Business & Technology
Volatile oil prices threaten Oxfordshire’s pothole crisis
Oxfordshire County Council, the highways authority, has spent £9,807,367 on road repairs over the last three years.
While there is hope that a truce in the Middle East between Israel-US and Iran will hold, there are fears this could push up the already high price tag to fix Oxfordshire’s pothole crisis.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, amid the joint Israel-US airstrikes on Iran on February 28, rocketed crude oil prices by more than 30 per cent, with a barrel peaking above $120 (£89) per barrel on March 2.
Strait of Hormuz Infographic (Image: Press Association Images)
Prices tumbled by almost 14 per cent, to around £70 per barrel, following Donald Trump’s announcement of a two-week Iran ceasefire earlier this week.
However, as the agreement was contingent on Iran agreeing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, concerns are now rising again over the agreements durability after Israel launched a wave of strikes on Lebanon.
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters (Image: PA)
Crude oil is refined through fractional distillation which allows for the extraction of different products, including asphalt, which is used to mend potholes.
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Oxfordshire County Council said it is “monitoring the situation closely”.
A spokesman for the authority said: “Volatility in fuel prices will have an impact on all councils.
“Such are the fluctuations currently that forecasting forward is very difficult. Like the whole of local government and many other organisations we monitor the situation closely.
“Financial pressures and budget monitoring are reported on a regular basis to cabinet.”
Business & Technology
Banbury care worker celebrates 10 years at Glebefields
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.
Business & Technology
Fisher German Banbury promotes Ben Charlsey and Will Davies
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.”
Business & Technology
Why Bicester’s new town homes was snubbed by Government
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.
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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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