Oxford News
Oxfordshire town’s £1m hospital development behind schedule
The £950,000 project at Wantage Community Hospital on Garston Lane is now expected to be finished later in 2026 due to “unforeseen issues” says Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.
The refurbishment of the ground floor of the hospital will allow for a wider range of health and care services to be accommodated at the hospital as well as an increase in clinic space by eight rooms.
Works began last Autumn and are being progressed in phases, the trust confirmed on March 31, with the first of those already complete.
READ MORE: Oxfordshire MP calls for more as hospital gets £1 million
A spokesperson said: “The first phase of refurbishment works at Wantage Community Hospital is now complete with phase two well underway as part of a large programme of phased works to improve the ground floor space to provide more community-based health and care services from the building.
“The programme is being completed in phases to keep as many existing services open at the hospital as possible.
Wantage Community Hospital (Image: Oxford Health)
“The overall programme is slightly behind due to unforeseen issues found with the building at the commencement of the first phase that have now been resolved.
“As a result, we now expect the overall refurbishment work to complete later this year.”
Almost £950,000 has been allocated to the project, money taken from the community infrastructure levy healthcare allocation, which is collected from new building developments.
Didcot and Wantage MP Olly Glover (Image: Contributed)
The trust confirmed that its works had not gone over-budget yet as infrastructure projects and households alike face spiralling energy costs due to the ongoing war in Iran.
“The community infrastructure levy funding secured for the programme continues to be held and drawn down as the work progresses,” the spokesperson said.
The news that Wantage Community Hospital was to be refurbished was welcomed by local leaders when announced last autumn.
Wantage Hospital (Image: Ed Nix)
Emma Leaver, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust’s interim chief operating officer for community health services, dentistry and primary care, said: “The works will not only make the hospital fit for purpose, it will allow us to increase the overall number of services offered to local people and improve access for patients, carers and their families.
“Some of the new services coming to the community hospital will include a dedicated area for children and adolescent mental health services – something that local people wanted to see included.”
READ MORE: Suspected WW2 bomb found in River Thames as police race to town
MP for Wantage and Didcot, Olly Glover, was also pleased by the news, calling it “crucial”, but said that more funding for infrastructure is needed.
The Liberal Democrat said: “Using developer contributions to help fund health, leisure, education infrastructure, or projects like a new station at Grove, is the right approach.
“However, government investment is also needed to ensure local facilities are provided ahead of new homes to ensure sufficient infrastructure to meet community needs.”
Oxford News
Bicester village restaurant slams ‘unfair’ low food hygiene rating
Grand Village Imperial, in unit E4 on Kelso Road in Bicester, was given the low food hygiene rating after a visit by inspectors in June.
But Raymond Chu, the owner of the Chinese restaurant, said the score does not accurately reflect the standards the restaurant maintains and they are appealing the process.
Mr Chu said they “also concerned that the inspection may not have been conducted impartially” and that the score is “unfair”.
READ MORE: Oxfordshire coffee factory refuses to return worker plaques
The Lion Dance at the Grand Village Imperial in Bicester (Image: David Chu)
He said: “As our appeal has already been submitted and is currently awaiting a response, we understand that the hygiene rating should not have been published until the appeal process has been concluded.”
Indeed on the government website it confirms that if a business appeals the rating within 21 days, the council should not publish it online.
The restaurant was told improvement was necessary in hygienic food handling and the cleanliness and conditions of the building.
Bicester Village (Image: Contributed)
The business was also told major improvement was necessary in the management of food safety.
This means the systems or checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety, and the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future.
The business is a beloved part of the shopping centre with customers regularly advising shoppers to book in advance and highlighting the fantastic service, food, and generous portions of food.
Oxford News
Oxford University warning amid ‘harmful’ algae outbreak
The warning has been issued for people and pets not to enter the water at Oxford’s University Parks after a bright green algae bloom appeared on its surface.
One local, Angela Mills Wade, said the algae was ‘almost fluorescent’ and recommended pet owners ‘heed the warnings’.
One local described the colour of the algae on the water as ‘almost fluorescent’ (Image: Angela Mills Wade)
READ MORE: Road remains closed after ‘scary’ crash on Oxford bridge
She said: “Many people see this and think it’s ugly. I see something rather different.
“It’s a natural seasonal phenomenon, part of the river’s changing cycle, even if it only lasts for a short time.
“We often celebrate nature when it’s neat and picturesque, but it’s just as fascinating when it’s messy, fleeting and simply doing what ecosystems have always done.”
She shared images from University Parks in South Parks Road, whose waterways had a blanket of bright green algae making its surfaces appear solid.
Algae bloom in University Parks (Image: Angela Mills Wade)
A notice displayed in the park by the University of Oxford’s parks department said: “Please be aware that there is currently an algal bloom in the river caused by the recent dry weather conditions.
READ MORE: Urgent missing person search as police ‘extremely concerned’
“This may be harmful to humans and pets so it is advisable NOT to enter the water or allow your dogs to do so until further notice.
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Harmful algae blooms can occur when there is an excess of nutrients in the water – caused by a number of sources, such as agricultural run-off or sewage pollution – along with warm water temperatures and calm or stagnant conditions.
Oxford News
Road remains closed after 'scary' crash near city bridge
A road in Oxford remains closed after a ‘scary’ crash near a city bridge in the middle of the night.
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