Clarion Weekly, 18 July 2025

There is a certain serendipity in publishing a series of long reads on a mega reservoir in the same week Thames Water announces a hosepipe ban. Whatever your views, we were delighted to get people talking: if you missed them, read on. We also have the latest on the congestion charge, an interesting boring machine under Botley Road, and a new Mayoral Bicycle. But nothing about speeding actresses. And if it's your first week – welcome! We're glad you're here.

This week’s top stories

Thames Water has announced a hosepipe ban to all OX postcodes, starting on 22 July. Exemptions include watering domestic food crops (if it cannot be reasonably done by a watering can), fishponds, and motorhome water tanks. They say Farmoor Reservoir, which supplies Oxfordshire, is below average level at 94% – and that both it, and the Thames, which supplies it, are drying up due to the recent hot weather.

This week Cllr Andy Cooke, the Vale of White Horse’s water champion, set out his views on the proposed Abingdon Reservoir in a three-part deep dive for the Clarion. Whether you’re for the reservoir, against, or just undecided, we hope the issues raised will give pause for thought – and indeed we’ve been delighted to see some serious arguments, both for and against, on social media as a result (70+ comments on Reddit alone!). Featuring the Jaws of Death, leaky pipes, and a reservoir “heavier than the weight of Swindon”, read it here: part 1, part 2 and part 3.

Filled out any consultations lately? Or just curious how councils ask for feedback – and how they assess it? In a short read, we looked at what is (and isn't) consulted on, how consultations are advertised, and what difference your input makes.

Around the city

• Decision time is approaching for Oxford United’s new stadium. With the planning application due to be assessed at a meeting of Cherwell District Council’s planning committee on 31 July, we’re expecting the officers’ recommendation to be published one week from now, on or just after 24 July. Right now there’s a ‘phoney war’ being waged through press releases – on ancient woodland, hotels, sewage capacity, and more – but with the real decision imminent, we’ll spare you those for now.
• Oxford’s superstar children’s singer Nick Cope opened the Rusty Bicycle Street Party on Hurst Street. Refusing an apparent audience request for Kneecap, he had the crowd singing and dancing to preschool favourites ‘Under a Rainbow’ and ‘I’m a Little Lizard’. The party continued with Hot Sauce, Papa Nui and Shock Horror.
• A coalition of trade unions and climate groups is calling for a maximum indoor workplace temperature of 30 °C and a heatwave furlough scheme. In Oxford, Extinction Rebellion supporters staged a 'die-in' on Cornmarket beneath shrouds branded with the names of high emitting companies.
• The Vaults & Garden cafe says “legal costs have escalated dramatically” in its fight to stay put in the face of an eviction attempt by its landlord, the University Church. The cafe has launched an appeal for £100,000 towards its legal bills. Cafe founder Will Pouget says their case rests on a “statutory tenancy resulting from our 20 years of occupation and substantial investment in the premises”. A High Court trial is scheduled to begin at the end of October. The online appeal is here. Pouget says: “Our opponent is a wealthy charity with assets of more than £2 million and income of more than £700,000 a year. We are a very small business by comparison and I have tried to settle this dispute without success despite my best efforts to seek mediation.”

