The Clarion, 3 November 2026

New Cowley Road shops, illegal electric (motor)bikes, rebuilding Oxford station, college accommodation and a whole bunch of lab space. All the Oxfordshire news you need, plus cats.

This week’s long reads

November sees the annual Oxfordshire Food Summit, celebrating progress made by over 230 organisations towards a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable local food system. This year, there has been progress in (literal) spades. We take a look.

A bumper harvest for Good Food Oxfordshire

Over the past couple of decades, numerous projects have come and gone in Oxfordshire in an effort to get more locally produced food directly to residents, but like a wave building, it’s gathered weight and speed over time. 18 November will see the the annual Oxfordshire Food Summit which will

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This week’s top stories

“Bring back the Oxford–Cambridge Arc” says a new report by two heavyweight commentators and Treasury alumni, John Kingman and Shriti Vadera. In their ‘Growth Paper’ produced with King’s College London, they argue that the Government’s city-by-city approach to “the most innovative places in the world” is too timid, and that only by drawing up “a vision for the whole Arc” will its economic potential be fulfilled.

Although they say Oxford has fallen behind Cambridge largely due to constructing fewer homes, they don’t recommend more building in Oxford, saying the Green Belt can be preserved. Instead, they say development should instead be concentrated around stations on the “rail corridor” – both near Oxford-area stations like Oxford Parkway and the Cowley branch line, and around East West Rail stations like Islip, Bicester and Winslow on East West Rail. (The Clarion wrote about building near stations in 2025.)

It envisages that a development corporation for the whole arc (formed by simply expanding the remit of the existing Greater Cambridge Development Corporation) could acquire land, at farmland prices, through compulsory purchase. It would then recoup the cost of land and infrastructure with the proceeds of building 500,000 houses. Meanwhile, a business rate supplement would complete East West Rail and build a new road. This would only be practical if the Government changed its fiscal rules to keep development corporations off the national balance sheet.

Campaign group Families Failed by OUH Maternity Services (FFOUH) have called for an independent investigation into maternity services in Oxfordshire, saying the AI used to summarise testimony in a national enquiry failed to “capture the complexity of families’ accounts and the recurring patterns of harm described”. The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation concluded that Oxford University Hospitals’ maternity departments are institutionally arrogant; the buildings are dirty, and while frontline staff care desperately about their patients, the staffing is unsustainable. (Our report from July.)

In an open letter to Health Secretary Yvette Cooper, they claim Oxford is being treated differently to Leeds and Sussex where localised investigations have taken place. The group says the summaries in the national investigation do not reflect concerns repeatedly raised by Oxfordshire families. The group are calling for an independent investigation with human, senior level oversight, to accurately capture lessons learned and prevent future harm to women and babies in Oxfordshire.

A spokesperson for FFOUH said: “We have waited long enough. We need answers, accountability and tangible change before more families’ lives are ruined. Only a full, independent investigation will end the toxic ‘Oxford Way’. Until then, families remain at risk of harm.”

Sentences we never thought we'd write: Raise the Colours founder, Ryan Bridge, was detained in Somalia last week. Bridge is scheduled to appear at the newly reopened Oxford Magistrates’ Court today, charged with 14 offences arising from incidents in Oxfordshire earlier this year. This follows a court appearance in Birmingham on Monday.

His Oxford court appearance relates to seven counts of threatening behaviour, three counts involving threats intended to provoke violence, three racially aggravated offences and one count of common assault. The reason for his trip to Mogadishu (against Foreign Office advice) is less clear, but a Facebook post declares: “Armed soldiers, military vehicles and heavy security. This is the reality of being on the ground in one of the world's most dangerous countries. Ryan isn't one to shy away from going where others wouldn't dare.” Searchlight magazine reports Bridge has amassed £48,000 of legal bills. We wrote about Raise the Colours earlier this year.

Oxfordshire’s Conservative opposition leader Liam Walker has been criticised for walking out of today’s County Council meeting before a public address on abuse of women councillors. Dr Lidia Arciszewska told the meeting that one councillor was the subject of manipulated images portraying her as a witch; another, recently widowed, was targeted to “make her life hell”; and that a female officer was described by a councillor as “bulky waste”.

Council chair Ted Fenton (Con) objected to the speech, claiming that the relevant motion was about violence against women: “I don’t think this is the place for that debate.” Council deputy leader Neil Fawcett (LibDem), countered: “The motion refers to misogyny. What we’re being given here is examples of misogyny.” Cllr Chris Aramini-Brant (LibDem, Cropredy) said: “Given the criticism Cllr Walker has faced over his language towards female councillors, I would have hoped he would stay and listen.” (Livestream: address starts at 10.45am.)

