Clarion Weekend, 20 March 2026

The scaffolding has been removed from the Town Hall, and doesn't she look gorgeous? (Image by Roger Close)

It’s a busy weekend for the city with Indie Oxford Day and the start of the Oxford Literary Festival. We have all this, plus city and county news, a feast of walking and cycling updates, and most importantly: a baby binturong…

This week’s long reads

We’ve opened up the pages of the Clarion for the leaders of Oxfordshire’s councils to put their case for the upcoming reorganisation. This week, leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, Maggie Filipova-Rivers, tells us why she believes two councils would be the perfect solution for Oxfordshire – not too big and not too small.

Tomorrow is Indie Oxford Day, and we took the opportunity to celebrate our very favourite independent retailers – an inventory of the places the Clarion editorial team love to eat, drink and shop. Warning: may induce hunger.

This week’s top stories

A development corporation for Oxford has been announced by the Government in its latest attempt to “supercharge” development in the Oxford–Cambridge Corridor.

The body, which would be unelected but with representatives from local councils, would potentially take over planning powers from councils, deliver transport projects, co-ordinate infrastructure, acquire and assemble land – all with a mission to make the area into Europe’s Silicon Valley.

In a speech on Tuesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a consultation on the plans, following one already underway for Cambridge. She said it would “slash burdensome red tape to regenerate the area, and boost jobs and growth”, pointing to similar bodies for Canary Wharf and the Olympics area. The Government pledged a further £400m to “kickstart development around Oxford and Cambridge, backing new homes, labs and workspaces”.

Oxford City Council’s leader Cllr Susan Brown called it “a game-changer for the city, county and country”, and argued that it aligned well with the City Council’s proposal to create a Greater Oxford Council with an enlarged area. But county councillors have expressed scepticism, with Cllr Laura Gordon (LibDem, Kidlington North & Otmoor) calling it “a bit incoherent”, and Cllr Gareth Epps (LibDem, Deddington) writing “Fine if they give those that know the area the control over this… but of course they won’t”.

The consultation on the development corporation is expected “by the end of the year” – potentially after the decision on new unitary councils has been made. We’ll have more details on the implications, and whether the people of Oxfordshire get a say, in a Clarion long read coming soon.

High-rise redevelopment at Blackbird Leys, already underway.

The Kassam Stadium site, Temple Cowley and Blackbird Leys could all get residential blocks up to nine storeys tall. The recommendation is in a new study looking into dense development along the Cowley Branch Line corridor, commissioned by Oxford City Council.

As well as these residential-led sites, it looks at ARC Oxford, Oxford [Greyhound] Stadium, and Oxford Science Park, where R&D uses (aka lab space) would dominate. At the Kassam site and Sandy Lane, developments would mix R&D and residential. It seeks to achieve “sensitive densification” while retaining views of Oxford’s skyline.

The study calls this a “more strategic approach to the location of taller buildings”, saying that “detailed visual testing between the Cowley Branch Line area and key city viewpoints shows that development should be ‘clustered’ in specific locations”. Historic England was consulted on the study, which in effect marks an attempt to reconcile protected ‘view cones’ with high-rise development. Cllr Alex Hollingsworth said: “We need to ensure local people can find homes close to their work. This study sets out a clear and carefully considered way to do that.”

Footfall on Queen Street has ticked up after the introduction of the Congestion Charge, according to tentative figures from Oxfordshire County Council. The council warns that “it’s still too early to draw any firm conclusions about data trends” and is still awaiting data for other city streets.

Pedestrian numbers in Queen Street increased by 1% during the four months after Oxford’s temporary congestion charge was introduced, compared to the same months last year. Data provider MRI Software reported that other town and city centres have seen an average decline of 1.5%. Queen Street is the only street in central Oxford fitted with one of MRI’s pedestrian counters; OCC also hopes to use footfall data derived from mobile phones, but says that anomalies in the data-processing pipeline of supplier Huq Industries means they do not yet have confidence in this dataset.

Cllr Andrew Gant said: “It’s reassuring to see that from the footfall data we now have, the Queen Street figures are positive, particularly in comparison with other city centres. The data will help us build a picture over time of how the charge is working.”

Pizza at the Medley; Gloucester Green bus station.

