Oxford News
Petition to revive Oxford Uni vandalised sports ground
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
The blaze broke out on Monday (August 3) in fields behind houses in Chipping Campden, just across the Oxfordshire border in Gloucestershire.
74-year-old gardener and landscaper Francis Owens died at the scene after a large fire erupted in dry fields behind Berrington Road and Castle Gardens.
Emergency services received multiple 999 calls at 5.38pm reporting a fast‑moving blaze.
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service said 13 fire engines were deployed at the height of the incident.
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Deputy chief fire officer Nathaniel Hooton said: “We were called at 5.38pm on Monday 3 August following multiple reports from members of the public about a large fire in fields behind Berrington Road and Castle Gardens in Chipping Campden.
“As a service, we extend our sincere condolences to the family of the deceased and to the wider community.
“At the height of the incident, 13 fire engines were in attendance. This was a multi‑agency response.
“We worked extremely hard with colleagues from neighbouring fire services to bring the fire under control.”
Gloucestershire Constabulary confirmed that Mr Owens, from the local area, was declared dead at the scene.
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A police spokesperson said: “Following a fire in Chipping Campden last night, a man in his 70s from the local area was sadly confirmed dead at the scene.
“His family and the coroner have been informed, and our thoughts remain with all those who knew him at this time.
“Police do not suspect any third party involvement in the death.2
Speaking to The Independent, Mr Owens’ son Patrick described his father as “the Renaissance man of Chipping Campden” and an “amazing father” who had been devoted to his wife Mandy for 50 years.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established, and Gloucestershire Police and the fire service say investigations are continuing.
The Change.org surpassed the 500,000 milestone just before Thursday afternoon, August 6 and continues to rise at speed.
Hundreds of thousands of people across the UK are demanding the government do not let Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole out of jail early.
Some 5,000 people are expected to be released early under sentencing changes, down from 6,000 after ministers exempted rapists and “serious” child sex offenders as part of the scheme to tackle overcrowding in jails.
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Cole and Bowers remain eligible to be freed halfway through their 13-year sentences after they were convicted of manslaughter in 2020 following Pc Harper’s death in 2019
As she backed the calls, widow Lissie Harper said: “Government has punched us in the gut… they should be ashamed of themselves.
“Hopefully we can make the current Government come to their senses and realise we cannot put people like this back on our streets. Justice should mean justice and serving the sentence given.”
Aileen O’Connor, who chairs the Thames Valley Police Federation, said releasing Cole and Bowers would anger and demoralise serving officers in the area.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said she supported the Police Federation in considering a judicial review.
She told Today: “I’m not arguing against early release. We’ve had early release even under Conservatives.
“I’m against early release of this dangerous category of rapists, paedophiles, killers, including the killers of Pc Andrew Harper.”
Thames Valley Police has released a CCTV image of a man they are searching for in relation to money reportedly being fraudulently withdrawn in Oxfordshire, Ascot and London.
The force said that on May 20, the suspected offender obtained the bank card and PIN number of the victim, a woman in her 20s, which were being posted to her address.
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They then proceeded to withdraw thousands of pounds from the victim’s account over the next 12 days, before the woman became aware and blocked the card.
The money was withdrawn from cash machines at several locations, including NatWest, TSB and Nationwide branches in Witney, HSBC in Chiswick, Nationwide in Oxford, and cash machines at Tesco and Sainsbury’s in Ascot.
This was between 20 May and 1 June 2026.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable David Mathieson, said: “I am appealing to anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity at the cash machines between the dates we are investigating, or has information that may assist us to please get in touch.
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“If you recognise the man in the image, or if this is you, please contact us.
“Anyone with information should call 101 or make an online report, via our website, quoting crime reference number 43260273378.
“If you don’t want to speak directly with police, you can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers 100 per cent anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
“If you suspect your card or account has been compromised, contact your bank immediately.”
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