The councils have proposed that motorists will be required to register their vehicles using the machine, by phone, online, or via an app before parking at council sites.

South Oxfordshire District Council plans to introduce a series of updates to car parks in towns including Thame and Wallingford under new civil enforcement orders.

The changes form part of the South Oxfordshire District Council (Civil Enforcement Off-Street Parking Places) (No.1) Order 2026, revoking the 2024 order currently in effect.

As part of the proposals, all council pay-and-display car parks would move to a ticketless system, requiring vehicles to be registered at the payment machine, by phone, online or via an app.

Fifteen parking spaces would be lost at the Cattlemarket car park in Thame to enable the redevelopment of an adjacent commercial property.

Disabled parking spaces would be relocated to maintain the current provision.

Other changes include extending the charging period to allow all-day parking at the Southern Road car park in Thame, which is currently short-stay only.

The order would also introduce a revised fee structure at two long-stay car parks in Wallingford to offer what the council describes as ‘more flexibility’.

Details of the proposed order and the council’s rationale are available for public inspection at Abbey House in Abingdon between 9:30am and 12:30pm and 1:30pm and 4:00pm Monday to Friday (not including bank holidays).

Please call 01235 422 422 to make an appointment to view these documents.

Members of the public who wish to comment or object can do so by emailing technicalservices@southandvale.gov.uk, using the consultation link on the council’s website, or writing to the technical services manager at Abbey House, Abbey Close, Abingdon, OX14 3JE.

Comments must be submitted by 11.59pm on Friday, May 8.

All feedback will be considered by the council’s Cabinet before a final decision is made.

If approved, the new system will require vehicle registration upon arrival to park, using the machine, a mobile phone, or via the app.

This applies even during free periods or when a valid permit is required.

Motorcycles and vehicles displaying a valid disabled badge will remain exempt from parking charges across all affected locations, but time limits still apply.

Additional administrative charges may apply, including £16 for replacement permits.

Other recent notices across the area include changes to parking regulations in Vale of White Horse, where the district council is proposing similar updates.

Vale of White Horse’s plan to move to a ticketless pay-on-arrival model across its car parks will involve revoking the existing 2022 orders and implementing new orders for 2026.

Documents are available for public review at Abbey House.

Appointments can be arranged by calling 01235 422 422.

Feedback must be received by 11.59pm on Friday, May 8, 2026.

In Oxford, temporary road closures are set to take place for May Day celebrations.

Oxfordshire County Council has issued an order closing several roads in the High Street and Longwall Street area on Friday, May 1, between 2am and 9am.

This is to protect public safety during May Day celebrations centred on Magdalen Bridge.

The closures will affect the High Street from The Plain to just east of King Edward Street, as well as Longwall Street to Holywell Street, Rose Lane, Queens Lane, and Merton Street at the High Street junction.

Exemptions apply for emergency vehicles and authorised property access.

The alternative route for motor vehicles from the south is either via Iffley Road, Donnington Bridge Road, Weirs Lane, and Abingdon Road towards central Oxford; from the east via St Clements Street, Marston Road, Cherwell Drive, Marston Ferry Road, Banbury Road and vice versa.

The order will remain in effect for the duration of the May Day event.

Anyone affected or wishing to review further details can contact the Traffic Regulations Team at County Hall.

To keep up to date with the latest public notices, please visit: https://publicnoticeportal.uk/

After decades of instability making them difficult to study, scientists have discovered a way to stabilise nitrogen molecules.

Professor Meera Mehta from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford led the team of chemists to the discovery.

READ MORE: Oxford teacher who fiddled grades wants banning order ended

Nitrogen atoms are best known for forming pairs so any previous attempts to link more of them into longer chains usually failed.

This is because the structures turned into nitrogen gas.

Now, the team created a molecule made of four nitrogen atoms connected in a row, along with an extra electron that helps stabilise the structure.

The structure can now remain in a solid form for weeks rather than disintegrating immediately.