Around the city

Oxford’s “tired” Gloucester Green bus station is to get a £150,000 refurbishment. Changes will include real-time information screens, new noticeboards, extra seating, repainting, and “anti-pigeon measures”. For Oxfordshire County Council, Cllr Andrew Gant said: “To realise its full potential would require substantial investment and a complete redevelopment, and this remains a long-term ambition. However, in the shorter term, we are able to carry out measures that will improve the environment.”
Jericho Wharf looks set to awaken from 20 years of inaction after the City Council cabinet agreed on Wednesday to seek to acquire the site – by a compulsory purchase order if necessary. We wrote last week about how the council sees a CPO as a “last resort”, but one it feels may be necessary given that “the current situation has gone on far too long”.
Oxford’s riverside beer and pizza garden, the Medley, reopens on 4 April (Easter Saturday). The seasonal venue, near Binsey, is accessed by foot across Port Meadow or by walking up the Thames towpath. Previewing the 2026 season, the owners say: “The menu is inspired by adjacent Medley Manor Farm, with flavours changing regularly with the harvest. 2026 will see an upgrade to the cocktail list with a new bar by the team at Bigfoot. Expect fiery margaritas alongside their favourite local beer.”
Half of the councillor complaints received by Oxford City Council in the last four months related to social media postings. In all, ten complaints were assessed between November and February, including reports of “unbecoming” posts on X/Twitter, Facebook and Bluesky, and an allegation that a councillor was “misusing Facebook to imply someone who is not a City Councillor was undertaking casework”. Most complaints were dismissed, but two were resolved informally, and one case (alleging that a Parish Councillor interfered with the appointment of another Parish Councillor) is still ongoing.
Zzzzz… Oxenford House, next to the former Debenhams site on Magdalen Street, Oxford, is to be redeveloped as a boutique hotel, Zedwell. Their London hotels are described as ‘windowless by design’ cocoons to aid sleep.
Floyds Row and the Old Mortuary, around the back of the Police Station on St Aldates, are to be sold by Oxford City Council. 1 Floyds Row was formerly used as communal short-term emergency shelter, but since Covid, the Government has discouraged communal sleeping arrangements. The Old Mortuary is leased to Oxfordshire Council for Voluntary Action. The city council says it has received “an attractive offer”, and that it expects a redevelopment to provide “landscaping and external realm improvements”.
Oxford United remains “dependent on shareholder support”, according to its latest financial results. The football club is owned by Indonesian businessman and politician Erick Thohir, who formerly owned Inter Milan. Its losses for the financial year 2024-25 broadened from £15.9m to £17.5m, which it stresses remain within the limits set by the Football League. The owners have so far invested £10m in the project to move to a new stadium at the Triangle.
Meanwhile, OUFC’s running club has been shortlisted for three awards including Best Fan Engagement at the Football Business Awards. The club is open to supporters of all running abilities with any running goals.
Oxford City Council plans to open a walk-in centre for face-to-face advice on George Street. The existing centre in the Westgate Library will relocate to the larger building, open five days a week. The ground-floor site at 15-17 George Street has been empty since TSB closed its bank branch in 2022.

The baby binturong at Crocodiles of the World; Lock 29 at Banbury.

Around the county

135 new homes are proposed for Chalgrove in South Oxfordshire. The development, on arable land opposite Chalgrove Airfield, includes 40% affordable housing, a network of pedestrian and cycle routes, and a new play area. Promoters Catesby Estates have launched an informal consultation in advance of a planning application this summer; if this is successful, they would anticipate selling the land, with permission in tow, to a housebuilder next spring. (We looked at the controversial Chalgrove Airfield project in a long read in December.)
A Kidington barber shop owner has been fined £5,900 for illegal tobacco offenses. Arafh Aliammad owns Empire Barber 2 and Empire Vape on Oxford Road. A Trading Standards inspection found a display of illegal vapes, an open display of tobacco products, and missing warning notices. Mr Aliammad is due to appear before magistrates in September in relation to illegal tobacco offences at a different premises in Oxford, which he denies.
Oxfordshire needs homes: West Oxfordshire District Council is encouraging anyone who owns an empty property, or knows of one, to get in touch, as help is available to bring it to market and thereby tackle the county's housing shortage. They've partnered with a not-for-profit lender to offer affordable home improvement loans.
In possibly the cutest Oxfordshire news since last time we published a picture of Ozymandias, a baby binturong – or binlet – has been born at Crocodiles of the World near Carterton. The park reports that “Our fabulous female binturong Willow has been an incredible mother and the little one is full of mischief already. Dad Winnie has been keeping his distance a little at Willow’s request, but he will likely start tagging in with binlet-sitting duties shortly.” The wildlife park opens at 10am every day with binturong feeding at 12.40pm.
Banbury’s street food court, Lock 29, is opening a ‘guest kitchen’ pop-up programme. Food vendors are invited to take short-let spaces at the venue, which come fully equipped with hot water, electricity and ventilation. The first round of guest kitchens is set to begin in May.

Peter Dunn, preparing to head to Ukraine.