Around the county

• Applications have opened for 500 subsidised pavement charging channels for electric vehicles, for households without off-street parking. Oxfordshire County Council says the programme is “the largest of its kind in the UK”. (Fair to say that Clarion readers on social media had mixed views on this one.)
• Leaving items out on the street as “free to take” is still fly-tipping, Cherwell District Council has warned. It has asked residents to use services like Freegle or Freecycle or the council’s own recycling collection instead. Cllr Ian Middleton said: “People leaving items such as furniture out as ‘free to take’ often do so with good intentions, but if they are left blocking footpaths, they are not only an eyesore but present a nuisance to more vulnerable residents, such as wheelchair users or carers with pushchairs.” Council services include supersized wheelie bins and a partnership with a doorstep collections company. (A mixed reception to this one too!)
• Reading Borough Council has weighed in on southern Oxfordshire councils’ Ridgeway Council plan, asking for parts of “greater Reading” to be transferred out of West Berkshire. The Ridgeway plan would see Vale of White Horse, South Oxon and West Berkshire become one council, but Reading says “moving parts of the greater Reading urban area into a mainly rural ‘Ridgeway’ council is at odds with Government criteria for local government reorganisation”, and suggests that Calcot, Tilehurst, Theale, Pangbourne and Purley should become part of Reading – which in turn would make it tougher for Ridgeway Council to meet the 500,000 Government target. Reading’s letter to Government will ask it to “modify any proposed new authority… by seeking… a revised boundary between Reading and West Berkshire”.

• The Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock is seeking to acquire a Bronze Age hoard discovered near Henley by a metal detector in 2020. The museum’s Friends group has launched an appeal for £10,500 to purchase the hoard, which includes a horse brooch that is more than 2000 years old. Anyone donating over £20 will be invited to a private viewing of the hoard.
• A sourdough loaf made from wheat from Cotswold farm Bruern is now available at Gail's bakeries across the country. Using heritage grains, and milled on the site near Chipping Norton, the loaf features emmer, wholemeal spelt and rye flours, and retails for £7. Bruern is a mixed arable and pasture farm, following regenerative farming techniques, including min-till soil conservation, livestock integration and cover cropping. It also has a farm shop and cafe and offers accommodation in a converted silo.
• West Oxfordshire District Council announced a new climate change strategy to reach Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050. Cllr Andrew Prosser, Executive Member for Climate Action, said the aim was “a more climate-resilient, nature-rich district where communities are better protected from extreme weather, and economic losses reduced”. Key features include annual monitoring and reporting, cross-sector collaboration and partnerships, improved air and water quality, upskilling of the local workforce, and enhanced green spaces.
• Thames Valley Police reported the tragic death of a 23-year old man who entered the River Thames at Buscot Lock near Faringdon and got into difficulty. They have asked that the family’s privacy is respected at this time.
• And finally… we have a ‘No Clarkson’ rule at the Clarion, but our flabber was duly gasted by meal-kit company Hello Fresh anointing Diddly Squat Farm Shop the best in the UK based on “reviews, social media, and” (wait for it) “value”. We’re just going to drop our Hunter S Thompson-style long read on Diddly Squat (our first ever!) here…

Oxfordshire politics

• Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey visited Carterton on Friday with Witney MP Charlie Maynard and local councillors, enjoying a photo opportunity with the Carterton Wigglers walking netball group. Davey was in Oxfordshire to highlight the party’s proposals for reforming special needs education (SEND). The LibDems are calling for “building more specialist schools”, imposing a profit cap on private SEND provision (where “many private equity backed companies are active”), early identification and shorter waiting lists.
• Green councillors in Vale of White Horse have called on local MPs & government ministers to scrap part of the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill. They say the plans will reduce the power of local councils and councillors to act on behalf of their communities, and will “fail to deliver the affordable housing we need whilst also reversing progress on environmental protections”. Cllr Sarah James, leader of the Vale Green group, said: “We need to address the housing crisis. We also need to meet the UK’s future energy needs and help our natural environment. We believe these can be delivered while protecting local decision making and the environment.”

