Clarion Weekly, 23 May 2025

Welcome back! This week's edition has history, greenways, new buses and reports from the first meeting of the new County Council, including a sizeable spat over the official opposition...

This week’s top stories

Continuing our occasional series on the incredible county we live in, we looked at the legacy of Sir Martin & Lady Audrey Wood. This story has it all. Life saving science, the next generation of entrepreneurs, grass roots science, and the future of trees – as the Oxford Trust put it, Oxford's original power couple.

As we went to press last week, we were learning devastating details of the fire at Bicester Motion that claimed the lives of two firefighters, Jennie Logan and Martyn Sadler, and David Chester, who Bicester Motion described as “a close friend of the site”.

David repaired air raid shelters and the control tower of the former air base. His family have released a tribute.

“You won’t find anyone who worked harder than he did, he built an incredible business from the ground up alongside the help of his family and friends. Bicester Motion has been a huge part of our lives. Dave was always known as the man you went to when you needed any sort of help. This is exactly what happened on Thursday evening, he saw firefighters needing assistance and helped without hesitation. He was not a victim but a hero.”

Daniel Geoghegan, Bicester Motion CEO, wrote yesterday:

"It is only in adversity that we experience the true strength and meaning of community. Over the past seven days, we have been deeply moved by the support and kindness shown by the many communities connected to Bicester Motion – here in Bicester, across the UK and around the world. It has brought strength, comfort and a sense of solidarity at a time of profound loss. Above all, we are thinking of Jennie Logan, Martyn Sadler and Dave Chester. Their response to the fire was marked by courage and selflessness. We are profoundly grateful for their bravery.”

An 'unexplained death' investigation has been launched. Oxfordshire County Council requested that those who wished to lay flowers do so in Garth Park, Bicester. A book of condolence was opened at Garth House on Monday.

Our long read on Bicester Motion was one of the first we published. It is a special place where the history of transport informs the transport of the future. Team Clarion are holding all those involved in their thoughts.

