Connect with us

Oxford News

Bitcoin millionaire asked £224k towards Oxford cycle parking

Published

on


Israeli-Canadian Bitcoin millionaire investor Roy Sebag, who owns GoldMoney Properties, bought the Clarendon Centre in 2024 for more than £30m.

Since last year, the centre has been closed with retailers including TK Maxx moving to the Westgate shopping centre or other locations.

Earlier this year, the business has sent in plans to Oxford City Council to revamp the centre and square.

How the new square could look at the Clarendon Centre (Image: GP Clarendon Square Ltd)

Oxfordshire County Council has now asked the developer for £224,060 to put towards parking spaces for bicycles in Queen Street and Cornmarket Street.

Tim Peart, transport technical lead at County Hall, has written a letter to Oxford City Council requesting the money from the developer.

Mr Peart said: “The applicant proposes that a number of public cycle parking spaces could be accommodated on Queen Street and Cornmarket Street.

“Identifying suitable locations for more cycle parking in the city centre has always been a challenge.

“In addition, the scheme that OCC are collecting contributions towards will include cycle parking and other alterations to those streets.

“I would be keen to avoid abortive works whereby the applicant installs public cycle parking spaces only for these to be removed and relocated at some point after.

“Given that the Queen Street / Cornmarket Street scheme will include cycle parking, we propose that this matter is resolved through the contribution to that scheme.”

Kevin Cox, of Thames Valley Police, said the force has concerns around the proposed “large and enclosed” public cycle store.

He said it “limits surveillance” over the bicycles and will create “opportunities for concealed theft attempts” from the storage.

“Details need to be provided regarding how public cycle storage will be adequately protected from targeted theft attempts,” he said.

Mr Cox added: “The proposed development is likely to become a key focal space within the city centre, providing an area of public open space, of which there is currently very little within the locality.

“Following extensive meetings with the applicants and site owners, I am confident that their proposals for site management and maintenance are robust, realistic and achievable.”

Nick Small, for Oxford Bus Company, said: “Successive major development projects and not least the Westgate, have shown that the [cycle] space required is not insubstantial, and accommodating it is not straightforward without potentially causing wider conflicts.

“We note that the applicants have worked hard to maximise provision without unduly burdening pedestrian circulation and the wider experience of the public realm.

“With this challenge in view, it is appropriate to highlight the frequency, capacity and range of bus services serving the site, which by any measure, are exceptional.”

Oxford City Council will decide on the plans in due course.





Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Oxford News

London speed camera means van fined for driving over 20mph

Published

on



David Taylor, 61, of Oakley Court, Benson, was driving a Ford Transit on Victoria Embankment in Westminster when he was recorded exceeding the 20mph limit.

At Willesden Magistrates’ Court on July 15, he pleaded guilty under the single justice procedure.

READ MORE: John Radcliffe Hospital patient attempted to torch scaffolding

Taylor was fined £160 and ordered to pay £60 in costs and a £64 victim surcharge.

His driving record was endorsed with three penalty points.

The court heard that he faced exceptional hardship as he relied on his licence for work, is the sole breadwinner, and his income covers the household bills and mortgage.

He must pay the full amount by August 12.

The offence took place on January 16 this year.





Source link

Continue Reading

Oxford News

Indian restaurant opening announced in Oxfordshire village

Published

on


Masoom’s Indian Kitchen and Bar will open in Church Street, Bodicote, near Banbury, in the coming months, with the owner declaring ‘the countdown has begun’.

The new owner behind the endeavour is Mijan Ahmed, 44, who worked in the renowned kitchens of Malik’s in Cookham, the owner of which is his cousin, and other respected Indian kitchens.

Masoom's Indian Kitchen and Bar, Church St, Bodicote. Owner Mijan AhmedMijan Ahmed, 44, is opening Masoom’s Indian Kitchen and Bar in Bodicote (Image: Mijan Ahmed)

READ MORE: Wallingford pub owner ‘speechless’ at UK awards recognition

He’s owned and successfully run a restaurant in Goring since 2005, and is now planning to bring the flavours of those kitchens to Bodicote.

