TODAY a decision will be made about whether a beloved local church should be demolished and rebuilt - but locals are still divided about the matter. The potential demolition of the Church of the Holy Family, on Cuddesdon Way, in Blackbird Leys, will be discussed this afternoon at Oxford City Council s planning committee meeting. Currently, the proposals to demolish the 20th-century church are set to be approved by the planning chiefs. If it is decided the church will be demolished, it could be replaced with a new church, community centre, and 21 homes and flats. The plans have been in dispute since 2018, and locals are still split over the matter, while some fear memories will be lost with the demolition, others are embracing the change.
Cowley LTN petition A PETITION against the LTN scheme in Cowley and Littlemore has received almost 2,000 signatures. The Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods were introduced by the county council earlier this month, but their implementation has divided locals. Road blocks were put up in Church Cowley, Temple Cowley, and Florence Park as part of a six-month trial. While some residents feel the new scheme is positive and has created safer streets for children, less traffic pollution and less noise, others are furious. Here is what you said about it:
Iony Evans: “For the first time in ages my kids now feel safer cycling to school. No more near-misses from speeding cars, no more bullying car pushing to get through endangering a six-year-old on a bike to school, school run is less stressful and worrying, kids are physically fitter, the environment is better protected. There are other alternative routes to drive around.”
Boris Johnson was under pressure on Monday to extend the £20-a-week increase of benefits which is set to be scrapped in April. In March, the government increased the standard allowance in Universal Credit and the basic element in Working Tax Credit by £20-a-week for one year. This meant that one single person aged 25 or over, claiming Universal Credit would get £409.89 a month instead of £317.82. However, this is planned to stop in April. This could mean that 16,000 people in Oxfordshire will be £1,000 worse off a year. We asked you what you thought about the plans to scrap the extra Universal Credit and this is what you said.
This is what our readers had to say on Facebook;
Beth Langdon: “Every single NHS worker, carer, transport worker and (most) supermarket colleague wear a mask eight-14 hours a day so why can’t you wear one for the one time a week you go food shopping? It is not that hard. Stay at home. Watch TV. Teach your kids. Bake banana bread. Let us do our jobs.”
Steve Hill: “My heart goes out to her, and every other person in the NHS trying to keep us alive. “But I would say this: do not judge “England” by the people out every day breaking the rules. They are a small minority.