Around the city

• Cowley Road retail news: Chinese supermarket Jing Jing moved to new premises on the other side of Cowley Road on Friday. The new shop, in the distinctive orange building occupied by Beeline Bicycles until August last year, is more than twice the size. (Not to be confused with Jin Jin, the Chinese restaurant 100 metres away.) And a new greengrocer has popped up. Local Roots will take over The Workshop Café every Sunday between 10 and 2.30 to sell vegetables, eggs and bread from local farms. It operates three-tier pricing – ‘Supported’, ‘Standard’, or ‘Solidarity’.

• 35 illegal electric motorcycles and e-scooters were seized in Oxford last week in a Thames Valley Police operation. TVP said: “Many of the bikes seized had been modified to travel at speeds significantly above legal limits, whilst privately owned e-scooters remain illegal to use on public roads.” The operation was led by TVP’s road police and the Oxford Cowley Neighbourhood Team. Today’s County Council meeting will hear a motion asking the Government to do more to tackle illegally modified bikes.
• Thames Valley Police are appealing for witnesses after a collision between two cyclists at the Littlemore Roundabout underpass last Tuesday. A 75-year old woman remains in hospital receiving treatment for a head injury. TVP ask anyone who witnessed it, or has helmet-cam footage, to call them on 101.
• Fabric first for net zero: Oxford City Council, as part of its goal to become a net zero city by 2040, has launched a new roadmap to improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of its housing stock over the next five years.
  The plan prioritises improvements to buildings first, such as insulation, windows and ventilation, before considering wider low-carbon technologies. It also outlines future work to explore low-carbon heating systems, renewable energy generation and other sustainability measures where appropriate.
  Cllr Anna Railton said: "This roadmap demonstrates our commitment to making council homes more sustainable while ensuring residents benefit from warmer, healthier places to live that are cheaper to heat."
• Oxford United fans are being invited to name a beer. Tap Social Brewery are launching three new OUFC-themed beers for Christmas – one lager, one pale ale, and one alcohol free – and have invited name suggestions. The winner gets a case of the new beer and a brewery tour.
• Oxford City Council has announced drop-in sessions where residents can raise concerns about anti-social behaviour and issues in their neighbourhood. They will take place at Barton Neighbourhood Centre and East Oxford Community Centre. The City Council will also be piloting two additional drop-in sessions in Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys over the coming months. Cllr Lubna Arshad said: "We know that sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone face to face, and our team is here to listen, offer advice and help address your concerns."

• The 42 Men of South Oxford, 1939-45: In the Second World War, more than 40 men from Grandpont, New Hinksey, and Cold Harbour in South Oxford died whilst serving their country. They are remembered on war memorials in the churches of St Matthew's, St John's, and St Luke's, and across the wider city. Volunteers have researched these men's backgrounds and, throughout November, South Oxford hosts a poppy trail, giving information about each man on a poster outside the house that he lived in.

Around the county

• The LibDem/Labour/Green coalition running West Oxfordshire will continue after the national Labour Party confirmed it was satisfied with local Greens’ rejection of the ‘Zionism is racism’ policy. Labour is withdrawing from co-operation with the Greens on 11 councils elsewhere in England. In a statement, West Oxfordshire Green councillors confirmed they opposed the motion, but added “The Labour Party should not be trying to project how its own party runs onto other democratic parties.” Cherwell Green councillors also say they do not support the motion, writing “We regret that this motion has left some people feeling uncomfortable and afraid”, and Vale of White Horse Green councillors issued a similar statement.
• Work is restarting on a scheme to relocate the north-western section of Bicester’s ring road. A railway underpass was completed in 2021, but has sat unused since. Oxfordshire County Council says now that more houses have been built, developer funding is available to restart work. Howes Lane will be moved further out to pass through the 2021 underpass, avoiding an existing pinch point. The new road will include connections to several new housing developments, as well as a cycle/footway on each side.
• White Horse Leisure & Tennis Centre has completed the replacement of its gas boilers and power system with air source heat pumps and solar panels. The work, funded by a £6m Government grant and developer funds, forms part of Vale of White Horse District Council’s wider programme to decarbonise its buildings and reduce carbon emissions. Cllr Robert Clegg called it “a significant milestone in our efforts to tackle climate change”.
• Health experts are urging Oxfordshire parents and carers of children under two to be aware of the signs of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in children as temperatures drop. RSV is a common virus that causes coughs and colds in winter, and is a common cause of bronchiolitis. Parents and carers are advised to dial 999 for an ambulance, or attend an Emergency Department, if there are pauses or grunting when their child breathes; their child's skin, tongue, or lips are blue; or their child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake. Penny Lennox for Oxford University Hospitals noted: "Respiratory illnesses in children can be very concerning for families. For the majority of children, care can be provided at home with simple measures such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, and fluids to help relieve symptoms."
• State-funded special schools in the county are to have regular meetings with Oxfordshire County Council over home-to-school transport. The new meetings form part of the response to the issues at the start of the school year, where hundreds of children did not have transport arranged in time. OCC also hopes to extend these meetings to include independent special schools and alternative provision. All families whose applications were received by 31 August should have received details of their transport ahead of the return to school this week, says Oxfordshire Parent Carers' Forum.
• A South Oxfordshire taxi firm has been fined £4,000 for carrying passengers without a licence or valid insurance. M40 Cars, Tetsworth, was uninsured for over a year between March 2025 and May 2026. Cllr Georgina Heritage said SODC has a “zero-tolerance approach”.

