The Clarion, 25 November 2025

Welcome to our news and politics edition where we round up the very best city, county and university news, plus what our MPs have been up to. After the craziness of our much-shared little article on college cats last week, this edition is a cat-free zone. There is a rather lovely cow though…

This week’s top stories

Early signs suggest an outbreak of bird flu (H5N1) in Oxfordshire. Following a dead swan in Witney which was subsequently confirmed by testing to have avian influenza, cases were confirmed last week in Blenheim and on Port Meadow. Anyone encountering a dead bird is asked not to touch it but to report it to the Defra helpline. The government announced measures for keepers of domesticated birds, including backyard chickens, earlier this month.

The Environment Agency has sealed off Kidlington’s colossal fly-tip and says its investigations are “following several lines of enquiry”. The case has been declared as a critical incident, codenamed ‘Operation Nation’.

An initial barrier has been installed in the stream that runs beside the site. The Agency plans to install large sandbags between the waste pile and River Cherwell as an additional barrier this week, and to secure the site with Heras fencing. It says that it is conducting testing downstream to monitor water quality, but as yet, “there has been no evidence of waste breakdown”.

As the Clarion reported last week, the field had been in absentee ownership for several years, but was split into several lots and auctioned off earlier this year. The Daily Mail has gone further (original link, archive link) and found that the purchaser of this particular plot – for £150,000 – was a 38-year old living in South London with “blond hair, a flat nose and various tattoos on his neck”. The Mail says that “through no fault of his own, he is now the unhappy owner of rural Britain’s most appalling crime scene”.

Emma Reynolds, Secretary of State for the Environment, said: “The appalling illegal waste dumped in Kidlington is disgraceful, and I know how strongly local people feel about the site. I’ve instructed the Environment Agency to take decisive action to reduce the risk of environmental harm, and I am pleased they are now installing additional barriers to prevent pollution of the Cherwell.”

Close on a hundred people demonstrated on Saturday at Campsfield to oppose the reopening of the immigration detention centre, near Kidlington. It is expected that Phase 1 (refurbished, 140 beds) of Campsfield’s redevelopment will open in the coming days.

Speakers included councillors Ian Middleton (Green) and Mike Rowley (Labour), plus Oxford trade unionist Bill MacKeith. Last year, councils at all levels – Kidlington Parish, Cherwell District, Oxford City, and Oxfordshire County – joined the Keep Campsfield Closed campaign and local MP Calum Miller in opposing the plans to reopen and expand Campsfield. But the Government plans to use ministerial approval powers (‘Crown Development’) for a 260-bed expansion.

A former detainee of Campsfield said: “While I was at Campsfield I saw many people struggle to cope with depression and a system designed to break people down. You are treated as if you are a risk to society when all you are trying to do is reach safety and build a life.”

Oxfordshire councils are expecting a rough deal from “the most significant changes to local government funding in more than a decade”. The County Council says it expects to lose £35m over a three-year period while Cherwell District Council anticipates “a significant reduction in resources”.

For OCC, Cllr Dan Levy said: “This year, uncertainty is greatly amplified because of the wide-ranging changes the government plans. This creates real complications for our finance experts who have only been able to model the potential outcomes to a very limited extent.”

Cherwell leader Cllr David Hingley said: “We are faced with changes to Government funding which could divert millions of pounds away from our district. I am calling for realistic and sustainable funding arrangements so that councils like Cherwell can plan ahead with certainty.”

Cherwell has opened a consultation on its budget changes. These include acquiring accommodation for homeless people at a cost of £5m to cut the amount spent on hotels, closing public toilets in Bicester, and moving to a green bin collection every three weeks.

