Help Win New East Oxford Community Garden!
St Frideswide | 27.07.2006 21:25 | Culture | Free Spaces | Social Struggles | Oxford
A one-off chance exists to create a true community public space & genuine vibe in Dawson Steet off the Cowley Road East Oxford.....
Instead a planning application to turn Dawson Street into an outside cafe and cycle park by local cafe owner has been submitted, despite immediate local objection to the further commercialisation/privatisation of our area. This call to action offers actual potential to make a real difference with one email from you!
Instead a planning application to turn Dawson Street into an outside cafe and cycle park by local cafe owner has been submitted, despite immediate local objection to the further commercialisation/privatisation of our area. This call to action offers actual potential to make a real difference with one email from you!
Another current attempt to wrestle genuine public space from the hands of those seeking Mammon is underway at Dawson Street at the bottom of Cowley Road East Oxford.
Half the battle has already been won, in that one end of the street is closed to cars and the council is open to the potential use of the area for a new public open space with community activity. As per usual this possibility is being hijacked
by commercial interests, with the proposed extension of cafe's Coco and Kazbar, and a planning application has been submitted by Mr Pugh, tenant cafe proprieter, for a pavement style cafe with cycle parking...masquerading as the garden square we need and deserve, in what is essentially a relatively small space, just big enough to create a genuine public green oasis.
This raises various issues regarding inclusivity & access.
New definition as a public space, which DOES include some tables and chairs for said cafes, (at the edges) being the preferable option enabling genuine community activity.
By offering to foot the bill for landscaping, Mr Pugh effectively would own &
control the space, leaving a residual public area & pre-empting any chance of
regular community based activities. Whats more, he is only a tenant of his premises....
would he be able to sell his rights to Dawson Street along with his business?
Echoing worldwide struggles for autonomous zones, this small scale potential has
a far outreaching message.... every possibility for setting
precedent regarding reversal of detrimental current trends in social
living & community values has exponential potential.
The planners say they will accept written objections from ANYONE ANYWHERE as Oxford is a world heritage destination with 2 million visitors a year.
Winning this one....with your help...will send out a clear and powerful message and
example.....
*Its simple, just email to
planning@oxford.gov.uk quoting reference number
06/01491/FUL, with an individual response to include the following issues*
- Mr Pugh's planning application pre-empts and undermines the creation of street
oasis and community space, to the public detriment
- Cycle parking for his customers detracts from any chance of a quiet space being established and takes up a substantial part of a limited space
- The number of tables and chairs and their position across the main entrance to the garden, reduces safe and comfortable access.
- Most importantly this is not a suitable use, there are enough cafes, there are no gardens!!!!!!!!!
- finally his plans cleverly understate the actual amount of space that his tables & chairs, bicycle racks & waiting staff will take up.
- we have a steering group whose counterproposal is a public garden square with a few tables and chairs on the edge from Mr Pugh's cafes, thus ensuring the greates choice for the greatest number.
- we are seeking an initial definition as public space followed by the inclusion of some of Mr Pugh's tables and chairs, through normal licensing channels, in appropriate proportion to the available public space.
We are not proposing to exclude cafe services, we simply want them to be peripheral to free community use and that his proposal to pay for the landscaping is rejected in favour of public finance and community fundrasing to which he will be invited to contribute.
A fantastic opportunity to get this pulled to the East Oxford Parliament, away from distant bureaucracy & business interests, exists via enough people emailing their objections as previously mentioned, to:
planning@oxford.gov.uk ref: 06/01491/FUL Dawson Street Garden
To inspect planning application online visit
www.oxford.gov.uk/planningapplications
relevant counsellor for the area cc: to nualayoung@hotmail.com
DEADLINE AUGUST 13, so theres no time to lose to wing this round the world and back!!!!!!!!!
Half the battle has already been won, in that one end of the street is closed to cars and the council is open to the potential use of the area for a new public open space with community activity. As per usual this possibility is being hijacked
by commercial interests, with the proposed extension of cafe's Coco and Kazbar, and a planning application has been submitted by Mr Pugh, tenant cafe proprieter, for a pavement style cafe with cycle parking...masquerading as the garden square we need and deserve, in what is essentially a relatively small space, just big enough to create a genuine public green oasis.
This raises various issues regarding inclusivity & access.
New definition as a public space, which DOES include some tables and chairs for said cafes, (at the edges) being the preferable option enabling genuine community activity.
By offering to foot the bill for landscaping, Mr Pugh effectively would own &
control the space, leaving a residual public area & pre-empting any chance of
regular community based activities. Whats more, he is only a tenant of his premises....
would he be able to sell his rights to Dawson Street along with his business?
Echoing worldwide struggles for autonomous zones, this small scale potential has
a far outreaching message.... every possibility for setting
precedent regarding reversal of detrimental current trends in social
living & community values has exponential potential.
The planners say they will accept written objections from ANYONE ANYWHERE as Oxford is a world heritage destination with 2 million visitors a year.
