing across the UK.
Way back when Phase One residents were just arriving at Longford Park I put out a message stating which councils were responsible for different aspects of life in Banbury. That guidance was a while ago now, and with more residents arriving on Longford Park all of the time we thought It was time for a refresh:
This two part landmark series for BBC2 aims to look at all aspects of the housing situation in Britain in 2017, and is particularly interested in the development of new communities on new build estates. If you are interested in taking part or in finding out more contact Claire Cahill on 07800 979376
? t r a p e k a t o t Want
Banbury Town Council Allotments; bus shelters; by laws; cemeteries; dog/litter bins; grit bins; parks; open spaces & play areas; recreation & recreation facilities; events & tourism
Community Gazebos for Hire (by Carl) Longford Park Community has four gazebos which are available to residents to hire out for your own private functions etc. They were donated to us by Carillon, the builder of the Primary School, for community use.
Cherwell District Council Planning process & regulations; waste management; job clubs; housing register and benefits; council tax; community association grants and support
We are making these gazebos available to Longford Park residents for their own private events, in exchange for a refundable deposit to cover breakages, and a small hire charge which will be put into a community fund.
Oxfordshire County Council Roads (including pavements, street lighting, pedestrian crossings); schools; libraries; social services.
If you would like to hire one or more, get in touch with Carl Purkins or Jo Perkins for further details.
Longford Park Buy & Sell Group (by Jessica Barth) A Buy and Sell page has been set up on Facebook specifically for Longford Park residents
“Longford Park Buy and Sell Group Banbury” has been set up to allow current and future residents of Longford Park to sell goods just like other Facebook sites. From clothes to cars, household goods to unwanted gifts, this for sale site enables residents to locally sell things to people in the same area and community.
Banbury buy and sell sites and users were unable to find my address due to it being a new build development. Because it took a while to be added onto current “sat nav” systems, I was having to arrange to meet people elsewhere and losing out on sales because people gave up looking for my home! Now that Longford Park has its own Facebook selling page this sort of problem is avoided and as the development and community grow so does the page.
I started the group when I became aware that Longford Park could be a struggle to find on a sat nav. I was using other
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Longford Park Residents Newsletter
Summer 2017
Longford Park Primary School Opening September 2017
Opening Sept
After building delays postponed the opening of this lovely new school, we are delighted that it opens its doors this September. There will be opportunities over the summer to see the site, and the school management are very keen for the school to be a real hub for the community. The parking at the front of the school will be for parents to drop off and pick up their children, and also for the retail units which are due to be built by Triple Developments. Diagonally across the road from the school is the site for the new
Whilst new Longford Park residents may find it hard to meet each other on an expansive and busy building site, we have a thriving community on Facebook!
As an off-shoot of that page we are working with our Community
When?
When is it happening? (by Carl)
Longford Park Community – contact points (by Carl)
The Longford Park Community Facebook page is extremely popular with residents who use it to share news and views about matters affecting the development. Be it promoting baby groups and local activities, or griping about the dog poo and the state of the roads, the Facebook page provides an opportunity for like-minded residents to get together and help each other out. It is also usually the first place information regarding the development is posted.
Community Centre and Youth Wing, plans for which had to be amended due to concerns about an area of flat roof, number of parking spaces, waste and recycling facilities, and poor access to the garden areas from the main hall. We are hopeful that building work can start soon on this much needed building.
Development Partner at Cherwell District Council to develop the newsletter and build a community here. With page admin positioned across all three phases of the build we can offer a human face if you need assistance and we can all be contacted via the Facebook page. In addition my door is always open (except for when it’s closed!) and the coffee is always on, and I will aim to help out in any way I can. Contact Carl at 17 Longford Park Road. Find us on Facebook @longfordparkbanbury
longfordparkbanbury Blog: longfordpark.blogspot.co.uk
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A question we are often asked on the Facebook page is “when will the roads be adopted by Oxfordshire County Council?” Our current understanding is that the roads within Longford Park would only be adopted by Oxfordshire County Council once the development has been completed, and only then if they are satisfied that the quality of construction and finish are up to standard. Until the development is completed all queries have to be addressed to the developers (Taylor Wimpey, Barratt, and Bovis) who remain jointly responsible until the development is complete. The new link road to Bankside is now open, and no lorries or construction traffic should be accessing the development from any entrance other than Bankside.