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Oxford business leader appointed to BCO regional committee

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Guy Parkes, a partner at Vail Williams based in Oxford and Reading, has been named a founding member of the British Council for Offices’ (BCO) newly launched regional committee in the city.

The BCO brings members of the office sector together to share ideas and improve how workplaces are designed and used.

Mr Parkes, who has more than 30 years of experience in the regional market, joins committee chair Emily Slupek of Savills and Lucy Wiltshire of Kier Construction on the Oxford committee.

Mr Parkes said: “I am excited to have been asked to be part of this progressive organisation.

“We will be sure to showcase the exemplary commercial property work going on across Oxford.

“There is a real buzz about the city, and I am anticipating that we will be looking to host thought-provoking get-togethers and social events to engage fully with the vibrant real estate community.”

The committee was created in response to significant interest from the regional commercial property market and will operate as a sub-committee of the wider BCO South West region.

Its formation reflects the BCO’s commitment to expanding its influence in key locations, with Oxford identified as an area of particular growth, especially in the science and research sectors.

The BCO is also exploring the creation of a complementary BCO NextGen Oxford committee to support early-career professionals in the region.

Founded in 1990 and with a membership of more than 4,000, BCO represents owners, developers, architects, surveyors, managers, occupiers and others.

Through its publications, events and networking opportunities, it provides a platform to debate all aspects of the office sector.

Mr Parkes has longstanding ties to Oxford, having studied at university in the city.

He is recognised as a leading voice in commercial real estate and works across the full spectrum of property services.

Vail Williams has seen strong growth in Oxford since opening its office there two years ago.

The Oxford office, led by partner and head of investment Richard Dawtrey, bridges the firm’s operations between London, Reading, and Birmingham and is located at New Barclay House.

The consultancy now operates from 12 locations across the UK.

Vail Williams is one of the UK’s largest independent providers of commercial and residential property advice, offering services including planning, valuation, asset management, and property acquisition and disposal.

The firm employs 169 people, more than 50 of whom are partners, and is accredited with the gold standard from Investors in People.

The company services clients across the public and private sectors, including landlords, occupiers, investors, developers, and landowners.





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Banbury care worker celebrates 10 years at Glebefields

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Snobia Hussain, from Glebefields Care Home in Banbury, was presented with a long-service pin, £250 voucher, and a personal letter of thanks from Barchester Healthcare CEO Dr Pete Calveley.

The tribute marks a decade of commitment to residents and the wider care home community.

Ms Hussain, who was recently promoted to head housekeeper, has held multiple roles during her time at the home.

She said: “Having started my journey here as a housekeeping assistant and then Care Assistant, I have spent years supporting every department and gaining a deep understanding of our residents’ needs.

“I am passionate about creating a premium living experience and my goal is to provide a beautiful, safe environment where our residents feel truly at home to maintain their independence.”

Ms Hussain has also spent time working within the activities team and as a care assistant during her decade of service.

Benazir Shakkir, general manager at Glebefields, said: “Snobia is a shining example of the dedication we value at Glebefields.

“Her journey from care to leadership shows her deep commitment to our residents’ wellbeing, and we are delighted to celebrate this milestone with her.”

Glebefields Care Home supports career growth and encourages long-term development for its staff.





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Fisher German Banbury promotes Ben Charlsey and Will Davies

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The property consultancy’s Banbury office has promoted Ben Charlsey to associate partner and William Davies to senior associate.

Mr Charlsey, who joined the Banbury team in 2023 as part of the residential agency team, said: “I’m extremely proud to have been promoted.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at Fisher German and see it as the place I want to build my long-term career.

“To receive recognition is a real reflection of the hard work both myself and the wider team have put in.

“The support within both the Banbury office and the wider Fisher German network has been superb.

“I’ve learnt a huge amount in a relatively short period, which has been one of the most rewarding parts of working here.”

His focus will remain on strengthening Fisher German’s presence across Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, and Warwickshire.

The Banbury promotions are part of 77 that Fisher German has made across all areas of the company after a busy start to 2026.

Richard Benson, senior partner at Fisher German, said: “These promotions give us the opportunity to highlight the achievements of Fisher German’s hard-working colleagues who have delivered for clients, their teams and colleagues.

“I would like to congratulate every colleague who has been promoted which helps to ensure we continue to build a strong future for Fisher German.”





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Why Bicester’s new town homes was snubbed by Government

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The developer, Dorchester Living, has built 1,200 of the planned 13,000 homes on the former RAF site near Bicester over 15 years, which is a £5 bn project.

While the Government has snubbed the plans they could still go ahead if they are approved by Cherwell District Council, despite now not receiving any money from the Government to contribute towards an affordable housing fund and new investment agency.

The Strategic Environmental Assessment by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government has identified various significant issues with the proposals.

The plans were scored on key objectives and considering the impacts over the short term, zero to less than five years, medium term, five to 15 years, and long term, more than 25 years.

READ MORE: Petition to fix-up deteriorating Bicester Sainsbury’s

It then scored each element as either compatible, neutral, uncertain or incompatible with New Town objectives.

Mainly, it found the developer’s environmental impact assessment, which sets out how the development is going to affect the proposed site and neighbouring areas, seriously flawed.

The report said the location is assessed as having a significant negative effect on the biodiversity objective in the short, medium and long term.

According to the Environment Agency’s classifications, the location is under “serious” water stress and there is potential significant negative effect on the water resources in the medium and long term.

Air quality was assessed as having a “significant negative effect in the short and medium term” and a “minor positive effect in the long-term.”

The Taskforce Report outlined a significant challenge with transit connectivity and the risk of car dependency but said the location would take advantage of the proposed new railway station at the Chiltern Valley line, walking and cycling provisions.

Historic environment objectives, including the five scheduled monuments, 37 listed buildings and four conservation areas, were measured as having a significant negative effect in the short, medium and long term.

There is said to be a minor negative effect on the climate change objective in the short to long term, with mention about ongoing construction activities and the permanent loss of carbon sequestration in soils where permanent land take occurs.

The Government praised the already “large-scale highly productive” site but said the site is “relatively small compared to other sites in the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor”, it suffers from “low housing affordability”, “the impacts on the wider landscape and land use would require mitigation” and “there are likely positive effects of the brownfield site.”





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