Winning this one....with your help...will send out a clear and powerful message and
example.....
*Its simple, just email to
planning@oxford.gov.uk quoting reference number 06/01491/FUL, with an individual response to include the following issues*
- Mr Pugh's planning application pre-empts and undermines the creation of street
oasis and community space, to the public detriment
- Cycle parking for his customers detracts from any chance of a quiet space being established and takes up a substantial part of a limited space
- The number of tables and chairs and their position across the main entrance to the garden, reduces safe and comfortable access.
- Most importantly this is not a suitable use, there are enough cafes, there are no gardens!!!!!!!!!
- finally his plans cleverly understate the actual amount of space that his tables & chairs, bicycle racks & waiting staff will take up.
- we have a steering group whose counterproposal is a public garden square with a few tables and chairs on the edge from Mr Pugh's cafes, thus ensuring the greates choice for the greatest number.
- we are seeking an initial definition as public space followed by the inclusion of some of Mr Pugh's tables and chairs, through normal licensing channels, in appropriate proportion to the available public space.
We are not proposing to exclude cafe services, we simply want them to be peripheral to free community use and that his proposal to pay for the landscaping is rejected in favour of public finance and community fundrasing to which he will be invited to contribute.
A fantastic opportunity to get this pulled to the East Oxford Parliament, away from distant bureaucracy & business interests, exists via enough people emailing their objections as previously mentioned, to:
planning@oxford.gov.uk ref: 06/01491/FUL Dawson Street Garden To inspect planning application online visit
www.oxford.gov.uk/planningapplications
relevant counsellor for the area cc: to
nualayoung@hotmail.com DEADLINE AUGUST 13, so theres no time to lose to wing this round the world and back!!!!!!!!!
St Frideswide
e-mail:
dawsonstreetspagetti@yahoo.co.uk
Additions
Update
28.07.2006 08:50
Dear all,
Just to update people:
- The planning application referred to here has been WITHDRAWN..and I believe the cafe owner and campaigners are now working on a joint application together.
- A recent survey commissioned by the East Area Parliament (which originally got the road closed) showed that 86% of people wanted it *permanently* closed - and most wanted both cafe seating and public space.
- Hopefully a good deal for everyone can be reached...as if nothing happens in the space at all, the road is likely to eventually be reopened by the County Council.
Hope this helps,
Matt
Just to update people:
- The planning application referred to here has been WITHDRAWN..and I believe the cafe owner and campaigners are now working on a joint application together.
- A recent survey commissioned by the East Area Parliament (which originally got the road closed) showed that 86% of people wanted it *permanently* closed - and most wanted both cafe seating and public space.
- Hopefully a good deal for everyone can be reached...as if nothing happens in the space at all, the road is likely to eventually be reopened by the County Council.
Hope this helps,
Matt
Matt S
Comments
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** LATEST NEWS **
17.08.2006 21:33
HELP SAVE DAWSON STREET GARDEN…
Clint Pugh the owner of Café CoCo and Kazbar has put in another
planning application for an outside-café and cycle-rack for his
customers in Dawson St. The new application gives the false
impression of a space for 'public use', but, in fact, the tables,
chairs and cycle racks will take up a substantial amount of space and
will certainly be insufficient to provide a pleasant safe oasis for
local residents, visitors, etc. Furthermore, the movement of serving
staff across the pavements is a worrying health and safety issue.
As part of the Cowley Rd. roadworks, the blocking of Dawson St. has
given us the opportunity to create a new public garden-square for free
public use. Should this application succeed, it would amount to the
commercial privatisation of public space. His 'offer' to pay for the
works and his design for an open-air café effectively pre-empts public
consultation and the opportunity for a well-designed, beautiful new
garden that takes full-account of the substantial through-traffic of
pedestrians, cyclists and fully prioritises communal public use, e.g.
Farmers Market, Community Events, etc. Once the garden-square has been
established, Mr. Pugh could then apply through the normal licensing
channels to put some tables on the edge.
A steering group has been formed to investigate and explore sources of
funding, sponsors, etc. for our garden square. We already have a
construction company and several large local companies keen to
sponsor, fundraise and support this public project. Sources of local
and central government funding and grants will certainly also be
available.
Planning Application Ref.: 06/01689/FUL Dawson St.
Deadline for Comments: September 6h 2006
E-mail:
Address: Planning Services, Ramsay House, 10 St. Ebbes St., Oxford, OX1 1PT
To inspect the planning application on-line, visit:
www.oxford.gov.uk/planningapplications
THE PLANNERS HAVE SAID THEY WILL ACCEPT OBJECTIONS FROM ANYONE,
ANYWHERE - ACTION ALL NETWORKS.
WE HAVE A PETITION OF 400 SIGNATURES BUT WE NEED AS MANY WRITTEN
OBJECTIONS AS POSSIBLE.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF CAFÉS/RESTAURANTS ON THE COWLEY RD. BUT THERE ARE NO PUBLIC GARDEN-SQUARES.
Erica