Out& About GROUP
tyweekly.co.uk www.oxfordproper Thursday, August 31
r 6, 2017 - Wednesday, Septembe
Your guide for your leisure time in & around Oxfordshire
Wry war-time tales from the Somme
Satirical play The Times comes to Wiper’s Oxford
GROUP
City edition
view the property details, of Davis Tate Wallingford. To This property showcased courtesy
see inside.
newspaper - 22,307 copies endently verified property Oxfordshire’s largest indep
Thursday, August 31 - Wednesday, September 6
Pedalling the benefits of bike share
oxfordshireguardian.co.uk
ons
Changing Percepti for the Better
01993 764138
Museum looks at her life and work
Free
itney
richmond-villages.com/w
Flying Scotsman steams into railway centre
Page 5
Solving the mys tery of Agatha Christie
OME I T N E Y CA R E H RICHMOND W
Six appeal for United in cup competition
Pages 8&9
Sport
City to fund £1m cladding after Government u-turn Two blocks need repair work
By Eva Astreinidou OXFORD City Council needs to find £1million to pay for essential cladding to two of the city’s tower blocks after the government withdrew its funding promise. City bosses are ‘outraged’ by the u-turn on the original decision to pay for the work needed after two blocks failed fire safety tests. Speaking to the Guardian, city councillor John Tanner said the money now has to be sourced by the council itself. He said: “They will make arrangements only in circumstances where the city council cannot find the funds themselves. It is an outrage. “The city council has acted responsibly, and now the government also has to act responsibly.” The need to replace the rainscreen cladding on Windrush and Evenlode towers in Blackbird Leys came after the buildings failed a second round of new fire resistance tests that were carried out nationwide. The tests were ordered following the disaster at Grenfell Tower in June, in which more than 80 people were killed.
City council leader Bob Price said: “The government made a promise to fund replacement cladding in the immediate aftermath of the Grenfell disaster but has since done a u-turn and withdrawn that assurance. “The Local Government Association is continuing to press the government to honour its commitments.” In August, the city council said the works could take up to six months to complete, due to the high level of demand across the country. Cllr Price added: “[We have] been working closely with the suppliers of the cladding materials and the contractors who will install it. “At this stage we are as confident as we can be that the timetable that has been agreed will be achieved.” City councillor and board member for housing Mike Rowley, said: “We will replace the rain-shield as soon we can get a finalised cost and the replacement panels. No-one knows exactly when that will be.” Oxfordshire Fire Service had carried out inspections of all the tower blocks in the city including another three which did not fail the second round of testing. The total number of buildings nationally that have failed tests is up to 228.
Pleased to meet you...
THE Bishop of Oxford, Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft, got to know Artie, a ‘robothespian’ who can interact with humans, sing and act out scenes from
The Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Steven Croft with Artie Picture: Jo Duckles
films on a recent visit to the computing and communications department at Oxford Brookes University. Bishop Steven has just
joined the government’s select committee on Artificial Intelligence (AI) that will consider the economic, ethical and social implications of advances in AI.
KICK-START YOUR CAREER
For everything from Christmas jobs to management roles
SOFIA S A L E S A S S I S TA N T
Are you a talented person with a passion for luxury retail? Bring your enthusiasm to a role at Bicester Village. Come to the Talent Day on Sunday 10 September to discover your perfect role and meet with more than 20 brands offering managerial and non-managerial positions. For more information and to register for the event, visit Careers.BicesterVillage.com © Bicester Village 2017 08/17 4615