New government rules require voters to show photographic identification at polling stations when they vote. This May’s local elections (on 2 May 2024) will be the first time we need photo ID to vote in Oxford. Make sure you are ready!

What counts as a photo ID? 

• a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport 

• a UK, EEA or Commonwealth drivers’ licence 

• some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card.

You will be able to use an expired ID if you are still recognisable from the photo.

If you do not have one of the above, you can apply for a free ID (known as a Voter Authority Certificate or VAC) either online at the Voter Authority Certificate website or by completing a paper form - contact the Council's electoral services team at elections@oxford.gov.uk.

Oxfordshire has launched a new air quality website, offering:

• Air pollution forecasts up to five days in advance

• Air pollution alerts for Oxfordshire

• Air quality footprint calculator

• Air quality pledges for individuals

• Information on council air quality projects across the county

Looking for electric car charging points around the city?

Check out a full list here.

To see all the charge points in Oxfordshire (and throughout the UK), download the Zapmap app or check out the Zapmap web map.

Recycling bring banks provided by Oxford City Council and various charities in the city will be removed during October.

For more information and to find alternative ways to correctly dispose of your items, please click here.

Throughout the summer holidays, Youth Ambition offers opportunities for young people to develop existing interests or try new things.

From trips, swimming, tennis, sports and ice skating to cooking, photography, music, dance and arts and crafts, there really is something for everyone and it's all FREE for 11- 19 year olds.

Youth Ambition will be at Northway Community Centre from 31 July to 25 August, Mondays through Thursdays. Activities are also available in Littlemore and Blackbird Leys.

OX Place, Oxford City Council’s housing company, has been given planning permission to build 15 new affordable homes in Northway - a mixture of townhouses, flats and maisonettes.

Built in brick, the three-storey block will respect the scale of existing buildings on Westlands Drive.

Building on Elizabeth Place means 75% of the open green space next the development will be retained and improved for local residents.

Elizabeth Place will be closed as a through road, but there will still be access to existing garages from Gorse Leas.

Work onsite is expected to begin in July 2024 and the development will take around 18 months to complete.

Oxford Play Association is coming to Northway on Saturday 15 July for a super fun day full of FREE activities for all.

Activities will include:

Tricky Trails Biking • Go Kart Party • Groovy Su • Body Zorbing • Giant Bubbles • Bright Sparks Science • Smoothie Bike • DIY Face Painting • Ride on Time • Art Avalanche • Climbing Wall • Tots of Mess • Muzo Akademy II and more!

This June, we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush in Tilbury, Essex, on June 22nd, 1948.

The ship brought 492 passengers from Caribbean islands like Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago to address post-war labour shortages.

The Oxford Windrush Group has organised a week-long event series including the annual Windrush lecture, an exhibition, an activities day, and more.

Oxfordshire’s wetland plant populations are decreasing due to habitat loss and pollution. We can help save them!

GroWet provides plants for anyone to grow at home, work, school or in the community. You don’t need a large outdoor area or garden. These plants are happy in small spaces, even on windowsills.

When they’re strong enough, they’ll go back into the wild to help restore and regenerate Oxfordshire’s incredible wetlands and freshwater habitats.

Everyone is invited to join the GroWet community and be part of an exciting new project that helps our local environment.

Please come along to meet our city and county councillors, raise issues that are important to you and join in discussions with fellow residents.

The City of Oxford Charity can provide one-off grants for specific items (like furniture or a washing machine) for residents struggling financially, and start up grants to help families or individuals moving into new accommodation or making a fresh start after a crisis.

To apply, you need a supporting letter—from a social worker, health visitor or someone from an advice agency or organisation like Citizen’s Advice Bureau—explaining your needs.

Find out more here or contact us if you need help applying.

A lot of misinformation has been circulating—online and in leaflets—about traffic filters to be trialled in 2024.