Around the city

• Oxford’s Waterstones bookshop will reopen in its new Queen Street location on Thursday, barring any last-minute delays. Cards and books are already on many of the shelves while shopfitters carry out the finishing touches.
• The Vicar of the University Church, Revd Canon Dr Will Lamb, met Pope Leo this month and learned that “he had been to Choral Vespers at the University Church… he had been a visitor here a few years before he became Pope”. Revd Lamb was part of a delegation marking the declaration of John Henry Newman, leader of the C19th Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement, as a Doctor of the Universal Church. “Every Sunday when we celebrate the Eucharist, we use a chalice that Newman gave us when he was our Vicar.”
• Cowley Road’s cinema, the Ultimate Picture Palace, has launched a fundraising appeal to “secure our long-term tenancy in our historic cinema”. The community-owned cinema has been seeking a longer lease from landlords Oriel College; UPP says its overheads have increased by 84% over the last five years. In June, the cinema was designated as an Asset of Community Value by Oxford City Council, which gives the safeguard of a ‘community right to bid’ if the property is listed for sale.
• Paw-sitively golden: ODS, Oxford City Council's service company, has been awarded the RSPCA's prestigious PawPrints Gold Award, recognising dedication to protecting and caring for the city's stray and lost dogs. This is the second year running Oxford has won this award. The PawPrints Awards celebrate the work of public sector teams who go above and beyond to promote animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, including care of sick or injured animals and behavioural training for staff, and promoting responsible ownership. Ady Higgs, ODS Dog Warden, said: “We're absolutely thrilled. Every day I see how much these dogs mean to people. It's a privilege to be there when they're lost or in need. We work really hard to make sure every animal gets the care and respect it deserves so this award means a lot.”
• Campaigners wishing to keep the Museum of Oxford free, after the City Council proposed introducing entrance fees, launched a petition and staged a protest at the Town Hall ahead of Monday’s Oxford City Council meeting. They say that the people of Oxford and its visitors should not have to pay to learn about their own history, and that introducing an entrance fee will discourage many people from visiting the museum and hit the poorest hardest. Museum exhibits include: the Cutteslowe Walls demonstrations led by Olive Gibbs, the Cowley Road Carnival, the Windrush community, Morris Motors, the Pressed Steel factory, Oxford Pride and much more. The Museum of Oxford in the Town Hall has been celebrating its golden anniversary this year, having opened in 1975.
• Another motion opposing the planned bus gates (traffic filters) and Workplace Parking Levy was defeated at Oxford City Council’s meeting last night. It was proposed by the Independent Oxford Alliance; Green and LibDem councillors voted against the motion while Labour abstained. (Clarion readers do of course know that these are County not City Council matters, but hey, those May election leaflets aren’t going to write themselves…)
• Estate agents Finders Keepers have been refused permission to install digital window displays and new signs in their St Clements office. City planners said the shopfront would be “visually incongruous and highly prominent… internally illuminated projecting signs and fascias are discouraged by the council as they are not in character with most settings in the city… illuminated screens are not a common feature of the street”. Finders Keepers is rebranding all its Oxfordshire offices.

Around the county

• Scouts in Wantage are running a volunteer Christmas post service for the 34th year, with delivery at 40p per card. Cards are hand-delivered by Scouts to Wantage, Grove and local villages. (Royal Mail’s first class stamps currently cost £1.70.)
• School leaders campaigning in support of the International Baccalaureate have delivered a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to reinstate state school funding for the diploma, “so that we do not close the door to a high-quality programme for a whole generation of state school pupils”. Olly Glover MP, and principal of Culham’s Europa School Lynn Wood, both attended. Glover said: “Europa is a major draw for families of international scientists working with UKAEA and Harwell. Restricting access to [the IB] to those families who can afford to pay private school fees is the opposite of social mobility.”
• A 25-hour church organ marathon took place in Bicester on Saturday for the Royal School of Church Music. Their director Hugh Morris played a selection of organ pieces and hymns, with singing by choirs from around Oxfordshire and elsewhere.
• The NHS in Oxfordshire has urged people to get vaccinated against the flu with “cases increasing rapidly”. All over-65s, and other vulnerable groups, are eligible for a free jab which can be booked via GP surgeries, pharmacies or the NHS app.
• Changed priorities at the Lodge Hill interchange in Abingdon are causing more angst than you would expect from some painted white lines. Abingdon Blog points out “Drivers are given advance warning with Give Way signs at 200, 100, and 50 yards, as well as at the junction itself, along with two Changed Priorities Ahead signs.” Local councillor Nathan Ley remarks on Facebook that “I understand this still doesn't seem to be working with some drivers” and “pls no more tags in Facebook groups - I haven't got the strength and there’s no way I’m gonna look”.

