The Clarion, 14 July 2026

Is it getting any cooler yet? Photo by Roger Close.

Royal visits, Union Flag Minis, illegal ‘e-bikes’, shop comings and goings, and the Deputy Lord Mayor’s cat. All in a week’s work for your trusty local newsletter…

This week’s long reads

His Majesty The King visited Oxford on Friday, officially opening the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities and paying visits to Oriel College and University College. The King continued to Harwell, where he officially opened the UK Space and Defence Gateway at Harwell Campus. Our correspondent Madeline Odent and photographer Roger Close report for the Clarion.

This week’s top stories

Traffic cameras are finally to be installed at the A40 Barton Park junction, the scene of several collisions between motorists and vulnerable road users. The cameras will detect both red light jumpers and drivers exceeding the 50mph limit. There is no bridge or underpass at the site, meaning that Barton Park residents have to cross ‘on the level’ to access schools, community facilities and shops.

The cameras will be funded by Oxfordshire County Council and operated by Thames Valley Police. TVP’s Jade Hewitt said: “We are aware of concerns regarding speeding and red-light offences at this location, and the evidence gathered has demonstrated the need for further enforcement measures.”

The cameras will be installed overnight next week. For OCC, Cllr Gareth Epps said: “Excessive speeds and red-light jumping are genuine concerns. Motorists who follow the rules will have nothing to fear. Those who show disregard for others’ safety by breaking them will face the consequences.”

Around the city

Oxford United have been prevented from signing new players by ‘financial fair play’ rules, which limit the proportion of turnover that can be spent on player-related costs. Since OUFC’s relegation from the Championship, they have fallen under the League One and Two rules: they say they are “working to align their financial position with the reporting requirements of League One”. They believe that increased investment from their owners should allow them to sign new players in the January transfer window.
The Churchill Hospital is celebrating cutting routine waiting times from six weeks to four, after introducing a Saturday clinic to its oncology department a year ago. By moving routine treatments to Saturdays, the clinic also freed up weekday capacity for more complex treatments and new patients.
Oxford councillors have called for action on “illegal e-bikes” (electric motorcycles). At Oxford City Council’s monthly meeting yesterday, a motion from Labour councillors Ed Turner and Anna Railton said that Government proposals are not enough and that “delivery platforms must feel the full force of the law”. They contest that food delivery platforms and retailers often “tacitly support the use” of illegally modified or imported bikes, characterised by no-pedal throttles and no speed limit for assistance – and that this causes “substantial public concern and risk”.
After the City Council voted in favour of the motion, the leader will now write to the Government asking for “stronger enforcement against those who break the law, relevant employers and those who enable illegal activity”, and to Thames Valley Police urging an increase in enforcement.
Council motions put forward by Oxford’s opposition parties were not debated after the meeting ran out of time. A motion submitted by Oxford’s Green councillors said the city should stand firm against “a manufactured moral panic which seeks to demonise the existence of trans and nonbinary people”. It called on the City Council to support their rights in the face of “overly simplistic approaches to sex, gender and sexuality”, and asked the council to write to the Minister for Women & Equalities, set up a working group, and encourage an “inclusive approach to accessing facilities” at the city’s leisure centres.
The Liberal Democrats had submitted a motion on transport. Allowing minibuses run by private schools to pick up pupils at Oxford’s Park & Ride sites could make a dent in city congestion, they argue. Many schools already run coach/minibus services, but have historically been prevented from calling at the P&Rs. The LibDem motion, proposed by councillors Andrew Gant and Katherine Miles, says: “Reducing the amount of traffic generated by private schools would be hugely beneficial, not just for the wider community and other road users but also for residents, the schools, and for children.” It asked the Labour-run council to enter discussions with schools and the County Council so that the bus stops at Park & Rides could be used from the beginning of the school year in September.
Motions can be resubmitted for a future meeting, but the summer break means the next such will be in October.