In our weekly roundup of our elected representatives’ doings:

• Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber joined Didcot and Wantage MP Olly Glover and TVP Roads Policing on Sunday on a collaborative operation aimed at tackling growing community concerns and increased reports of dangerous motorbike use on the A4074 from Oxford to Reading. Across a period of three hours, 20 speeding tickets were issued. Also this week, Barber hit out at Oxfordshire County Council's plans, under consultation, to make changes to recycling centres, saying that reducing opening hours and banning business vehicles will increase fly-tipping. (The consultation can be found here.) Finally, he launched a new education strategy to reduce the risk of children being affected by crime, saying a survey showed schools valued police speakers at assemblies and would like more information on crime and trends. A new resource hub will host links to local crime data, awareness campaigns, and contact details for TVP Schools Officers & Neighbourhood Police.
• Witney MP Charlie Maynard spoke to That's TV (video) about the challenges of SEND schools in Oxfordshire. In baking heat he judged the Witney Carnival parade.
• Henley & Thame MP Freddie van Mierlo complained in Parliament about sharply increasing nursery fees, and challenged the government's decision not to exempt nursery providers from the employer National Insurance hike. He wrote an article in Parliament News about health services not meeting the needs of residents with ADHD.
• Didcot & Wantage MP Olly Glover also spoke to That's TV (video) about his first year and what more he hoped to achieve.
• Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds was out on the doors in Blackbird Leys. She spoke up in Parliament to advocate for urgent reform to the SEND system, started a petition to keep a Post Office in Headington, and most significantly, had Labour's Environment Secretary Steve Reed record a video for the people of Oxford East setting out what action he was taking on Thames Water.
• Banbury MP Sean Woodcock shared this roundup of his week, which saw him visit a coffee morning in Chipping Norton and on the doors in Grimsbury after a surgery. Labour's Environment Secretary Steve Reed also recorded a message for Banbury constituents. (It does look remarkably like the one for Oxford East mentioned above, but who can blame them? It’s all the Thames or its tributaries anyway...)
• Bicester & Woodstock MP Calum Miller has secured a meeting with the Energy Minister to address barriers to businesses installing rooftop solar. He told MPs: “In my constituency Tritax Big Box want to put solar panels on all the roof area of their new buildings, but can only get a permit for 25%". Responding, the Minister described the proposal as a “fantastic opportunity” confirming he would discuss how to remove the barriers facing businesses like Tritax. Miller also flagged up his upcoming open events in Bicester (19 July) and Eynsham (26 July).

University and research

• Oxford University Press will no longer publish a scientific journal sponsored by the Chinese government after concerns that papers based on DNA samples from the Uyghur minority may have been collected without consent. Forensic Sciences Research will be transferred to Dutch publishing giant Elsevier. Its editors claim the decision is “guided largely by economic and structural considerations, but also by a firm belief in the promise that lies ahead. Starting next year, Forensic Sciences Research will be published by KeAi, Elsevier’s distinguished co-publishing partner in China.”
• An anonymous donor has given £6.25m to each of Oxford and Cambridge universities to support disadvantaged school students with an aptitude for science. Programmes will include GCSE maths mentoring and study skills for first-year undergraduates.
• Oxford Brookes University has been awarded funding for a major study to tackle barriers to creating healthier places – covering architecture, heritage, health, and life enrichment. Dr Emma Rowden said: “Our built environment has a profound impact on health. This exciting collaboration will empower arts and humanities-led researchers to tackle the systemic issues stopping us from routinely building healthier, more inclusive, and sustainable environments.”
• Oxford University and Banbury-based Fortescue Zero will lead research into batteries for industrial and heavy transport applications as one of 23 recipients of £97m Prosperity Partnership funding. The funding comes from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, industry, and academic partners. The project will use AI, new materials, and smart management systems to improve the performance of batteries in demanding applications. The batteries will be tested in Fortescue’s metal mining operations. Fortescue Zero was formerly Williams Advanced Engineering, which Australian mining firm Fortescue acquired in 2022.

