Crime & Safety
Anger as Oxford footbridge closure causes one-mile detour
The Cottesmore footbridge, which is used by pedestrians and cyclists to cross the busy A4142 Easter Bypass near the Heyford Hill roundabout, has been shut by Oxfordshire County Council on safety grounds.
The closure has caused disruption for residents in Rose Hill and Littlemore, who have been cut off from each other.
The safest route they now face will take them on a 23-minute, one-mile diversion.
The route they will take from the Rose Hill side is as follows: Cottesmore Road to Asquith Road to a cycle path to Oxford Road to Sandford road to Railway Lane to Chapel Lane and Thompson Terrace.
READ MORE: Footbridge across A4142 closes for safety concerns
Sushila Dhall, chair of the Oxford Pedestrians Association, said the alternative route poses serious challenges.
She said: “While we understand the temporary closure is essential given the work needed to make it safe, we are highly concerned about the significant risk and inconvenience of the diversions, especially having to wait next to fast, noisy traffic to cross three sets of traffic lights at Heyford Hill.”
She warned the closure must not drag on, urging the council to prioritise repairs for pedestrians and cyclists.
She added: “If this was a road carrying motorised traffic, the bridge would be closed for as short a time as possible.
“We must not repeat the three-year closure of the Gasworks Pipe Bridge. Pedestrians and cyclists are at the top of the road users’ hierarchy and these repairs need to take place as fast as possible.”
Cycling campaign group Cyclox echoed the concerns, stressing the importance of the bridge in linking communities separated by the busy ring road.
Thalia Carr, Cyclox campaigns and communications lead, said the council must “act swiftly”.
She said: “To avoid discrimination, the County Council must repair the bridge with the same amount of urgency and commitment of funds as would be applied to a closed road bridge.
“They should value both car drivers and those walking and cycling equally, recognising that some who walk and cycle may have no access to alternative means of transport.”
Oxfordshire County Council has said the bridge was closed following structural safety concerns and that further assessments are under way.
A council spokesperson said: “Once it was determined that the structure was no longer safe following a risk review in April, it was closed. Inspectors explored options to keep the bridge open, but these were not considered practical.”
They added: “We need to consider all options available to reinstate this crucial link in the city’s active travel network, for the benefit of local communities and people travelling further afield.
“However, it is not possible to give any timescales at this stage or details on funding.”
The move is part of the council’s wider plans to improve office space across the county and support more flexible ways of working.
Midland House in Botley has been chosen as a temporary base while longer-term changes take place, including plans to turn County Hall into a hotel and open a new, permanent office at Speedwell House in spring 2028.
Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for finance, property and transformation, said: “We are looking forward in coming times to seeing Speedwell House taking shape as a new net zero office in 2028 as well as watching County Hall change and then thrive in its new guise as a hotel.
“The sale of County Hall is providing the funding for the renewal of Speedwell House.”
He said the closure of County Hall is expected in late 2026, with the nearby Midland House, located on West Way, offering ‘practical, well-equipped’ office space.
Mr Levy said: “Our existing offices throughout the county will provide bases for our teams and these will now be supplemented by the excellent and ideally located Midland House.
“These are solid plans from which our officers can continue to provide excellent services to the people of Oxfordshire.”
Midland House’s transport links, including proximity to Seacourt Park and Ride, contributed to its selection as a temporary office location.
Contracts for the sale of County Hall were exchanged in late 2025, with L&G commissioning developers Reef Origin for the site’s redevelopment.
Abbey Meadows Outdoor Pool, in Abingdon, failed to reopen as temperatures soared to 30C over the bank holiday weekend.
The Radcliffe Meteorological Station in Oxford said it was “a record breaking day” with a provisional May maximum of 33.4C, 2.8C above the previous 1944 record.
In a statement on Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for the outdoor pool said: “We are delighted to announce that we plan to open Abbey Meadows in mid-June, on a dynamic programme subject to weather conditions, as trialled in 2025.
“Whilst this faced its challenges last year, and with costs continuing to grow, we are doing all we can to ensure that we maximise the potential of this fantastic facility.
READ MORE: President under fire for inviting far-right extremists to debate
“The contract we have to operate Abbey Meadows is for the summer school holidays only and we are continuing to seek additional funding to help the pool open earlier.
“More details will follow in the coming weeks so please keep your eyes on our social media.”
Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), which operates the pool under the brand Better UK, said it had planned to reopen on July 18.
“We schedule reopening to coincide with the beginning of the school summer holidays, when we know the pool will be busy,” it said in a statement.
“However, if the current warm weather continues, we are exploring the option of opening early, in mid-June this year.
“This would be the minimum turnaround time, to get the pool, cleaned, operational and fully staffed.”
The plash pad and kiosk at the pool opened last weekend.
Thames Valley Police today, Wednesday, May 27, announced that missing 16-year-old Jacob and missing girl Jessica, have both been found.
It comes after two separate appeals were shared yesterday asking the public to help find the missing individuals.
READ MORE: Oxford: Road closed due to major police incident on A40
Jessica was last seen in Bicester and was believed to be in the Banbury area, while Jacob was said to be missing from Abingdon.
The force thanked those who had shared the appeals in an effort to assist the search and locate the missing teenagers.
Police asked anyone who had shared the pictures of the missing people to now remove them, to restore their privacy.
-
Crime & Safety4 weeks agoMajor UK firm collapses in administration with nearly 700 jobs at risk
-
UK News4 weeks agoWoman murdered sister and took her Rolex watch
-
Crime & Safety2 weeks agoMan arrested in connection with rape in Oxfordshire town
-
Crime & Safety4 weeks agoChinese takeaway forced into 'bitter' closure after 'hatred and resentment'
-
Crime & Safety2 weeks agoWaitrose supermarkets across UK shut due to ‘critical error’
-
Crime & Safety2 weeks agoBanbury woman jailed after lying to police about kidnapped children
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoHow to spend a day in Harpsden among UK’s poshest villages
-
Crime & Safety4 weeks agoOxfordshire father ‘bitten’ by man who approached his daughter