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Clarion Weekend, 13 March 2026

Clarion Weekend, 13 March 2026
Dr Ariel Dempsey, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Oxford's Faculty of Theology & Religion, making the most of the spring sunshine outside the Blavatnik School of Government. (Photo by Roger Close.)

Friday 13th or Mother’s Day? We opted out of theming our weekend newsletter because, frankly, there is too much real news: the Ultimate Picture Palace, Jericho Wharf, hundreds of new houses, council by-elections and blow-torched hot chocolate. Read on…

This week’s top stories

The derelict Jericho Wharf looks set to be taken on by Oxford City Council. At next week’s Cabinet meeting, the council will be asked to “acquire the site by agreement” – and if that fails, to proceed with a compulsory purchase. The former boatyard has been empty for almost 20 years.

The City Council says it has met landowner Cheer Team “several times to seek assurances they will bring forward development… such assurances have not been forthcoming”. It is therefore planning to identify new development partners for the site, with the hope Cheer Team will be prepared to sell. But if they refuse, the council is prepared to forcibly acquire the site “as a last resort”. Two former planning applications have already expired: these envisaged homes, a community centre, a public square, and a boatyard, plus potentially a pedestrian/cycle bridge over the canal.

Cllr Ed Turner said: “The use of CPO powers would only ever be a last resort, and only if all legal tests are fully met, but all options have to be on the table. The current situation is not acceptable and has gone on far too long.” We wrote about the site in 2024.

“Enough is enough”: Jericho community loses patience with wharf saga
In a city where every scrap of land is sought for much-needed housing, it scarcely seems believable that a 2,000m² site just outside the centre has been sitting derelict for 18 years. Even more so when that site has a history stretching back 180 years and is located in
Oxford ClarionOxford Clarion

Hotels, B&Bs, and short-term lets for temporary accommodation are costing Oxford City Council £2.4m this year – a situation it says is causing “significant financial strain”. It is now seeking to buy, or convert, 150 flats or other homes to tackle the problem.

The council is legally obliged to provide short-term housing for homeless families and vulnerable households as they seek long-term accommodation. It has seen “a significant and sustained increase” since 2022, now at over 300 households with another 10 entering the system each week, and expects the number to top 500. This demand outstrips what the council can provide, forcing the use of expensive hotel and B&B accommodation.

The City Council is now earmarking £32m to acquire properties – such as former student blocks or closed hotels – both in the city and across Oxfordshire as a whole. If the council manages to acquire 150 units, it says it would be able to end long-term hotel and B&B use, saving £5.2m a year by 2028/29. But it warns that it needs to act fast. The plans will be considered by the City Council’s Cabinet next week.

Cinema lovers gather outside the UPP on Thursday.

A celebrity-backed petition has been launched to save the Ultimate Picture Palace – but although campaigners claim the Cowley Road cinema is “in the footprint of [landlord] Oriel College’s plans for a ‘Fifth Quad’ to accommodate graduate students”, Oriel says it has no plans to demolish the building.

The Grade II-listed cinema on Jeune Street opened in 1911 and became community-owned in 2022. Oscar nominee and Hamnet producer Dame Pippa Harris DBE joined a public campaign yesterday to save what is claimed to be the fourth oldest independent cinema in England, saying it had held a “special place in her heart” since her visits as a schoolgirl.

The building requires renovation to improve access, views, sound quality, and greener energy use. Campaigners say that they have funding in place but that is dependent on a long lease. The lease, which began in 2022, expires in 2037.

In a statement, Oriel said: “We are proud of our heritage cinema, the UPP, and are in dialogue with the new managers about how to ensure it remains open to the wider public. We have no plans to extend the lease at this early stage in the tenancy.”

Proposed housing at Redbridge Paddocks; the site of Botley Booze (Google Street View).

