Clarion Weekend, 7 August 2026

Flying through the air with the greatest of ease... High Fly Trapeze in Florence Park (photo by Roger Close).

Traffic filters latest, a £60,000 utility bill, 40 toilets, 1000 mini-adventures, one horse, 250 hens, and a baby alpaca. All in your twice-a-week roundup of the latest in Oxford and Oxfordshire.

This week’s long reads

As the EHRC Code of Practice comes into force, we’ve compiled a new Oxford toilet guide highlighting unisex/gender-neutral provision. 44 facilities across the city for when you need to go, updated since we originally published thanks to our lovely correspondents. (If the EHRC code of practice is a concern, we would like to signpost this information on Instagram from Not A Phase.)

This week’s top stories

A 65-year-old cyclist has died after a road traffic collision on Iffley Road. A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage of a grey Volkswagen Golf. Thames Valley Police investigator Phil Hanham said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who has sadly died. We recognise the devastating impact this loss will have on those closest to him. Even the smallest piece of information may be vital in establishing exactly what happened.”

The collision happened close to the junction with Donnington Bridge Road, where Oxfordshire Liveable Streets recently commissioned exploratory designs for a safer junction with protected crossings for cycle traffic. Campaign group Cyclox said that Iffley Road was well overdue for a 20mph limit throughout its full length, and called for urgent changes at the junction:

“This junction should prioritise people cycling, or at the very least provide them with the same level of access and convenience as people travelling by motor vehicle. Like many junctions across Oxford, it fails to provide for safer cycling and underscores the need for improved infrastructure.”

Government plans to expand immigration detention at Campsfield – reversing a reform programme that closed four centres and set up successful ‘community-based’ alternatives to detention – have been roundly rejected by the public in a Planning Inspectorate consultation.

Objectors to the proposal include Kidlington Town Council, planning authority Cherwell District Council, Oxford City and Oxfordshire County councils, Oxford Trades Union Council, and local MPs Calum Miller (Bicester & Woodstock) and Layla Moran (Oxford West & Abingdon).

Local residents also objected, as well as Amnesty International UK, the Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees and the local Coalition to Close Campsfield. A former Campsfield detainee, Genjan Lybeshari, reported the psychological and physical torture he received, including activating a water sprinkler system in his room, leaving him drenched under water for hours; isolation of detainees from families and legal representation; and denial of critical medication.

Other objections included pressure on the Green Belt, a perceived lack of evidence for the need for the expansion, conflict with the adopted Local Plan, impact on infrastructure, and most of all, the reported harm caused to detainees by the facility. A recently released independent monitoring report on prisons and immigration detention centres cited specific concerns around Campsfield, for which it said there were less costly and harmful alternatives.

Only two out of 200 submissions, both from individuals, supported the expansion of Campsfield. The Planning Inspectorate will now review the written representations before providing its next steps and a recommendation to the Secretary of State.

Traffic filters will replace the Oxford congestion charge on 28 September, one week after the Botley Road rail bridge reopens. The filters work like the congestion charge, but instead of a £5 fee to pass through the six camera locations without a permit, there is a £35 fine (£70 after 21 days).

The traffic filters, agreed by Oxfordshire County Council back in 2022, have been repeatedly delayed by the Botley Road bridge works. The permit system for the congestion charge continues, with 100 day passes for city dwellers and 25 for Oxfordshire residents. OCC leader Tim Bearder said:

“The traffic filter trial aims to further reduce through-traffic and tackle congestion that has blighted the city for decades. A six-month public consultation will open on 28 September: feedback will help us shape our future plans. We are listening and learning.”

The leadership of the RMT rail union have rejected the latest plans to get trains running from Oxford to Milton Keynes. They say Chiltern Railways’ recruitment of Customer Service Inspectors to carry out guard-like duties is “an abhorrent attempt to undermine the safety-critical role of the guard”.

General secretary Eddie Dempster said: “We need a clear commitment that a second safety-critical member of staff will be guaranteed.” Chiltern’s plans, first reported in the Clarion, envisaged drivers operating doors, with inspectors checking tickets, providing customer care and fixing train faults.