A statement from Masoom’s said: “Our stunning new MASOOM’S Indian Kitchen & Bar sign is now proudly in place, and we couldn’t be more excited. Every day we’re getting one step closer to opening our doors and welcoming you all.

Masoom's Indian Kitchen and Bar, Church St, Bodicote. FoodMr Ahmed plans to bring the flavours of the kitchens he’s worked in to Masoom’s in Bodicote (Image: Mijan Ahmed)

“From the luxurious interior to the incredible food our chefs are preparing, we’re creating something truly special an experience unlike anything else in the area.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire village’s plea to save 52-year-old playgroup

Masoom's Indian Kitchen and Bar, Church St, Bodicote.Beer on tap at the new establishment (Image: Mijan Ahmed)

“A huge thank you to everyone for your continued support and patience. We can’t wait to share this journey with you.”

The grand opening date has not yet been announced, but Mr Ahmed said he hopes to open the doors before the end of the month.

Masoom’s will open in 1 Church Street, formerly the home to The Spice Room which closed after it was given a zero star hygiene rating by Cherwell District Council in 2022.





Source link

Continue Reading

Oxford News

80s hearthrob and Strictly pro star in throwback to hotel of horrors

Published

on


With big names like Prunella Scales, Connie Booth, John Cleese, and Andrew Sachs backing the original Fawlty Towers television run, it’s hard not to walk into the New Theatre to watch its first night without a bit of doubt.

But I can assuredly say the play did not disappoint.

Fawlty Towers checked into the New Theatre Oxford with a gloriously chaotic stage adaptation that feels like a love letter to the original series.

READ MORE: University of Oxford launches trial of new vaccine for rare deadly virus

Danny Bayne and John CleeseDanny Bayne and John Cleese (Image: Trevor Leighton)

Even if you know every episode by heart, this stage version serves up enough new flourishes and perfectly executed farce to make a return visit to Fawlty Towers feel irresistible.

Standing in for Danny Bayne, understudy Adam Elliot played the eternally exasperated Basil, capturing Cleese’s Fawlty’s wit and sarcasm but ensuring the live audience see and laugh at every moment.

Mia Austen, a heavy weight in West End theatre, played the razor-sharp Sybil Fawlty nailing everything down from her walk to her outrageous shrill of a laugh, with her typical phone call to avoid doing any work sending you right back to the original episodes.

Paul Nicholas plays the delightfully bumbling Major in Fawlty Towers: The Play, capturing the character’s absent-minded eccentricity with gentle humour and old-school charm. His performance mirrors the beloved TV original while adding a stage-friendly warmth that lands especially well with live audiences.

Joanne Clifton’s Polly is sharp, capable and quietly exasperated, grounding the hotel’s chaos with quick thinking and dry wit.

The ensemble timing is tight, the set cleverly evokes the shabby Torquay hotel, and the famous set pieces – from malfunctioning catering to catastrophic guest relations – are reimagined with inventive physical comedy.

READ MORE: Abolition of councils for ‘future generations’, city council says despite backlash

John CleeseJohn Cleese (Image: Trevor Leighton)

Born out of a stay at the now-demolished Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay while filming Monty Python, John-Cleese based his Basil Fawlty on the hotel’s owner who he later called “he rudest man I’ve ever come across in my life”.

From critcising guests table etiquette, throwing their briefcases out of a window in case it “contained a bomb” and a view from Michael Palin that his guests were seen as a “colossal inconvenience” Cleese certainly didn’t have to dig deep for his rude Fawlty.

No comedy show has had quite the impact that Fawlty Towers does, with only two series consisting of twelve episodes overall it would be remiss to say an audience couldn’t even build a fan base of of it in the modern world.





Source link

Continue Reading

Trending