• A new Paediatric Audiology Outpatients Department at Banbury's Horton General Hospital has officially opened. The new facility includes a soundproof room with specialist equipment, meaning patients from north Oxfordshire have an alternative to travelling to the JR. Sir Andrew Morris, Chair of OUH, said: "This new unit supports the NHS Long Term Plan's commitment to delivering care closer to home, ensuring patients can access high-quality services in locations that are convenient for them whenever possible."
• An Abingdon Town Council by-election has been won by the Liberal Democrats. Julie Kemp-Harper was elected for Abingdon Dunmore with 622 votes, vs the Conservatives at 103 votes. Turnout was 16.9%.
• Bins news: Cherwell District Council residents have recycled more than 2,000 tonnes of glass since a new kerbside recycling scheme launched in January. As a result, the council has been nominated in two categories in the National Recycling Awards 2026. Councillor Alisa Russell said: "I would like to congratulate everyone involved in securing these award nominations, but most importantly thank Cherwell residents for embracing this initiative. When we work together we can increase recycling, reduce waste and make a real difference to our communities.”

• That don't impress me much: Five time Grammy award winner Shania Twain is to headline next June's Blenheim Palace Festival. She joins David Gray and Alex Warren in the line-up. Tickets go on sale on Friday.
  

Oxfordshire politics

A correspondent asked us to switch up the order of the MPs each week so they got equal prominence – so we'll try! Let's start with some cat news...

• In peak Liberal Demo-cat news, Olly Glover and Freddie van Mierlo have released a joint video to campaign for cats to have the same rights as dogs. Currently if a driver hits a cat, they are under no obligation to stop or report the incident. The MPs say: "Household pets are much more than animals, they're beloved family members. It's time the law recognised that too." Campaign purrfection or barking up the wrong tree? You decide.

• Didcot & Wantage MP Olly Glover (LibDem) visited Sutton Courtenay to meet landfill site managers FCC and the Environment Agency, following the fire and, well, odour reported from the site this summer. He'll be hosting a Business Breakfast event on 17 November for local businesses to come together to discuss the Budget and share any challenges.
• Henley & Thame MP Freddie van Mierlo (LibDem) took a moment in Parliament to celebrate Greener Henley, whose ‘Street by Street’ project invites neighbours to collaborate to make their street greener, healthier and better prepared for emergencies.
• Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds (Lab), a former Shadow Chancellor, knows her way around a budget. In a series of Facebook posts, she praised Budget changes for small businesses, plus announcements on devolution and infrastructure investment leading to “good growth in every postcode” (obviously relies on Royal Mail actually delivering to said postcode). She supported proposals for a stronger UK sanctions regime, citing instances where the sanctions list had led to people being removed from positions of power.
• Bicester & Woodstock MP Calum Miller (LibDem) called the Budget “a disappointing Budget from a cautious chancellor who failed to meet the moment that our country faces”. In more postcode news, he called for a cultural reset between Royal Mail management and the posties on the frontline who, he said, have good ideas on how to make change but are prevented from doing so.
• Witney MP Charlie Maynard (LibDem) is like a dog with a bone on Thames Water. He co-commissioned a legal opinion on putting Thames Water into special administration, and asked the Secretary of State to meet him to discuss it: she agreed, but said "lawyers have many opinions". On the Budget, he said changes in business rates would make very little difference to small businesses on the high street. But he welcomed devolution news, saying local powers could fund a new railway between Oxford, Eynsham, Witney and Carterton to serve the 20,000 houses coming to West Oxfordshire.

