Oxford News
Councils to introduce ticketless parking in new system
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/
Oxford News
Taylor Swift ‘books £3.3m Cotswolds cottage’ in Oxfordshire
The Cotswolds pad was used as a base during the UK stint on her Eras tour with the 36-year-old popstar enjoying a slice of the countryside.
Reports at the time stated that the stay was at a £3,250-a-night farmhouse just a stone’s throw away from celebrity-favourite hotspot Soho Farmhouse.
She’s believed to have rented the home for the entire duration of her UK and European leg of her mammoth Eras tour, which ended at Wembley Stadium in London on August 20, 2024.
READ MORE:
Her NFL player boyfriend Travis Kelce was said to be joining her during her stay, according to reports by The Sun at the time.
A source said: “Taylor has booked the cottage while she is over in the UK. She wants a place to unwind away from the tour, and the countryside is her happy place.
“Taylor loves dressing up in sequins on stage but is most at home in muddy boots in the fresh air.”
The idyllic countryside location has long been a favourite spot for celebrities including Kate Moss, the Beckhams, and Jeremy Clarkson.
This revelation came after claims she bought a North London home worth around £10m, according to further reports from The Sun.
READ MORE:
The reported new property allegedly once belonged to a politician and is understood to be undergoing “significant building works” to create a private estate for the US singer.
Ms Swift opened the UK leg of the Eras Tour in Edinburgh from Friday, June 7, to Sunday, June 9, last year and treated crowds at Murrayfield Stadium to hits from across her 11 studio albums for three hours.
Ellie Poulte, a 19-year-old from Oxford, was the first person to start queuing for the show, arriving at 6am on Thursday, June 6, with her tent, even though she had tickets for Saturday’s show.
Ms Swift took to the stage at Murrayfield Stadium, saying it was “the most highly attended stadium show in Scottish history”.
READ MORE:
The billionaire singer-songwriter made several costume changes each night with outfits including a blue and silver sequinned bodysuit, a long asymmetrical-hem orange dress and a lime-green flowing dress with cut-outs.
Ms Swift’s revamped setlist for the UK and European dates saw her cut several songs to showcase music from her new album, The Tortured Poets Department.
This included But Daddy I Love Him, Down Bad, Fortnight, The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived, and I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.
US pop-punk band Paramore, consisting of Hayley Williams, Taylor York and Zac Farro, warmed up for Ms Swift at Edinburgh and supported her across all the UK dates.
Oxford News
Oxfordshire drunk driver banned and has vehicle seized
Thames Valley Police’s Didcot and Wallingford Neighbourhood Police Team reported that they had stopped a driver in the past week who was uninsured and under the influence.
They said this in a wide-ranging update released today (Thursday, June 4).
A spokesperson said: “Breathalyser results showed the driver was four times over the legal alcohol limit.
READ MORE: Ford Transit van ‘stolen’ from Oxfordshire village high street
“We’ve since been updated that the courts have issued a three‑year driving ban and an eight‑week suspended sentence.”
This was not the only car the unit seized recently as they also confiscated a vehicle after they found it had no valid MOT.
A police officer in the Didcot and Wallingford Neighbourhood Police Team (Image: TVP)
The spokesperson said: “We initially intended to stop the driver and offer some advice, but further checks revealed they’d already been warned just a month ago for the same issue… and, to top it off, they didn’t hold a valid driving licence.”
Nor were cars the only vehicle the team were focused on over the past week.
They said: “We dealt with cyclists running red lights at a pedestrian crossing… directly in front of a marked police vehicle. A bold strategy
One of the cars that was seized by TVP (Image: TVP)
“Words of advice (and reminders of road law responsibilities) were given. Whether on four wheels, two wheels or two feet – the rules apply to everyone.”
Following an increase in discarded nitrous oxide (NOS) canisters, the PCSOs spoke with members of the public about the drug, including health risks and community impact.
READ MORE: Police warning as Audi SUV ‘stolen’ after Cotswolds ‘break-ins’
They also supported the search for a missing child.
“Thanks to quick reporting,” said the spokesperson, “fast‑time enquiries and coordinated searching, the child was located swiftly and safely”.
They added: “Early reporting really does make a difference, and we’re glad this one had a positive outcome.”
Oxford News
Anger as residents repair Roman byway ‘neglected’ by council
Cow Lane between East Hanney and Grove, south of School Road, is in a “terrible condition,” but locals claim Oxfordshire County Council’s highways department is refusing to take responsibility for repairs.
The council says its only duty is to maintain the surface for walkers and horse riders, despite frequent use by vehicles.
Andrew Wastie, a resident of the Causeway, said to Hanney News: “The section of road in question is marked in ‘red’ on the pic, and is a ‘byway’ leading to a restricted ‘byway.’
“This application for funding has not being made without exhausting all other avenues such as Highways, Fix my Street and the parish councils.
READ MORE: ‘His smile could light up the sky’: tributes after aspiring pilot killed
“There is no legal obligation for Highways to maintain the byway beyond being fit for walkers or horses, despite its heavy use by cars, so it is up to the users to improve matters.”
Mr Wastie said residents have maintained the surface for years but many are now unable to help due to age or health.
He said: “We have a number of people who are suffering from serious ill health who use the byway.
“Some have for many years made significant contributions to our community, and now need our assistance to help them.”
Mr Wastie said Hanney villagers installed the private section of road in 1975, and have maintained Cow Lane ever since.
He said: “The work needed is simple and we have received a quote from a contractor for planing the surface, redistributing the material and using an eight tonne roller to flatten it.
“The quote is a very reasonable £750.
“Cow Lane is open to all in the village and all will benefit from its remedial works.”
Cow Lane also has historical significance.
Mr Wastie said: This section of Cow Lane is an old historic Roman road linking Abingdon to Grove.
“This feature in itself is a worthy cause for maintenance for historic Britain and for the bigger picture of assisting those in need today and beyond.”
He also made a request to parents and carers who park along the lane during school runs.
Mr Wastie said: “if you have to park on Cow Lane please do not park on the junction, blocking the footpath all of which are a traffic offence and to please park considerately.”
The fundraising has now made the required amount to fix the road.
In a statement Oxfordsire County Council said: “With a limited budget for Rights of Way maintenance along Oxfordshire’s 2,700-mile network, Oxfordshire County Council has to prioritise its finite resources into the areas where it is most needed.
“As a byway, Cow Lane is not maintained to the standards of the general road network.”
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoWaitrose supermarkets across UK shut due to ‘critical error’
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoMan arrested in connection with rape in Oxfordshire town
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoBanbury woman jailed after lying to police about kidnapped children
-
Crime & Safety4 weeks agoHow to spend a day in Harpsden among UK’s poshest villages
-
Oxford Events3 weeks agoStage Watch: Somerset House enters the comedy arena with major new festival Laughterama
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoStrictly Come Dancing new hosts reportedly Emma Willis
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoCBI posts 14% revenue rise as payment services grow
-
Crime & Safety4 weeks agoUK Hantavirus update as 22 ship passengers moved to hospital
