Crime & Safety
Oxford locals unimpressed by city ‘pod’ hotel plans
Criterion Capital’s Zedwell hotel chain is planning to convert Oxenford House, at 12-15 Magdalen Street above Five Guy’s, into a 276-bed hotel.
Rather than traditional hotel rooms, however, the company has proposed sleep pods or ‘cocoons’, futuristic-looking rectangular capsules containing a mattress and some storage space for each occupant within a shared dormitory.
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In the planning application submitted to Oxford City Council in March, which remains under consideration, the applicant said: “A capsule hotel is a modern and efficient form of visitor accommodation that offers compact, self‑contained sleeping pods arranged both vertically and horizontally to make optimal use of space.
“This form of accommodation is increasingly popular in major cities around the world as it provides a budget‑friendly yet high‑quality alternative to traditional hotel rooms, particularly for short‑stay visitors, business travellers and those seeking affordable, centrally located lodging options.
“The proposal will introduce this innovative accommodation model to Oxford, diversifying the city’s hospitality offer and responding to contemporary tourism trends.”
Its part of a major expansion of Zedwell’s sleep-pod model across the UK, with the company committed to deliver more than 9,000 rooms by 2028.
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However, a comment from a resident’s association representing those who live around St Giles submitted an objection to the proposal.
The association said: “We would be pleased to see this building brought back into full use and the badly neglected corner of the city centre conservation area tidied up.
“However, we consider that this application fails to meet the standards which should be required for applications for substantial work on buildings which are in the conservation area and close to listed buildings.”
The group of locals took issue with what they saw as the ‘lack of information in the application’, such as undefined ‘plant’ floors, how sustainability requirements would be met and what would happen to the building’s windows if the internal ‘pods’ were installed.
They also said the user facilities at the proposed hotel were ‘basic’, with no apparent food provision, just one customer lift to serve the 276 pods, and no evidence of ‘appropriate facilities’ for customers with disabilities.
Concerns were similarly raised about ‘supervision’ of the densely-occupied site and the impact on utilities like sewage and drainage.
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Previously plans from the same developer saw proposals for student accommodation and offices on the site, which now appear to have been replaced by the boutique hotel plans.
Other hotel plans in the city include a 145-room aparthotel and community hub on the site of the former Odeon Cinema in George Street, and two separate plans for hotels in Queen Street and Bonn Square.
These are a 129-room hotel above the Halifax and Waterstones shops on the corner of St Ebbe’s, and the £60million transformation of County Hall in Speedwell Street, with the council due to move out next spring.
People may have been startled to spot a helicopter flying low and slow over the west of the city this morning (Wednesday, May 13).
Pictures captured the moment the chopper traversed over the Osney Mead Industrial Estate at about 11.30am, revealing the bright yellow body work of the helicopter.
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The helicopter is understood to be one of the National Grid’s fleet, which are periodically deployed to check for damage or issues to the company’s infrastructure.
This includes pylons, cables, poles and overhead lines, and checking the network for issues such as encroaching vegetation and using thermal cameras to identify electricity ‘hot spots’ or overheating on the lines.
The helicopter does not necessarily mean there is a fault in the grid as helicopters regularly head out for preventative maintenance and inspections of the network.
Yasmin Anjum Sarwar, 44, from Cyncoed, Cardiff has been charged with multiple theft and fraud offences worth around £5 million, alongside her husband Nadeem Sarwar, 49, from Pentwyn, Cardiff.
In addition, Ragu Sivapalan, 39, from Penylan, Cardiff has been charged with false accounting between January 2013 and January 2016.
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These relate to their time working at Cardiff Sixth Form College, specifically between 2012 and 2016.
All three denied the charges at Cardiff Crown Court in May last year, with a pre-trial review hearing set for later this month on May 22.
The trial is listed to start on September 21.
The college, where the trio were either directors or trustees, is a fee-paying school for 16- to 18-year-olds and regularly records some of the highest A-level results in the country.
In 2016 it was the subject of the BBC documentary Britain’s Brainiest School.
The college has changed ownership since the alleged fraud, with the charity that oversees it now called the Cardiff Educational Endowment Trust.
Specifically Ms Sarwar has pleaded not guilty to fraud, two counts of theft, two counts of fraudulent trading, possessing criminal property and three counts of transferring criminal property.
Between January 2017 and January 2025, Ms Sarwar worked as chief education officer at Oxford International College, a private school based at London Place that offers GCSE and A-Level education.
The school, which refused to comment on the case, is marketed at students from around the world, helping students to secure places at both Oxford and Cambridge universities.
On its website, it states its vision is: “To create pioneers who excel in the world’s most competitive universities and go on to become leaders who use science with compassion to solve humanity’s greatest challenges.”
Her LinkedIn states she is working at Curriculum.com, an AI-powered learning management system company that she co-founded.
She was initially charged on March 24, 2025 as announced by South Wales Police.
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A spokesperson for the force said: “Following an investigation by South Wales Police, with vital evidence provided by the Charity Commission for England & Wales, three people have been charged in connection with a multi-million pounds fraud and theft investigation into the former independent Cardiff Sixth Form College which happened between 2012 and 2016.
“Yasmin Anjum Sarwar, 43, from Cyncoed, Cardiff and Nadeem Sarwar, 48, from Pentwyn, Cardiff have been charged with multiple theft and fraud offences totalling some £5 million.
“Ragu Sivapalan, 39, from Penylan, Cardiff has been charged with false accounting between 2013 and 2016.”
Developer Gladman wants to build the homes, along with a mixed-use local centre, a primary school and sports pitches, on farmland north of Caversfield.
The 43-hectare site is bordered by Fringford Road and A421, just below Dymocks Farm House and Lawlors Barn.
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These properties are not included in the site boundary and access to them would be retained.
There will be two vehicle access points, with a three-arm roundabout proposed for the A4421 and a priority junction at Fringford Road.
It comprises 96 one-bedroom homes, 191 two-bedroom homes, 326 three-bedroom homes and 137 four- or more bedroom homes.
Oxfordshire County Council objects the application, saying safe and suitable access has not been demonstrated and the junction impact work is flawed.
Key issues include “inadequate visibility at both proposed accesses, a swept-path analysis which is too small for long vehicles and a lack of a firm traffic-calming scheme on Fringford Road to support proposed speed limit reductions”.
It insists on stronger active travel provisions including extending the 3m shared foot and cycle-way along Fringford Road and installing a new cycle-way on the A4421.
The highways authority also object due to insufficient detail on the sustainable surface water strategy and a lack of fully worked drainage design and calculations needed to meet national and local standards.
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For all other service areas, including education, archaeology, waste, libraries and public health services, the county council is broadly supportive in principle, subject to details design and Section 106 contributions, which surpasses £1,370,000.
The development is expected to generate 53 nursery, 198 primary and 153 secondary age pupils. The council expects a new one-form entry on-site primary school on a 2.22ha site, which is estimated to cost more than £8.8m.
The site has moderate prehistoric and high roman potential but the council said it is content with a condition requiring a stage archaeological investigation.
There are no objections regarding waste, subject to contributions towards expanding household waste recycling centre capacity, and from the library service, subject to a contribution of £171,719 to expand Bicester Library to meet the additional demand from an estimate 1,800 residents.
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It signals that a contributions towards expanding Bicester Day Centre may be sought once work on impact is complete relating to adult day services.
A firm commitment is asked on delivering the mobility hub, medical facility or contributions, and better consideration of vulnerable groups in air-quality and noise assessments.
Cherwell District Council, the planning authority, is due to make a decision by June 25, 2026.
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