But the train operator, to be nationalised on 20 September, could potentially move ahead without RMT approval if drivers’ union ASLEF was satisfied. Although this could risk a strike among RMT members who staff Chiltern’s trains north of Banbury, there is no guarantee that these guards, whose jobs would not be affected, would vote for industrial action. The Oxford–MK line has been ready for traffic since late 2024.

Horse on Port Meadow (Oxford City Council); Ted’s Crazy Golf (Carl Sukonik - @thevainphotos)

Around the city

Bin it or take it home: Oxford City Council is reminding residents and visitors to the city's open spaces in the current warm weather to dispose of their rubbish, particularly in Port Meadow. In recent years, two cows, including a seven-month-old calf, died after eating plastic bags, balloons and other discarded rubbish. Last week, serious harm from a dumped bag of litter was only averted by the vigilance of the public and quick action of staff. Other grazing cattle and horses have suffered injuries from broken glass, while council and ODS staff have rescued swans that became entangled in litter. Cllr Anna Railton for Oxford City Council said: “Litter is more than just an eyesore. It can seriously harm wildlife, grazing animals and pets, while broken glass and other waste can pose risks to visitors. We're asking everyone to do their part. Quite simply: bin it or take it home.”
Oxford needs homes: A new study will seek to identify “a long-term model to invest in much-needed local infrastructure, improve Oxford’s public realm and support new homes”. The Government is giving £1m to Oxford City Council for the work, centred on the ‘West End’ development area around Botley Road and Osney Mead.
The work follows recommendations in the Oxford Growth Commission’s interim report, published last year. This floated the idea of a Tax Increment Financing scheme, where councils can borrow money for infrastructure projects against the anticipated increase in tax receipts that will result. The City Council is also considering a Business Rates Retention scheme, where they would directly benefit from growth above an expected baseline.
Cllr Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council, called the funding “a strong and welcome vote of confidence in Oxford's future and in the work of the Oxford Growth Commission, which the City Council and universities pushed for in 2024”.
Oxfordshire County Council is to bill a utility company up to £60,000, after it closed an A40 slip road in Marston without permits being approved, causing traffic disruption in nearby villages. Cllr Tim Bearder, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “It’s completely unacceptable that they did this unilaterally and without agreement. The council has taken formal enforcement action and a fixed penalty notice has been issued.” In May, the council’s lane rental scheme came into force – a system which allows it to charge companies up to £2,500 per day for working on the busiest roads at peak traffic times.
Hallowe’en is coming early to the Westgate, with an Americana cult horror themed miniature golf course due to open on August 13th. Ted’s Crazy Golf is following on the success of their London site with a ‘freakish and creepy’ (their words) pair of 9 hole courses, named Bad Bones and Fun House. The co-founder says “we want people to feel like they’ve stepped through a portal into another dimension”, which is indeed what walking through Street Social often feels like. Ted’s will also feature an American style 1980’s diner, with cocktails and classic diner food.
Oxford movie-watchers can plumb new cinematic depths with the launch of a Bad Film Club at the Ultimate Picture Palace. The first screening, next Thursday, will be Blackbird, the 2018 “tribute to the golden age of cinema” by Lord of the Dance star Michael Flatley. The Bad Film Club organisers hope to make it a regular event, if enough masochists prove prepared to sit through 90 minutes of “the fantasy of a teenage boy who’s seen Casablanca and Casino Royale one too many times”. At the time, reviews of Blackbird included “almost as boring as it is hilarious”, “so joyously lacking in self-awareness that it is an absolute riot”, and prophetically, “down the line there will be glorious participation screenings of Michael Flatley’s magnum opus”.
The only way is Ethex: A new partnership between Oxford-based, climate-positive crowdfunding platform Ethex and Triodos Bank UK will see Ethex become the crowdsourced fundraising platform for Triodos' UK investments - Triodos will close its own platform. Between the Cowley Road-based Ethex and the UK arm of the Dutch sustainable bank, the two have raised over £330m for more than 300 impactful projects, including £246m for 264 climate-positive projects.

Franklin the alpaca (via Bishops Court Farm); hen rehoming (via BHWT).

