Crime & Safety
Oxfordshire tip usage down blamed on new ‘bureaucracy’
Alkerton tip near Banbury is down 48 per cent from February last year, Ardley Fields is down 32 per cent, Drayton is down 38 per cent, Oakley Wood is down 35 per cent and Redbridge is down 28 per cent.
Conservative leader Liam Walker told Oxfordshire County Council‘s full meeting on Tuesday, March 24 that “bureaucracy” is to blame for this.
The new booking system was introduced by the Liberal Democrat administration in mid-January, but around 26 per cent of people who attend one of seven tips are not booking in advance.
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Conservative councillor Lee Evans put forward a motion to councillors calling for a rethink on the new booking system.
He said Oxfordshire County Council had consistently performed for 11 years as the best for tips across the country.
But he accused the current administration of risking that reputation with the “unnecessary and unwanted” rules for using the tip.
“We’ve be become a council that you need to fill in a five-page booking form just to take a bag of leaves to the tip,” he said while describing it as “farcical”.
Mr Walker, leader of the Oxfordshire Alliance, said the new rules suggest the council doesn’t trust residents, who are being “managed, monitored and given permission” to use the tip.
He said the changes “add bureaucracy, create barriers and send entirely the wrong message” to residents.
He added: “Residents are increasingly fed up of having to ask this Lib Dem administration for permission to go about their daily lives.
“You need a permit to get into this city, you need to meet a criteria to drive down certain high street roads.
“Turn around the wrong way at a junction, you’re fined, try to park to support a local business, you’re hit with ever increasing parking charges.
“And now, unbelievably, you can’t even dispose of your own household waste without proving who you are and booking permission to do so at a specific time.”
But Liberal Democrat Rebekah Fletcher questioned the timing of the debate, and said it should be returned to council when “there is evidence, and not just vibes”.
Cabinet member for place, environment and climate action, Judy Roberts, said: “We have all seen comments on social media, but that is not evidence.
“The public have not raised any concern about he difficulties of providing” personal information such as proof of address to book a slot, she added.
Ms Roberts said that the number of visits to the tips “does not always tell the whole story”.
“There has always been some trader abuse and some of the changes have been specifically targeted to reduce the amount of trader abuse, in which case they wouldn’t be visiting us now,” she said.
Mr Evans’ motion was outvoted and rejected.
Government departments are reminding claimants to check their payment dates so they’re not caught off guard by early deposits over long weekends.
Child Benefit is normally paid on Mondays and Tuesdays, so anyone due a payment on Easter Monday should get it early.
“We always move payments forward when a bank holiday falls on the usual day, so people get their money in time,” a DWP spokesperson said.
Easter 2026: April payments moved forward
For many households, Easter will bring an early arrival of money.
Payments due April 6 2026 (including pensions, Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Child Benefit, and other DWP support) will instead arrive on April 2 2026.
HMRC and DWP explain that bank holidays mean banks are closed, so payments are brought forward to ensure claimants still have access to funds.
May and spring bank holidays
Other early payments this spring include:
- 4 May → 1 May (early May bank holiday)
- 25 May → 22 May (spring bank holiday)
This affects pensioners, Universal Credit recipients, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Child Benefit, and other regular payments.
Summer and autumn changes
Later in 2026, further adjustments apply depending on location:
- 3 August → 4 August (Scotland only)
- 4 August → 5 August (Scotland only)
- 31 August → 28 August (all UK)
- 28 December → 24 December
- 29 December → 30 December (Northern Ireland only)
Regional public holidays in Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee) and Northern Ireland can also affect payment timing.
Why DWP payments change
The DWP and HMRC adjust schedules to ensure that:
- Claimants receive money before the bank closes
- There is no gap in essential support
- Payments arrive predictably despite long weekends
However, claimants should remember that after early payments, the next payment will follow the normal schedule, which may create a slightly longer gap between instalments.
Recommended reading:
How to check your payment
- Look at your bank statement – payments normally appear with references like “DWP Pension” or “HMRC Child Benefit”
- For those on Universal Credit, check the online account for exact payment dates
- If a payment seems late, check with your bank first, then contact the DWP or HMRC if necessary
“Knowing when payments will arrive helps households manage their budgets, especially around busy bank holiday weekends,” a DWP spokesperson said.
The 65-year-old former Top Gear and Grand Tour host is to guest star as the auctioneer at his local lido in Chipping Norton.
Mr Clarkson, a resident of Chadlington on his 1,000-acre farm Diddly Squat, has been a regular at Chipping Norton Lido for some years.
Last year, he helped raise £15,500 for the community-run swimming pool and the year prior it was £13,500 with Clarkson’s Farm co-star Kaleb Cooper’s promise of a personal tractor lesson in Mr Clarkson’s Lamborghini tractor the highest ticket of the night.
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The latest auction is to happen on Friday, May 8 at Chipping Norton Town Hall.
A spokesman for the auction said: “Catch him while you can – Jeremy Clarkson is returning for one last outing as auctioneer raising vital funds for The Lido.
“Our Auction of Promises will take place on Friday 8 May in Chipping Norton Town Hall and features a host of promises ranging from a clutch of Scotch eggs to the chance to see Jack Savoretti in concert and meet him backstage.
“Tickets are on sale now for what is always a highly entertaining night in a very good cause.”
Among previous items for sale was a conation from Blur bassist-turned-cheesemaker Alex James, who lives in nearby Kingham.
He donated a Blue Monday Cheese plus tickets to his food and music event The Big Feastival.
James Alder and Brendon Shamu were sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, March 27.
Alder, 21, of Limborough Road, Wantage, and Shamu, 27, of Field Gardens, Steventon, near Abingdon, were both charged with drug dealing offences in Abingdon between October 1 last year and January 23 this year.
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Both men pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs, namely crack cocaine and heroin.
Shamu also pleaded guilty to being in possession of criminal property, namely £8,795 in cash.
The court heard they were involved with a county drugs line called the Dior Line.
Shamu was jailed for a total of 49 months and Alder for three years.
Orders were made for the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs, paraphernalia, phones and cash.
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