Around the city

  • 331 affordable homes are set to be built on Sandy Lane Recreation Ground in Blackbird Leys. 79% of the new homes are planned for social rent, and the rest offered for shared ownership. The site is planned close to the new Oxford Cowley Branch Line station. The football pitches are to be relocated. The proposal for the £100m scheme, to be managed by OX Place, the council’s development company, is set to go to Oxford City Council's Cabinet next week with planning permission submitted in early 2027. The Council has worked with local football clubs to ensure continuity through the works. Cllr Linda Smith, cabinet member for housing, said: “Over 1,200 people are expected to have their housing situation improved through this development at Sandy Lane. This is about tackling Oxford’s housing crisis while investing in sustainable, connected neighbourhoods for the future.”
  • A project to build 237 homes at Redbridge Paddock, opposite the Park & Ride on Abingdon Road, will be signed off at the same cabinet meeting. The houses will be all-electric, with air source heat pumps and solar panels. 50% will be ‘affordable’, again mostly for social rent. The site was used as landfill until the 1970s and will require extensive remediation work. Given its closeness to the P&R, the new development is envisaged as ‘low-car’ with a cycle route running through the site. New boat moorings are being considered for the Weirs Mill Stream, a Thames backwater which forms the eastern boundary of the site. Construction could begin in 2029, with completion by 2033.
  • More people are taking the bus since Oxford's temporary congestion charge was introduced, say Oxfordshire County Council. Data from six local bus companies shows an 8% increase vs prior year since the introduction of the charge. Cllr Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s transport cabinet member, said: “It’s wonderful to see this increase in bus use, which is in large part due to our temporary congestion charge in the city, making it possible for bus operators to improve and extend services. We’re watching the impacts as residents and visitors adjust to it.” Oxford Bus Company’s Luke Marion added: “The reductions in congestion delivered by the congestion charge scheme, and the free Park & Ride travel it funds, have helped buses run more quickly. We can also use buses that were previously stuck in congestion to provide extra services.”
  • Oxford City Council is seeking to appoint a resident of the Leys as chair of the ‘Pride in Place’ Neighbourhood Board, which will administer a £20m Government regeneration fund for the area. The role is described as “a champion for the Greater Leys neighbourhood”.
  • A new off-licence, Botley Booze, could open on Botley Road on the site of the Green Bamboo takeaway at no 133. A licensing application has been lodged by Mrs Manpreet Kaur Lalpurwal. Manpreet Kaur Lalpurwal is listed at Companies House with the address 233 Oxford Road, Kidlington. Further along Botley Road, at Frideswide Square, TNT Convenience is run by 18-year old Rajmeet Lalpurwal of Oxford Road, Kidlington; it replaced Uni Food & Wine, owned by Avtar Singh Lalpurwal of Oxford Road, Kidlington. Mr Lalpurwal and Uni Food & Wine were the subject of licensing investigations around illegal vapes and tobacco, reported in the Clarion over recent months.
  • Oxford United observed a minute’s silence at Thursday’s match against Blackburn Rovers, in memory of Amelia Aplin. Players and staff wore black armbands, while supporters were invited to lay tributes at the Ox statue in the South Stand car park before the match. (Oxford won the match 1-0.)
  • Thames Valley Police have sadly confirmed that a man in his 50s has died following an emergency situation around the University Church on Tuesday morning. His death is not being treated as suspicious. The church, its tower, and Radcliffe Square were closed for much of the day with ambulances in attendance and a police cordon.

Blow-torched hot chocolate at Bear Street; firefighters fitting nesting boxes; Tumblestone Hollow.