Around the city

• Oxford’s new Lord Mayor Louise Upton opened the 12th Oxford Jewish Fair last Friday, on the holiday of Lag B’Omer. Stalls in Broad Street included a display on the history of Jews in Oxford, kosher food and drink, and music from London klezmer duo Shir.
• Oxford residents celebrated Ukraine's Vyshyvanka Day outside the Radcliffe Camera on Thursday. The day celebrates the diversity and beauty of Ukrainian traditional costume. Each year, on 15th May Ukrainians dress in embroidered shirts or dresses (Vyshyvanka) to celebrate Ukrainian culture. Separately, Oxford residents from Ukraine and the UK, came together last weekend in Summertown, to mourn the deaths of children and parents in the war in Ukraine, in an exhibition entitled ‘Ukraine in Angels Memory Forever’. Mothers sang and children danced in both celebration and mourning of Ukrainian life. In St. Michael’s Church, in Summertown, which has become a central point for the Ukrainian community in Oxford, an art installation of white angels made by Ukrainian children who temporarily live in England symbolised the lives of Ukrainian children lost in the war. Organiser, Mariia Gyshpil-Petrinets said:
  “We came together in pain and sorrow to lift up our community and mourn the lives lost in this senseless war. Every day Russia takes the lives of defenceless Ukrainian children, who should live, dream, have a happy childhood and grow up in peace.”
• A group of protesters (‘Oxford Against Genocide’) set up camp outside Magdalen College. They say this is because Magdalen is "uniquely complicit in the genocide of Palestinians by renting out massive labs to Larry Ellison, a man who has donated ... to the Israeli occupation forces.” In a video on their Instagram, the protesters vowed to stay until the university had acquiesced to their demands. By Sunday the encampment had disbanded. We wrote about the Ellison Institute of Technology's ongoing refurbishment of the Eagle & Child in a long read last year.
• Oxford could get a new music venue in July, next door to Common Ground on Little Clarendon Street. Local charity YWMP (formerly Young Women’s Music Project) is raising money to open a space for female, trans, and nonbinary musicians aged 14-25.
• A new indoor cycling centre has opened at Ferry Leisure Centre. The new studio, which was previously a squash court, will feature a range of classes, both instructor led and virtual, catering for cyclists of all abilities. Councillor Chewe Munkonge, Cabinet Member for a Healthy, Oxford said: “We’re committed to ensuring residents have access to high-quality, modern leisure facilities that support active & healthy lifestyles. We look forward to seeing the community enjoy everything the upgraded centre has to offer.”
• Pop-up play spaces for children 0 to 5 have been announced in three central Oxford locations this summer. There are 10 midweek sessions from 28 May to 22 July in Broad Street, Castle Quarter and Westgate shopping centre. Oxplay, the campaign for a playground in central Oxford welcomed this: “We are delighted & encouraged that Oxfordshire County Council is providing play spaces via pop up play events… attracting families is good for the city and good for business. We hope that this progresses to permanent fixtures."
• A coffee kiosk could return to St Michael’s churchyard on Cornmarket if a new planning application is approved. The site was formerly used by the AMT Coffee chain, founded in Oxford and with a second branch at the railway station. AMT entered administration in 2022 following a falling out between partners in the family owned business.
• A gin made for boutique Oxford hotel The Store has won Best in Country at the World Gin Awards. The Store London Dry Gin was created in partnership with Hawkridge Distillers.
• Oxford City Council has granted planning permission for a new, modern community centre in the heart of Blackbird Leys. Construction is expected to begin later this year. The centre will have three large halls, a range of office spaces, and comfortable places for people to meet and relax. The new centre will sit at the heart of a revitalised District Centre, say Oxford City Council, alongside new affordable homes, new shops, green spaces, and improved roads and cycle routes. It will be complemented by a new public square, including play areas, a rain garden and public art.
• Magdalen College School must “take the coaches off The Plain”, according to a new campaign. The city centre private school plans to demolish buildings for a science centre, but without providing coach parking for its own school buses, which currently drop off at the roundabout. The school is inviting public consultation on its second round of designs for a state-of-the-art new Science, Library & Partnerships Building. Consultation closes on 26 May. As we go to press, we learned that the school is reviewing the location of its coach stops as a result of Magdalen College’s Waynflete development on one side of The Plain, but has yet to address parking elsewhere on the roundabout. This is a developing story.
• The OxBox project is raising funds to decorate more street furniture in East Oxford. Last July, local artists painted colourful designs on ten junction boxes, and plan to finish the remaining eight this summer.
• And finally, if you would like to see some very cool police horses patrolling Barton, click here.

Around the county

• Consolidation continues in Oxfordshire’s independent school market with the acquisition of Kingham Hill School by Cheltenham’s Dean Close School. Dean Close says “the partnership allows our two schools to maintain their distinctiveness but to collaborate where it will benefit pupils and staff”. Kingham Hill is a Christian-ethos senior school in West Oxfordshire whose best known alumni are Andrew Adonis, former SDP councillor for North Oxford, and Dr Alex Paterson, prime mover behind ambient house outfit The Orb.
• A blue plaque was unveiled on Saturday for Herbert Payne, campaigner for Oxfordshire’s first council houses, at his former home at 71 Queens Road, Banbury. The first 40 homes were built on Kings Road in 1913. Herbert was known as the "Cow Fair Roarer” alluding to the Cow Fair where Banbury Town Hall stands, a title he earned for his willingness to represent the working class.
• Oxfordshire County Council has announced that it will clear every roadside drainage gully this year at a cost of £2.6m in a bid to combat flooding and potholes forming in freezing weather. The programme began in Wheatley last month. Cllr Andrew Gant, Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “We saw the need to improve drainage, following the flooding in the county last year due to exceptionally wet weather. This money will be used to empty gullies, carry out improved drainage management, and repair infrastructure." We wrote about flooding in the county, who's responsible (spoiler, it's complicated), and what flood prevention measures can be taken, in a long read last year.
• A new design for Bicester Market Square has been chosen following public engagement. The new design increases pedestrian space and access to Market Square and Sheep Street shops, and simplifies traffic flow. It retains most parking, but provides some social & event space with trees & planting. The plan was developed by consultants WSP in conjunction with Cherwell District Council and a wide group of stakeholders including residents, businesses and civic groups. Detailed design and consultation will now follow, with construction expected in 2027/28.
• Knife crime in the Thames Valley has decreased by 9% in 2024, says Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber. TVP’s Operation Sceptre targets hotspots for knife crime offenders, doing “knife sweeps” and funding amnesty bins for safe disposal of bladed articles. He said: “This is a testimony to the excellent work taking place by the force and with our partner organisations. Knife crime remains a top priority. Although the figures are going in the right direction, we know this needs continued focus to see reductions over the long term.”
• 800 startup businesses in Oxfordshire have benefitted from over £10 million funding from the British Business Bank since 2012, with £1.2m in 2024/25 alone. The money has been delivered as loans averaging £12,300, with Banbury the biggest area for recipients, followed by Witney and Bicester. An example is Helen Curry, who set up School Resources Exchange in Kidlington, an online marketplace enabling schools to sell and buy spare resources. There are 31,740 businesses in Oxfordshire, of which 88% are micro-businesses, employing under 10 people.