• Oxford West & Abingdon MP Layla Moran (LibDem) celebrated the scrapping of the Vagrancy Act, something she's been campaigning for since 2018. (With good reason; in a 2025 snapshot of rough sleepers, Oxford came 36th out of 296 local authorities for the highest number of rough sleepers, although it had decreased 22% vs the previous year.) As chair of the Health & Social Care Select Committee, she published a new report calling for a major overhaul of obesity care in England, arguing that obesity should be recognised and treated as a chronic, relapsing condition with long-term NHS support similar to the management of diabetes. She condemned the budget as a "sugar rush" budget that offers short-term relief but fails to tackle the long-term challenges facing the country.
• Banbury MP Sean Woodcock (Lab), a former Cherwell councillor, spoke in Parliament welcoming local government re-organisation. He signed a letter calling for an effective age-verification system for social media. As we write, his own social media is blowing up with reactions to his posting welcoming the Government’s immigration changes, which is not going down at all well with the (largely centre/left) Bluesky crowd. Finally he has started a weekly video round-up (good content, not convinced by the elevator music).

• Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber (Con) told ITV that the budget was a “non-event”. If you have been inspired by Kemi Badenoch recently, he wants you to consider campaigning for the Conservative party or even standing for election. We'll give this week's final word to a post Barber shared: Chris, the publican at the George at Upton, who writes his own view on the budget and what is needed to support hospitality businesses. If you drink beer in a pub, give it a read.

University and research

• A new, greatly expanded edition of a book about generations of Oxford University’s Black scholars will be launched this weekend. Black Oxford draws on more than a decade of research by author Pamela Roberts since its original 2013 publication. The book includes stories of Christian Frederick Cole, Britain's first Black barrister; Alain LeRoy Locke, intellectual architect of the Harlem Renaissance; African and African American women; the contribution of the Windrush Generation; and a new generation of Black scholars and leaders at Oxford. The launch on Saturday will include a talk by Pamela Roberts at the Weston Library and an open-top bus tour. She has previously worked with City Sightseeing Oxford to create and deliver Black heritage guided bus tours.
• (More) real journalism in Oxford: The Oxford International Centre for Publishing & Journalism, based at Oxford Brookes, has announced the first recipient of the David McClure Public Interest Journalism Fellowship. Jasmine Owens will receive £15,000 to finish an investigation into critical healthcare in UK prisons. Jasmine said: “Without this fellowship, I wouldn’t be able to spend more than the odd hour now and then on this investigation, as I’ve been doing for over a year now. It focuses on a critical prison healthcare problem which evidence suggests is contributing to avoidable deaths." The runner-up is Katie Dancey-Downs, who will receive £3,000 towards her investigation into censorship in UK school libraries.

• University College has completed work on its North Oxford site, Univ North, between the Banbury and Woodstock roads. It includes 120 study-bedrooms, a gym, café, study and meeting spaces, and children’s nursery. The project began in 2016 when the college acquired an old care home next to its 1970s ‘Stavertonia‘ annexe. The Victorian villa has now been remodelled as Fairfield House, with five new buildings constructed in its grounds – Frederick House and Booth Pavilion being named after project donors. Valerie Amos, Master of Univ, said: “Univ North is transformational for Univ, enabling us to further realise our ambitions with respect to academic excellence, diversity and inclusion. It will enhance the experience of our students and benefit our whole community.”
• Books, because they're worth it: Worcester College has announced plans to build a new library in its grounds, thanks to a £30 million donation. The existing Grade I-listed library is reached by a stone spiral staircase, inaccessible to wheelchair users. The library will be named after the donor, Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, former head of cosmetics firm L'Oréal who came to Worcester College in 1965 for a degree in modern languages. One of the rooms in Worcester's existing library was named after PPE graduate and deputy editor of the original 1950s Oxford Clarion, Rupert Murdoch. (We wrote last year about the billionaires changing the face of Oxford University and the city.)
• EPIC research: Researchers at Oxford Population Health have launched a major new study designed to generate the most up-to-date picture of different diets in the UK, including plant-based diets, and how they affect long-term health. The EPIC-Oxford 2 study builds on the original study, one of the best-known studies of vegetarian and vegan diets, which began in the 1990s and has followed the health of around 65,000 people living throughout the UK. The EPIC-Oxford 2 team aims to involve around 100,000 people.
• Seabirds can suffer from jetlag, Oxford biologists have found. An analysis of 20 years of GPS tracks from over 1,000 Manx shearwaters revealed that the birds’ flight directions deviated where their internal clocks became out of sync with local solar time, causing them to misjudge the sun’s position. Lead researcher Patrick Lewin said: “The next step is to understand how that affects them. Do they mistime critical behaviours? Perhaps birds that routinely travel long distances could help teach us how to cope with and treat jet lag to avoid the really negative effects it can have on our health.” The study, published in Science, suggests birds continued to rely on a ‘sun compass’ even when other navigational cues (like following a coastline) were available, but that they can reassess their position and adjust their route home accordingly.
• Lab space in Cowley: The University of Oxford is to make a decision next month on further lab and clinical space for the Oxford Vaccine Group at ARC Oxford. The relocation aims to support the group’s “expanding portfolio of high-impact research and strategic partnerships”. We've previously reported on the Oxford Vaccine Group's work, which includes an ongoing project to develop a vaccine against Ebola in response to the current outbreak in central Africa.

