Clarion Weekly, 1 November 2024

They call him Ernie... (Oxford City Council)

This week’s top stories

The headlines this week were dominated by Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ first budget, and Oxfordshire is no exception. In a special report, we looked at the implications for our city and county – taking in flooding, Airbnbs, Botley West Solar Farm, independent schools, and much more. All this and more here:

(Spoiler: we think Cambridge may have come out on top this time…)

Around the city

Gasworks Pipe Bridge (Oxford Clarion), Ernie (Oxford City Council)

The Gasworks Pipe Bridge in Oxford remains closed. Further delay has been announced due to technical challenges over approving the bridge jacking design. While approval in principle has now been given, no timeline has been given for re-opening.
‘Ernie’, a repurposed 1973 electric milk float, is being used by the City Council’s works arm ODS to deep clean the city centre and remove chewing gum from pavements and street furniture in Oxford city. Educational materials have been distributed to encourage proper gum disposal. The gum removal process is time and labour intensive. In the worst affected areas, it took as long as 30 minutes to clean just 1.5msq. The cleanup was made possible by a £26,500 grant from the Chewing Gum Task Force, administered by Keep Britain Tidy. Cllr Alex Hollingsworth, Cabinet member for Business, Culture and an Inclusive Economy, said: "I’m pleased to see our city centre streets gum-free thanks to the hard work of ODS. I hope the clean streets and new disposal guidance will inspire people to keep the streets tidy by properly disposing of their gum in future."
A choir will serenade Howden, the insurance company, in Oxford's High Street to protest against fossil fuel investments on 2 November at 11am. The action is in support of the 'Insure Our Survival' campaign efforts across the UK. This global campaign aims to deter insurance companies from insuring fossil fuel corporation investments which help undermine the climate. Of all the insurance companies contacted about this campaign, say the organisers, Howden is the only one in the UK which has not replied. Hazel Dawe, of the Oxford Climate Choir, and former banker, said: “We need investment which addresses the ecological emergencies of our planet. Insurance companies can play a major role in reducing support for activities which are undermining the future of our planet."
Oxfordshire County Council’s relocation from County Hall to Speedwell House, on St Aldates, has moved a step closer following the appointment of contractors to design and build the new HQ. OCC says the move will “help transform this part of the city”
Modern Art Oxford on Pembroke Street is set to re-open on 2nd November, after a five-month, £2m revamp funded by Arts Council England and others. The renovated venue now incorporates a new gallery “celebrating Oxford’s creative community”. The new ground-floor space will feature the works of local artists and groups, including works by graduates from The Ruskin School of Art and Oxford Brookes. The inaugural show is dedicated to the late Cuban artist Belkis Ayón, comprising 50 works focusing on the Afro-Cuban religious group known as the Abakuá, which were made using a printing process called collography.
The Museum of Oxford is commemorating the 90th anniversary of three pivotal events in the city's history with a trilogy of plays. The performances bring to life Oxford’s working-class struggles during a turbulent year in 1934. The first play in the trilogy, The Cutteslowe Walls, recounts how a working-class community in North Oxford was separated from a nearby private estate by 9ft-high walls – which became known as “snob walls”. (Our long read on the Cutteslowe Walls is here.) The second play, Oxford’s Inferno, recounts the 1934 strike at the Pressed Steel factory in Cowley, which produced car bodies for the Morris car works. Workers walked out in protest against poor pay and harsh working conditions. The final part of the trilogy, Little Edens, focuses on the Florence Park Rent Strike. In September 1934, tenants of the Florence Park estate withheld rent in protest at poor living conditions. The strike highlighted tough conditions faced by many working-class families in Oxford. Tickets are available from the Museum of Oxford or Eventbrite. Cllr Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member for Culture said: "These stories show how working-class communities in Oxford shaped the city’s identity. It’s great that they can be shared with audiences at the Museum of Oxford."
A battery energy storage system is proposed for the Cowley Substation, at Oxford’s southern tip by Grenoble Road. BESS installations store excess energy and release it at times of peak demand, balancing the uneven output of wind or solar energy. The applicants are specialist firm Penso Power. The Cowley batteries would have capacity of 200MW, joining a 49MW installation already on site. Penso say the contribution to renewable energy comprises “very special circumstances” that would outweigh the Green Belt location. Plans are now with South Oxfordshire District Council for consideration.
Continuing with the ‘Worth Travelling For’ Campaign, residents of Oxford's Magdalen Road this week highlight “party maestro” Dave Seamer, a family-run disco and karaoke shop trading on the street for over 35 years. If you're reading this on Friday lunchtime, there's enough time to book UV lights and fog machines for your Halloween party, or a snow machine for your Christmas do...