Catania-to-Cantabrigia cafe Aromi has opened its Oxford branch on St Michael’s Street, offering “freshly baked Sicilian pizza, focaccia, pastries, cannoli and coffee”. Lord Mayor Chewe Munkonge cut the ribbon for the company’s fourth outlet, the first outside Cambridge.
The Crafters' Emporium on Cornmarket appears to have closed, with a notice on the door indicating bailiffs have taken possession of the property. The business was run as a community interest company, supporting crafters across the county; they also had outlets in Bicester, Kidlington and Faringdon. The business reported financial results for the year to 31 August 2025 as a loss citing utility bills paid for two properties while it moved in Oxford, and unexpected VAT challenges. At the time it expected Oxford to return to profits, with plans to downsize Faringdon and Kidlington.

Go electric: Oxford City and Oxfordshire County Council are encouraging residents to explore the world of electric vehicles (EVs), electric bikes, solar energy, air source heat pumps and more at a free community event in Oxford on Saturday 25 July. Residents can test drive EVs and learn about saving energy in their homes. Cllr Anna Railton for Oxford City Council said: "We know many residents are keen to make greener choices but often have questions about cost, practicality and what would work for them. Whether you're actively considering making a change or simply curious, I encourage residents to come along."
Local vets are warning that pets need considered care during this ongoing hot weather. The Dogs Trust say never to leave your dog in a vehicle, as a dog could die in a hot car in just minutes, and that winding a window down is not enough to help your dog stay cool. Speaking to the Clarion, Tania Zavala of Iffley Vets sounded the warning more generally, saying: "Brachycephalic breeds such as bulldogs and pugs are among those most at risk of heatstroke, because their shortened airways make it harder for them to regulate their body temperature effectively. Rabbits and guinea pigs must not be forgotten during warmer weather. Hutches and runs can quickly become dangerously hot. If you suspect your pet may have heatstroke, Iffley Vets is now open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; in an emergency, you can contact us on 01865 242600.”

Speaking of vets, the Deputy Lord Mayor's cat goes to the vet by zero emission transport. Billy, still smarting from his demotion from Lord Mayor’s Cat to Deputy Lord Mayor’s Cat following Cllr Louise Upton’s change of role, suffered the further indignity of a trip to the vet this week. His one consolation was that at least his mode of transport was an electric bike that had been charged from solar panels. (For worried readers, it was just for a vaccination booster.)
For anyone wanting to display a flag on the highways of Oxfordshire without falling foul of an injunction, BMW has launched a Mini Cooper Oxford Edition with a Union Flag on the roof. The limited edition 3-door car is intended to “celebrate 25 years of modern Mini”. BMW says: “Mini Plant Oxford holds a central place in the heritage and identity of the Mini brand. The plant is not merely a production facility but the spiritual home of Mini.” Matching T-shirts, caps and walking sticks are also available.

Around the county

Fourteen fire crews were deployed to Fyfield Wick, near Kingston Bagpuize, after a blaze that swept through the Oaks static caravan park and surrounding fields. Around 125 firefighters in total were called out to the incident. There are no reported injuries. The first of over 30 999 calls was received on Sunday just after 4.30pm. The fire is currently considered accidental: a drone team has been deployed to investigate the cause.
Community groups led by Oxford Stand Up to Racism are organising a public meeting on 16 July, calling for a humane alternative to plans to house asylum seekers on a former MoD site. The meeting takes place at 7pm this Thursday, at the Kingsmere Community Centre in Bicester. Bicester & Woodstock MP Calum Miller has been canvassing cross-party opposition to the plans, and raised his objections in a question in Parliament. (Earlier this year, Refugee Resource's Sushila Dhall wrote for us about the real story for refugees and asylum seekers in our county.)

