Brendan Kay, managing director of Parkers Properties – which has branches in Witney and Eynsham – said the Government’s new Home Buying and Selling Reform Roadmap could ease transactions for buyers and sellers alike.

The roadmap, announced on June 19, aims to simplify and speed up home moves, while reducing unexpected setbacks that can cause sales to fall through.

Mr Kay said: “West Oxfordshire has some of the most desirable homes in the country, but many of them are also among the most complex to buy and sell.

“From listed cottages and converted barns to properties affected by conservation area restrictions, private drainage systems and historic rights of way, important information often emerges late in the transaction.

“That can create delays, uncertainty and sometimes cause sales to fall through altogether.

“The principle behind these reforms is therefore very positive.

“Anything that encourages more information to be gathered and shared at the start of the process should help buyers make better informed decisions and reduce the risk of unpleasant surprises further down the line.”

Proposals include the introduction of mandatory ‘sales packs’ containing key details about a property’s condition and any leasehold costs.

These would be provided at the point of listing to ensure buyers have vital information before making an offer.

While the packs will not be introduced immediately, the Government is working with the property industry to identify what information can be made available voluntarily.

Mr Kay said: “Moving home is already one of life’s most stressful experiences.

“If these changes result in greater transparency and certainty from the outset, they have the potential to improve the experience significantly for buyers and sellers across West Oxfordshire.

“The detail of implementation will be crucial, but this is the most significant attempt to modernise the home buying process that we’ve seen in many years.”

The roadmap also calls for greater professional standards in the property sector.

A non-statutory Code of Practice is expected later this year, with a public consultation on mandatory qualifications for estate and letting agents set for 2027.

Mr Kay said: “Buying or selling a home is often the largest financial transaction people will ever undertake, yet estate agency remains one of the few professions where formal qualifications are not universally required.

“In a market such as West Oxfordshire, where many homes are unique and complex, professional knowledge matters.

“Greater professional standards and a stronger focus on qualifications can only help improve confidence, transparency and outcomes for buyers and sellers alike.”

The Manor in Garsington has submitted an application to South Oxfordshire District Council, seeking permission for a range of activities under the Licensing Act 2003.

Live music is proposed to be played from noon to 11pm every day, while recorded music would be played from noon to 11pm on weekdays and Sundays, and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

The pub also wishes to sell alcohol and provide late-night refreshments: Mon-Thu and Sun from noon to 11pm, and Fri-Sat from noon to 12.30am.

The application, submitted by Xhetan Bushi, is open for public comment until June 26.

People can make representations in writing to the council’s licensing team and can view the full application online or at the council’s offices.

The council has also been busy with a series of new road and traffic regulations across Oxfordshire.

In Stanton St John, speed limits are set to change as part of the wider ‘Quiet Lanes’ programme.

Shepherds Pit Lane will see its speed limit reduced from the national 60mph limit to 20mph along its entire length.

The B4027 Wheatley Road will also see its 30mph limit extended, replacing a section of the current 50mph limit.

In Oxford City, changes have been made to parking restrictions as part of the ‘Cutteslowe School Zone Scheme’.

This includes the removal of a shared-use parking bay on Wren Road and the introduction of two disabled persons parking places.

A new ‘No Waiting at Any Time’ parking prohibition has also been put in place between the new disabled parking places.

South Hinksey will see its village speed limit extended.

Parker Road, from its junction with St Lawrence Road to 60 metres north of its junction with Manor Road, will now have a 20mph speed limit.

In Bainton, the unnamed road through the hamlet will have its speed limit reduced to 20mph, replacing the previous 30mph limit and extending 605 metres into a previously 60mph zone.

Temporary footpath closures have also been announced.

Footpath No.371/7/20 in Stratton Audley will remain closed until February 2027 for public safety due to hazards such as landfill, deep open water, and overgrowth.

In Gosford & Water Eaton, Footpath 229/15/10 will remain closed due to a failed footbridge which requires replacement.

No official alternative route has been provided for this closure.

Further details on all these changes can be found on the Oxfordshire County Council website.

In other news, a new premises licence application has been made by the Salty Dog Whisky Limited for the Salter’s Steamers Office at Folly Bridge, Oxford.

If approved, the licence would allow the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises from 8am to 9pm each day.

Comments on this application can be made until June 26.

In Witney, a fish and chips restaurant has applied for a variation of its premises licence to allow the sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises.

The application by Smarts Fish & Chips Restaurant at 50 Market Square can be inspected by contacting the licensing section of West Oxfordshire District Council.

In Bicester, DRC Bicester Limited has applied to Cherwell District Council to vary the premises licence of The Double Red Duke.

The proposed changes include updating the name of the premises, varying the layout to include a larger outside terrace, and adding one condition to the premises licence.

The full application can be inspected at the council’s offices.

Finally, the Cancer Research UK Race for Life event will lead to temporary road closures and traffic restrictions in Oxford.

The event is set to take place on Sunday, June 28, 2026, and will affect several roads between 9am and 11.45am.

Alternative routes for affected traffic have been suggested via the Oxford Ring Road, Marston Ferry Road, and Marston Road from the north, and via Iffley Road, Donnington Bridge Road, and Abingdon Road from the south and east.

Olly Glover, representative for Didcot and Wantage, has called for reform to the business rates system and for ‘independent shop zones’ to be implemented as he highlighted growing pressures on small businesses.

His intervention comes the same week as Oxfordshire County Council launched a controversial new plan for Wantage Market Place which would see car parking spaces removed, bus stops improved and new pedestrianised areas created.

READ MORE: Urgent business meeting called amid Oxfordshire town’s market place plan

The aim of these changes – which are only partially funded – is to create a “vibrant, welcoming and accessible space for everyone” and to encourage sustainable transport.

In addition, the council said the proposals will “support local businesses by promoting tourism, and encouraging local people to visit more often and stay for longer”.

New plans have recently been revealed for Wantage Market Place (Image: Supplied)

However, they have not been universally welcomed with members of the town concerned at the loss of parking, although the council says there are options nearby.

In addition, these changes come as businesses in Wantage say they are facing an increasingly challenging landscape.

In recent months women’s clothing store New Look, off Limborough Road, has closed as has Cozzy Lounge in Newbury Street and the Wantage Chippy in Wallingford Street.

The opening of the Wantage Chippy in 2023 (Image: Ed Nix)

Though, Maeri Howard of the local chamber of commerce said that business was still good in the birthplace of Anglo-Saxon monarch King Alfred the Great, business rates are a particular burden.

She said: “The most meaningful support for our businesses would come through genuine reform of business rates, which continue to penalise physical premises at a time when they need encouragement, not additional burden.”

Mr Glover agreed and reiterated his call for reform to the business rates system during a recent Westminster Hall debate on support for high streets.

New Look in Wantage (Image: Google Maps)

The Liberal Democrat wants a 5 per cent VAT cut for hospitality and reform of the rates system and he has urged the Government to give councils powers to create “independent shop zones” to support small, locally owned businesses and tackle the spread of empty units and chain stores.

READ MORE: Rapist from historic Oxfordshire town branded ‘dangerous’ amid guilty plea

He said: “A successful high street is not just about shops. It is about community, connection and local pride.

He added: “The districts have lost up to £2.4 million in recent funding, while Oxfordshire County Council will lose £24 million over three years, significantly reducing councils’ ability to support high streets and local businesses.

“The Government needs to give power and funding to our local councils to support our independent shops and the value they provide to the community, as well as urgently reform the business rates system and tackle spiralling energy costs.”