Newsletter Number Two from East Oxford Community Centre Action Group

East Oxford Community Centre Action Group

21st May 2008
Newsletter Number Two

Threats Documented…
Property development on the site of East Oxford Community Centre,
Property development on the site of East Oxford Games Hall,
Demolition of most of East East Oxford Community Centre site including the Social Club bar

The Web site www.whatdotheyknow.com (search for “oxford city council”) has published a freedom of information request from Jonathon Leighton asking for details of property development at the community centre. The council’s response includes 3D representations of options for property development on the three council-owned sites, which were presented to the Area Parliament on 19th March 2008, and a detailed report from the consultants Ridge dated 22nd November 2007.

The 3D plans show demolition of most of the East Oxford Community Centre site, including the bar, the bar pump room/stockroom and the social-club space. In addition the upper rooms (meeting room one and the LUWO community office), the Chinese Community Advice Centre and the whole of B Block and the large yard are also shown as demolished and redeveloped.

The report states “The 3 sites that have been considered in this study form valuable pieces of real estate in the heart of East Oxford. The objective is to release some of this value in order to pay for new community facilities”. The “site values” for the three sites have been “redacted”; in other words the Council is censoring the value of publicly owned land that it wishes to redevelop.

The draft unconfirmed minutes of the East Area Parliament on 23rd April 2008 (published with the agenda for EAP on 21st May 2008) state “Members of the Parliament stressed that they had felt a lot of anger and frustration when discussing the East Oxford Community Facilities and the ZED Development at the last meeting. They had serious concerns that the suggestions appeared to have progressed without members’ support, or consultation with the public. It should be noted that this “development” was not wanted by members of EAP”.
However, the action sheet for the EAP meeting held on 19th March 2008 states: “(3) Note that, although core issues related to this project would be determined by Executive Board, some community level issues could be decided by the Area Parliament, and that in any case East Area Parliament wished to see any report on this issue before it was submitted elsewhere; (4) Request that costs of the project be sought and laid before the Area Parliament”.
Action sheets record the legal decisions made by the Council and the officers who will carry them out. They must be published within two days of committee meetings. They are subject to a review process called “call-in”. These decisions are not marked as “called in” on the Council’s website, so, despite the minuted corrections of members of East Area Parliament, they stand. The Ridge report makes frequent reference to “initial consultations with the planning authorities [Oxford City Council, the landowner] and the fact they “have indicated that a development of this sort would be viable”.

Continued:
Where’s yer writ then? Where’s yer injunction?
A number of oral allegations have been made that the first East Oxford Community Centre Action Group (EOCCAG) newsletter was defamatory. Tim Murphy offered Councillor Simmons the opportunity to correct any errors of fact; more on which see below. At the time of writing no libel writs or solicitor’s letters have been received.
Anna Wagstaff, secretary of the Oxford National Union of Journalists said. "The future of East Oxford's Community Centre and the public sports hall are clearly matters of great public interest. The local community must have the full facts about the proposed multi-million pound property development in order to reach an informed view. Fact-based publications produced in good faith make an important contribution to the discussion surrounding this issue and should be welcomed. We would strongly object to any heavy-handed attempt to silence voices raising legitimate concerns and we will be monitoring this issue closely."
MP asks Council to Investigate Concerns Raised in EOCCAG’s First Newsletter
The Oxford East Constituency MP, the Rt Hon Andrew Smith MP, was sent the first newsletter. The East Oxford Community Centre is in his constituency. He replied:
“I have written to the Chief Executive of the City Council seeking his view on which aspects of the events you are complaining about are ones in which the City Council has responsibilities and which come down to a dispute between members of the Association.
“I have also underlined there is an important public interest in the availability of community centre facilities and their continuation under the options under examination for the future of the site.”
If you wish to raise any concerns related to the East Oxford Community Centre or the other sites under threat of development contact your local member of Parliament and ask them to intervene.

Andrew Smith M.P.
Email:  andrewsmith.mp@virgin.net
Tel: 01865 305080
Fax: 01865 305089
Office: Unit One, Newtec Place, Magdelen Road, Oxford, OX4 1RE

Dr. Evan Harris M.P.
Email:  info@evanharris.org.uk
(Emails to Dr. Harris will not be processed without a postal address)
Tel: 01865 245584
Office: 27 Park End Street. Oxford, OX1 1HU

Factual Correction and Apology

Dr Annie Skinner, a local historian has pointed out that the community centre building, while being a former school was not the poor school. We apologise unreservedly to Dr Skinner for any offence caused to her historical sensibilities.

P & P East Oxford Community Centre Action Group,
Room One, East Oxford Community Centre, Princes Street, Oxford
Email:  eoccag@gmail.com