Around the county

2025 saw the lowest level on record of serious and fatal collisions on Oxfordshire roads, according to newly confirmed Government statistics. KSIs (killed/seriously injured) were down by 30% for car and van occupants, and no cyclists or bus passengers were killed during the year.
Oxfordshire County Council leader Tim Bearder said: “This shows the approach we have taken in Oxfordshire is working. We have made a conscious decision as a county to take speed seriously because lower speeds save lives, reduce the severity of injuries, and make our communities safer and healthier.” Council transport chief Cllr Gareth Epps added: “There is more to do, and we need more enforcement. To achieve Vision Zero requires year-on-year work. We are working to tackle issues on particular A and B roads, and will be putting forward more proposals through the year.”
Campaign group, the Coalition for Healthy Streets & Active Travel, welcomed the fall. Co-chair Hannah Kirby said: “One day we'll look back in astonishment that our society considered the current level of injury, death and loss of independence due to road danger as acceptable.”
Bishops Court Farm in Dorchester has announced the birth of Franklin the baby alpaca. He’s apparently "curious, excitable, and loves zooming around the alpaca field!". For more alpaca pictures and videos, visit their Instagram. Or you could just go for coffee there and see Franklin in person…
South Oxfordshire District Council has £270,000 available to support community projects in this year's Councillor Community Grant Scheme, launching 17 August. Previous projects supported include mental health support groups for children, sporting equipment and solar panels for community buildings. Funding comes from each district councillor's fund of £7,500 for community benefits in their ward. Cllr Georgina Heritage said: “With this grant we’re able to directly support organisations in our ward that we see make a difference. We encourage people to get in touch with their councillor early.” Previous winner Ben Drabble, CEO of youth support charity TRAIN, said: “For a lot of our young people, summer can be a really isolating time. The activities funded meant they had something to look forward to and experiences they'll remember. We're enormously grateful to our local councillors for their support.”
Bicester Community Support Service is fundraising to open a cafe at their Launton Road site, where people supported by Adult Social Care can work serving lunches, snacks, and drinks. The cafe will create a “real-life work environment”, allowing service users to build confidence. The appeal hopes to raise £2,000, which will go towards equipment, training, and licensing for the fully inclusive cafe. The centre strives to help those with significant disabilities, including dementia, live independent and fulfilling lives.
Construction work on Banbury's Cherwell Street bus service improvement project is complete. Changes aim to improve bus travel by alleviating congestion, as well as make it easier for people to walk to bus stops, shops, businesses and the rail station. Cllr Gareth Epps, Oxfordshire County Council: “I’m delighted this work is complete on time and I thank residents for their patience. These works are an important part of our commitment to creating a transport network that is safer, more reliable and supports sustainable travel across Oxfordshire.”

Artist's impression of the new Thames bridge.

The third and final contractor has been appointed for the HIF1 relief road from Didcot towards Clifton Hampden. Eccentrically capitalised construction firm GRAHAM will build the Didcot to Culham section, including a new bridge – the 139th – over the Thames. This section comprises a two-mile road from Didcot to the A415 at Culham with a segregated cycleway and footpath along its full length. The cost of the full HIF1 scheme was estimated at £332m in 2024. For Oxfordshire County Council, Cllr Liz Leffman said: “The Didcot to Culham river crossing will significantly reduce congestion in the area, provide a safe route for walkers and cyclists, and help relieve the congestion at the historic river crossings through Sutton Courtenay and Culham.”
And to build all these new roads… A new state-of-the-art asphalt plant has opened in Yarnton. The plant was originally established to provide a dedicated supply of asphalt for work on the M40 between Junctions 8 and 15, but has expanded to serve Oxfordshire and surrounding counties' road building and maintenance needs. Chris Marchesi, technical manager at Associated Asphalt, said the plant will “provide a platform for future innovation, allowing us to continue developing lower-carbon approaches”.

The extra waste discovered near Kidlington.

