Business & Technology
London Road underpass victory for MP and campaigners
The East West Rail Company (EWR Co) has confirmed that a single-lane motorised underpass is now the preferred and only option for replacing Bicester’s London Road level crossing.
This is a major milestone for residents, businesses and campaigners who have fought for years to keep Bicester connected.
MP Calum Miller, who delivered a petition with more than 4,500 signatures to the House of Commons last year, called the decision “a genuine victory for Bicester.”
He said: “In 2021, EWR consulted on closing the crossing altogether. In 2024, they consulted only on non-motorised options. Today, an underpass is their preferred solution.
“That shift has not happened by accident. It has happened because local people organised, spoke up and kept making the case that Bicester deserved better, and I am proud to have worked alongside them every step of the way.”
The announcement was made as part of the rail company’s latest consultation which will run until Tuesday, June 9, offering communities along the route an opportunity to have their say.
A Development Consent Order application for government backing, which will be submitted next year, will include the final design, business case and cost estimates.
Campaigner Carole Heatherington, chair of the Langford Village Community Association, said she is relieved that a motorised underpass is the only long-term solution.
She said: “We have campaigned for so long to get to this point, well done Bicester. We now just need confirmation from the government and EWR that the funding package is finalised, which I’m sure won’t be long.”
The design includes a single-lane road that could be used by vehicles, alongside a protected active travel corridor for pedestrians and cyclists.
By aligning with Bicester’s wider connectivity plans, this solution is expected to cut delays and congestion caused by barrier closures, make journeys safer and improving the reliability of bus and emergency vehicles.
There will also be a height restriction on the underpass and a diversionary route for HGVs will be put in place.
Further travel modelling and wider environmental assessments are now underway to refine the details of the junction improvement proposal.
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A new active travel hub to the south of Bicester Village station is proposed. It will include cycle parking, an enhanced bus stop and a private car pick-up and drop-off area.
A sloped embankment along one side of the underpass approach ramps will create a more open and lighter underpass, retain public space and walkways and provide a direct walkway from the station towards Langford.
Hybrid electric/battery-equipped trains are planned to operate along the railway, including between Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village.
Paul Troop, chair of Bicester Bike Users’ Group said he welcomes the belated recognition for active travel and public transport users who depend on the crossing.
However, he said the company “should commit to funding the underpass out of its own core budget rather than relying on the whim of others.”
While the design vindicates relentless campaigns to keep the underpass to maintain proper connectivity through the town, it remains subject to third-party funding.
East West Rail and Oxfordshire County Council is working closely with the Government’s Department of Transport to develop a funding package but no agreement has been reached yet.
Mr Miller added that funding “needs to be resolved quickly”. He said: “The clearer and louder local voices are in the weeks ahead, the harder it will be for anyone to wobble. Bicester has made itself heard once. Now we need to do it again and finish the job.”
David Hughes, CEO of EWR Co, said that out of six different options they are hoping to go with the “more expensive but much better option”.
He said: “Over the last five years we’ve consulted on at least six different options about what the best solution is but what has always been clear is the severance of closing that level crossing on the local community.
“We have heard loud and clear that the community wanted to maintain vehicle access and the only way to do that is through this option which I think has been really positively received.”
The innovative farm, home to 28 Dutch Meuse-Rhine-Issel cows, was established in May 2019 by Peter and Minke van Wingerden in the Port of Rotterdam.
Jeremy Clarkson visited the farm last year on Clarkson’s Farm and demanded Britain builds floating farms across the country’s docks in a bid to protect the environment.
The ex-Top Gear presenter suggested the idea be taken up in cities such as London, Liverpool and Manchester.
He wrote in the Sunday Times after visiting: “I was there with Kaleb, who thought he knew all about cow farming. But he was stunned by this.
“Peter and his wife, Minke, have also opened a farm shop. It’s just like the one we have at Diddly Squat; he even has a neighbour who writes to the council every day urging them to close it down.
“I left the floating farm, genuinely surprised by the elegant simplicity of it all.”
Conceived as a futuristic solution for sustainable food production, the farm operates independently of traditional land-based farming, featuring on-site facilities for feeding, milking, slurry, and dairy production.
Despite its popularity and the interest it garnered from hundreds of thousands of visitors globally, the farm is now being sold due to running out of permission to stay in the port and what the owners describe as “ridiculous outdated demands”.
Owner Peter van Wingerden explained that the city and port’s plans to redevelop the area for residential housing were the initial reasons for the farm’s impending closure.
However, regulatory complications added to the decision to sell.
Around two years ago, the farm encountered issues with its specially designed low-emissions floor, which started to bulge, causing problems for both the cows and a robotic scraper.