Around the county

Another 150 houses have been approved for the 4,250-home Valley Park development in Didcot. The estate will be a “no gas site” with air source heat pumps, EV charging points, solar panels and cycle storage. Vale of White Horse District Council signed off the plans by developers Charles Church last week.
A by-election is expected for the Cholsey ward of South Oxfordshire District Council following the resignation of incumbent Ben Manning. Both seats in the two-member ward were won by the LibDems in 2023, taking one from the Conservatives.
A new tool introduced by Oxfordshire County Council aims to help schools diagnose and support children with special educational needs. The ‘SEND Indicators Tool’ provides a detailed breakdown of different areas of development and how they evolve over time.

University and research

Online voting has been underway for Oxford University's Chancellor this week. This week, the first phase of voting seeks to reduce the candidates to a shortlist of five, after which a second round of voting will be held. Our long read on the candidates and the process is here.
A groundbreaking study from the University of Oxford has discovered that more social animal species tend to live longer and enjoy longer reproductive periods than their solitary counterparts. The research examined 152 species from jellyfish to humans. The study revealed that while social species benefit from shared resources, better predator protection, and support in raising offspring, they also face increased risks of disease transmission and social conflicts. Despite these tradeoffs, the research showed that the overall benefits of sociality outweighed the costs. The researchers found resonance in a post pandemic world. Prof Salguero-Gomez of the University of Oxford commented: “In a post-COVID era, where the impacts of isolation have been quite tangible to humans, the research demonstrates that, across a comparative lens, being more social is associated with some tangible benefits.”
Researchers from the departments of Chemistry and Pharmacology have developed a miniature, soft lithium-ion battery constructed from biocompatible hydrogel, for use in “minimally invasive biomedical devices”. The development of tiny smart biomedical devices requires tiny power sources. For minimally invasive devices these must be made from soft materials and have high capacity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, triggerable activation, and the ability to be controlled remotely. Professor Hagan Bayley said: “The tiny soft lithium-ion battery points to a fantastic future for biocompatible electronic devices.” The team have filed a patent application and believe the battery opens up new possibilities for small-scale robots with clinical bioapplications.
Online newspaper Financial News recommends studying economics at Oxford University to get ahead in the field of wealth management. Analysing the most influential leaders in the field, it found the most leaders had studied at Oxford.

Trains and buses

The long delayed switch-on of Stagecoach’s Oxford charging station (“Network Oxford”) has finally taken place, enabling the new electric fleet to start rolling out. All but eight of their 55 electric buses have now been delivered to Oxfordshire.
Oxford Tube timetables are changing from 2 December. The recently introduced High Wycombe stop will be dropped, and Witney/Carterton journeys are reduced to two per day in each direction. A new daily service runs from London to Bicester Village, timed to give 4 hours’ shopping.
East West Rail was in the news again after mentions in the Budget (see our long read). Subsequently the builders have announced their plan for “discontinuous electrification”, where battery-powered trains would be charged up at several separate sections of overhead line along the route. A consultation on the next stages, principally the new line from Bedford to Cambridge and station rationalisation between Bletchley and Bedford, will begin on 14 November.

