Have the changes at Iffley Turn caused you any problems, either as a pedestrian, wheel chair or push chair user, cyclist, motorist or driver of a larger vehicle? FOIV have organised a public meeting to discuss your problems and find solutions. Please come to share your experiences and ideas. Our local County Councillors, including the planning experts from the Council are coming.   Public meeting Thursday March 12th 7:15pmat Hawkwell House Hotel, Iffley Do come

The current major issue that affects us all, is the new configuration of Iffley Turn, which endangers motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike. We are planning a public meeting with Council representation to consider why it happened and the problems it poses. There should have been a Council led evaluation with a report before this meeting. Watch this space and I hope you will come to the meeting which will be posted soon.

The Defibrillator at the Prince of Wales pub has recently been repaired (again) and is now operational. The pads will also be replaced shortly, in line with the maintenance schedule. Many thanks to Dave Broughton for organising this. There is another defibrillator at St Mary’s Church, at the Vestry (right hand side of the Churchyard as you enter from Church Way).

The Mother short film featuring the Horse Fields in Iffley is being shown at the Ultimate Picture Palace on Saturday 17 Jan 2026 at 3pm followed by Q&A. Come and hear how the film was made in conversation with internationally renowned singer song-writer, and FOIV committee member, Peggy Seeger, and local award-winning film director Nicolas Brown.  Click here for tickets

1) FOiV-commissioned consultants’ reports: Heritage – Orion Heritage Landscape – Alison Farmer Associates Hydrology – Water Resource Associates Ecology – Bioscan Ltd Traffic – Velocity 2) Iffley Crowd Fund-commissioned Planning consultant’s report: Planning Assessment draws on all the other documents. 3) Additional reports, voluntarily produced by FOIV members with specialist knowledge on: Hydro/Drainage/Flooding Air Quality Assessment Construction Traffic Energy Efficiency/Carbon

Oxford Methodist CircuitDuring July of this year, we conducted a survey which we circulated to users of Community Cupboard, the foodbank run by Rose Hill Methodist Church in partnership with St Mary’s Iffley. We wanted to get a picture of what difference Community Cupboard made to their lives, and to consider ways in which we can continue to adapt and improve the service that we offer.Here are some of the responses. It helps me a lot, I’m not in a good place financially. Someone to talk to when you’re a bit low. It saves my life because everything is expensive, saves my cat as well. People very nice and kind The staff are so caring and considerate. The hot food provided is so welcome. Community Cupboard is a great essential service especially during these hardfinancial times. I don’t come for the food. I come for the company. The feedback that we received was humbling. It reminded us once more that there are many people in our beautiful city of Oxford that are suffering...

Oxford City Council (OCC)’s draft Local Plan 2040 (LP2040), is out for consultation; closing date 5 January 2024. Plans to build on the Horse Fields (HF) remain unchanged, despite the huge number of objections to OxPlace’s application last year. We urge you to write in again, because this is a chance to get the HF removed from allocation in the LP2040 altogether. You can respondonline here: https://consultation.oxford.gov.uk/planning-services/oxford-local-plan-2040-reg19-consultationFor relevant documents visithttps://www.oxford.gov.uk/info/20067/planning_policy/1460/oxford_local_plan_2040Click on ‘Downloads’ at foot of page, or click link belowhttps://www.oxford.gov.uk/downloads/download/1386/oxford_local_plan_2040_submission_draft_-_site_assessments >SPS13 Site Assessment 389 Land at Meadow Lane 130923 PDF, 258.16 KB Please mention SP13 ‘Land at Meadow Lane’ (changed from ‘SP42’ in the earlier Local Plan 2036)]Feel free to draw on our main points of objection, summarised below: Conservation...

FOIV appreciates the opportunity to provide our views at this stage in order to inform any potential development on this site, mindful of the considerable challenges it poses for any development. Below are some of the key issues for consideration: FOIV recognizes the need for social and truly affordable housing, and thinks that development of the Iffley Mead site could go towards mitigating this need since in our view any development on public lands should target provision of affordable housing. In particular it could provide housing for key workers for both the County and the City, and FOIV would support that as a key design objective. FOIV suggests that 100% affordable should be the target and if not, then full justification for its lack or shortfall would need to be demonstrated at outline stage. It should be remembered that this is public land even though vested in the County Council as ‘owner’, and should be used for the public good.  The development of this site should be...

Organised by FOIV, Iffley Music Society, Friends of St Mary’s, Iffley History Society, the Church and many others. The community concert in the Church Hall offered a wonderful range of music, welcomed by the enthusiastic audience. The Oxford Waits in period costume got us off to great start with bits of 17th century history with ribald humour and with music – hurdy-gurdy and other less familiar instruments – led with great gusto by Tim Healey. Then came a Handel Sonata, played beautifully by a local quartet (Evelyn Sanderson, Martin Reed, David and Katharine Patrick); this was followed by some magical Chopin from Paul Page. To end the first part, we enjoyed cello and piano playing by Alan Garriock and Anna Barnett, including pieces by Bach, Rachmaninov and Shostakovich.After the interval, we delighted in the tinkling sound of the Iffley Handbell Ringers playing ‘The Bells of St Mary’s’ before the spirited guitar duo of Gerald Garcia and Alison...