An extra layer of buried waste, up to 2m deep and 10m wide, has been discovered at the illegal Kidlington fly-tip hidden by a thick layer of soil. The Environment Agency made the unexpected discovery while removing the stone base of their temporary work compound. The EA says all the waste will be removed over the coming weeks, using a mechanical digger plus hand excavations at the site perimeter to avoid damaging tree roots. Oxfordshire County Council is advising on reinstating the footpath across the site, and National Highways on tree safety issues.
Didcot's Cornerstone Arts Centre is to install 56 solar panels and four air source heat pumps, removing the old gas boilers – an estimated saving of 55 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. The work is expected to be complete by the end of the year. The project has been funded by the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) aka developer funds, as well as from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, plus the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. Cllr Pieter-Paul Barker, for SODC, said: “Reducing carbon emissions in this way will help tackle climate change, which has been clearly embodied by this long hot summer. The use of renewable energy at the centre will make it cheaper to run and less vulnerable to sudden rises in energy costs.”
190 homes are proposed for the West Oxfordshire village of Bampton, off Mount Owen Road. Anwyl Homes say the development would have “extensive public open space” with a footpath/cycleway green corridor through the site. An outline application is with West Oxfordshire District Council.
Recycling freeze: A national crisis in recycling capacity has prompted Oxfordshire’s household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) to only accept fridges and freezers from Oxfordshire residents. The HWRC booking system has been adjusted so that non-Oxfordshire customers can no longer select fridges or freezers when making a booking, and customers with existing bookings will also be contacted to advise them of the temporary restriction. (The Clarion has used the HWRC booking system and doesn't know what the fuss on social media is about. Load car/bike. Book. Turn up?)
GWP GP ASAP?: The long-running saga of attempts to open a new GP surgery at Didcot's Great Western Park, over 10 years after the estate was built, has taken a baby step forward as a developer has been appointed, and a project group created. Local MP Olly Glover said: “It is hugely frustrating that residents in Great Western Park are still waiting for the GP surgery that was promised years ago. This is a welcome step forward, but there is a lot of catching up to do. I am in regular contact with the Integrated Care Board and will continue to push them, and the government, to ensure that the momentum behind the project continues.”
Have you got the heart to save a hen? The British Hen Welfare Trust is looking for homes for 250 ex free-range laying hens, and is holding an urgent rehoming event in Didcot, on Sunday August 16th. Register by 2pm Friday August 14th. Jon Joy, a BHWT volunteer said: “People can worry about the unknowns of keeping hens, but they are friendly, inquisitive and surprisingly low-maintenance. We should have got hens years earlier. Each one has a completely different personality, and you quickly realise what wonderful pets they make.” (If you do adopt some of these hens, please do send us a picture. We love a happy hen.)

Walking, cycling and boating

A new transport plan for the Kidlington area envisages safe cycling routes to villages including Islip, Bletchingdon, Yarnton, and Bladon; a new railway station at Begbroke; and upgrading the Oxford Canal towpath to be usable for cyclists and wheelchair users. The plan dovetails with a study recently commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council to improve cycling and walking facilities on the A4165 road between Cutteslowe and Kidlington, where cyclist Ellen Moilanen died in a road traffic collision at the Oxford Parkway junction in 2022. Other proposals in the Kidlington Movement & Place Plan include a cycle route from Peartree to Oxford Parkway, a cycle bridge over the canal south of Kidlington, and a link to new housing at Water Eaton. The plan is out for consultation until 14 September.
The Oxford Canal is being closed to through navigation because of low water levels. Between Claydon (north of Banbury) and Aynho, all locks are being closed to passage from 3pm today until water levels recover – something the Canal & River Trust says will require “sustained rainfall over a number of weeks”. The Trust states the closure is necessary “to protect our increasingly limited water supplies, safeguard the canal's infrastructure and ecology and give the navigation the best opportunity to recover”. It hopes to provide a one-day window for emergency boat movement next Wednesday.
Most Thames locks both above and below Oxford are also now subject to restrictions, with passage at half-hourly intervals aiming to group boats together to reduce water usage. The locks are closed overnight.
A new footpath is under construction in Newland, Witney. The path will provide all-weather access for pupils walking and cycling to Wood Green School, and is being built as part of the expansion of the school.
1,000 mini-adventures on the Thames Path are promised by a new book published this month, including mudlarking, packrafting, paddling and going to the pub “along England’s only river-based National Trail”. (Though maybe not for long – Labour’s winning 2024 manifesto promised nine new National River Walks, a promise which seems to be slowly creaking into action.)