Medical aid is heading to Ukraine from Thame Farmers Market, thanks to the generosity of farmers and local businesses, including the auction of a sponge cake that fetched nearly £2,000. Peter Dunn, a market shareholder will drive to Lviv as part of a convoy with Driving Ukraine. The aid includes a special animal aid box donated by Towcester Vets. There will be 15 vehicles in this convoy, loaded with medical gear. It leaves on 11 April.
A young Charlbury bowler is captaining England’s under-21 team. Dyllan England is one of seven Charlbury players chosen for the national short mat bowls team. Charlbury Bowls Club runs a junior academy scheme with taster sessions, regular coaching, and both social and competitive matches.
Blenheim Palace has opened its grant scheme for local villages and towns. £40,000 is on offer to charities located near the Blenheim estate. 2025’s bursary programme funded specialist equipment for a Witney SEN school, coaching for a Woodstock running club, and community buses.
Server logs: In possibly the most “Oxfordshire 2026” story so far this year, a log retailer near Carterton is to be converted to a data centre. The applicants, Brackenwood Sovereign Data Centres, say their proposals for JJ Leach Firewood in Shilton will “reduce dependence on global LLM providers”. They say “All GPU cooling systems, power infrastructure, and associated plant are fully internalised within the approved building envelope… operational impact is significantly lower than the current firewood production.” A planning application is with West Oxfordshire District Council.

Walking and cycling

A redesign of Witney's High Street to “make it easier and more enjoyable to walk, wheel and cycle” is finally set to be signed off next Thursday. Although most through motor traffic has been prohibited since Covid, the street currently has the same design as when it was the main road through Witney. Changes include widened pavements, street trees and plants, road humps, traffic restrictions, and a new zebra crossing on nearby Welch Way. The £4.4m cost is being met by the Government. Oxfordshire County Council says 60% of respondents in a 2024 survey supported the proposals.
A transport plan for the Bicester area has been fast-tracked in anticipation of major development proposals nearby, such as the Puy du Fou theme park and distribution sites near the M40. The Movement & Place Plan for Bicester and the mid-Cherwell area recommends further work on a new station at Ardley, on the Chiltern main line; a “comprehensive walking, wheeling and cycling network” linking villages and Bicester itself; and better bus frequencies. The area’s current population of 58,700 is expected to grow by 12% in the next four years alone. For Oxfordshire County Council, Cllr Judy Roberts said: “This area has received several planning applications which are likely to bring enormous changes so these plans will be regularly updated to reflect this.”
A Quantum Greenway? The new Milton Heights cycle bridge over the A34 could unlock a traffic-free cycle route from Oxford to Harwell, according to local campaign group, the Coalition for Healthy Streets & Active Travel. The Quantum Greenway would extend the existing Oxford–Abingdon route via existing byways and routes being constructed by upcoming developments. CoHSAT points to similar greenways being built to connect Cambridge with nearby towns and villages. For Cyclox, Ian Loader said: “It is vital that we link key places of work, residence and leisure. Joined-up thinking will make cycling in Oxfordshire safer.”
The plan for improving Oxfordshire’s footpaths and bridleways, in force since 2015, will stay in effect for a few more years while local government reorganisation takes place. The Rights of Way Improvement Plan document sets out how the County Council manages the 2,600 miles of paths across Oxfordshire, including managing the effects of motor vehicles on unpaved byways, and researching historical evidence to reinstate missing paths. Officers have concluded that “an amended plan is not required at this stage”.
An unknown driver has crashed into a bollard protecting three new bike racks installed outside St Andrew's Church in Headington last week. Reporting the collision, city councillor Mary Clarkson (Lab) wrote on Nextdoor: “There may not be an obvious alternative bike rack location here, but this makes no sense for any road users.” The comments on our Bluesky feed largely backed Team Bollard, including “Only makes no sense for a driver who does not show due care and attention”, “I look forward to you supporting removing car parking spaces if a driver crashes into a parked car”, and calls for a one-way street.
Oxfordshire Liveable Streets’ street redesign project kicks off this week. The launch workshop for Future Streets Oxfordshire is next Tuesday, and OLS are calling for diverse perspectives from across Oxfordshire’s market towns to participate – Banbury, Bicester, Witney, Didcot, Carterton, Chipping Norton and beyond. They say the work will shape a shared vision for future streets and neighbourhoods for the County. No expertise necessary, just your experience of living here. You can find out more about this and other workshops here.

The Trial of Thomas Cranmer; the Knight of the Burning Pestle.