In the solid state, the material persists for weeks, allowing the team to characterise its structure and behaviour in detail, something that has not previously been possible for this class of molecule

The team were able to turn these molecules into solid crustal, allowing them to study the chains in detail.

This research could have significant implications.

The timeline of key discoveries (Image: Nature Chemistry)

The shared electrons across this chain help maintain its stability despite nitrogen’s inherent instability.

This breakthrough could usher in a new era of nitrogen-based materials, potentially leading to advanced applications, experts say.

Nitrogen chains store considerable energy and may be used in future applications such as advanced propellants or rocket fuel.

In addition, nitrogen could be a non-toxic energy storage solution with no carbon emissions.

They have been found to be reactive and energy-rich, with the ability to transfer nitrogen atoms to other molecules.

Furthermore, they may act as nitrene radical sources, which could make it easier, cleaner, and more accurate for scientists to build complex molecules.

Overcoming the nitrogen chains’ natural instability, which once made them so challenging to study, has now opened new research possibilities.

Previously, these nitrogen chains have been speculated to exist only in extreme environments, such as lightning strikes or outer space.

As these chains can now be created and examined on a laboratory bench, researchers have more room to broaden their horizons and focus on these compounds’ potential applications.

The breakthrough study, under the leadership of Professor Mehta, has not just challenged decades-old assumptions, but has significantly enhanced our understanding of nitrogen.

Post-Doctoral Research Associate’s, PhD students, and master’s students from the departments of chemistry at the University of Manchester and the University of Oxford were involved in the study.

Chinnor RFC, based in Thame, released a statement to announce the death of Simon Vickers, the club’s CEO, former player and former captain, this week.

Mr Vickers joined the rugby club in the 1980s and ‘never truly left’, returning time and again to support the club and improve its work.

READ MORE: Oxford United beaten by Derby in blow to survival hopes

A statement from the club said: “It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Simon Vickers, our CEO and a true pillar of Chinnor RFC.

Simon Vickers, CEO of Chinnor RFC Thame, has passed away (Image: Chinnor RFC)

“Simon was one of us. A former player who captained the club in the 1980s, he never truly left.

“He was ‘dragged back’, as he would joke, and over the past decades transformed Chinnor into what it is today.”

The club said Mr Vickers’ fingerprints are on ‘every corner’ of the club, including the initiatives it supports and its rise from a village club to a Championship team.

It described his contribution as ‘a journey built on vision, discipline and unwavering commitment’.

READ MORE: Firefighters rescue ‘exhausted’ horse stuck in mud near Wantage

The statement added: “To those who knew him as a leader, he was strategic and relentless. To those who knew him as a former player, he was one of the lads.

“To the present players, his support and generosity was always forthcoming and immensely appreciated. To all of us, he was the foundation upon which this club stands.

Chinnor was promoted to the Championship under Mr Vickers’ leadership in 2024 (Image: David Howlett)

“He professionalised our operations while preserving the heart of what makes this club special, ensuring that every decision was made with the long-term interests of the club in mind.

“And crucially, he put in place the infrastructure and approach that will continue to drive our success long into the future.

“Rest in peace, Simon. Chinnor RFC will honour your legacy every time we take the field.”

The news was met with an outpouring of support from friends, club supporters, and neighbouring teams.

One supporter described him as a ‘legend of local rugby’ and said he was ‘utterly dedicated’ to the club, a sentiment echoed by hundreds of tributes paid in reaction to the news.

READ MORE: Rare Second World War plane up for £75,000 sale in Abingdon

Nearby Henley Rugby Club said: “Incredibly sad to hear this news. Simon was a huge character and someone who did so much for grassroots rugby. Rest in peace.”

Chinnor RFC is and English Rugby Union club based at Kingsey Road in Thame, founded in 1962, which currently plays in the second tier of the Championships.

It regularly runs five senior teams as well as a full youth set up from age five upwards, which is widely considered to be one of the best in the country.