University and research

• Oriel College has announced that Batu Osmanoğlu and Alex Kotecha are the winners of the 2025 Rex Nettleford Essay Prize. This annual, UK-wide competition, invites year 12 pupils to submit essays on the legacies of colonialism. Their essays can be read online.
• A clutch of Oxford researchers have been recognised with election to the Royal Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences.
  

Oxfordshire politics

• Oxfordshire County Council’s new cabinet has been announced. Sean Gaul takes on education, children’s services and SEND with Kate Gregory moving to public health. Andrew Gant stays at highways, Dan Levy at finance and Tim Bearder at adult social care. Liz Leffman (LibDem) is Leader. Mark Lygo (Lab) is Chair, and Ted Fenton (Con) is Vice Chair. Cllr Lygo committed to chairing County Council meetings as he would referee football matches; passion will be permitted but aggression given a yellow card, he said. The Chair's charities will be OXSRAD, the Riding for the Disabled Association, and Oxford United in the Community.
• The Independent Oxford Alliance’s decision to join the Conservative political group is set to cost Oxfordshire taxpayers £180,000. With Labour and the new 'Oxfordshire Alliance' tied on 12 councillors each, county officials concluded the only way forward was to have two official oppositions, each with a shadow cabinet payroll. Officers reported that “neither of the groups felt it appropriate to rotate and share the official opposition designation”. Each opposition leader will receive £13,824 extra per year, while 9 shadow cabinet members (per group) get £3,456pa. Over a four-year council term the total is £179,712 per group. Opposition status also “confers the right to enhanced communication with senior officers”, which itself could have staffing implications with two oppositions in place. The Greens (7 councillors), Henley Residents (1) and Reform UK (1) will not benefit from this. During the Council meeting, Cllr Dan Levy, Cabinet member for finance, noted the substantial unbudgeted expenditure; officers will consider this and possible alterations to the constitution. The Conservative-led group (aka the “Oxfordshire Alliance”) issued an upbeat statement: "The formation of the Oxfordshire Alliance marks a significant development in the change of the political landscape in Oxfordshire and underscores a renewed focus on collaborative opposition, community representation, and responsible governance.” Independent Councillor Saj Malik (Cowley) who also joined the Alliance said "I’m proud to be part of this new group which puts the needs of Oxfordshire residents first.” As we went to press The Liberal Democrats criticised the decision on financial grounds, and cost 'driven by a failure between two opposition groups to reach agreement on who should take up the role.' They have called for a swift review of the Council's Constitution to avoid a future repeat of the situation. Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council said: "This is an expensive fudge. At a time of real financial pressure, it’s unacceptable to saddle Oxfordshire residents with a £44,000 annual bill because two opposition groups can’t agree. One opposition group means one set of allowances. Taxpayers expect their money to fund services, not extra political titles."
• Former councillors Michael Waine (Bicester) and Bob Johnston (Kennington & Radley) have been appointed Honorary Aldermen at a special meeting of Oxfordshire County Council. The ceremonial title requires holders to have served for 12+ years and to no longer be politically active.
• The rainbow coalition running West Oxfordshire District Council say that regenerating Carterton, the district’s second largest town, will be their focus. A member of the council’s cabinet, Cllr Tim Sumner, has been placed in charge of a new Carterton Area Strategy. The town, home to RAF Brize Norton, has significant areas of deprivation and fewer facilities than its neighbours. Cllr Sumner said “This is about thinking big and planning ahead to create more opportunities for local businesses and jobs, and bring new life to the town centre.” WODC is run by a LibDem, Labour and Green coalition with 22, 10 and 4 seats each; the Conservatives have 13.

