Oxford News
Didcot MP calls for better health care amid housing plans
Great Western Park, a 3,300-home estate in Didcot is due to be finished this year, and was initially granted planning permission in 2008, with a new GP surgery included.
The planning permission for the new surgery dates back about 10 years but there have been repeated delays.
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Earlier this month, Woodlands Medical Centre appointed London-based Apsley Henley Med Ltd as the new developer after the previous developer pulled out.
Didcot and Wantage MP Olly Glover has linked up with other local Liberal Democrat MPs to push for greater guarantees for health services linked to new housing estates.
At the same time, he has pointed out the lack of a minor injuries unit in Didcot.
Working with other Liberal Democrat MPs in Oxfordshire, Layla Moran, Charlie Maynard, Calum Miller and Freddie van Mierlo, Mr Glover is calling for a ‘GP Guarantee’ on new developments.
The Lib Dem MPs want new or expanded GP surgeries to be up and running in areas of new development as soon as the first homes are sold.
This supports their campaign to ensure everyone can get an appointment within seven days or 24 hours if urgent.
Developers would be required to not only fund new facilities but to guarantee the GP surgery contract (or the cost of salaried GPs) while new residents are still moving in. This would ensure new residents don’t have to turn to over-stretched existing GPs.
Didcot and Wantage MP Olly Glover (Image: Contributed)
Mr Glover said in a joint statement with the other Oxfordshire Lib Dem MPs: “GP surgeries are promised but not delivered.
“Councils are securing commitments from developers and the Integrated Care Board for new surgeries, but they do not have the powers needed to ensure health infrastructure comes before the homes are occupied.”
“That’s why we are launching this campaign to get our local NHS back on track, by building and delivering the services our communities need and giving local councils and communities the power to ensure new homes always go hand in hand with more GPs.”
Didcot West county councillor, Ian Snowdon, launched a petition calling for the GP surgery to open at Great Western Park as soon as possible and it attracted thousands of signatures online.
Mr Glover said the lack of a minor injuries unit for a town the size of Didcot also needed addressing.
The issue was raised by the lobby group Didcot Against Austerity in 2023.
While Abingdon has a minor injuries unit at Abingdon Community Hospital, Didcot does not have one and locals instead have to travel to Abingdon or the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
There are an estimated 34,000 people living in Didcot and an estimated 37,000 people living in Abingdon.
Great Western Park in Didcot (Image: Oxford Mail)
Mr Glover added a minor injuries unit in Didcot would reduce the need for people to travel to Abingdon, and would relieve pressure on the John Radcliffe Hospital’s accident and emergency department.
He said: “The need for more health services in Didcot is abundantly clear.
“I have been campaigning to get the GP surgery open on Great Western Park, but this is just one example of the growing demand for infrastructure to support people moving to new developments, as well as those in existing homes locally.”
Mr Glover said the Government’s new 10-year plan for the NHS did not specifically mention minor injuries units.
Oxford News
Finmere Car Boot Sale will be open May bank holiday
Finmere Car Boot Sale, held at Finmere Aerodrome near the village of Finmere between Bicester and Buckingham, will open again tomorrow on Bank Holiday (Monday, May 4) after welcoming crowds on Saturday (May 2).
The long‑running market takes place on a hardstanding site off the A421/A4421, at postcode MK18 4AG, around six miles from M40 junctions 9 and 10 and next to EG On The Move services.
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Organisers say sellers do not need to pre‑book a pitch and can arrive from 6.30am.
Pitch fees are advertised as £10 for cars, £15 for cars with trailers or small vans and £20 for larger vehicles.
Buyers who want an early look can enter the site before 7.30am for £5 per vehicle, while standard admission after 7.30am is £1 per person, with children allowed in free of charge.
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Regulars describe the sale as a popular spot for family bargains, including nearly‑new children’s toys and clothes, with some visitors travelling in from Buckingham and Bedford for the chance to clear out unwanted items or pick up low‑cost finds.
The sale runs most Saturdays and on Bank Holiday Mondays through the season, with food stalls and toilets available on site.
People attending have been asked to take rubbish and unsold goods home at the end of the day.
Oxford News
Bank of England could raise UK interest rates amid conflict
Andrew Goodwin, chief UK economist at Oxford Economics, has suggested that the Bank of England may raise rates to guard against rising inflation, particularly if the conflict in the Middle East keeps energy prices elevated.
