Crime & Safety
6 new park and ride sites suggested across Oxfordshire
The study suggests a new park and ride site along the A4074 corridor at Land South of Grenoble Road, with capacity for around 600 parking spaces.
The study also highlighted the potential for alternative park and ride capacity in the longer term at Berinsfield or the Golden Balls roundabout.
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With this discussion coming forward in the Thame, Watlington & surrounding villages property development plan.
The study also suggests the potential for alternative sites at Lodge Hill on the A34 corridor, which will be discussed at the Abingdon-on-Thames and Eastern Vale property development plan.
The study also promoted additional capacity at Peartree Park and Ride via a new site at Oxford Airport, with a capacity of around 1,100 car parking spaces.
Retaining and delivering a site at Cumnor Hill, with a capacity for 600 spaces, was also included in the study.
This site would accommodate additional demand at the Seacourt Park & Ride and mitigate the impact of flooding at Seacourt.
The proposed sites at in the Southeast of Oxfordshire would all fill a gap in the current network of park and rides.
The study also suggested that all existing Park and Rides would remain in the same place.
However, better facilities would be provided at all sites including electric vehicle charging, more parking for cycles, e-scooters and e-bikes and improved customer waiting facilities.
The study also stated that improvements are particularly needed at Parkway, Thornhill, Redbridge and Pear Tree.
Capacity at Oxford Parkway would be maintained at the current level, so around 700 spaces with the option to increase car parking for park and ride by regaining some of the leased capacity or promoting the use of Bicester Park and Ride.
The construction of the Eynsham Park and Ride site was completed in 2024, as the first phase of the A40 Eynsham to Wolvercote scheme.
The next phase will see the construction of the access junction to enable the site to become operational. The scheme is awaiting the outcome of the planning application.
Upon planning approval, the scheme is ready to mobilise during 2026 with view to completion in 2028.
The Park and Ride is being planned to become operational before the end of the full works of the A40 Eynsham to Wolvercote scheme, as the access junction works are part of the first construction phase.
The report was considered by Oxfordshire County Council’s place scrutiny and overview committee on April 22 as part of an update of the actions being taken to implement the Local Transport & Connectivity Plan’s policies, plans and schemes relating to rural transport.
In the central Oxfordshire travel plan by Oxfordshire County Council the council found that park and rides have been successful in reducing congestion and supporting a shift into sustainable travel modes.
However, the plan notes that since the pandemic these sites have become underutilised as travel habits have shifted.
Liam Baird, 34, is wanted by police on recall to prison in connection with breaching his licence conditions.
He is associated with addresses across the Thames Valley and Wiltshire and police said he is known to frequent Oxford, High Wycombe, Carterton and Wiltshire.
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Thames Valley Police are appealing for the public’s help in locating the wanted man, but warned people not to approach him and to call 999 if he’s seen.
Baird is described as a white man, about 5ft 11ins tall, with brown hair, a beard with a moustache, blue eyes and a piercing on his cheek.
A picture was released by police along with the appeal to find him.
A spokesperson for the force said: “If you have any information about his whereabouts call 101 or make a report online, quoting reference 43260201469.
“If you see him, do not approach him, but instead call 999.”
Cody, whose surname has not been released, was last seen in Witney at about 3pm on Tuesday (May 5).
The 16-year-old is known to frequent Oxford and Tiddington as well as the Witney.
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Thames Valley Police are appealing for people to help find the missing boy, and asks anyone who sees him to call 999.
Cody is described as slim, about 5ft6ins tall, and was last seen wearing a grey hoody, black tracksuit bottoms and black shoes.
A spokesperson for the fore said: “If you see Cody, who also visits Oxford and Tiddington, call 999, quoting reference number 43260221447.
“Anyone with information on Cody’s whereabouts should tell us via our website.”
Jose Lopez-Vidal, of Laburnum Close, Woodford Halse, near Banbury, pleaded guilty to five counts of being the owner of a dog worrying livestock.
He was ordered to pay £1,038.27 compensation, £533 victim surcharge, £85 costs, and fined a total of £1,333.
On Christmas Day last year he took his two dogs, Bandit and Ace, for a walk and lost sight of them for more than half an hour after letting them off the lead.
In that time, they chased and attacked a flock of pregnant ewes in a field between Preston Capes and Charwelton, which resulted in not only the death of three sheep but up to 25 per cent of the unborn lambs due to miscarriage.
READ MORE: 6 new park and ride sites suggested across Oxfordshire
The savage attack was witnessed by the landowner who attempted to stop the out-of-control animals, but with the owner nowhere to be seen, he had no other option and fatally shot one and seriously injured the other.
Northamptonshire Police was called and from the deceased dog’s collar, officers were able to identify and contact the owner, who had found his injured dog, which has since recovered following veterinary treatment.
Lopez-Vidal was subsequently charged with two counts of being the owner of a dog worrying livestock and on April 13 at Northampton Magistrates’ Court, he once again pleaded guilty to the charges.
He was ordered to pay the landowner compensation for the full costs which was a total of £6,605.
Lopez-Vidal had already been issued with a community protection warning letter following his first conviction, however after the recent attack in December, he has now been made subject of a one-year Community Protection Notice.
PC Chloe Gillies, of Northamptonshire Police Rural Crime Team, said: “Jose Lopez-Vidal is fully responsible for not only what happened to the sheep but also for the fact that his dog also died following this incident.
“Sadly, due to him not having his dogs on the lead regularly, they ran off from him and have attacked sheep in the Charwelton and Preston Capes area for a long period of time.
“This incident on Christmas Day showed that Lopez-Vidal had an absolute disregard for the law. He knows what happens when he lets his dogs off the lead, yet he continues to reoffend.
“Farmers and landowners are within their right to protect their livestock from dog attacks and as in this case if there is no other option to be able to stop them, they can shoot them.
“As we see from this incident, the outcome of livestock worrying offences is devastating and we therefore welcome the new legislation which came into force in March, which not only gives the police more powers but allows the courts to issue unlimited fines.”
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