Trains and buses

• A tunnel-boring machine has been deployed in the latest phase of the Botley Road bridge works. The ‘TBM’ was used this week to dig a new route for the diverted sewer system; it is set to be lifted out again this evening (Friday). Network Rail says it is on track for the next milestone, opening the walkway/cycleway on the station side of the road, by the end of August. Currently it is installing the foundations for the supporting concrete structure.
• A new railway to Witney and Carterton would be economically viable with a benefit/cost ratio (BCR) of over 2, according to a new study commissioned by West Oxfordshire District Council. The BCR would depend on the route chosen, with a construction cost of £600m or more; the biggest benefit would be from ‘Land Value Uplift’ from development along the line. All six routes include a new viaduct through Witney, a major part of the cost. Stations would be built at Eynsham, Witney, Carterton North and Carterton West. The line would be single track with passing loops. The full report can be read here.

• A rally in Bicester to “Keep London Road Open”, the campaign spearheaded by local MP Calum Miller, saw a big turnout with banners proclaiming “Rail Will Tear Us Apart” and featuring an unhappy Thomas the Tank Engine. East West Rail is proposing changes to the crossing, likely to include closure to motor traffic, when increased train services make the current level crossing unviable.
• City Sightseeing Oxford has been named World's Best Open Top Tour Operator, seeing off global competition from more than 100 operators from cities including London, Edinburgh, Toronto, Madrid, Dubai, and New Orleans. As part of Oxford Bus Company (OBC), City Sightseeing’s Oxford fleet was part of the electric bus orders that have seen the city’s buses transformed to silent, exhaust-free operation. OBC managing director Luke Marion said: “I’m incredibly proud of this achievement and thank all my colleagues who deliver world-class tours of the city – a key part of Oxford’s visitor economy.”
• A new series of bus maps for Oxfordshire and its towns has been published, all downloadable as PDFs.
• The X40 River Rapids bus between Oxford, Wallingford and Reading will go up to three per hour from August with the introduction of a new fleet of buses. Within Oxford, the route for daytime buses will switch from Iffley Road to Abingdon Road. Some night buses will operate through to Reading, with the last departure to Wallingford leaving Oxford at 03.30. The service enhancements are financially supported by Oxfordshire County Council. (Headington News pointed out that Londoners with senior travel passes can use this, and the Elizabeth Line, to travel to Oxford for free.)

Walking and cycling

• Oxford cargo bike delivery company Pedal and Post has expanded to London. Its new hub in Elephant & Castle will host a fleet of e-cargo bikes, trikes and 100% electric vans, saving a forecast 20+ tonnes of CO₂ each year across 100,000 zero-emission deliveries.
• In a story we believe may be peak Clarion, Oxford's Lord Mayor Louise Upton announced she now has a Mayoral Bike that the Town Hall keepers had found in the cellar and upcycled. The Lord Mayor also has use of a mayoral car. (Put a cat or a dog in a basket on the front and it gets a full house of points.)

Congestion charge

• Oxford City Council voted to oppose the temporary congestion charge at Monday’s full council meeting. Labour and Independent Oxford Alliance councillors voted the motion of opposition through against the votes of the Liberal Democrats and Greens, though IOA councillors were unhappy at the limited time available for them to speak. An IOA amendment seeking to highlight the impact on various roads around the city was not passed. The vote is largely symbolic as the County Council, not City, is the transport authority.
• Civil society and business leaders released a second letter of support for the congestion charge, following the first one signed by transport organisations. They said “support is growing” for the charge and called it “a necessary and timely step”.

Dates for your diary

• Climate Matters. In conversation with Lord Deben, Dr Pete Sudbury and Roz Savage MP. Thursday 18 September, 7pm, Wesley Memorial Methodist Church, New Inn Hall Street.
• Science in the Park. Tuesday 29 July, 10am–3pm. Free science-focussed activities in University Parks for all ages, including testing your balance, learning about your brain, discovering how medicines are created, and much more. All welcome – children, parents and grandparents.
• Didcot Youth Fest. A brand new event “created by young people, for young people… this isn’t a school fair or a council event”. Thursday 24 July, 1pm–5pm, Cornerstone Arts Centre.
• School Uniform Swap run by Cherwell Collective. Wednesday 30 July, 10am–4pm, WISH, 4 The Parade, Kidlington. Bring in your child's outgrown uniform, swap it for a pre-loved one for the upcoming year, or pay what you can if you have nothing to swap. 

