Crime & Safety
Didcot MP those putting flags up should pay for removal
This follows a Reform councillor calling the removal of Union and St George’s cross flags a “waste of money” after they were replaced on Station Road, Didcot, less than a week after being taken down.
Olly Glover MP described mounting frustration about the situation around Didcot Parkway as he rebutted the claim.
Mr Glover said: “It is great to see our national flags flying from authorised sites such as public buildings and flag poles, and many local households and businesses proudly flew the flag for St George’s Day to celebrate our shared culture and values.
“However, I have recently had flurry of correspondence from people frustrated that despite the best efforts of council and GWR contractors to remove flags from around Didcot station, that the flags have been replaced.
“It is right that councils take down flags attached illegally to public property without council permission and take legal action against those responsible.
“It is not a ‘waste of money’ to enforce the law.
“The cost of removing flags, or anything else, attached to public property without permission, should be paid for by those responsible for putting them up – not the tax payer”
When flags were replaced on Station Road last week by a Raise the Colours group, more were added in other locations, including Saxton Road in Abingdon, and in Shillingford, Benson and Brightwell-cum-Sotwell.
The movement says it is placing flags around the county in the name of patriotism, but it has attracted criticism with allegations of intimidation and threatening behaviour from some members towards the public and council staff.
Last month, the county council issued a formal legal notice to Raise the Colours Oxfordshire in a bid to prevent it from putting up more flags.
Didcot South county councillor Hao Do (Reform) said the legal notice was “ludicrous”.
He added: “These are not prohibited flags and it’s a waste of money for the council to take them down – they should be left in place – these are our national flags – they are not offensive.”
A spokesperson for Raise the Colours Oxfordshire said: “Raise the Colours Oxfordshire are a part of a wider nationwide movement that wishes to peacefully raise the concerns of the British people who are increasingly made to feel like second class citizens in their own country.
“Our aims are to highlight their concerns, whilst spreading joy and unity through the flags of our nation.”
Previously, a county council spokesman said the local authority was aware of the flags in Didcot, Benson, Shillingford and Abingdon.
They stated: “In March we issued a formal legal notice to Raise the Colours requiring them to stop placing flags on or near highways without consent.
“We are considering all available options to prevent further unauthorised action, which will include, but not limited to, civil and criminal proceedings.”
What do you think about the raising and removal of Union and St George’s cross flags in communities across Oxfordshire?
A report to Oxford City Council’s planning committee considered minor amendments to an earlier scheme already granted for the property in Steep Rise in northeast Oxford.
The previous permission, approved on Thursday, October 24, allowed the demolition of a side extension and the construction of a two-storey side extension and a part-single, part two-storey rear extension.
Under the latest, part‑retrospective application, the house has now been signed off as a six-bedroom HMO.
READ MORE: Plans proposed for an eight-bedroom HMO in Bicester
Several changes already completed on the site, include four new windows, alterations to the flat roof as well as new bin and cycle storage.
The finished layout will provide six en-suite bedrooms of at least 8.5sqm, a 24.6sqm kitchen-diner, additional communal space and a utility area off the kitchen.
The scheme was called in to committee by six councillors over concerns about the proliferation of HMOs in the area and whether communal cooking facilities would be adequate.
However, planning officers said “the development would make the best and most efficient use of the site”, delivering a “high quality and sustainable development”.
Oxford’s Local Plan caps HMO numbers at no more than 20 per cent of properties within 100m of any application site.
Officers reported that only one of the 24 nearby properties is recorded as an HMO, meaning that, with this approval, around 8.3 per cent of homes in the immediate area will be in shared use.
The milestone marks a quarter-century since the first of the BMW-era models rolled off the line at Cowley on April 26, 2001.
On Sunday, the plant hosted a Drive It Day event to mark the anniversary and raise funds for the NSPCC’s Childline service.
The plant also celebrated 50 years of the Rover SD1, 40 years of the Rover 800 and 25 years of the modern Mini, all which have been built at Cowley.
READ MORE: Major grant launched to support ambulance staff across four counties
Tanya Fields, organiser of the Drive It Day said: “The general Drive It Day also went extremely well with 10 Rover SD1s coming back to the plant for their 50th anniversary.
“One of them made considerable effort, coming from the Netherlands.”
Since 2001 nearly 4.7 million Minis have been built in Oxford under BMW ownership.
Organisers said around 70 modern Minis built in 2001 returned to the plant, including 27 with the Y*** OBL number plates, the first batch of the car used for press and marketing purposes.
READ MORE: Wildlife park warns visitors from Oxfordshire
The event drew in more than 1,000 visitors, where drivers could drive a vintage car for free.
“We were visited by around 200 classic cars over the day and lots of former workers took the opportunity to come back, along with the local community,” a spokesperson said.
Markus Gruneisl, BMW Group’s chief executive for UK manufacturing, said: “This 25-year milestone is a proud moment for Mini and for everyone involved in its production here in the UK.”
The water company said a water mains burst just off Sutton Courtenay Lane overnight, with tankers from the company being spotted on site from about 8.30am on Monday (April 27).
Supply was disrupted for businesses and households in the towns and villages near Abingdon, including Sutton Courtenay and Milton, and CofE Primary School in Milton Hill had to close to all students for the day.
READ MORE: Major police presence at Oxford park for emergency incident
Thames Water teams on site found the burst pipe and were working to isolate it by about 9.15am, with some supplies redirected around the network to reduce the impact on homes without running water.
An update issued at about 2pm said customers should have water flowing through their taps again, though this may still be lower pressure than usual.
A spokesperson for Thames Water said: “We’re sorry to customers in the OX14 area who were affected by low pressure or a loss of supply following a burst water pipe overnight.
“Our teams have stopped the flow of water from the broken pipe, and we’ve been able to move water around the network to help maintain customer supplies.
READ MORE: Oxford Westgate shoppers left angry over shop closure
“Customers should now have water back through their taps, although some may continue to experience lower pressure than usual.
“Our engineers remain on site carrying out the repair, and we’re continuing to provide support in the area, including bottled water for customers registered on our Priority Services Register.
“We know how disruptive this has been and thank customers for their patience while we work to fully restore supplies.”
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