Business & Technology
Oxford MP refuses to push for Thames Water administration
Labour’s Anneliese Dodds, the representative for Oxford East since 2017, is the only Oxfordshire MP not to have signed an open letter calling for Thames Water to be placed into special administration without delay.
Written by campaign group We Own It, the letter has been sent to Ofwat and the Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds MP.
READ MORE: Thames Water sorry after poo leaked into Oxfordshire home
Sophie Conquest, lead campaigner for the group, said: “Because of Thames Water, children are being denied access to education, roads are regularly flooded and Oxfordshire’s waterways are being turned into open sewers.”
The water supplier for 16m people across London and the Thames Valley is over £17bn in debt and last year was handed a record £122.7m fine, largely for breaching wastewater regulations.
It has been reported that Thames Water is close to a deal with regulator Ofwat which would see it avoid fines for four years, as long as it invests in the business.
This has not yet been approved by the regulator, which is said to be divided on the deal.
If it isn’t passed, Thames Water could go into special administration with The Guardian reporting the business is due to run out of money again in October.
Ms Conquest said: “This deal is outrageous. We cannot allow failing water companies to set the terms of their own regulation.
“By taking Thames Water into special administration, we can slash the debts and give billpayers and the environment a fair deal.”
We Own it urged Ms Dodds to sign the open letter as soon as possible, which also calls for the rejection of the deal.
Current signatories include the six other Oxfordshire MPs, one of which is her Labour colleague and Banbury MP Sean Woodcock, although the Labour Government has said it would prefer a market-led solution.
Ms Dodds’ office said the MP had repeatedly raised concerns about Thames Water, including about the potential pausing of fines.
She has also said that special administration would be preferable compared to a deal that did not protect consumers.
READ MORE: Oxfordshire stars of Channel 4 show in water referendum call
A spokesperson for Ms Dodds’ office said: “Anneliese has raised problems with Thames Water repeatedly, both directly with the company and with government ministers, including meeting directly with minister Emma Hardy.
“She pushed for a ban on bonuses for failing water bosses and for the failing Ofwat to be abolished – both of which are now being delivered.
“She has also raised deep concerns about suggestions that Ofwat might accept a deal with Thames Water’s creditors that would pause any fines being levied on the company until 2030.
“She has urged ministers not to accept this, and stressed that a special administration regime would.”
A Thames Water spokesperson said: “Thames Water remains focused on securing a solution with London and Valley Water consortium that delivers improvements for customers and the environment as soon as practicable, whilst continuing to make progress with our operational and financial turnaround plan.
“In the first six months of 2025/26 pollutions fell by 20 per cent. We also made a record £1.26billion capital investment, an increase of 22 per cent year-on-year, as we launched the biggest upgrade to the Thames Water network in 150 years.
“Special administration would delay urgently needed improvements, increase costs, transfer risk and potentially create operational disruption, while not resolving the core regulatory and structural challenges facing Thames Water.
“The recapitalisation already under way would still need to be completed, but later and at a greater cost.
“A market-led recovery remains the fastest and safest route to delivering environmental and service improvements. It is in the best interests of customers, taxpayers and the wider UK economy.”
Ryan Harrison, founder of Harrisons Fish & Chips in Elms Parade, Botley, has been named a finalist in the 2026 Alicia Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
Known as the ‘Grammys of entrepreneurship’, the awards were set up in 2012 to celebrate the most exceptional and inspiring business stories across the UK, recognising entrepreneurs from every nation and region for their innovation, impact and resilience.
READ MORE: Pricing row as Deliveroo and Oxford fish and chip shop part
Specifically Mr Harrison has been named in the Consumer Entrepreneur of the Year category.
He said: “5 years ago I didn’t think I would be where I am today.
“Through fish and chips it has changed my life and given me so many exciting opportunities!”
2026 has already been a successful year for the fish and chip shop boss, as his business won the Menu Innovation category at the National Fish & Chip Awards and was listed in the Top 10 in the Takeaway of the Year category,
READ MORE: Oxford fish and chip shop scoops top prize at UK awards
Frankie James, founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, said: “This year’s cohort represents billions in turnover and tens of thousands of jobs, but what I’m proudest of is the determination behind those numbers.