This weekend

• Market Tap Live at the Covered Market. Tonight (Friday) from 7.30pm. Free live music every third Friday of the month, featuring a curated cast of talented up-and-coming local bands and solo musicians. This month it’s Balkan-inspired gypsy-punk Balkan Wanderers.
• Bossaphonik, also tonight (Friday) 8pm-1.30am with live music starting at 9.30pm. Cowley Workers Club Oxford's unique jazz world dance event.
• Charlbury Riverside Festival, on the Mill Field by the railway station. Oxfordshire’s biggest free music festival and, according to the Guardian, among Britain’s best. From 1pm on Saturday and 11am on Sunday; trains run hourly from Oxford and take 15 minutes.
• Abingdon Fun in the Park and Music in the Park on Saturday. Free in daytime, ticketed evening (£12.50 + £1.05 platform fee, under 16s free).
• Festival of Archaeology. Step into the world of ancient Rome. This free event explores being ‘Really Roman’ and features tours, talks, demonstrations, and activities for all the family. Ashmolean, 11am-4pm Saturday.
• CODE, Saturday, 1pm and 4pm, Broad Street. The Summer Dance Festival ends with two free performances of this high-octane show about county lines, incorporating parkour and trials bikes.

Oxfordshire’s independent media

• Ox in a Box has produced a mammoth summer guide to Oxfordshire. Lots of inspiration for adventures in here.
• Oxford Sausage finds an unexpected take on Oxford on the shelves of St Philip’s Books.
• Muddy Stilettos has the best playgrounds with the best coffee (this is the summer holiday article we need). While we were looking at that we also spied their article on the most eligible house in Headington. When we win the lottery this weekend we’re buying this to set up a writing commune with feral kids (have you seen the garden?!).
• Vinay Raniga, the former Conservative parliamentary candidate for Oxford West & Abingdon, has launched a YouTube channel. In true content creator style, his first video was entitled “Why the hell did people vote for Trump? The answers may shock you.” (At the end of the last general election campaign we awarded Raniga our Golden Rosette for the 'Best Performance in a Video Series'. Ah… memories!)
• Still on YouTube, we’ve been enjoying the gentle videos of the Walking Oxford channel. This week he looks at “what I like about Oxford, some of the kinds of footage I collect, and why I think it’s interesting, healthy or fun”. Watch the series and discover parts of Oxford you’ve never seen.

Notes from Clarion HQ

We were delighted to welcome Cllr Andy Cooke to our pages for the long reads on the Abingdon Reservoir this week. Clarion writers’ own opinions on Abingdon Reservoir range from enthusiastic to unconvinced to sceptical, but our own views aren’t the point – this is set to be Oxfordshire’s biggest infrastructure project ever, yet the pros and cons have hardly been given more than a cursory airing in the local press. We hope this series has, at least, got people thinking.

A shorter newsletter than usual this week because life (…and holidays, and sickness) gets in the way. We’d have loved to live-tweet/bleat the City Council meeting on Monday but circumstances intervened. We are planning to cover the Oxford United stadium planning decision live, though, so do follow us on Bluesky before July 31 if you’d like to follow along.

Proof that Oxfordshire people love a home-grown hero: we were tickled to see that, of two stories posted at the same time, Nick Cope playing the Rusty Bicycle got more likes than Ed Davey playing netball in Carterton. We’re sure any Clarion readers with under-7s will have encountered Nick, but his kid-friendly songs about dinosaurs, ocean pollution and even “the condition of the council’s roads” (yes – potholes!) are disarmingly charming for everyone from 8 months to 80 years. He’s at both Truck Festival and Wilderness this summer, so if you’re attending for the Serious Music, swallow your adult pride for ten minutes and just enjoy the smiles.