Outside the councils, Oxfordshire’s national politicians have been sharing summaries of their weeks, and we've cherry picked some of the most interesting things our elected representatives have been up to:

• Matthew Barber, Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner, shared his week. He's been talking to residents about road safety concerns and has marked the first anniversary of an antisocial behaviour mediation service. He also hit out at clickbait from local newspapers, saying: “There are plenty of problems in society that we need to deal with, but you can hardly blame people for thinking things are worse that they are with apparent ‘journalism’ like this. A headline that can best be described as scaremongering leads to an article in which… nothing happened.”
• Banbury MP Sean Woodcock shared this update of his week: he attended the launch of Play England's strategy, held a surgery at People's Church and spoke in the Commons about the provision of youth services. He hit out at the previous Conservative government approach to water companies, saying Labour would force Thames Water to clean up its act.
• Didcot & Wantage MP Olly Glover posted this snapshot of his activities including meeting local pharmacists, and attending the report stage of the Assisted Dying Bill. He was fighting in Parliament for enhanced and mandatory infrastructure to accompany new homes.
• Bicester & Woodstock MP Calum Miller has written to Labour MPs to say his party wants to work constructively on a new trade deal with Europe to boost public finances. A deeper trade deal with the EU that stops short of joining the customs union or single market could bring in £25bn of tax revenue and pay for reversing benefit cuts, according to research cited by the Liberal Democrats. This Guardian article explains more. And he spoke out about adult mental health in a debate in Parliament.
• Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds has been straight back out on the doors after the election, this time in Iffley Fields. In Parliament she contributed to the debate on Assisted Dying, paying tribute to all her constituents who had contacted her on the issue, saying all of them were motivated by compassion.
• Henley & Thame’s Freddie van Mierlo shared this summary of his week, including meeting with Watlington Parish Council to discuss the Watlington Relief Road. He was voted in as chair of the APPG on Fatherhood.
• Witney's Charlie Maynard hailed this week's EU- UK reset as “progress with a long long way to go”. He announced he will be embarking on another of his walks around the constituency, on Friday 30th May, meeting people along the way; if you want to catch him, here's his route.
• Oxford West & Abingdon's Layla Moran, in an article for the Guardian, called on the UK government to match its tougher tone on Israel with action as she warned that people in Gaza face “unbearably cruel levels of destitution”. In an Instagram post she said that while she was supposed to be on parental leave, “when a friend calls you and your first thought is ‘oh God, he’s about to tell me his whole family are dead’ you have to respond”. That friend is the surgeon at the John Radcliffe who operated on Moran when she had sepsis, and he grew up in the Jabalia refugee camp in Palestine.

Trains and buses

• The new combined 100/700 services between Blackbird Leys, the JR, Summertown and Kidlington began this week. Also new are Saturday evening journeys on the 44 to Abingdon.
• The Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, one of Oxfordshire’s three standard-gauge steam lines, will open a new section of track on 5 July. The “Independent Line” will allow their trains into Princes Risborough station without touching Network Rail tracks. The rails and sleepers were donated by Network Rail and laid by volunteers, while the ballast is recently quarried granite. A full timetable for the weekend of 5-6 July will be released nearer the time.
• Banbury MP Sean Woodcock has called on Oxfordshire County Council to prepare to use powers in the new Bus Services Bill to “get a grip on bus services across Banbury & Oxfordshire”, saying that under the Conservatives, bus miles in the county declined by 3 million miles since 2010. The new legislation, due through Parliament imminently, will give local authorities greater powers over private bus operators. The MP said: “I am delighted that the Labour Government understands the importance of local bus networks, but we will only see improvements if OCC choose to adopt these new powers."