The future of Henley’s River & Rowing Museum building has been cast into doubt again after Henley Town Council vetoed plans to turn it into a commercial fitness centre. The museum, built on land leased from the council, closed in September after its trustees concluded it was uneconomic. The River & Rowing Museum Foundation had invited bidders to take over the site, with the hope of safeguarding its future by securing an income. But local councillors said they were concerned that they had originally leased the site to a charity, not a for-profit enterprise; the council wrote that it had “decided not to grant consent to the proposed assignment… as this matter involves ongoing legal and commercial considerations, it would not be appropriate to comment further on the reasons”. The independent Henley Herald has more details.
Abingdon has a new traditional butchers, with Browns at 3 Bath Street opening at the weekend. Proprietors Martin and Louise wrote: “What a whirlwind of a weekend! We honestly don’t know where to begin, other than to say thank you. Opening our own butcher’s shop has been a dream we’ve worked so hard for. To finally open our doors and see so many of you come through them has been overwhelming in the best possible way.”
A Banbury councillor is calling on fellow representatives to come clean about AI use. In a motion submitted to Cherwell District Council, Kerrie Thornhill (Lab, Banbury Hardwick) warns: “AI-authored materials imitating public works, or official news sources, have the potential to be misleading. Some Cherwell district councillors have chosen to use AI-generated written updates, visual materials, and even videos to communicate with the public. Members of the public have a right to know at first glance if material made by their elected councillors is machine-generated or not.” The motion calls on councillors to “clearly label material generated by AI” and suggests training on “the transparent use of AI in public communications”.

The Princess Royal meets Shire horses (photo by Daydream Equine Art).

In royal beer news, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited Hook Norton Brewery to celebrate 175 years of brewing in what is one of England's last remaining family-owned Victorian tower breweries – and its restoration after a fire in 2024. During her tour, organised by the Lieutenancy of Oxfordshire, the Princess Royal met those involved in the brewery's repair project following the devastating fire, before proceeding to the stables to meet Hooky's famous Shire horses, Balmoral, Brigadier and Cromwell. Schoolchildren lined the route as Her Royal Highness arrived. James Clarke, MD of Hook Norton Brewery, said: “It was an absolute honour to welcome Her Royal Highness to the Brewery. As well as a celebration of the Brewery, it was also very much a celebration of the Hook Norton community.”
Oxfordshire County Council has called on the Government to introduce a Cool Homes Grant for vulnerable homes at risk of overheating, echoing the existing Warm Homes scheme. In summer 2025, there were 1,504 heat-associated deaths in the UK. The council believes these deaths are avoidable.
Cllr Laura Gordon, for OCC, said: “There is a new reality. It's a health inequalities issue, where those most at risk from heatwaves are often least able to afford effective home adaptations to prevent overheating, while also being more likely to have pre-existing health conditions, or social isolation. We're already working to address risk, and this summer will launch a pilot Heat Safe Homes programme - advice through home visits, local cool home training, and the provision of cool packs. We call on central government support to expand this work to meet the challenge." (Your regular reminder of our listing of cool spaces for hot days.)
Summer fun: South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils are laying on free and low cost family activities for the summer holidays, from cricket to crafting, and badminton to Boccia. Cllr Helen Pighills, Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “This summer is packed with lots of affordable opportunities for families to have fun. It's a great chance to make new friends and create lasting memories over the summer. We encourage families to book early to avoid disappointment.”
The White Horse Community Lottery has raised more than £8000 this year for local charities. Community lottery tickets cost £1, and 'players' can choose a local good cause or give their money to the central community fund.

Oxfordshire politics

As Oxfordshire stares down the barrel of a hosepipe ban, Thames Water is back in our dispatches, and Post Offices seem to be the latest infrastructure to keep an eye on…

Woodcock at Swalcliffe Park School in Banbury.

Banbury MP Sean Woodcock was in Parliament talking about Local Government Reorganisation (aka cheese). Entirely separately, the Conservative MP for Huntingdon made a formal complaint to the Secretary of State that Labour MPs in Cambridgeshire had heard the details of its LGR ahead of the decision being announced. On a different note, Woodcock spoke in the chamber in support of the Employment Rights Act, holding up legislation around zero hours contracts and statutory sick pay, whilst pointing out that the increased cost to business was around £15 per employee.

Not small beer: Miller visited Tap Social.

Bicester & Woodstock MP Calum Miller has had a week filled mainly with the proposed asylum centre at Bicester. It is set to make its way through the planning system via little-used 'nationally important and urgent' provisions: Miller asks why it is suddenly urgent when plans were apparently first started in Whitehall 8 months ago. He is walking a political tightrope trying to bring together all elements of the community to oppose the centre, while speaking out against Reform trying to politicise protests with at least one speaker being explicitly racist at a demonstration.

Maynard opens Shrivenham Post Office in a rare example of one opening, not closing (but is is on the site of a former Lloyds Bank so you can't win ’em all).

Witney MP Charlie Maynard says West Oxfordshire needs infrastructure before more housing. Around 18,000 new homes are planned for West Oxfordshire, but at peak times, buses between Witney and Oxford already average just 11mph: he says residents continue to raise concerns about sewage capacity and the strain on local services. (Has he – have you – read our Infrastructure Week series which explores the pressures that come from home building?). He visited Fyfield Wick to see the damage at the caravan site, thanking the emergency services. (Is it a rule that LibDem hi-vis must be the same orange as their stakeboards? We need to know.)

Dodds at the Leys Festival at the weekend, seen here with Lord Mayor Chewe Munkonge and the High Sheriff Jawaid Malik.

Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds called for an end to a “giant, unaccountable ratchet” in UK politics, proposing limits both on campaign spending and donations. On a Chatham House panel on ‘British foreign policy after Starmer’, she argued that delivering domestic security and resilience requires a confident foreign policy which strengthens our global alliances. (Will this former MEP, Labour Party Chair, Minister of State for Development, Women & Equalities, and former Shadow Chancellor return to the front line in a Burnham reshuffle? Place your bets.)
Oxford West & Abingdon MP Layla Moran has been appointed to a maternity and neonatal government taskforce to look at reforms following the Amos Review. (See our deep dive into Oxfordshire maternity care.) There are several Oxfordshire names on the list, as befits a campaigning city of experts.

The kids are all right, episode 284; Glover answers questions at Uffington Primary School during their 'Agents of Change' week

Didcot & Wantage MP Olly Glover is trying to save local post offices; went mildly viral being unimpressed by Nigel Farage; and has secured a roundtable with the minister on sudden death in epilepsy (which we hope is not impacted by an imminent reshuffle). In Parliament, he spoke up for a constituent, saying victims of crime should not have to jump through hoops to receive adequate compensation. Most importantly, in the comments of his weekly round-up he confirms support for Count Binface.

Disappointing choice of photo ops from van Mierlo this week. Here he is looking serious at the Babies APPG meeting.

Henley & Thame MP Freddie van Mierlo has restored our faith in Oxfordshire MPs by taking on the Thames Water role this week. He has secured a ministerial meeting for his constituent, Judy Washington, to discuss her six-year battle with Thames Water to stop sewage flowing into her driveway and garden. The Minister has now committed to instruct Thames Water to get to the bottom of what is causing the excessive overflow. In non-sewage news, van Mierlo asked for the rollout of the Best Start Family Hubs to give due consideration to families in rural areas; and in episode 285 of ‘Oxfordshire's kids are all right’, he highlights Aston Rowant School handing a petition to no 10 Downing Street to provide more funding and aid for children's education in Gaza, as part of their 'courageous advocacy' programme. (Give the teachers a medal, and the kids too.)
Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber has an interesting balance to strike: the PCC role has been abolished, so he needs to have an eye on future prospects while still doing the day job. In a think piece on his website, he writes: “The 'battle between the generations' is the great lie of modern British politics. It is a cynical distraction, carefully curated to ensure we are fighting each other rather than looking at the state.” Closer to the day job, he was the opening speaker at the National Cycle Crime Conference , saying that although cycle theft is down in the Thames Valley, there is a need not just to tackle criminals – where changes in legislation around tracking devices will help – but also to build confidence to ensure cycle theft does not go unreported.

University and research

A perfused (preserved with oxygenated fluid) pancreas has been successfully transplanted in a world-first for an Oxford clinical study. The pancreas is one of the most challenging organs to preserve, being vulnerable to damage during the period between donation and transplantation. James Hunter, from the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, said: “Although it is early days, having such a positive outcome for the first patient is very promising. Without the generosity of families who support donation, lifesaving transplants would not happen.”
The best route for Hannibal’s elephants across the Alps was indeed via the long-proposed Col de la Traversette, according to researchers at the Department of Biology. The col (on the France/Italy border) had previously been suggested but ruled out by other scholars. The new research rated four routes for elephant energy efficiency, calculating that the Traversette needed 16% less energy than the previous favourite.
Volunteers are being recruited for Oxford’s new Ebola vaccine. Professor Teresa Lambe's team is seeking volunteers for the first step in testing the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. The vaccine's safety and immune responses will be closely monitored in 50 vaccinated healthy adult volunteers. For Oxford Vaccine Group, Katrina Pollock said: "We are grateful to all participants in our studies, without whom we could not do this work. We are now inviting interested volunteers to participate in the study to support our efforts." Note, however, that people who have received the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine are not eligible, due to the similarity of the vaccines.
An early intervention programme to reduce school exclusion and violence among young people is expanding across the Thames Valley, after Oxford Brookes research found that it is effective. Lead researcher Sarah Bekaert said: “It starts with helping young people understand their behaviour and what’s fuelling it." From there, young people are connected to what they need – a mentor, a support group, a theatre or dance class, or a swimming club. Matthew Barber, Police & Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, added: “The findings have given us the confidence to invest further in an approach that is making a difference to children, young people and families, enabling support to be offered earlier and helping prevent problems from escalating.”
An oncology nursing assistant at Oxford University Hospitals studying at Oxford Brookes University has been awarded the School of Arts Graphic Design Major Project Award for his work, The Ward, which documents the reality of a 12 hour nursing shift. Athul Judeson, who works part time at OUH while studying at Brookes, photographed empty clinical spaces and the traces left behind after patient care to capture the quiet, often overlooked experiences of healthcare workers. Athul said: "I saw the emotional weight the [nursing team] carry every single day, which is rarely acknowledged by the public. I wanted to build a physical act of evidence for them. Winning this is a massive honour. For me, it means that the quiet, unseen labour of clinical staff is recognised."

Trains and buses

Thornhill Park & Ride is opening up to budget airport parking. Long-term tariffs will offer 8-day parking for £15 or 15 days for £30, which even when added to the Airline coach fare (£37.50 return) vastly undercuts Heathrow’s own Park & Ride at £37.40 per day. The current maximum stay is 72 hours. Oxfordshire County Council is proposing the new rates “as a result of airport buses servicing the site 24/7”. Consultation is open until 7 August.
Oxford’s biggest bus operator is renaming itself ‘Go Thames Valley’. Oxford Bus Company and its myriad sister companies (Thames Travel, Carousel, Pulhams et al) are owned by the Go-Ahead Group, which says the new name will align with a future regional authority. The bus fleets will continue under their current operator names. Go-Ahead bought OBC in 1994, and also ran the short-lived Thames Trains (1996-2004).
Oxfordshire’s LibDem MPs have lobbied East West Rail with a series of detailed concerns about the future route to Cambridge. In a joint letter to the CEO of East West Rail, they called for full electrification; better bus connections; joined-up thinking with the redevelopment of Oxford and other stations; through-running east of Cambridge; and support for affected property owners. They also (of course) flagged up the lack of a start date for Oxford–Milton Keynes trains.

Notes from Clarion HQ

As we go to press, a decision on the future shape of Oxfordshire’s councils is expected ‘real soon now’ (no, you’re refreshing the MHCLG website every five minutes). We’ll have the news for you as soon as it’s announced. Have a good week and see you on Friday.