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:  planning@oxford.gov.uk
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.