Oxford University colleges Exeter and Hertford submitted plans to improve their shared sports grounds in Edgeway Road, Marston, but the application was turned down by Oxford City Council planning committee on November 18, 2025.

The plan includes facilities such as indoor and outdoor padel courts, cricket nets, basketball, netball, and five-a-side courts, and a golf simulator.

The old squash court was set to house a golf simulator, and the proposal included a friendly café, better disabled access and more green space with trees and wildflowers.

The grass pitches were to be open for hire, but schools and charities were offered free hours.

Exeter College cricket pavilion at Marston (Image: Image: Exeter College/Hertford College)

Residents and clubs could have used the grounds all year, with affordable pricing for all.

The plan also aimed to encourage people to walk, cycle, or scoot to the site on new footpaths, with proper cycle and scooter parking.

The petition argues that Oxford has limited affordable places to play, and this site, already hosting sports, could have been a shared space for everyone.

The petition, launched on Change.org, states: “A project with this much to offer local health, wellbeing and community life deserves to go ahead.

“This petition shows how many local people would welcome and use a community sports hub in Marston, and asks for the proposal to be supported.”

Petition launched for Oxford University colleges plan to revamp sports field (Image: Image: Exeter College/Hertford College)

There were a number of objections to the plans from residents.

The college at the time said the project will breathe new life into an underused site that has suffered from vandalism and anti-social behaviour in recent years, transforming it into a year-round destination.

Oxford City Council’s planning committee refused the application in November.

Planning officers recommended that the plans should be refused for several reasons.

Petition launched for Oxford University colleges plan to revamp sports field (Image: Image: Exeter College/Hertford College)

In their report, they stated the padel enclosure would “fail to preserve the openness of the Green Belt”, that the plans do not address potential noise and disturbance from the air source heat pumps, and that there is not enough information about how these facilities would cope with flooding.

The Environment Agency and the lead local flood authority objected over the lack of detail on how the development would deal with flooding.

Roughly 30 objections were lodged against the scheme, while others supported it.

Laura Warden, senior planning officer for Oxford Preservation Trust, said: “More sensitive consideration needs to be given to the site’s setting next to the floodplain meadows and the heritage significance of this ‘green finger’ which runs from Marston down towards the city.

“Although we support the re-use and retention of the existing buildings we find the level of additional development, especially the padel tennis canopy and additional lighting across the site, to be excessive.”

Hundreds of people turned out to protest the arrival of the ultra-nationalist figure, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, for a debate at the Oxford Union on Wednesday, June 17.

The debate was on whether ‘the West is right to be suspicious of Islam’, and the invite list sparked outrage from many across the city.

The Oxford Mail had two reporters and a photographer on the ground along with others contributing to the coverage – here’s what they captured of the protest-waving, chanting and police clashes that took place over the course of the evening.

St Michael’s Street, home of the Oxford Union, is closed off to all pedestrians and traffic from 4pm, as a strong police presence is established (Image: Madeleine Evans / Newsquest)

Oxford City Council announced earlier in the week that St Michael’s Street would be the only road closure associated with the controversial debate and the resulting planned protests.

Protesters against Yaxley-Lennon’s attendance begin to gather at either end of St Michael’s Street, organised by Stand Up to Racism, chanting and waving posters (Image: Madeleine Evans / Newsquest)

Meanwhile, Tommy Robinson is seen arriving in a white van with the windows blacked-out, ushered towards the debating hall by security personnel who close the fence behind him.

He’s following former actor Laurence Fox and former government minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, who is representing the ‘opposition’ in the debate on Islam, who arrived shortly before him.

Supporters of Yaxley-Lennon hosted a smaller demonstration of their own, numbering a few dozen people at their peak. They gathered in Bonn Square, at the end of New Inn Hall Street where the speaker had been driven to the debate.

Supporters of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon gathered in Bonn Square (Image: Madeleine Evans / Newsquest)

One of them, who did not want to share his name, said: “It’s just about being safe on the streets. Oxfordshire doesn’t want to be the next Rochdale.

“It’s not about racism, I’m not here today about racism, it’s about protection of the next generation.

“Oxfordshire is fairly safe at the moment, but there’s so many parts of the country now that are dominated by Muslims – we’re being taken over.

“I’m not against Muslim people, but the people that we have in our hotels are not vetted people, we don’t who they are, what they’re backgrounds are.”

Meanwhile, people continued joining the numbers of self-described ‘anti-fascist’ protesters gathering mostly on Cornmarket Street.

Self-described ‘anti-fascist’ protesters on Cornmarket Street (Image: Ed Nix)

One of the organisers from Stand Up to Racism, Teige, said: “Fasicsm is on the rise.

“Tommy Robinson is not here to have a political debate – he was at the centre of the pogroms in Belfast and Southampton and Glasgow.

“And that’s his aim. The safety of our community is not up for debate.”

Anti-racism protesters chanted slogans such as “Oxford Union, shame, shame” throughout the demonstration (Image: Ed Nix)

Police remained present at the largely peaceful protest, keeping to the side lines and intervening on only a few occasions.

Police were present at the protest but allowed the demonstrations to continue peacefully (Image: Ed NIx)

Carol Wing, a member of Stand Up to Racism and Women Against Fascism, said: “We’re here protesting that the Oxford Union elite debating club for the elite have invited Tommy Robinson to a debate that ‘the west should be suspicious of Islam’.

