Swimmers of all ages and abilities can enjoy fresh air and exercise at the 50m Woodgreen open-air pool from Monday, May 18.

The Banbury Triathlon kicking off the new season with their annual event on Sunday.

Refurbishments have taken place ahead of the new season, including installing flooring for the aqua splash area and new, more durable tiles around the pool.

These follow on from last years £130,000 refurbishment.

The improvements include an accessible, step-free shower for people with disabilities.

The changing rooms and lockers have been reconfigured for ease of use.

Councillor Rob Pattenden, portfolio holder for healthy communities, said:

“We’re really pleased to be welcoming the people of Banbury and beyond for another outdoor swimming season, with further upgrades to our Woodgreen pool now complete.

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“We continue to invest in Woodgreen, not only because swimming is such a great way to improve your health and fitness, but because a facility like this has such an important role in bringing friends, families and communities together over summer.”

The Woodgreen outdoor pool is operated by Legacy Leisure on behalf of Cherwell District Council with financial contributions from Banbury Town Council.

Last year, tickets for adults cost £5.83 and £3.82 for seniors and juniors. Babies under three, go free.

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.

The helicopter was spotted over the Osney Mead Industrial Estate on Wednesday morning (Image: Ed Burnett / Newsquest)

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The helicopter was spotted over the Osney Mead Industrial Estate on Wednesday morning (Image: Ed Burnett / Newsquest)

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.

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.

The plans propose ‘sleeping pods’ instead of rooms in the new hotel (Image: T2S Architecture Ltd)

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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 plans propose ‘sleeping pods’ instead of rooms in the new hotel (Image: T2S Architecture Ltd)

“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.”

Five Guys on the ground floor of Oxenford House (Image: Oxford Mail)

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.