Walking and cycling

An HGV warning system which lights up the blind spot beside turning vehicles will be one of the technologies on show at Oxford’s annual Vision Zero road safety event, which will take place in Broad Street next Monday (4 November). The FHOSS Cycle Lane system automatically lights up when left-turn indicators are engaged. The event also features free reflectors, bike lights, seat covers and puncture repair kits; Thames Valley Police will be offering bike registration and free D-locks. Vision Zero aims to reduce road deaths to zero regardless of how people travel. Data from Oxfordshire’s Coalition for Healthy Streets & Active Travel indicates car drivers are responsible for the greatest number of deaths and serious injuries in Oxford while pedal cyclists are the most likely to be killed or seriously injured. (A lively set of replies to our Twitter thread debated responsibility on the roads.)
Bike repair stations are being installed across Didcot, each with a pump, bike stand, and a set of tools. The first is located outside the Didcot Wave swimming pool, to be followed by Cornerstone and the Great Western Park community centre.

Oxfordshire politics

The week was all about the budget – pre, during and post. Our long read on how it affects Oxfordshire is here. Gaza and UNWRA also, rightly, dominated the headlines – a particular concern for Anneliese Dodds as Minister of State for Development, for Calum Miller as the Liberal Democrats’ Foreign Affairs spokesperson, and for Layla Moran as the only MP with Palestinian heritage.

This was the week new Select Committees and All-Party Parliamentary Groups were announced, with MPs across Oxfordshire leaning in to their specialist subjects. Didcot & Wantage MP Olly Glover has been elected to the Commons Transport Select Committee: he said “I am a strong advocate for affordable bus services and I am concerned about the impact of the government’s plan to raise the £2 bus fare cap. It's important we have meaningful, well-planned support for walking & cycling for both people & the environment.” Henley & Thame’s Freddie van Mierlo has become an officer of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Babies: he said he was “enthused to get to work advocating for the health and wellbeing of babies, and an excellent start in life”.

Witney’s Charlie Maynard is on the Commons Business & Trade Select Committee. He said “At the top of my list is repairing our relationship with Europe, which is half of our imports and exports.” Oxford West & Abingdon’s Layla Moran, meanwhile, spoke to Hansard about her new role as chair of the Health & Social Care Committee.

New Parliament, new Select Committees and new APPGs. Spot the Oxfordshire MP...

In our weekly roundups, we focus on our MPs’ activities in city and county, culled from the press releases they send us, social media, parliamentary reporting and more. Behind every MP is (or should be) a team of caseworkers working on constituent matters that don't hit the headlines. Some of Oxfordshire’s new MPs are still recruiting their teams while others are already firing on all cylinders, so press coverage is inevitably a little uneven right now. But to all of them we say – we want to hear from you!