A sign held by a protester reads: “Racists not welcome in our community” (Image: Ed Nix)

“Everywhere he goes, he fuels division, he fuels hate, we do not want this in Oxford.

“We have petitioned for them to not have this debate and they have refused to cancel it, so we’re here the only way we know how, to make a lot of noise.”

Carol Wing said: “We’re here the only way we know how, to make a lot of noise” (Image: Madeleine Evans / Newsquest)

The anti-racism protesters began blocking the entrance ways to the debate hall as it approached the start time of 8.30pm, at the St Michael’s Street and Frewin Court entrances.

Jess, 51, from Cowley, said: “I’m here because Oxford is a welcoming and multicultural city. Tommy Robinson’s presence here makes the city less safe for the residents. It’s not just his speech it’s violent threats that are mobilizing mobs.” (Image: Theo Dunnert)

Thames Valley Police later confirmed that Oxford Union debate organisers themselves decided to suspend entry to the event for ticket holders, as a result of the protest.

Note: The sound on this video has been removed due to language.

Protesters against Yaxley-Lennon blocked the entrance to the Oxford Union debate via Frewin Court, next to Clarendon House on Cornmarket Street (Image: Madeleine Evans / Newsquest)

Anti-racism protesters blocking the entrance to St Michael’s Street at the other end, on New Inn Hall Street (Image: Matthew Evans / Newsquest)

Supporters of Yaxley-Lennon began making their way down Queen Street to meet the other group of demonstrators in Cornmarket.

As the groups began to clash, around 20 police officers rushed between them to form a line and prevent the groups interacting. Members of both sides shouted at each other across the police line.

The groups clashed as police formed a line to prevent them from interacting (Image: Theo Dunnert)

Demonstrators from both sides shouted at each other across the police line (Image: Theo Dunnert)

Jack, supporting Yaxley-Lennon, said: “I’m standing here today due to recent events, there’s a two-tier society that victimises native British people.

“The two tier system privileges non native people over native British people. We want equality under the law.

“Why shouldn’t Tommy Robinson speak under freedom of speech? Tommy Robinson is standing up to the system.”

Jack, supporting Yaxley-Lennon, said: “There’s a two-tier society that victimises native British people.” (Image: Stephanie Bell)

As the debate began got under way after 8.30pm, the protest began to die down, Yaxley-Lennon’s supporters clearing from the streets first.

Aisha, 19, said: “I’m a Muslim student and from an immigrant family, and I’ve been involved in activism my whole life. The reality is that Tommy Robinson and all his supporters are the Nazis of the new age, and we need to stand up now, before we become complicit.” (Image: Stephanie Bell)

The protest began to die down later in the evening, with more anti-racism demonstrators than Yaxley-Lennon supporters staying out (Image: Madeleine Evans / Newsquest)

Police said one arrest was made, with a 20-year-old man from Kent being taken into police custody on suspicion of assault by beating.

Police making an arrest in Oxford (Image: Matthew Evans / Newsquest)

Thames Valley Police said the operation stood down at about 1.30am on Thursday morning.

Oxford Stand Up to Racism claimed hundreds of people attended the protest (Image: Ed Nix)

Oxford Stand Up to Racism later claimed that more than 400 people had turned out in support of their cause.

The Environment Agency said the remaining circa 4,000 tonnes will be removed in the coming weeks in what has been a major clear-up operation of the Kidlington site.

The piles of waste, up to 10 metres tall, that were illegally dumped by “unscrupulous” criminals, have now been cleared from the northern and southern sections of the site, the agency said in its latest update.

And what remains to be disposed of is stockpiled within the site boundaries ready for collection.

The site at Kidlington now (Image: Environment Agency)

All of the waste that has been cleared so far has been taken to permitted waste management facilities.

A spokesman from the Environment Agency said: “This waste has blighted local communities and the environment, so we have been working at pace with over 700 lorry loads of waste leaving the site since we began clearance in April.

“We are now focusing efforts on clearing the site boundaries and peripheries.

“When this has been completed, we will dig trial pits and carry out ‘walk over’ inspections to identify any further pockets of buried waste that may need to be removed.”

READ MORE: Police granted extra powers at Tommy Robinson protest

To clear such a huge pile of waste, it will cost taxpayers £7.3m and was done so with the help of a Yorkshire-based contractor.

But the Environment Agency is hoping to get that money back once those responsible are prosecuted.

Four men, all from out of Oxfordshire, have been arrested so far as part of the criminal investigation, but no charges have been brought.

The Environment Agency did not give any further information on its investigation when asked by this newspaper.

Progress made at the Kidlington dump (Image: Ian Middleton)

Having started in April, the clean-up is expected to take about six months and that progress so far is on track.

“In July we hope to begin reinstatement works,” the Environment Agency added.

“This includes inspections by our partners National Highways, to ensure their boundary that runs alongside the A34, the fencing and drainage ditches are all still fit for purpose.

“We will remove the Heras fencing and jumbo sandbags that were installed to protect the River Cherwell from pollution and decommission the site compound removing the staff welfare facilities, aggregate and access track.

“The aggregate that formed the underlay of our site compound and the contents of the jumbo sandbags will be sent for cleaning rather than disposal, allowing re-use in the future.”

Spanning about 8,000 square metres, the pile consists of mixed domestic and commercial waste, shredded plastics, polystyrene and tyres.