The Bank of England is expected to announce its latest decision on April 30, with most economists predicting that rates will stay at 3.75 per cent.
This follows a recent rise in inflation, driven largely by higher fuel prices linked to the ongoing conflict between US-Israeli and Iranian forces.
Mr Goodwin said: “We expect the MPC to keep bank rate unchanged at 3.75 per cent, with most committee members seemingly keen to hold policy at its current restrictive level as they gather more information about how the energy shock is feeding through to the economy.
“Nevertheless, we suspect a minority will opt for a 25 basis point (0.25 percentage point) hike, on the basis that some pre-emptive tightening is a more robust strategy to guard against an inflation outlook where the risks are skewed to the upside.”
Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation climbed to 3.3 per cent in March, according to the Office for National Statistics.
This rise was fuelled by an 8.7 per cent month-on-month increase in motor fuel prices – the largest jump since June 2022 – as oil production and transport were disrupted by the conflict.
Economic data has also pointed to stronger-than-expected growth, with the UK economy expanding by 0.5 per cent in February, above the forecast of 0.1 per cent.
Retail sales were boosted in March, with motorists buying more in a bid to stock up amid rising prices.
Despite this economic activity, most analysts believe the Bank will hold rates steady for now.
Sandra Horsfield, economist for Investec, said: “We expect the MPC to keep the Bank rate on hold at 3.75 per cent this time, as it did at the March meeting.”
She noted that although the US’s indefinite ceasefire is in place, uncertainty remains high, and the effects are still being felt across the economy.
Elliott Jordan-Doak, senior UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, predicted that the MPC will vote unanimously to hold rates.
However, he warned that if current trends continue, a rate rise could be on the horizon.
He said: “If surveys for May repeat the same pattern, and crucially the ‘dirty’ Middle East ceasefire continues with oil flows disrupted, we think the MPC will be bumped into a hike in June, or perhaps July.”
The Bank’s decision will be announced one day after the US Federal Reserve reveals its own policy decision.
Oxford News
Olympic star Laura Muir to headline Bannister Track Miles
She will compete in the Millicent Fawcett Mile at Iffley Road in Oxford on Bank Holiday Monday, May 4.
Muir will be aiming to break the track record of 4:27.79, set by Sonia O’Sullivan in 2004.
James Davies, Partner and Head of Blake Morgan’s Oxford office, who will be handing out medals on the day said: “We’re delighted to support Bannister Miles, a much-loved event rooted in Oxford’s sporting and community heritage.
“The Bannister family’s contribution to the city goes without saying, and it’s a privilege for our firm to play a small part in an occasion that brings so many people together.
“We’re really looking forward to Bank Holiday Monday and to welcoming runners, especially when it comes to handing out the medals at the finish.”
Muir is the UK national record holder over the mile with a personal best of 4:15.24.
UK Athletics’ Millicent Fawcett Mile is the premier trophy mile race in the country and forms part of the third annual Bannister Miles celebrations.
The event is named in honour of Dame Millicent Fawcett, who led the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies and was instrumental in securing women’s voting rights in 1918.
The day will feature a full programme of races, starting at 2.20pm, including junior, senior, steeplechase, and para events.
The elite men’s and women’s miles will begin from 5.45pm.
Spectators can attend free of charge and enjoy food, drink, and other activities throughout the afternoon.
Before the track events begin, more than 1,300 runners will take part in the Bannister Community Mile along the streets of Oxford, including more than 300 children.
This year’s event has proved especially popular with families, and after the first Family Wave sold out, organisers opened a second wave to meet demand.
The Family Waves will be started by Gordon Sanghera, the founder of the Sanghera Foundation, who this year have sponsored the event.
Their support has enabled Bannister Miles to provide free places to local school children.
The route starts at St Aldates from 9am, continues along the High Street, and finishes at Iffley Road.
Runners will collect their medals at the site where, 72 years ago, Sir Roger Bannister became the first person to run a sub-four-minute mile.
Medals will be handed out by partners of longstanding Bannister Miles supporter, local Oxfordshire law firm, Blake Morgan.
Entries for the community mile close at midnight on Friday, May 1.
All children under the age of six can enter free of charge.
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