You can find complete, accurate information on Oxfordshire County Council's website or any the following independent fact checks: 

• Fact Check: Oxfordshire County Council to trial congestion-reducing traffic filters, not a ‘climate lockdown’ that stops residents leaving neighbourhoods (Reuters)

• Fact Check: UK county council approved traffic scheme, not 'climate lockdown trial' for 2024 (AFP)

• No, a traffic management plan is not a ‘climate lockdown’ to confine people to their neighborhoods (Politifact)

• Oxford traffic scheme won’t ‘confine’ residents to specific neighbourhoods (Full Fact)

• Oxford traffic filters explained after conspirationists attack council (Oxford Mail)

• False climate lockdown claims in Oxford lead to death threats (BBC)

• Fact check: False claim UK city will test 'climate lockdowns' in 2024 (USA Today)

Oxford City Council has also released a joint statement with Oxfordshire County Council on traffic filters and misinformation (7 December 2022).

From 1 January until 31 March 2023, adult single bus fares will be capped at £2 on Stagecoach, Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel routes throughout Oxfordshire.

The temporary £2 bus fare cap on adult fares does not change the concessionary fare scheme or impact free travel.

Now is the time to swap car journeys for bus trips: help to reduce congestion, cut emissions, and address the climate crisis while saving £s!

Your councillors would like to wish everyone Headington Hill & Northway a happy and healthy year ahead.

We are always here to support you, and to help resolve any issues you may be facing as an Oxford City resident.

We look forward to hearing from you, and working together to make positive changes for everyone in our community in 2023, despite the many challenges we are facing.

Welcome to a new community newsletter for Northway!

Northway Community Newsletter will keep residents up-to-date with local events and news—all in one place.

The editorial team is keen to hear your thoughts!

Please email northwaynewsox@gmail.com with any comments, ideas and content.

Warm spaces and activities are open throughout the city this winter.

Our closest warm space is the Winter Hub at New Marston Pastoral Centre (Jack Straw’s Lane behind St Michael’s Church.)

The Pastoral Centre Hall will be open for local residents of all ages to find a warm space, a warm welcome and hospitality.

Opening hours

Mondays and Fridays 7.45-9.30am: Breakfasts (porridge, toast, hot beverages)

Thursdays 3.30-6 pm: Social space (tea, cake, activities or just chat)

Wednesdays and Thursdays 5-6 pm: Supper Club (hot bowl and a roll)

All food and activities are free. Donations are welcome.

Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see a map of all warm spaces in Oxford. Click on a pin to find out what is on offer and when it is open.

The Parasol Project has launched a weekly ‘Stay and Play’ programme at Tower Playbase.

This new support service offers a safe space for toddlers (4 and under) and their parents/carers to play, socialise and spend quality time together.

• Financial support

• Help with energy costs

• Help with food costs

• Help with housing

• Help with other living costs

• Mental health support

Can you help us launch a garden for our community?

Everyone is welcome to join us on Sunday, October 5th from 2pm to 5pm!

Meet at Northway Community Centre.

This project is supported by Northway Together and Marston Community Gardening.

Update: Following a successful launch, Community Gardening & Arts sessions now takes place every first Sunday of the month.

If you pay council tax and your property is in council tax band A, B, C or D (or E, with a disabled reduction scheme award) you will receive a £150 payment from the council to help with rising energy costs.

If you pay council tax by direct debit, you should automatically receive the payment from the city council.

If you do not pay by direct debit, you need to sign up online by clicking here or visiting: https://www.grantapproval.co.uk

If you need help with the online application, please contact us for assistance!

Full details of Oxford City Council’s Energy Rebate Scheme are available here.

Everyone in OX3 receiving benefits or council tax reductions can use Hinksey Pool and other leisure centres for a reduced price.

You just have to sign up for a monthly or pay-as-you-go Bonus Card at Barton, Leys or Ferry Pool Leisure Centre!

Full details are online here.