This weekend

Oxford Literary Festival gets underway this weekend with a whole week of in-conversation events, lectures and panels. All your favourite authors, some you don’t know are your favourites yet, plus egregious ragebait nonsense like “Is civil war coming to the UK?” (Spoiler: no.)
The Trial of Thomas Cranmer (£), Sat, University Church. A drama in verse, revived for the 470th anniversary of Archbishop Cranmer's execution, performed at the site of his trial for heresy.
Nocturne (£), Sat, Blackfriars (St Giles'). The City of Oxford Choir present choral singing and saxophone by candlelight.
EIGHT (£), Sat, Old Fire Station. Drag King Henry VIII responds to Six.
Shovel Dance Collective (£), Sat, The Nest. Radical/traditional folk nine-piece.
The Knight of the Burning Pestle (£), Sun, Magdalen College. A 400-year-old comedy performed by a company of boy actors.
Canal Pubs of Banbury, Sun, from St Mary’s Church. A heritage walk finding out about Banbury’s canalside boozers of days gone by.
Daffodil Day (£), Sun, Shotover House. Annual opening of these private gardens in Shotover to raise money for the parish church and children's centre.
OX5 Run (£), Sun. Five miles through Blenheim Palace grounds to raise money for Oxford Children's Hospital.
ATOM Festival of Science & Technology, Abingdon, continues to Wednesday. Power, predators, and pellets.

This week

Industry Standard (£), Wed 25 Mar, Truck Store. Undercover investigations of animal industries turned into sonic art by Oxford campaigner Gem de Silva.
Philip Reeve & Sarah McIntyre, Thu 26 Mar, Waterstones. Book signing by the eccentric duo of children's authors (Oliver and the Seawigs among others).
Julia Donaldson & Catherine Rayner, Fri 27 May, Waterstones. Book signing by the beloved children's author (winner of the 2026 Bodley Medal) and her latest illustrator.
East Oxford Community Centre opening event, Fri 27 Mar, Cowley Road. Drop in for community activities at the newly refurbished centre.
Ukrainian Lives (£), Fri 27 Mar, Weston Library. Two writers on the realities of war.
Architectures of Infestation, to 25 Apr, Turrill Sculpture Garden. Giant insects and ceramic watchtowers behind Summertown library.

Oxfordshire’s independent media

Ox in a Box previews A Midsummer Night's Dream, restaged as a “pitch black thriller”.
Bitten Oxford reviews OxTwo in Summertown.
The Oxford Sausage looks at punts and the Cherwell Boathouse.
Cllr Nathan Ley has written about the Peachcroft Roundabout saga. One for Abingdonites, or those who like reading about roads.
The Banburian has been celebrating English Tourism Week with a roundup each day of reasons to visit Banbury. #BeMoreBanbury
A gem from the BBC archives: a WW2 decoy aluminium factory, near Great Bourton.
Little Oxplorers have your weekend with the Mini Clarions sorted.
The Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust writes about curious church organs in Oxfordshire, including a Vermont specimen in Binsey.
If you thought Botley West was the limit of solar in Oxfordshire, think again - we stumbled across this on Oxfordshire and solar power.
Quidditch is a thing IRL. Except now it is called Quadball, and it's played in Oxford. More in this rather lovely article.

Charity begins at home

Oxford's Pegasus Theatre launched a Big Give campaign with Arts Council England matched funding doubled this week. Funds raised will directly support transformative programmes designed to enable vulnerable children and young from our communities to build confidence, learn new skills and make new friends. “This is a crucial moment for our Inclusion Projects,” said Georgia Bradley from Pegasus. “Thanks to the Big Give, every donation we receive this week will go twice as far, helping us reach more young people and continue providing spaces where creativity and confidence can grow.”

One Planet Abingdon, which operates the cafe under the museum as “an inspirational community hub”, has won the lottery. A National Lottery grant is paying for a volunteer co-ordinator for 12 months. Carol Dunne said: “I look forward to hearing from new volunteers as well as working with our current One Planet Abingdon team.”

Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust is looking for a grants officer, who will collate grant applications from churches for review at three annual meetings. They say the role would “suit someone retired or working part-time” and invite applications at chair@ohct.org.uk.

Notes from Clarion HQ

A few weeks ago we mused aloud as to whether we should have a readers’ letters section. Our favourite response was: “Please, please do not start a letters page. There is already an overflowing creche in the Oxford Times and we cannot take any more.” In fact, we guess there’s already a Clarion letters page, and it’s social media – in particular, our Bluesky account. This week, our stories on the Oxford development corporation and the Headington bike parking both caused our mentions to fill up with a flurry of comments (some repeatable, some less so).

Putting together our article on independent Oxford shops has been an unalloyed joy. Our photographer Roger has been doing sterling service capturing our favourites on camera, including – of course – the Oxford Cheese Company in the Covered Market where he offers this vignette:

“Just before I arrived the guy was serving a bunch of young Christ Church Cathedral School students who had to order their cheese in French. Perhaps the most Oxford thing I’ve ever seen.”

One of the advantages of writing so many articles about council reorganisation is that we are getting through a lot of cheese. See you on Tuesday.