Crime & Safety
Oxfordshire tip usage down blamed on new ‘bureaucracy’
Alkerton tip near Banbury is down 48 per cent from February last year, Ardley Fields is down 32 per cent, Drayton is down 38 per cent, Oakley Wood is down 35 per cent and Redbridge is down 28 per cent.
Conservative leader Liam Walker told Oxfordshire County Council‘s full meeting on Tuesday, March 24 that “bureaucracy” is to blame for this.
The new booking system was introduced by the Liberal Democrat administration in mid-January, but around 26 per cent of people who attend one of seven tips are not booking in advance.
READ MORE: Fashion retailer quits Westgate after being part of £440m investment
Conservative councillor Lee Evans put forward a motion to councillors calling for a rethink on the new booking system.
He said Oxfordshire County Council had consistently performed for 11 years as the best for tips across the country.
But he accused the current administration of risking that reputation with the “unnecessary and unwanted” rules for using the tip.
“We’ve be become a council that you need to fill in a five-page booking form just to take a bag of leaves to the tip,” he said while describing it as “farcical”.
Mr Walker, leader of the Oxfordshire Alliance, said the new rules suggest the council doesn’t trust residents, who are being “managed, monitored and given permission” to use the tip.
He said the changes “add bureaucracy, create barriers and send entirely the wrong message” to residents.
He added: “Residents are increasingly fed up of having to ask this Lib Dem administration for permission to go about their daily lives.
“You need a permit to get into this city, you need to meet a criteria to drive down certain high street roads.
“Turn around the wrong way at a junction, you’re fined, try to park to support a local business, you’re hit with ever increasing parking charges.
“And now, unbelievably, you can’t even dispose of your own household waste without proving who you are and booking permission to do so at a specific time.”
But Liberal Democrat Rebekah Fletcher questioned the timing of the debate, and said it should be returned to council when “there is evidence, and not just vibes”.
Cabinet member for place, environment and climate action, Judy Roberts, said: “We have all seen comments on social media, but that is not evidence.
“The public have not raised any concern about he difficulties of providing” personal information such as proof of address to book a slot, she added.
Ms Roberts said that the number of visits to the tips “does not always tell the whole story”.
“There has always been some trader abuse and some of the changes have been specifically targeted to reduce the amount of trader abuse, in which case they wouldn’t be visiting us now,” she said.
Mr Evans’ motion was outvoted and rejected.
The rural crime police found and recovered a red Ducati Monster in the Cane End area of south Oxfordshire, close to Reading.
According to officers, the bike was involved in an incident last month where it failed to stop for blue lights and made off in a “dangerous” manner having crashed into a police van.
It was found on Wednesday evening, May 13.
The Ducati Monster is a popular motorbike made by the Italian manufacturer since the early 1990s.
Some 350,000 Ducati Monsters have been produced since the model’s introduction in 1993, making it the best-selling and longest-running motorcycle in Ducati’s history.
Its often credited in the motorbike world as being the one that ‘saved Ducati’ due to its popularity and cheap development costs
The Rose & Crown in Ratley, a village new Banbury on the northern tip of the Cotswolds AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), shut down unexpectedly ahead of the festive period in December 2024, due to personal circumstances, according to the owners.
The village pub and restaurant, 10 miles north of Banbury, is now set to be reopened under new owners after more than a year on the market.
READ MORE: Oxford locals unimpressed by city ‘pod’ hotel plans
In a statement released to introduce themselves, new owners Dee and Norm Knight-Barrett said: “We wanted to reassure everyone that we intend to reopen The Rose & Crown as a traditional British ‘pie and pint’ pub.
“There is quite a bit of work to do internally in particular the cellar and kitchen.
“We want to offer the best beers and pies that we can so we need to carry out some upgrades. We will keep you posted with regard to progress so please bear with us.
“We are looking forward to meeting you all and making lots of new friends.”
READ MORE: TV legend’s daughter selling £3.95m Oxfordshire mansion
The new owners revealed the plans include theme nights, pizza, curry and barbecues, live music, a pool table and sports games, and has invited further suggestions from the village.
The property is a grade II listed, detached building which is believed to have operated as a pub for more than 250 years.
No opening date has yet been announced and works to renovate and refresh the venue are ongoing.
Green Templeton College’s long‑running Management in Medicine Programme has been shortlisted for the Empowering People Award.
The university‑wide awards celebrate outstanding contributions across Oxford’s collegiate community, with nearly 170 entries submitted across 13 categories this year and more than 1,000 individuals nominated.
Shortlisted as one of the five nominees in the Empowering People category, the Management in Medicine Programme is recognised for empowering medical students and healthcare professionals to develop their management and leadership potential.
The programme helps those working in and around healthcare build the skills and knowledge needed to navigate today’s complex health and care systems.
READ MORE: Plans for 750 homes near Bicester met with objections
Programme lead Dr Nicholas Hicks said: “This recognition reflects the commitment of everyone who contributes to the programme, including our speakers, participants and colleagues across Green Templeton and the wider university.”
The Management in Medicine Programme offers workshops, seminars and a shadowing scheme focused on healthcare leadership, service improvement and the practical challenges facing NHS and other health organisations.
The Management in Medicine team will present their work at the Vice‑Chancellor’s Awards Showcase at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities on Tuesday, June 2.
The winners and highly commended nominees will be announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday, June 4.
-
Oxford News3 weeks agoBanbury cake company with 400 year history shut down
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoBicester man denies sexually assaulting two young girls
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoBicester crash: Motorcyclist ‘seriously injured’ in hospital
-
UK News3 weeks agoTV tonight: Shetland meets CSI in a new drama about a disgraced cop | Television
-
UK News3 weeks agoStarmer says it ‘beggars belief’ he wasn’t told about Mandelson vetting failure as he faces Commons – UK politics live | Politics
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoOxfordshire ‘hidden trap’ pothole leads to compensation payout
-
Crime & Safety2 weeks agoYoung farmers club hosts fun farm competitions in Bicester
-
UK News4 weeks agoV&A faces calls to become living wage employer on eve of Stratford opening | V&A