ONE of The Insider’s colleagues was fortunate enough to attend a meeting of the Oxfordshire Safer Communities Partnership this week.

This committee’s job does what it says on the tin and brings together representatives from Thames Valley Police, Oxfordshire County Council and all the district councils to make the county safer. However, there seems to be an issue with the safety of the committee’s documents after its chairman Bill Jones, a Vale of White Horse district councillor, admitted to having left his briefcase on the bus on his way into Oxford that day.

The Insider can only wish him all the best in getting it back and hope that any louts don’t come across it and pick up any tips for evading detection.

THE Insider is not quite sure what Oxfordshire County Council wants drivers to do with this wonky parking space on Osler Road, Headington.

Mount the kerb and drive into a pole?

Oxford Mail:

Residents remain unimpressed with the new parking space

Steve Thompson, the assistant manager at Jacob’s Chop House behind the mysterious space, said: “It appeared after they did roadworks along here a few weeks ago.

“The pole was already there and they literally just painted around it. We have put a complaint into the council. My mother-in-law is pretty irate because she can’t park there.” He added: “I’ve seen traffic wardens try to give cars tickets because they’re not parked in the space, but it’s not possible to be in the lines.”

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Marcus Mabberley said the part-pavement parking bay was installed “to allow more room on the road for passing traffic” and that the pole was supposed to be removed.

He added that the nuisance pole will be relocated “shortly”.

IF The Insider has learnt anything, it’s that councillors aren’t necessarily as boring as some people might think.

And that’s what Lib Dem city councillor Mike Gotch seems to be trying to prove because at this week’s meeting of the West area planning committee he admitted that he had been “on the game for a little while now”.

Oxford Mail:

Lib Dem city councillor Mike Gotch

Before The Insider could be plagued with images of Mr Gotch hanging around on some of Oxford’s seedier streets at night he clarified that the “game” he was referring to was being a councillor.

Everyone knows that you shouldn’t mix business with pleasure.