Around the county

  • The LibDems have won the Abingdon Abbey Northcourt by-election on the Vale of White Horse District Council. Caleb Pell was elected. The seat in the two-member ward was previously held by the Green Party’s former Mayor of Abingdon Cheryl Briggs, alongside LibDem Helen Pighills. Cllr Pell describes himself as a ‘tierce de Picardie enjoyer’ in his Twitter bio. The LibDems also won the parish council seat, previously Green; Carol Dunne was elected.
    🔶 LibDem 647
    💚 Green 480
    ➡️ Reform 204
    🔵 Con 101
    🌹 Lab 47
  • Instagram favourite, Swiss chain Bear St. Bakery, is to launch at Bicester Village. The bakery is famous for its cookies, including tahini chocolate chip and vegan triple chocolate. A signature hot chocolate is topped with house-whipped marshmallow. (We don’t know exactly what that is but could even be tempted to Bicester Village, not our usual haunt, to find out.)
  • After a new survey showed average energy debt has risen by 75% since 2020, Citizens Advice Oxfordshire is urging people experiencing challenges paying energy bills to seek help. They found that households in energy debt may ration heating, reduce spending on food, or even take cold showers, and warn that consequences extend beyond the balance sheet – a two-way link between debt and mental/physical illness. They operate a free adviceline on 0808 169 6031, and drop in services are available.
  • Successful startups are increasingly based in Oxfordshire’s rural districts, not the city itself, according to a new analysis. Cherwell and South Oxfordshire saw a sharp rise in ‘spinout’ companies attracting investments in 2025, while Oxford dipped by over 25%. The report by Beauhurst/Penningtons Manches Cooper observes that “activity is increasingly extending beyond historic city centres into surrounding innovation districts”. They found spinouts from Cambridge University raised most in 2025 (£486m), with Oxford second (£391m), then UCL and Imperial. Life science companies won the most funding, followed by digital/tech. Overall, though, spinouts have attracted less funding each year since the peak of 2021.
  • Oxfordshire likes to run, apparently. Oxfordshire boasts the third-highest number of run clubs per capita in the country, which equates to 5.1 run clubs per 100,000 residents, indicating growing demand for community-led, inclusive running, says a study by menswear brand Jacamo. Yes, we got a press release but thought it might interest the sporty ones among you. Over the past year, online interest in “run clubs” has surged by 33%. Men are more likely to be regular runners than women (44% versus 35%), and 5% of British men run every day. Related: Bannister Miles will return on 4 May, with entries for the Community Mile now open.
  • Tumblestone Hollow, on the border of Oxfordshire, has announced its Easter activities, with an Easter Trail, craft activities and storytelling sessions, all set within the gardens of Stonor Park and its woodland adventure playground. Details and booking here.
  • There are an estimated 1162 empty properties in South Oxfordshire and the Vale. South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils are working with owners of 854 of them to try and get them back in use, and have succeeded with 27% of these. Some are unoccupied for a good reason such as renovation or awaiting sale, but the councils are providing advice on energy efficiency, tax advice, renting and selling properties in a drive to bring empty properties back into use. Cllr Tony Worgan, for SODC, says: “We are an area of high housing demand. Every property sitting empty is a wasted resource. Every property should become a home for someone who really needs it. We’re making huge efforts to work with property owners to help bring these homes back into use.”
  • A youth knife-crime-prevention programme pioneered by Thames Valley Police will be replicated nationally. Under Operation Deter Youth, people under 18 arrested for knife possession or knife-enabled offences across the Thames Valley have been referred to Youth Justice Services to steer them away from reoffending. Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber said: "We know that early intervention is critical if we are to engage young people, address the root causes of knife carrying and break the cycle of offending. I am delighted this pioneering work is being used as a model to be rolled out across the country, taking more knives off our streets and diverting more young people away from the criminal justice system."
  • Oxfordshire County Council says it is working to find school places for children from Banbury who were initially allocated a secondary school place in Bicester. 54 pupils were affected, out of which OCC says 30 have now been offered “satisfactory outcomes”. Cllr Sean Gaul said: “Our number one focus is getting the Banbury children placed in Banbury schools as soon as possible. 96.4% of Oxfordshire children were offered a preferred school, but I fully acknowledge that those families who aren’t happy with the school allocated will be disappointed.” Banbury MP Sean Woodcock responded: “I am afraid that this adds to the suspicion that those running County Hall simply don't get Banbury or its issues. I call on the County Council to apologise to all concerned and provide a full account of how it will prevent such incidents in Banbury in future.” In a statement to the Clarion, OCC noted that “where unfortunately parents did not list all the local Banbury schools as preferences, local schools were filled in line with published criteria”. 17 of the 54 applications did not name a Banbury school.
  • Harwell Campus is planning a new 15MW solar farm to help its transition to net zero. A joint project with energy giant EDF would see 60 acres in the north-west corner of the site turned over to solar energy. An early-stages application is with Vale of White Horse District Council.
  • Firefighters in Charlbury have installed house martin nesting boxes as part of ladder practice. The boxes were fixed below eaves awaiting the arrival of the birds later this month. Charlbury Wildlife Society reports the martins are already regulars at (the eaves of) the nearby Rose & Crown pub.
  • Oxfordshire loves its 20mph limits – or at least that’s the conclusion after free wheelie bin stickers saying ‘20’s Plenty’ ran out in a couple of days. The number of 20mph schemes across the county has now reached 275, with a further 10 in the pipeline.
  • Duncan Robertson, chief paramedic at South Central Ambulance Service, is calling on Oxfordshire residents to get a blood pressure check. He says: “High blood pressure increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Most people with high blood pressure have no symptoms.” Checks can be done at a local pharmacy. High blood pressure rocketed from the 30th most visited health condition on the NHS website in 2024 to the second most visited in 2025.

Boats being inspected and towed away (photos by the Clarion’s Roger Close and the Environment Agency).

Walking, cycling and boating

  • An £8.6m cycling bridge over the A34 is to be signed off next week. The Milton Heights bridge will connect offices and labs at Milton Park, near Didcot, with a new housing development west of the road. Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet will consider it at their Tuesday meeting. 400 homes are already planned for Milton Heights, and a further 1,000 have been mooted. Most of the cost of the bridge will be covered by developers, with £2.6m from Section 106 contributions and £4m from business rates. OCC will contribute £1.8m from its reserves.
  • Also planned are new cycleways across Bicester; design work for an underpass or bridge linking Eynsham to Salt Cross garden village; active travel improvements in East Oxford, including a safer crossing of Old Road and schemes in Littlemore; and improvements to St Giles and Broad Street in Oxford. All these will be considered at the Tuesday meeting.
  • New bike racks have been installed in Headington on St Andrew’s Road, part of a County Council project to create on-road parking across the city.
  • Oxford cycling campaign group Cyclox has formally launched its Infrastructure Design Guide, to help council officers and developers to create safer streets for people who cycle and walk. The guide gives advice that complements and complies with national policy and best practice. Dr Alison Hill, from Cyclox’s infrastructure group, said: “Cycling is too often an afterthought. At Cyclox we spend a lot of time and effort responding to consultations and highlighting unsafe junctions. We have brought our expertise together in this Design Guide; it sets the cycling standards we want to see.”
  • Abandoned boats on the Thames are being towed away in what the Environment Agency calls its “biggest push in a decade to tidy up the watercourse”. So far 53 boats have been removed from locations including Kings Lock (upstream of Port Meadow), with a further 70 planned this month. The EA’s Bill Jephson said: “Our approach to non-registration [unlicensed boats] has changed. While we continue to prosecute, we have also begun to remove boats where the owner has previously been prosecuted and continues not to comply. We are recruiting more patrol officers to clamp down further.” We recently reported that the EA, City Council, and colleges are jointly working to regulate moorings on the river downstream of Folly Bridge, where several boats have been seemingly abandoned.