The owners replaced it with another low-emissions floor made in Germany, which, despite the farm’s regular emissions monitoring showing compliance with optimum levels, was not certified in the Netherlands.
As a result, Rijnmond Environmental Service, known as DCMR, sanctioned the farm.
Despite the farm’s emissions remaining within permissible limits, the lack of certification for the new floor led to sanctions.
This prompted the owners to opt for selling the cows and the farm, which can be relocated globally.
Producing approximately 600 litres of milk daily, the farm’s high-protein, butterfat-rich milk is primarily processed into milk, yoghurt, and cheese.
The floating farm was not just a novelty but a pioneering initiative in sustainable urban farming, highlighting the potential for food production in non-traditional environments.
However, the closure underscores the challenges faced by such innovative ventures in navigating regulatory landscapes.
SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO
News Editor
Urban Jungle has partnered with IKEA to launch home insurance for IKEA customers in the UK, marking IKEA’s first insurance partnership in the British market.
The range includes contents insurance, buildings insurance, and combined buildings and contents cover, with contents policies starting at £60 a year. Policies are available through IKEA’s website and price comparison sites, and customers can change or cancel cover without a fee.
The launch gives IKEA a new service category beyond home furnishings as retailers look for additional revenue streams and closer customer relationships. For Urban Jungle, the deal expands its white-label insurance model with a major consumer brand.
Contents cover offers protection of up to £120,000 and is aimed at renters, flatshares, students, and other households. Buildings insurance provides up to £1 million of cover as standard, with optional extras including accidental damage, home emergency, out-of-home cover, and legal expenses.
The companies are entering the market as underinsurance remains an issue in the UK, particularly among renters. Urban Jungle said only 57% of private renters currently have contents insurance.
Founded in 2016, Urban Jungle has served more than 300,000 customers in the UK across home and travel insurance. It sells directly to consumers and through partnerships with other brands.
Retail push
The agreement also broadens IKEA’s “life at home” services offer in the UK, which already includes home move and set-up services and a branded credit card. The insurance product is positioned as part of that wider push into services linked to household needs.
Insurance sold through retail and affinity partnerships has become a more established route to market for specialist providers, particularly in home, travel, and embedded finance products. These arrangements allow retailers to offer adjacent services without building their own regulated insurance operations from scratch.
Jimmy Williams, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Urban Jungle, said the deal was a significant milestone for the company.
“We are delighted to partner with IKEA, and this marks a significant milestone in Urban Jungle’s mission. We believe in fair insurance for everyone, and by joining forces with IKEA, we can bring our technology-driven, AI-powered, accessible home insurance to an even wider audience. We are proud to be the first insurance provider to collaborate with IKEA in the UK, offering insurance that truly puts the customer first,” he said.
IKEA said the product forms part of its effort to support customers beyond furnishing purchases.
“IKEA’s mission is to create a better everyday life for the many people, and that extends to feeling secure and protected in your home. By partnering with Urban Jungle, we are bringing a simple, functional, and affordable home insurance product to our customers, ensuring they have peace of mind that their homes and belongings are protected. As part of our wider life at home services offer, this partnership helps us support customers beyond home furnishing, making everyday life at home a little easier,” said Callum Leavy, Country Customer Experience Manager, IKEA UK.
New store DartSmart set up shop in unit 14 of Templars Square Shopping Centre, Cowley, with a grand opening event on Saturday, August 1.
The small, family-run business has been launched by Dwaine Jackson, an avid player who wanted to create Oxfordshire’s ‘new home of darts’.
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He is supported by his wife, Jay, who helped setting up the store while on maternity leave with their nine-month-old son, from her job as a personal assistant.
Mr Jackson said: “I have a passion for darts and I play regularly in the local Oxford leagues, but I noticed I needed to travel out of Oxford for accessories, or order online with delivery costs and longer wait times.
“So, I wanted to bring an accessible darts shop central to Oxford and surrounding towns to fulfil the needs of the local dart players.”
DartSmart sells premium equipment and accessories for all levels, for beginners to professionals, stocking major brands.
It also offers a trade discount for pubs, clubs and league venues, to support the sport the owner loves so much, and has two dedicated oches so customers can try before they buy.
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A spokesperson for Templars Square Shopping Centre said: “Whether you’re inspired by world-class players like Luke Littler or picking up your first set of darts, DartSmart has everything you need to enjoy the game, from darts and dartboards to flights, shafts and cases.
“Pop in and give them a warm Templars Square welcome.”
DartSmart is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm, and until 4pm on Sundays.
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