Oxfordshire politics

• It’s the Budget on Wednesday and Oxfordshire’s politicians have been putting their causes forward. Oxford West & Abingdon MP Layla Moran and Witney MP Charlie Maynard visited Oxford's Covered Market to call on the Chancellor to make an emergency 5% VAT cut for pubs, restaurants and other hospitality businesses. The MPs met with small business owners to hear first-hand about the pressures they face ahead of the Budget, including rising costs and staffing challenges.
       Layla Moran said: “The Covered Market is a shining example of how brilliant so many of our small businesses are across the Thames Valley. This Budget is going to be a critical juncture for a hospitality sector that has already faced significant challenges directly because of this government. We want to see businesses in my constituency thriving, not plagued with unnecessary hurdles imposed by the Chancellor.”
       She also discussed the impact of the Botley Road closure, and Oxford's recently introduced congestion charge, with traders. The visit was interrupted by protesters from Open Roads For Oxford Ltd (ORFOL) campaigning against the charge.
• The Oxford City Green Party is celebrating reaching 1,000 members. A very enthusiastic press release says it is a 150% increase since the beginning of the year. Indigo Blyth, the 1,000th member of the party, said: “As a young student in the NHS, the Green Party are making me feel hopeful again – I’m excited to be a part of this community of likeminded and compassionate people. It brings me peace to know I am supporting a party that prioritise environmental issues and social injustice, and aren’t afraid to tax billionaires to make these changes a reality. Here’s to 2,000 members!” South & Vale Greens have also hit the 1,000 member mark.
• Banbury MP Sean Woodcock marked Road Safety Awareness Week with ministers responsible for Labour’s upcoming Road Safety Strategy. The MP said: “Road safety isn’t just a transport issue - it’s about protecting lives, supporting families, and restoring confidence in our streets. Every year, 1,600 people lose their lives on our roads, and thousands more are seriously injured. We would not accept this in any other area of public life.” Being a backbencher for the governing party is a tough gig sometimes; you don't get to make the headlines with grandiose statements challenging existing policy. However, each week, Woodcock shares policy updates, large and small, that he believes will make a difference to his constituents. We don't always report on them – but to illustrate, this week he's flagged (among other things) the freezing of rail fares and prescription charges, free breakfast clubs, banning ticket touts, a Men's Health strategy (not a reference to the similarly named magazine) and much more. In a media environment where it's hard to make waves, he's ploughing his own furrow. We respect that.
• Bicester & Woodstock MP Calum Miller shared this update of his week: submitting a statement calling for planning permission not to be granted to Botley West Solar Farm (carefully rebranded as “solar plant”), multiple actions to deal with the waste dump in Kidlington, and fundraising for Children in Need with the Bicester & Woodstock Fire Service. In the rain.
• Witney MP Charlie Maynard spoke in the Injury in Service debate, with some truly heartrending stories of service from our emergency responders. He tried to enlist the minister's help in the case of a Witney firefighter seconded to the ambulance service during the pandemic, during which time he contracted Long Covid; he was retired on ill health grounds, yet has not been paid the right pension. The MP also visited both the Kings School in Witney and Burford School. (When does the voting age get lowered again?)
• Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds has had a very constituency-y week. She attended the Helen & Douglas House charity shop Christmas bonanza. She ran an ‘Autumn School’ for 16-19 year olds on how councils work and what MPs do. (Could we suggest this as compulsory training for city councillors before they put motions to council meetings? Just saying.) She attended the panto at the Oxford Playhouse (oh no she didn’t, etc. etc.) and an Oxfordshire County Council Vision Zero event. In Parliament she brought up Cowley's Jungle, and asked when Government funding would be released to allow work to begin on the Kennington Bridge. Finally, on ‘Ask Her to Stand’ day, she shared the reasons she first went in to politics.
• Oxford West & Abingdon MP Layla Moran extended her sympathies to victims of Covid, including those living with long Covid, after the Covid enquiry found that an earlier lockdown could have saved up to 23,000 lives. She talked to the BBC about flooding in Abingdon, and about her concerns around the Botley West Solar Farm. She joined Bicester & Woodstock MP Calum Miller in calling for action on the illegal dump in Kidlington.
• Didcot & Wantage MP Olly Glover asked in Parliament why, despite the line between Oxford and Milton Keynes being open to freight for over a year, no passenger trains had used it yet. The Minister blamed the previous government (full exchange for the centre of the Venn diagram of those interested in trains and politics). In the same session, he queried the price of rail fares, saying £7,780 for an annual season ticket from Didcot to London didn't represent value for money. In non-train news, he spoke to ITV about SEND support, criticising the government over confusion and mixed messages.
• Henley & Thame MP Freddie van Mierlo has been supporting farmers in Westminster, which gives us an excuse to use the picture of him with the calf again (apparently the calf is grown-up now). On International Men's Day he was making dad jokes on TV: “I used to hate facial hair, but then it grew on me… Not my finest joke, but nowhere near as bad as the joke played on half a million dads each year – paternity leave of just two weeks on less than half the minimum wage.” At an APPG meeting on babies, he listened to clinicians speak about the importance of embedding better knowledge of childhood development in society.
• Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber is asking residents to share their views on how to spend the policing element of council tax. Although the Government announced last week that they intend to abolish PCCs, this isn’t due to take place before 2028; until then, it remains the PCC’s statutory duty to set the policing budget. He has written an opinion piece on the abolition of the PCC role attacking the assumed cost savings, and warning against centralising control of the police. (Any summary we write on this complex issue would be reductive; if it interests you, it’s a relatively short read.) He was out on the doors in the rain. Here's his weekly recap. No Labrador photo this week!