“These are founders who have stuck with it through every kind of year, and championing them is exactly why we do this.”
Conrad Ford, of chief sponsor Allica Bank, added: “What stands out this year is the optimism and ambition that continue to define the UK’s established business community.”
JOSEPH GABRIEL LAGONSIN
News Editor
Pulsant has completed a GBP £2 million investment programme across its UK data centre network, covering eight sites and focusing on upgraded facilities for customers, visitors and staff.
Delivered over the past two years, the programme covered sites in Croydon, Edinburgh, Maidenhead, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Reading and Rotherham. Further upgrades are under way at Pulsant’s recently acquired Birmingham and Fareham locations.
The refurbishment focused on customer-facing and operational areas inside the facilities. Changes included new layouts and signage, meeting rooms with AV technology and guest Wi-Fi, breakout areas, electric vehicle charging points, upgraded build rooms and revised access processes.
The work followed a pilot project at Pulsant’s Croydon site, where customer groups were used to assess how people use its data centres in practice. Feedback pointed to demand for more efficient and more welcoming on-site spaces for IT teams and technicians.
More than 500 UK businesses use Pulsant’s colocation services, placing their own servers and IT systems in the company’s facilities. Background information accompanying the announcement said Pulsant serves about 700 clients across its wider digital infrastructure estate.
Site changes
Pulsant introduced a zonal layout and updated signage to help engineers move around sites more quickly. It also created dedicated build bays with tools, test power distribution units and equipment so hardware can be prepared outside the data hall before installation.
Security and access were also part of the overhaul, with site access processes improved to reduce bottlenecks at busy periods while maintaining existing security standards.
Other additions included boardrooms, breakout rooms, rest areas and complimentary drinks. Post-upgrade feedback from clients and contractors highlighted those features alongside site security.
Customer feedback
Pulsant said client advocacy more than doubled after the changes, with a 33-point rise in Net Promoter Score among those who said they would recommend the company to industry peers looking for colocation services.
Ben Cranham, chief operating officer at Pulsant, said the project was designed to shift attention towards the people working in and visiting the facilities, alongside the underlying infrastructure.
“Data centres are often designed primarily around the infrastructure, rather than the people who work in them every day,” Cranham said.
He said the company used feedback from regular site users to guide the redesign.
“From the outset, our goal has been to create spaces where everyone – clients, partners, visitors and our team – feels welcome, supported and happy to be there. We’ve listened to the people who spend time in our data centres to shape environments that reflect how they work, now and in the future.
“By paying close attention to details, we’re delivering spaces that not only enhance wellbeing and productivity but also help us stand apart in the market,” Cranham said.
Pulsant operates 14 data centres around the UK and positions its network around regional connectivity and access to cloud, connectivity and compute services. The latest investment reflects a wider push by data centre operators to improve working environments at facilities regularly used by customer engineers, contractors, suppliers and in-house teams.
The British supermarket chain Iceland closed its high street shop in Sheep Street, Bicester, in 2024.
Since the company’s Food Warehouse stores opened in the nearby Launton Road Retail Park, the site has remained vacant.
Now, Allen Planning Limited, acting on behalf of an applicant, wants to alter the front of the ground floor shop front to attract a new commercial tenant.
It submitted plans to Cherwell District Council, the planning authority seeking what it called the creation of ‘minor external alterations’ which would ‘not adversely impact the design of the building or the wider visual amenities of the area’.
READ MORE:
Amendments include a white render band in place of signage, slimline aluminium windows, a glazed fanlight, a new aluminium double door with fanlight, and a separate aluminium entrance door to the first floor, as previously approved under plans.
Changes to the two upper floors have already been approved, including installing replacement windows and five new infill panels.
The site sits within the Bicester Conservation Area, which is also within the newly pedestrianised ‘Sheep Street’ character area, which is characterised by predominantly three-storey buildings facing onto the main shopping street.
Comments are due until July 2 and the planning authority is set to make a decision by July 24.
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