Business and tech

• Lab space in Harwell: Harwell Campus has announced plans for a new 155,000 sq.ft life sciences research facility for US firm Vertex Pharmaceuticals, which already has a small presence at Milton Park. This will be part of Harwell's growing Health Tech Cluster, which celebrates its 10th anniversary with 75 organisations and 1400 people. Subject to planning, the new facility would be constructed in 2027 next to the CO:LABS life science building - which is designed to support multiple early-stage businesses. Last year biotech giant Moderna opened a state-of-the-art manufacturing and R&D site on the campus.
• Lab space in Enstone: A new development on an airfield near Soho Farmhouse is being positioned as a “country estate for innovators”. Enstone Estate, near Charlbury, will offer incubator space for startups, workshops, R&D facilities, and advanced manufacturing accommodation. Construction at the privately owned site is expected to begin in the spring, at a cost of £35m. The owners say it will ultimately contribute £125m per year to the economy and attract 1,500 jobs. (Its location is adjacent to the proposed Mullin Automotive Museum, an international tourist attraction showcasing the private car collection of the late Peter Mullin.)

Trains and buses

• Plans for the long-awaited rebuild of Oxford’s railway station are getting underway with “a detailed review of future capacity”, to be followed by public consultation. Network Rail are planning new west-side and east-side entrances as well as improved bus connections for onward travel. As reported by the Clarion in August, architects’ practice Hawkins Brown has been appointed to draw up the new design for the 12-acre site, backed by masterplanners 5th Studio. Passenger numbers at the station are expected to double by 2036, with new services to Cowley, Bristol and Milton Keynes.
• Milton Keynes, did you say? Network Rail’s press release about the station slipped in the sentence “East West Rail services are expected to begin serving Oxford station in 2029”. The RMT union is planning to strike again on 12 November, the latest stage in the two-year dispute that has prevented services starting: further talks between state-owned Chiltern Railways and the union have ended with no resolution.
• The route for Oxford's Christmas Light Bus has been released. Friday 13 November will see it visit east and south Oxford, while Saturday 14th sees it pass down the Cowley Road, through the city centre, out to Summertown and Kidlington, and then to Botley.
• Oxfordshire’s bus plan is open for consultation. OxBus 2040 proposes contactless ‘tap on, tap off’ payment across the county, zero-emission buses, and more routes to hospitals, rural towns and train stations.

Charity begins at home

• Age UK Oxfordshire is partnering with Innocent Drinks for the Big Knit, with knitters knitting smoothie-bottle sized hats to raise funds to support older people in Oxfordshire. Last year, locals knitted 28,993 hats to raise over £8,000.
• Winnie the Witch illustrator kOrky Paul has created a puzzle poster to celebrate Sobell House Hospice’s 50th anniversary. The charity says that at £5 it’s a joyful search-and-find for all ages and a perfect stocking filler or Secret Santa gift. 100% of every sale funds hospice care for patients and their families. Buy online.

Notes from Clarion HQ

We had no idea how to caption this photo of Henley & Thame MP Freddie van Mierlo and a giant fish. So we’re asking you for suggestions – via email (news@oxfordclarion.uk), Bluesky or Facebook. We’ll share the best on Friday – see you then.