Walking and cycling

• Cycle advocacy charity Cyclox has called on new county councillors to make Oxford's streets safe for everyone. In a letter to newly elected councillors they offered to work with them to help deliver the Local Transport Plan, and the County’s vision of zero road fatalities. The letter includes 25 measures to turn Oxford into “the cycling city it claims to be”. These include active travel funding, 20mph speed limits on all Oxford's roads, resurfacing major cycle routes, improved residential bike parking and finishing the rollout of School Streets schemes.
• A segregated, traffic-free cycleway from Carterton to Witney is one of the proposals in a new cycling and walking plan for Carterton. Oxfordshire County Council has opened consultation on the plan, the latest in a series of “LCWIPs” for towns around the county. For OCC, Cllr Andrew Gant said “I would like people to share impressions including whether the most important walking and cycling routes and improvements have been identified and what we can do to make the plan better.” Consultation is open until 18 June.
• MP for Henley & Thame Freddie van Mierlo has tabled an amendment to the Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill to expedite active travel projects. This would update guidance on Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) for active travel schemes (walking and cycling routes) in the public interest. Currently, lack of clarity means that Councils are reluctant to use CPOs and routes have been blocked by a single landowner. “The Thame to Haddenham Greenway is exactly the kind of low carbon, high impact project we should be delivering without delay,” said van Mierlo.

Charity begins at home

An occasional series. Please submit content via news@oxfordclarion.uk.

• Asylum Welcome are looking for two new trustees; a treasurer and a Trustee with lived experience. Applications close on 30 May.

Dates for your diary

• If you were inspired by Eurovision, the UK Eurovision entry 'Remember Monday' will be playing at the Big Feastival near Kingham station on 22 August, and Blenheim Palace on June 21.
• The Siege of Oxford Castle is not in fact a comment about traffic but a reenactment day of living history at Oxford Castle & Prison. Explore the 17th-century encampment in the Castleyard and discover what life was really like during the Siege of Oxford — from the battlefield to behind-the-scenes spying! (Ages 7+ - we are definitely taking the Mini Clarions.)
• Rusty Bicycle Street Party, Hurst/ Magdalen Street, 12 July. All day. if you know you know. If not, have a look at this reel.
• Beating the Bounds. St Michael at the North Gate, Thu 29 May. Pick up a willow branch to join the procession marking the parish boundaries this Ascension Day, finishing with ivy beer in Lincoln College.

This weekend

• The English Music Festival is this (long) weekend in Dorchester-on-Thames, with a remarkable programme of song and instrumental works by (mostly) 20th century English composers.
• Meanwhile Fülü, from Toulouse, combine “current jazz, the percussive trance of carnivals, and the captivating rhythms of techno clubs”. If you go, tell us what it’s like! Tap Social in Botley, Saturday from 8pm.
• Blenheim Palace Food Festival is all weekend. An easy ride on the S3 bus from Oxford.
• Luke Harding, foreign correspondent for the Guardian, speaks at Jesus College. Friday 23, 5pm.
• Open Space, Sun 25, St Mary & St John Church, Oxford. New ecumenical Christian group for “the queer community and affirming allies”.

Oxfordshire’s independent media

• Ox in a Box reckons Oxford's best kept secret is an Indian street food cafe in Summertown.
• Bitten Oxford reviews ‘Weekend Journals: Oxfordshire’, a book “packed with thoughtfully curated recommendations, from independent eateries and hidden museums to scenic walks and must-visit boutiques”. Buy direct from the writer here.
• The Oxford Sausage went model aeroplane flying on Port Meadow.
• Cherwell reviews controversial conservative American activist Charlie Kirk's appearance at the Oxford Union (trigger warnings: abortion, red pill, graphic transphobia).
• Morris Oxford visits the Museum of Oxford and muses on museums more generally.

Ozymandias watch

Notes from Clarion HQ

Are you wrestling kids for half-term, planning a bit of gardening for the Bank Holiday, or hatching plans for a solo escape? Your Clarion writers are doing all that… and the rest. One day it’ll be a quiet news week and we can get the newsletter finished by Thursday lunchtime. This week was not that week. Thank you, as always, for your feedback and tipoffs via social media and email. Have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend.