The Clarion, 15 September 2026

The Oxford Oratory, as seen at Oxford Open Doors this weekend. Photo by Roger Close.

At last – Botley Road is ready to reopen. Plus disappearing cats, an MP petting a cow, a story of bravery from a Banbury councillor… and a bit of a Clarion landmark. Read on!

This week’s photo story

This weekend was Oxford Open Doors. Our photographer Roger Close was on a mission to capture as many of these glorious events as possible. Did you spot him?

This week’s top stories

The asphalt is down at Botley Road railway bridge in preparation for reopening early on Sunday. Final works include a surface-water flood defence system, resurfacing Frideswide Square bus stops, and replacing the temporary walkway barrier with railings. The footbridge from the station over Botley Road will also reopen at the same time as the road.

Works to take place later include completing the north-side walkway and improvements to the south-side path; reworking the junction with Roger Dudman Way; and repairing paving slabs at Frideswide Square. Test passages of the road take place this week, as well as potentially some access for Botley Road residents while resurfacing takes place further along the road. Osney Bridge over the Thames will also reopen on Sunday, though night-time lane closures will continue.

Bus times are changing as a result, with new through services from south and west Oxfordshire to the city centre. Here’s full details from Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach.

“Overall construction traffic will be higher than previously forecast” during the construction of the Abingdon Reservoir, Thames Water have admitted. Their updated plans now include 17 construction access points to the 6.7 sq km site, up from six in the original plans.

Thames Water have also dropped plans to relocate three existing solar farms on the land that will be used for the reservoir. They say they will continue to include floating solar panels on the reservoir itself.

A Development Consent Order (akin to planning permission) is set to be submitted to national Government in November. Previously known as the South-East Strategic Reservoir Option, the project has been renamed ‘White Horse Reservoir’ after the prehistoric hill figure some nine miles away. (Want a primer on SESRO? Start here and please admire the picture of the reservoir dog.)

A Banbury councillor with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer is walking the 88-mile Jurassic Way “before this awful disease finishes me off”. Paul-Austin Sargent hopes to raise £1,000 for community projects in his Banbury Grimsbury & Castle division, including play equipment, tree planting and new benches. Cllr Sargent said:

“I could spend my remaining time feeling sorry for myself, but that isn't who I am. When I was elected, I made promises to the people of Grimsbury and Castle, and I intend to keep them. The Walk of Life is my way of doing something positive with the time I have left.”

He says the support of the cancer centre at Banbury’s Horton Hospital has given him the strength to walk the Jurassic Way. The route starts in Stamford, Lincolnshire, and runs along the belt of Jurassic limestone to Banbury, finishing at Castle Quay. Support him here.

A Lincolnshire men’s group say they are “deeply upset” at the actions of a man pictured tackling a man to the floor, while wearing their T-shirt, at a right-wing rally against the planned asylum centre at MOD Bicester. Men of Megin have confirmed that the individual was not representing the organisation, and say they unequivocally condemn his conduct.

“He has not been involved with our group since the beginning of the year and has never been a member of our organisation. We are a not-for-profit men’s wellness group based in Lincoln and this individual moved back home near Bicester a long time ago. He had previously attended our activities and had received the T-shirt through a competition. His decision to wear it at the protest was made entirely independently and without our knowledge or consent.”

Around the city

Plans to build 31 homes at Bertie Place off Abingdon Road have been approved by Oxford City Council’s planning review committee, in the face of opposition from local campaigners who wanted to retain the existing play area. The meeting heard that although planning regulations had recently been revised to consider play areas and greenspace, the ‘reprovision’ nearby meant that council officers did not consider the development would cause ‘substantial harm’. James Green, from the council’s OX Place development arm, said: “Tonight, you have heard from residents who care deeply about Bertie Park. I understand those concerns and the value local people place on the space. However, I ask you also to consider those who are not represented in this room: families on Oxford's housing waiting list, people living in temporary accommodation, and those increasingly priced out of the city altogether.”
Councillors on the committee queried the definition of ‘substantial harm’ and raised concerns about the safety of women and girls accessing the new recreational area over a footbridge, but ultimately voted to back the proposals – with meeting chair Lizzy Diggins (Lab, Carfax & Jericho) saying “When you've got all these different policy documents, they can't meet every policy and it's up to us to make that determination.” Kaddy Beck from the Save Bertie campaign, however, reiterated concerns:

“Few things sit at the heart of a community like a recreation ground. They foster friendships and help build stronger communities. The current crisis in young people's mental health means that play is not a luxury: it is essential to getting children away from screens and fostering independence. Officers give affordable housing very substantial weight – but this should not mean building at any cost.”

Meanwhile, over the road, Oxford City Council is holding a public exhibition on the plans to transform the former landfill site at Redbridge Paddock into a new riverside neighbourhood development of 249 homes. The exhibition will be at St Luke’s Church, Canning Crescent, next week on Wed 23/Thu 24 from 4pm to 8pm.

Oxford charity Asylum Welcome celebrate their 30th birthday this week – 30 years of providing practical support, advice and advocacy to refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants across Oxfordshire. The group marked this occasion by releasing a new film about Asylum Welcome, made by local filmmaker Tim Hand, bringing together the voices of clients, volunteers and staff.
A public meeting about Jericho Wharf heard that new owners Worcester College hope to build graduate accommodation on the canalside site, with around a third of the land dedicated to community uses. Further fundraising will be needed to meet local aspirations for the site, which include a community centre and boatyard facilities. Working with the Jericho Wharf Trust, Worcester are now planning a consultation to find out the community’s top priorities for the site. Work is not expected to get underway until 2029 at the earliest.

In ‘some tedious guy from YouTube just turned up on Cornmarket’ news, Freedom Watch GB, a self-styled “independent, youth-led civil liberties organisation” appeared in Oxford at the weekend talking to passers-by about migration with lines like: “Imagine someone knocks on your door, you open it and they march straight upstairs.” Critics of the organisation claim their street stalls are deliberately provocative in order to stir up conflict to film for social media, with cameras at the ready. (At least we now know where those incessant ‘Tristan Edgelord destroys liberals with FACTS and LOGIC’ videos come from.)

Cllr Chewe Munkonge, the Lord Mayor of Oxford, opened the Sunningwell Road street party on Sunday. “Our regular street parties help to build community and give our children a car-free space to play,” says Sue Tanner who started the tradition of street parties back in 2007.

Khalifa Supermarket, the new incarnation of Khalifa Super Store.

A former Cowley Road shop worker has been ordered to pay more than £2,000 after admitting selling illegal vapes. Darian Kaify Hassani, 20, who worked at Khalifa Super Store, admitted personally supplying and aiding his employer’s company to supply illegal vapes. Yadgar Ghafour, the former owner and director, was fined £17,000 in November 2025 for related offences; both prosecutions followed a Trading Standards investigation. Khalifa Supermarket is now under new ownership at the same 120 Cowley Road premises. Cllr Kate Gregory for OCC said: “I am pleased that our trading standards team have once again been able to remove illegal, addictive products from our high streets. This case demonstrates that individuals who knowingly assist in the sale of illegal products can be held personally accountable.”

Around the county

The proposed Botley West Solar Farm has scaled down its energy targets. The promoters, Photovolt Development Partners, say that increasing the separation distance between houses and the solar panels, and in some cases removing panels entirely from “the most sensitive areas”, has resulted in “a substantial reduction in the extent of the operational development area”. Other changes include improving views from public footpaths, and maintaining a “legible transition” between farms and the surrounding landscape. Photovolt calculate that this will result in a reduction in generating capacity of 220 MWp (=theoretical maximum), which pro rata would equate to reducing the 840 MW typical output to 700 MW. The Government decision has been delayed and is now expected by 10 November.

Work has started on building the new Gosford Hill School in Kidlington. Over the next three years, a brand new school building will be built on the existing site, in time for the school’s centenary on 7 September 2032. The school says the current buildings are “inefficient and energy intensive and don’t suit the needs of education and learning in the 21st century”. Classrooms and offices have been relocated into temporary accommodation while the rebuild takes place. The school has asked pupils and parents to walk, cycle or use public transport while vehicle access is limited.
The North Star in Steventon has won CAMRA’s Heritage Pub Revival Award. The half-timbered 17th century pub, one of only a few in Britain still without a bar, impressed the judges with its “new lease of life” following nine months of refurbishment work. CAMRA’s Paul Ainswoth said: “At the North Star, it's brilliant that the serious structural issues have been fully addressed but equally great to find it in the hands of management committed to making it a real community hub.”

Missing cats from Hanborough and Combe (photo from social media)

A series of cat disappearances in Hanborough and Combe is being investigated by Thames Valley Police. At least eight cats have been reported missing over the last few months. TVP say “we understand the concern that this report may cause within the local community”. Local residents say they are worried the disappearances may involve theft. A Facebook group has been set up to coordinate reports. Anyone with information is asked to contact TVP with reference INC-20260910-0173.

St Mary's Church in Garsington has secured grants of £13,000 from the Wolfson and Headley Trusts to repair its crumbling stonework. The Grade II listed church dates back to around 1160 and has been at the heart of the Garsington community for centuries. The tower and the altar stone were part of the original late 12th-century church, while the north aisle and chancel are from the late 13th. The south aisle was added in the early 14th. The stained glass of the east window and of the armorial patterns in the chancel windows is Victorian.
Oxfordshire County Council is looking for new voices in the Oxfordshire Libraries short story competition, open to all ages. Winners will see their short story published as an e-book on the OverDrive platform and Libby app. Cllr Neil Fawcett, Oxfordshire County Council, called it a great opportunity to get published and noticed. “Our short story competition is always popular and generates amazing levels of creativity and engagement. Past winning stories have gone on to become some of the year's most popular downloads."
Oxfordshire’s padel boom continues with plans for five public courts at the new Salt Cross garden village. Carringtons of Oxford, who run a car dealership at the Eynsham site by the A40 Tesco Express, say the facility would be run on a “pay-as-you-play” basis. They also plan outreach programmes with local schools, sessions for older residents, and subsidised sessions for local clubs. A planning application is with West Oxfordshire District Council.
(“Padel boom”? We count 18 applications for padel courts made, or decided, so far in 2026. Most of these are for schools, private homes, or existing rugby clubs or sports centres. Clearly padel is the new salted caramel / Biscoff / gochujang.)

And finally, representing every child who ever dreamed of owning a pony (or just riding one): Norah, from Bloxham Primary School, has been named the overall winner of the Agria Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials drawing competition. She won tickets to the event and a Blenheim Palace annual pass.

Oxfordshire politics

There’s a lot of news to squeeze in to this newsletter and we have a strict word count… so here’s the biggest thing we've spotted each MP up to this week.

Woodcock (left) canvassing in Deddington.

Banbury MP Sean Woodcock (Lab) called on the Government to guarantee adequate support for Banbury’s automotive sector following cuts announced at Jaguar Land Rover, just up the road in Coventry. He said it was vital to protect the local businesses and skilled workers who support JLR’s supply chain.
Bicester & Woodstock MP Calum Miller (LibDem) has made campaigning against the proposed asylum centre in Bicester the focus of his week. Yesterday he reported on a meeting with the Home Office, asking the minister to look again at the consultation deadline, which residents had flagged was too short for adequate comment. He opposes the application on many grounds, but called out "holes" on transport, utilities and ecology.

We do have a picture of Maynard receiving his award, but it was also Back British Farming Day this week, so we had to use this one.

Witney MP Charlie Maynard (LibDem) received the Rivers & Seas Award at the 2026 Political Purpose Awards in the House of Commons on Tuesday evening. Clarion readers will be familiar with Maynard's battles with Thames water, including a public-interest intervention in the High Court, and on to the Court of Appeal, challenging Thames Water’s £3bn restructuring plan. James Wallace, Chief Executive of River Action UK, said: “Most politicians write to the regulator. He went to court, at real personal risk, making the water industry’s balance sheet a public record. Rivers recover when somebody makes the money behind pollution visible. That is what this award is for.”

Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds (Lab) had a very busy constituency weekend. She made it to East Oxford Farmers’ Market, Slade Camp, Bartlemas Chapel and Old Road Campus for Open Doors, then Barton Live, canvassing in the rain in Northfield Brook, and finally the South Oxford Family Triathlon. Phew!
Oxford West & Abingdon MP Layla Moran (LibDem) launched a campaign for a new £120m maternity unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital. In a speech in Parliament, she said there was "only so much" the Trust could do without a new building. The maternity unit was described by Baroness Amos as possibly the worst building she had seen in her national investigation into maternity and neonatal care. Moran commented: “This relic of a building is no longer fit for purpose. There is only so far improvement can go without the right facilities. To protect privacy and dignity, support safer care and meet future demand, the John Radcliffe Hospital needs a new maternity wing.” (We wrote about the findings of the Amos Report into maternity care in a long read earlier this year.) There is a petition, of course, while Banbury’s Sean Woodcock said suggestions elsewhere he had attacked Moran’s demands were a confected spat.

Glover welcoming Ukrainian students to Parliament this week.

Didcot & Wantage MP Olly Glover (LibDem) asked the Minister for Women & Equalities what steps the Government is taking to ensure that technological advancements strengthen, rather than undermine, citizens' rights. Meta’s ‘smart’ glasses have highlighted concerns around privacy and women's safety, and Glover thinks big tech companies should be accountable for the risks their products create. (On a lighter note, last week we posted a picture of Glover's toasted sandwich, and you all followed the link to go and find one for yourself. This week we can ~~exclusively~~ announce he has been eating sweet and sour tofu. We love local politics.)

Van Mierlo attending the Regatta for the Disabled in Henley.

Henley & Thame MP Freddie van Mierlo (LibDem) has tabled a Home Cooling Bill seeking to zero-rate VAT for aircon, awnings and shutters. He also wrote to the chief executive of Tesco, asking him to implement an automatic locking scheme for the trolleys littering Henley.
Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber (Con) says that 75% of residents surveyed oppose the Government's proposed merger of Thames Valley Police into a larger, regional organisation. 2,300 people responded: 18% were in support and 7% unsure. Barber commented: “Effective policing depends on local knowledge, and strong connections between officers and the communities they serve. Reorganising would create significant disruption and cost millions of pounds.”

University and research

Oxford University has come top in the Guardian’s league table of universities. The list also ranks by subject, where Oxford Brookes scored a top 10 in philosophy and graphic design. Brookes is also the only university to be ranked on subjects including animation, game design and product design.
Oxford researchers have found a correlation between very hot tea and coffee, and a higher risk of developing oesophageal cancer. Such a link has long been demonstrated in South American-style hot drinks, but the new study by Oxford Population Health is the first to demonstrate a link among UK adults. Lead researcher Keren Papier said: “What was less clear was whether this applied to the temperatures at which hot drinks are usually consumed in Western populations. This study adds to existing evidence that drinking very hot drinks could increase the risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.” Cancer Research UK, who funded the study, say the next step is to determine what temperatures are most dangerous. They stress that “not smoking and cutting down on alcohol” remain the best ways to reduce the risk of oesophageal SCC.
A Worcester College honorary fellow has become the largest donor to any UK political party after giving £36m to Reform UK. Ben Delo, who studied at the college, was appointed to the position in 2018 following a donation of £5m to endow two teaching fellowships, in maths and computer science. Delo was educated at Lord Williams’ School in Thame. After graduating in 2005, he went on to found a cryptocurrency derivatives trading platform. He was sentenced to 30 months’ probation in 2022 for money laundering offences, but pardoned by Trump in 2025. He is now said to be living in Oxfordshire. (In 2024, another honorary Worcester fellow, Rupert Murdoch, saw his name removed from the professorship he had endowed after the university concluded it was preventing it from “attracting the widest range of candidates”.)
The Cherwell School is Oxfordshire’s top state school for Oxbridge entry, according to figures compiled by the Spectator. Of the 80 top-ranked schools, 33 are independent, 21 are grammars or partially selective, 23 are sixth-form or further-education colleges, and three are comprehensives or academies. Cherwell was 57th, while of the county’s independent schools, Magdalen College School was in 31st place, Radley in 65th, and Abingdon in 67th.
Four Oxford University scientists have been honoured in this year's Royal Society awards, which aim to "recognise outstanding contributions to scientific discovery, public engagement and research culture."
Oxford University's Science Together public engagement programme, run by the Mathematical, Physical & Life Sciences division, is coming to an end. A partnership between researchers and local community organisations, its previous projects included helping young carers to be seen and supported; developing a carbon calculator for second-hand goods; and exploring how dance could benefit people living with dementia. Public engagement training for researchers is also being reduced.
Frontline staff at Hertford College have been underpaid for overtime, according to the Oxford branch of the University & College Union. The UCU is encouraging staff in the 39 Oxford University colleges to ask whether their pay has been calculated correctly.

Business and tech

Instead of ‘growth in every postcode’, the Financial Times says the UK should back the areas with most potential (£) – singling out Oxford and Cambridge: “This includes Britain’s lagging second cities and the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor, where innovative, university-led research needs lab space and transport links to grow.”
The editorial argues: “Businesses tend to be most productive in dense clusters, where they can benefit from agglomerating skills, customers and suppliers.” They say Government shouldn't ignore other areas, but focus on “urban and innovation clusters as engines for broader growth”.
Harwell based satellite manufacturer and operator Open Cosmos has raised $300m to expand its international space business. Founded in 2015, it has won $370m of contracts in the last four years alone. Open Cosmos now manufactures satellites (up to one a day in four factories across Europe), operates a shared satellite constellation, provides secure data links and processes satellite data and imagery – all at a time of increased interest in European sovereign space infrastructure and secure communications.
An Oxford University spinout, Alloyed, with locations in Yarnton and Abingdon has developed a range of low-cost turbojet engines for drones as the UK seeks to boost its domestic defence capabilities. (We looked at Oxfordshire’s role in the defence of the UK last year.)
Lab space latest: Infinitopes, the university spinout developing vaccines for cancer, is moving to ARC Oxford’s new Motherlabs space (off Garsington Road) as it scales up. Infinitopes began its first human clinical trial of its oesophageal cancer vaccine in July. Meanwhile on the other side of town, Oxford North has won the award for ‘Best Commercial Building’ at the OxProp Awards 2026. Congratulations, but also, once seen, cannot unsee.

That’s not a lab… it’s a beagle. (Image by Holy Bollards.)

Trains and buses

Network Rail says more Oxford–Birmingham trains are still on the cards, despite being omitted from a new West Midlands rail plan. Additional services to Birmingham Moor Street had previously been suggested as a reason for level crossing closures in Oxfordshire. A spokesman said: “Extra services between Birmingham and Oxford form part of a longer-term strategic rail vision to better connect the West Midlands and surrounding regions. To do this would require infrastructure improvements outside of those provided by Midlands Rail Hub. The introduction of additional services between Birmingham and Oxford will not be a direct benefit but is something which will continue to be considered and reviewed."
The wheels on the bus don’t go round and round: Labour councillors in south and east Oxford are asking for new traffic lights at the Littlemore roundabout to be reviewed. They say that traffic has slowed following the works, which are intended to speed up buses. Cllrs Turner, Corais, Railton and Baines (Lab) have asked cabinet member for transport, Gareth Epps (LibDem), for an urgent review of the light phasing to address congestion.

Notes from Clarion HQ

Our little Oxford newsletter has reached a milestone with its 5,000th subscriber. (A special hello to Antonia who became subscriber number 5,000 on Sunday!)

The whole Clarion team is genuinely honoured that so many of you want to read our idiosyncratic mix of city sightings, politics, cats, cheese and occasional snark. We are 13 volunteers loosely organised around a lively WhatsApp group, but really, the Oxford Clarion is all 5,000 of you and the tip-offs, suggestions and observations you send us via email (news@oxfordclarion.uk) and social media. Thank you for making it what it is. See you on Friday.