The road was closed at the rail bridge on April 11, 2023, and initially the closure was only expected to last for months – not years.

“It’s astonishing – and embarrassing – that it is taking Network Rail more than three years to replace a bridge, when other countries manage to replace bridges in about three days,” said city councillor Susanna Pressel.

The road had been supposed to reopen at the bridge temporarily from October 2023 to March 2024 but delays forced Network Rail to re-think and announce the closure would continue until October 2024.

READ MORE: Botley Road station scheme moves to next stage

Network Rail then announced in 2024 there would be further delays, owing to the unforeseen “complexity” of the project, including the discovery of a Victorian arch beneath Botley Road close to the rail bridge.

In February this year, a new rail bridge was installed to boost capacity, and a new western entrance to the station and new platform five is now planned but it is unclear if the funding has been fully agreed by the Department for Transport.

Network Rail contractors remain on schedule to reopen the road by the end of August.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “The latest estimate for the Oxford Phase 2 project, including the works associated with Botley Road, is £237.4m.

“This includes some of the costs associated with the fifth platform and construction of the western entrance, but not all.

“A cost and completion date for work to complete both have yet to be agreed with the Department for Transport, though we are on course to fully reopen the road by the end of August as planned.”

City councillor Susanna Pressel (Image: Oxford Mail)

Ms Pressel added that replacing the rail bridge was “an unusually massive engineering project” because the road had to be lowered, which meant diverting 11 utilities and protecting the much deeper road against flooding.

She said: “The project has created enormous misery for many residents and businesses – and not just the people I represent in the Botley Road area, but also countless residents and businesses to the west of the city, who used to use that route for vital access. I was speaking to a couple of residents just this week who need to get to the John Radcliffe Hospital.

“They can’t possible walk all the way through the tunnel (linking Botley Road and Frideswide Square), from the end of one bus route to the start of another, and a taxi all the way round the ring road would now cost about £50. They say they are not eligible for free patient transport.”

Ms Pressel added that residents and businesses have been upset by the noisy construction work.

She said: “Most building sites are at least quiet at night, but not this one – some work can only take place when no trains are running, so that has meant quite a lot of very noisy work in the early hours of the morning, including massive pile drivers.

“Some residents are in despair.”

The city councillor said she believed Network Rail planned to start work on a new western entrance next year and open it in about mid-2029.

Former county councillor John Howson (Image: Oxford Mail)

Former county councillor John Howson, who lives near Oxford station, said: “The Botley Road closure has been devastating for the whole community – both residents and businesses.

“There needs to be an investigation as to why the brick arch wasn’t detected before work started, and why it took the intervention of a minister (Lord Hendy) to get work back on track.”

In January, community campaigner Julian Le Vay estimated businesses in the area have lost about £50m, with more than 120 jobs lost.

The new platform will eventually serve rail links to Bristol, Bedford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge – and the Cowley Branch Line.

Samuel Haynes, of Mold Crescent, Banbury, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, April 10.

The 28-year-old previously pleaded guilty to three offences.

He admitted to sending sexual messages to someone he believed to be a child under the age of 16 in Banbury on January 5.

Haynes also pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order, first imposed in April last year, by using an internet chat forum and contacting a child who believed was under 16.

He also admitted these offences were committed in breach of a suspended sentence, also imposed in April last year.

Tom Blackburn, prosecuting, told the court that in January, Haynes signed up for a social media app called SayHi.

READ MORE: Oxford – dealer jailed for selling cocaine and magic mushrooms

The court heard he communicated with an account he believed was a 13-year-old girl, however it was being run as a decoy account by a paedophile hunter social media group.

Mr Blackburn told the court the account made it clear she was a ’13-year-old girl’. However Haynes requested indecent images.

He was confronted at his home by the hunter group. Police attended and he was arrested on January 9.

In police interview, Haynes gave mostly ‘no comment’, but did say ‘it wasn’t me, I don’t know how they linked it to me’.

However, he later pleaded guilty at his first appearance at crown court.

Gordana Austin, mitigating, said: “By the fact he pleaded guilty, he has accepted responsibility. People find it difficult to discuss these matters and admit to it.

“He hasn’t fully explained the reasons for doing so. He now finds himself in custody. He has faced significant difficulties in his life.

“He appreciates he has lost everything he has worked for over a number of years. He knows he is going to get immediate custody.

“He is planning to move away from the area. He hopes he will be able to find a job. He wants to work and provide for himself.

“He has overcome adversity in his life.”

Judge Maria Lamb said: “You thought you were communicating with a 13-year-old girl. You requested indecent images of her.

“Your address was identified and you denied the offences you have now pleaded guilty to.

“There is no mitigation for the offences themselves. I accept you have had a very difficult upbringing.

“There is nothing in your traumatic experiences which explain these offences.”

Haynes was jailed for a total of 23 months and an order was made for the forfeiture of his phone.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had aimed to complete the transition – known as “managed migration” – by the end of March 2026.

However, it has now confirmed that some benefits will not be fully phased out until later in the year.

Which DWP benefits are affected?

The extension applies to people receiving income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) and housing benefit.

These will now remain in place until “the end of the summer”, allowing additional time for a “limited number” of claimants who may be harder to reach or face barriers in moving to Universal Credit.

The wider programme involves replacing several older benefits, including tax credits and income-based jobseeker’s allowance, with Universal Credit.

Why the delay?

The government said the decision reflects an effort to better support vulnerable people during the transition.

Measures include targeted help such as telephone support and home visits for those who may struggle to complete the move independently.

So far, more than 1.9 million people have been transferred to Universal Credit as part of the process.

A 2024 report by the Public Accounts Committee warned that problems in the migration process could lead to “real-world misery for thousands” if not handled carefully.

At the time, officials estimated that around 4% of claimants on legacy benefits might not successfully make the switch.

Rising numbers on Universal Credit

Recent figures show the number of people claiming Universal Credit has continued to increase.

By December 2025, there were 8.34 million claimants across Britain — up by nearly one million compared with the previous year.

Most of that rise was driven not by new claims, but by people moving over from older benefits.

Wider welfare changes under way

The government says Universal Credit is designed to better reflect the modern labour market and support people into work.

At the same time, further welfare reforms are being introduced, including changes to the health-related element of Universal Credit aimed at reducing costs and encouraging employment.

Plans to reform disability benefits have been delayed, with a wider review of personal independence payment (PIP) currently under way. The review is expected to report later this year.

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While most of the transition to Universal Credit has been completed, the latest delay highlights the challenges of moving large numbers of people – particularly those with complex needs – onto a new system.

Ministers say extending the deadline will help ensure vulnerable claimants are not left behind as the rollout enters its final stages.

Social security and disability minister, Sir Stephen Timms, said: “Our Move to Universal Credit campaign has been successful in moving over 1.9 million people from legacy benefits to the modern Universal Credit system.

“Vulnerable customers have been at the forefront of this campaign. In their interests, we are extending the deadline for income-related Employment Support Allowance claimants to move over.

“This Government is committed to updating the welfare system so that it promotes opportunity, rather than stifling it – as part of our Plan for Change.

“The campaign means the number of people on Universal Credit has increased, particularly the number of people who receive the benefit with no requirement to look for work, as, since June last year, the focus has been on moving vulnerable people from Employment and Support Allowance.”