The Northway Wombles held their first Community & Environment Day on 22 May. Residents came together to help nature and local green spaces, keep Northway tidy (by picking up quite a few bags of litter), get to know each other and have fun in the sun 🌞

The Wombles plan to meet regularly. Keep an eye on the Community Calendar for opportunities to join in!

The NHS’s Healthy Start initiative aims to support families on low incomes with extra cash for healthy eating.

If you are pregnant or have a child under four, and live in a low income household, you could be eligible. All you have to do is complete a simple online form with your National Insurance number and your personal details.

Healthy Start prepaid cards can be used to buy food in any shop in Oxford that takes MasterCard. If you don’t have access to a computer or a smartphone, contact your councillors for help.

Your card will be topped up automatically every week while you are eligible. You can see your balance by inserting your card at any cashpoint.

Oxford County and City Councils are introducing a pilot Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) in the city centre to improve air quality and reduce emissions.

The ZEZ will cover eight streets: New Road (between Bonn Square and its junction with Castle Street); Bonn Square; Queen Street; Cornmarket Street; New Inn Hall Street; Shoe Lane; Market Street (from Cornmarket junction east for 40 metres); Ship Street; and St Michael’s Street.

From 28 February, vehicles driving along these streets will be charged depending on emission levels.

Charges will be enforced by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.

If the scheme successfully reduces air pollution levels, a public consultation will be held about expanding the ZEZ to cover more of the city centre.

We are proud to celebrate LGBTQIA+ History Month every February, to coincide with the 2003 abolition of Section 28.

Oxford City Council will be flying the Pride flag throughout February, to honour everyone who has helped pave the way for LGBTQIA+ rights and visibility in the ongoing fight for equality and liberation.

The Museum of Oxford will be focusing on local LGBTQIA+ history, with exhibition displays on past and present LGBTQIA+ spaces in Oxford, and special events in February and March.

The Pitt Rivers Museum is also marking the month with an evening event on 17 February as part of its Beyond the Binary exhibition.

Oxford City Council is urging local businesses to apply as soon as possible for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme.

The scheme provides grants of up to £6,000 to hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses, in recognition of the impact the rise of the Omicron variant.

Headington Action is encouraging residents to light up dark winter streets in our ward.

Free sets of lights (batteries included) can be obtained from headington.action@gmail.com throughout November, December and early January.

Headington Action will be switching on lights in trees lining Headington Shops on 19 November; and a tree on 4 December (with music and food for all).

Please visit www.headingtonaction.org for more details.

Happy winter holidays to all!

This October, we are proud to join communities across the country in honouring Blackness and celebrating the contributions and achievements of Black Britons throughout our shared history.

Check out the city council’s plans for uplifting Black history, and this listing of upcoming gigs and events across Oxford.

Black History Month is also a time to reflect on the work we must do to tackle systemic injustices, which Black people continue to experience in every sector of our society. Oxford’s community-led Anti-Racist City platform is a fantastic place to start!

Do you have ideas for celebrating Black history and uniting against racism in Headington Hill & Northway (this month and year-round) ?

On Friday 10 September, residents were out in full force urging Oxford County Council to create a safer pedestrian crossing between Northway and Barton Park. Thank you to everyone who took action to make our voices heard, and raise awareness of current dangers for schoolchildren and us all. The County is now ‘considering’ reducing the speed limit on the A40 from 50 to 40 mph. Let’s keep up the pressure!

Check out news coverage on BBC South Today, and sign our amazing local organisers’ petition at change.org.

Northway Community Partnership is planning to bring together ward residents of all ages on the playing field (adjacent to our community centre) this Spring.

Please check back for updates, or join our mailing list below!

Warmest wishes to everyone starting a new school year!

Please get in touch with updates you would like to see us share.

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Your city councillors and volunteer team will add your content to the website as soon as possible.

Please get in touch with anything you would like us to post!

Please get in touch with anything you would like us to post!