This weekend

  • Oxford Brookes Human Rights Festival starts today. The festival brings together artists, scholars, activists and community members to reflect on global struggles for justice, dignity and human rights. All events are free and open to the public.
  • Interim, Fri-Sun, Fusion Arts. Group show by second-year fine art students, plus performances on Friday night and drawings for sale Fri/Sat.
  • Iron Ladies (£), Sat, Ultimate Picture Palace. Women in the Miners' Strike: documentary and Q&A with trade union organisers.
  • Commotio (£), Sat, St Margaret's Church. Contemporary choral music in North Oxford. (Your Clarion choral music correspondent heard Frank Martin’s Mass for double choir at Christ Church last week and it was spectacular. One not to miss.)
  • Hollie McNish (£), Sat, The North Wall. The empowering spoken-word poet performing from her new collection Virgin.
  • St Patrick's Day Party, Sat, Tap Social (Botley). Rugby and Riverdance. Free entry.
  • Oxford Bus Museum (£), Sun, Hanborough station. For Mother's Day, free admission & cream tea for mums bringing under-16 children.
  • Alexis Taylor (£), Sun, Truck Store. Solo album launch from the Hot Chip singer.

Iron Ladies; noise at Truck; Penny Kiley.

This week

  • Story, Song and Strange Happenings (£), Tue 17 Mar, Caper. Readings from a magical novella interwoven with uncanny music.
  • This Will Destroy Your Ears (£), Tue 17 Mar, Truck Store. Exactly what it says on the tin.
  • Detroit on Thames (£), Wed 18 Mar, Littlemore. How Oxford become a car manufacturing city.
  • Jobs and Support Fair, Wed 18 Mar, Castle Quay, Banbury. Cherwell District Council event with information and guidance for jobseekers.
  • In Bloom: How Plants Changed Our World (£), Thu 19 Mar-16 Aug, Ashmolean Museum. From the world to Kew and Oxford.
  • Atypical Girl (£), Thu 19 Mar, Gulp Fiction. Punk and post-punk as seen by Melody Maker journalist Penny Kiley.
  • A Grain of Sand (£), 20/21 Mar, The North Wall. A child in Gaza searches for the Palestinian phoenix.
  • Yearn and Feast (£), 20/21 Mar, The Nest. Celebrating Nowruz (Persian New Year) with a DJ night & tattooing (10.30pm-3am) followed the next day by Persepolis and a vegetarian feast (11.30am-3.30pm).

Books

  • Go With The Flo is a new photography collection by Andy Roe, starring “many of the local characters who frequented Florence Park during the long, hot summer of 2025”. Available at Flo’s Cafe, the Jolly Postboys, and Caper.
  • Melvyn Bragg’s latest volume of autobiography, Another World, covers his time at Oxford in the 1950s. The Guardian reviewer writes: “This Oxford truly is another world before the great university expansion of the 1960s.”

Oxfordshire’s independent media

Notes from Clarion HQ

May’s elections are fast approaching, for Oxford City, Cherwell and West Oxfordshire. If you live in a swing seat (by which we mean a closely-contested marginal, not a piece of garden furniture) you’ve probably been leafleted already. We want to see your leaflets to find out what candidates are promising! Snap a picture on your phone and email it to us at news@oxfordclarion.uk.

And because it’s never too early, remember you need to be registered to vote and that photo ID is now required at the polling station. (We dropped a short thread on Bluesky.)

Our Bluesky mentions this week lit up with discussions between local cyclists and councillors about the new Milton Heights cycle bridge, which could be the hub of new routes between Abingdon, Milton Park, Didcot and Harwell. Oxford, of course, is also getting a new cycle bridge at Oxpens – but so far we’ve seen little discussion of where cyclists will go on either side. Surely an opportunity…

Enjoy your weekend; see you on Tuesday.

(And in case you’re wondering, this is called a Cyr wheel!)