Banbury's Sean Woodcock has been out on the doorsteps in Chipping Norton, holding surgeries, and visiting Bloxham Primary School. In the runup to the Budget he was on Banbury FM, welcoming the announcement of funding for road repairs.
Oxford East's Anneliese Dodds highlighted last month’s walk along the Cowley Branch Line, currently freight-only but proposed for reopening to passenger trains to Littlemore and Blackbird Leys. She continues to be a key part of the UK Government’s response to the situation in Gaza and Lebanon.
Oxfordshire’s five LibDem MPs are increasingly working as a team, writing to the Chancellor urging her to prioritise local government in the Budget, and to the Transport Secretary to address driving test shortages across the county. They say Oxfordshire learner drivers are “being forced to travel as far as Manchester or Scotland for driving tests due to a lack of availability”. It wouldn’t be a Clarion roundup without some mention of sewage, and true to form, Olly Glover, Calum Miller and Charlie Maynard attended a meeting with water regulator Ofwat to ask “how water companies have been able to hand over huge bonuses and dividends while failing to stop sewage dumping in our waterways”.
Oxford West & Abingdon's Layla Moran visited Abingdon Distillery to highlight spirits producers ahead of the upcoming budget, and spoke out in support of the performing arts as a patron of Oxford Opera. She visited the Warneford Hospital to discuss the importance of specialist mental health care, and met with Host Abingdon who arrange refugee accommodation in people’s homes. Finally, her cat Murphy is standing for Purr Minister at Battersea Cats & Dogs Home. Murphy pledges “a triple lock on catnip, reinstating winter fur payments and removing the two-kitten benefit cap”. Online voting here.
Bicester & Woodstock MP Calum Miller spoke out about the need to keep Bicester’s London Road level crossing open, given the increase in rail traffic which East West Rail will bring. He also met with local campaigners on clean water while expressing concern about a Thames Water bailout.
Didcot & Wantage MP Olly Glover appeared on Times Radio in a “competition to try and convince you they have the most interesting constituency”. (Host Ed Vaizey was Wantage’s MP until 2019, so may not be entirely neutral.) If you, too, believe Didcot & Wantage is the finest place on God’s good earth, he is recruiting caseworkers. Reacting to the Budget, he highlighted the impact of the bus fare cap rise on his rural constituency, saying it “will impact upon our rural communities and most vulnerable bus users”.
Witney's Charlie Maynard visited the Witney Chamber of Commerce to talk about the High Street and the visitor economy. He is asking his constituents to attend a public discussion in the town on the challenging subject of assisted dying. Finally, he visited Open Doors, a Witney-based charity that provides support to persecuted Christians worldwide.
Henley & Thame’s Freddie van Mierlo highlighted Budget measures that would have the biggest impact on his constituency, particularly agricultural property relief and funding for the Royal Berkshire Hospital – across the county boundary in Reading, but a mainstay of many in southern Oxfordshire. LibDems love their Focus leaflets but we think the focus setting on his camera might need some work.

This weekend

The Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock has a Family Open Day on Saturday to commemmorate 110 years since the outbreak of the First World War.
The annual Round Table Fireworks Display is at South Park on Saturday. Gates open at 4.30pm, fireworks start at 7.15pm, and you can buy tickets online.
Saturday is also All Souls’ Day and the two great French Requiems will be sung at 6pm – Fauré’s Requiem at Magdalen, Duruflé’s at Christ Church. (The Fauré is the best known but we love the Duruflé.) As always, the services are free but turn up in good time: the porters will point you to the chapel/cathedral.

Dates for your diary

Festive Fiesta at Abingdon Royal British Legion Club. Music, dancing, and spreading holiday cheer in aid of Be Free YC, supporting young carers in Oxfordshire. 29 November, 6.30pm.
Diwali Glow, 16 November 5-8pm. Leiden Square/Osney Lane. Celebrate Diwali as part of Oxford's Christmas Light Festival. Interactive activities for the whole family, starting with a diya procession from Leiden Square, moving to Bollywood karaoke, dancing and food. All welcome.
A new exhibition will celebrate the centenary of Brown's Café in Oxford's Covered Market. At the Westgate Library from 19 November until 21 December. Free entry.
Caper Bookshop on Magdalen Road has shared some events that may be of interest to Clarion readers: Mutual Aid, Everyday Anarchism: A celebration of the work of Colin Ward, 4 November at 7.30pm; and Book Club Art Session: Man With a Blue Scarf (“Part book club, part art appreciation, part art class”). 6 November at 7.30pm.

Across Oxford’s independent media

George Townsend’s blog has a history of river swimming in Oxford.
The Oxford Sausage finds out about the work of local sculptor Oscar Nemon.
Ox in a Box eats at the new Dishoom on New Inn Hall Street.
Cherwell continues to profile candidates for the Chancellor election, including Margaret Casely-Hayford.
The Oxford Student writes on navigating Oxford as an introvert.
Daily Info talks to the people behind queer-friendly open mic night Hot Rats.

Notes from Clarion HQ

It’s half term and most of our writers have been up to their necks in childcare, carving pumpkins and the like. We took the opportunity to try out some of these traffic free rides to shake off the cobwebs. But when the kids were asleep we did start to pen some cracking long reads. Watch this space…