University & research

• Oxford biologists have modelled the evolutionary history of kissing behaviour, defined as “non-aggressive, directed, mouth-to-mouth contact... that doesn't involve food transfer”. Shared oral microbes imply that humans and Neanderthals may have kissed together.
• “Rage bait”, “aura farming” and “biohack” are the three contenders for the Oxford English Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2025. Recent winners have included “brain rot”, “rizz” and “goblin mode”. Voting is open now with results announced next Monday.
• The new Reynard Wing at Oxford Brookes’ Headington campus was opened last week by former racing champion and Brookes student Adrian Reynard. The building provides research facilities for aerodynamics, computational fluid dynamics and motorsport innovation. Reynard, who ran the world’s largest racing car manufacturer in the 90s, said: “I have kept in touch with Oxford Brookes and worked with their motorsport course and department, and I was really excited to see that it’s grown into this fantastic facility, which has got to be the best in the world.”
• Pharmaceutical giant GSK is to fund £10m of medicine research at Oxford University. The study will focus on inflammatory diseases. Professor Christopher Buckley said: “By focusing on experimental medicine trials in which we aim to establish cellular causality, we can de-risk drug development by understanding how therapies interact with disease at the cellular level.”
• A partnership between Oxford University’s museums and libraries and Iffley Academy is celebrating 10 years. The SEND school has benefited from “creative learning opportunities and project work based around the University’s collections”. Harry, an Iffley student, said: “I’ve learned so many new skills and the placement has given me independence and confidence – especially when talking to people. Working at the [Natural History] museum has turned my life around and given me a purpose.”
• The University of Oxford has a “chequered” record in handling harassment allegations, according to a nine-month investigation by Bloomberg. It cites allegations against Soumitra Dutta, former head of the Saïd Business School; John Tasioulas, former director of the Institute for Ethics in AI; and senior academics at New College and Balliol. Bloomberg explains to readers that “many professors have employment contracts with both their faculty and their college… members of a college’s governing body can be particularly hard to remove”, and notes that “women involved in the Tasioulas investigation felt it was handled well”.

Trains and buses

• “Improved active travel facilities” at Oxford Parkway station have been promised by East West Rail as part of their latest project update. Other design changes in Oxfordshire could include a turnback siding at Parkway and an overtaking loop for freight trains at Islip. The plans also envisage as many as five trains per hour, which could each be extended to five carriages. Further east, EWR has confirmed it plans to close several of the village stations on the existing line between Bletchley and Bedford, and altered its designs for the final stretch from Bedford to Cambridge. Another round of consultation will be held in 2026.
• Chiltern Railways has finally confirmed Oxford to Milton Keynes services will not start this year. The delay, first reported by the Clarion in September, has been picked up by national media this month. Chiltern says “We understand this will be disappointing to people looking forward to using the new route.” Under instruction from Government, Chiltern is planning to run the trains without guards – a practice opposed by rail unions. A memo to staff said that stations on the route would be staffed and that ‘Customer Service Inspectors’ will be on some trains.
• An underpass will only be provided at Bicester’s London Road railway crossing if “third-party funding contributions” can be found, say East West Rail. The level crossing is set to be closed when more trains start running, and local campaigners have petitioned against a footbridge replacement. EWR says it has developed “a revised underpass design which includes a single-lane road that could be used by vehicles, alongside a protected corridor for pedestrians and cyclists… traffic signals would be installed at each entrance… it could not be used by overheight vehicles”. Local MP Calum Miller said: “An underpass that can take both pedestrians and vehicles is on the table, yet ministers have still not taken the final step and agreed to fund it. If the Government accepts that the underpass is the better, more accessible solution, it should back it properly.”
• Happy Christmas from CrossCountry! Yes, trains to Oxford in the run-up to Christmas will be disrupted yet again. The RMT union has announced industrial action on CrossCountry services – which include Oxford to Banbury, Birmingham and Reading – on Saturdays in December; it said “the company has failed to honour agreements on overtime payments, staff resourcing and wage discrepancies for different grades”. GWR and Chiltern services to Oxford are not affected.
• The County Council’s OxRail 2040 strategy, which we reported on in September, has been formally approved. It includes half-hourly trains on the Cotswold Line and Cherwell Valley; new stations at Wantage & Grove, Begbroke, Ardley, and on the Cowley Branch Line; and co-ordination with walking and cycling routes.

Notes from Clarion HQ

Right now it feels like we could start a dedicated Kidlington Clarion. It used to be a sleepy but large village, unbothered by headlines with relatively (for Oxfordshire) affordable housing, a decent town centre and a nice canal. Then in recent months: (deep breath) the new OUFC stadium, a ‘super compute’ facility, the UK’s largest rubbish dump, airport redevelopments, and Campsfield. It must surely be one of the most headlined villages in the UK right now, and we can understand why the Parish Council is reviewing whether to make it a town. Kidlington-ites, send us your positive news stories about your village!

We’ll be back on Friday with our weekend edition. See you then.