This weekend

North Leigh Roman Villa (free), Sat/Sun. The mosaic floor will be uncovered for visitors this weekend (and again in a fortnight's time if you miss it).
Come and Sing Evensong (free), Sat, St Andrew’s (East Hagbourne). Rehearsals from 3pm for favourites including Stanford in B flat. A two-mile walk/cycle from Didcot Parkway.
Cogges Summer Festival (£), Sat, Cogges Manor Farm (Witney). Bars, barns, and barbecues, with live music including Oli from Stornoway, Dolly 'no Vance' Mavies, and Emma Hunter.
Wheatley Windmill, Sun, Windmill Lane. Take a look inside the mill (free) then take home a bag of flour (£). Sails will turn 'weather permitting'. Plus the Oxford Ukuleles Big Band!
The Great Antique & Vintage Car Boot Fair (£), Sun, Stonor Park (Henley). 150 sellers plus gourmet burgers.
Now That's What I Call Madrigals! (£), Sun, University Parks. The Oxford University ensemble sing by the Cherwell. Bring your own seating.

This week

Partial solar eclipse (free), Wed, 6-8 p.m. Find your favourite spot for watching the sunset – in the city, try South Park or Port Meadow – but never look directly at the Sun! The Perseid meteor shower peaks overnight, too.
Tale of Twin Cities (free), Wed, Florence Park Community Centre. All about Oxford's twin towns, from Bonn to Wrocław.
Play Spaces at the Museum (free), Fri, University Museum. Drop in for sensory play on the lawn.

Oxfordshire’s independent media

Bitten Oxford has a brace of staggeringly posh reviews: Canteen “for the Chipping Norton set”, and the Feathered Nest in Nether Westcote with an eight-course tasting menu. We’re in the wrong job (not that the Clarion is a job, but hey).
Little Oxplorers has an August round-up of things to do (and ICYMI, here is their Summer Family Guide).
Abandoned Echoes visits Carmel College, near Wallingford, once one of the UK's most prestigious Jewish boarding schools, now left to nature after it closed in 1997.
Headington News publishes photos from when there was a working farm at the top of Divinity Road.
The Witney Gitzette says residents who have proudly spent their entire lives within a three-mile radius of Marriotts Walk have admitted the town's long-awaited new slip road has left them “emotionally compromised” after discovering it is now possible to leave Witney in under a minute. (For the avoidance of doubt, it's a parody.)
Cherwell calls summer schools “strange, distorted echoes of Oxford life”.

Independent Oxford

While we leave most food reporting to people like Bitten Oxford, we can’t resist a bit of noodle news. A follower sent us this report about a newly opened cafe in Gloucester Green, still on its soft opening:

“Xi'an Big Bowl is on the north-west corner of the square, between Shin Japanese Kitchen and Mr Wang's Hot Pot. Proper biang-biang style hand-pulled noodles. There was a small serving hatch at the back of the room, and the chef prepared the noodles at the hatch, so we could see the hand-pulling as it happened. We've not found noodles like this and are really glad these folks have opened up. I recognise that noodle news might not have the broad appeal of cheese news, but we were so excited that we wanted to share.”

Notes from Clarion HQ

We tend not to spend too much time in the comments sections, because, well, you’d go mad. But this week, The Algorithm served us up a slice of ‘Spotted: Witney’, and it turns out that this (shall we say) not easily impressed group actually likes the new Shores Green slip roads. “The lack of traffic clogging Bridge Street is brilliant.” “7 mins to get to my son’s house vs 25 mins going through town. Thank you OCC.” “Game changer.” “It’s great!”

The careworn transport experts on Team Clarion will (quite rightly) point out the phenomenon of induced demand; £25m is a lot for a few hundred metres of road; and we don’t expect this to stop the moaning about Witney High Street going car-light about 30 years after every other high street did so. But let’s at least note this outbreak of “council makes the Facebook comments section happy”. Build some cycleways and you’ll make the Clarion happy too. Build an Oxford tram and our joy will be unconfined. Have a great weekend.