News for Oxfordshire. Est. 2022. Email newsletter twice a week: https://oxfordclarion.uk For stories: news@oxfordclarion.ukhttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlqmqj4cgs2tBanbury’s Woodgreen pool has confirmed it is opening next week…. https://bsky.app/profile/cherwellcouncil.bsky.social/post/3mlqldowlz727 [contains quote post or other embedded content]13 May 2026 15:31 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqmqj4cgs2thttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlqkoftih22jAll three of Oxford’s major political parties are now led by women. The city’s Liberal Democrat group last night elected Katherine Miles as its leader, joining Susan Brown (Labour) and Lois Muddiman (Green).13 May 2026 14:54 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqkoftih22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlqiyb5c4s2sWest Oxfordshire District Council will continue to be run by a rainbow coalition of Liberal Democrats, Labour and Greens. Council and LibDem group leader Andy Graham said “It is incredibly important to me that we maintain this partnership in leading the council.” https://news.westoxon.gov.uk/news/west-oxfordshire-alliance-continues-the-partnership-administration-at-west-oxfordshire-district-council-113 May 2026 14:24 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqiyb5c4s2shttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlqivjt42s2tWe didn’t realise our influence stretched so far….. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0m28kgrm4go [contains quote post or other embedded content]13 May 2026 14:22 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqivjt42s2thttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlqethipec2vA project to restore the Evenlode valley in West Oxfordshire, running past Kingham, Charlbury and Eynsham, has won £3m extra funding. By creating new woodlands, meadows and wetlands, it aims to reduce flood risk without “hard engineering solutions” like new embankments and pumping systems.13 May 2026 13:10 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqethipec2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlqcmhnnak2vThe Government has given Thames Water a further £298m for design work on its proposed Abingdon Reservoir. Paul Hickey from RAPID, a partnership including Ofwat and the Environment Agency, said: “This next step will allow essential preparatory work for this scheme to be construction ready by 2029.”13 May 2026 12:30 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqcmhnnak2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlq2cbv3v22yHappening tonight klaxon: Oxford Fair Trade Coalition's 2026 flagship event on unfair global supply chains brings together producers, academics and UK specialists to highlight unfair practices in global supply chains and to outline practical ways citizens and businesses can help drive change. https://www.wadham.ox.ac.uk/events/un-fair-trade-in-global-supply-chains-and-what-we-can-do-about-it13 May 2026 10:01 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlq2cbv3v22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlq2bnd66c2kAn improved cycle route to Meadow Lane and the Thames towpath in East Oxford has been completed after 2.5 years. The surfaced path, approved in October 2023, goes around the edge of Donnington Rec, replacing the diagonal route which cuts across football pitches. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUQUUCe4yCA13 May 2026 10:01 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlq2bnd66c2khttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlpw3kdrdc2fToday's this is what we all hoped AI was going to be used for news: a multi discipline research collab developed an AI framework that can help predict how cells develop into specialised cell types. This research could help accelerate discoveries in developmental biology and regenerative medicine. https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2026-05-12-new-ai-model-predicts-how-cells-choose-their-fate13 May 2026 08:46 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlpw3kdrdc2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlptux5ffs2q60 new homes are proposed for the edge of the South Oxfordshire village of Lower Shiplake, near Henley. 20 houses would be market-rate 4-bed homes, with 16 ‘affordable’ 2-beds. The plans include children’s play areas and footpath upgrades. An application is with South Oxfordshire District Council.13 May 2026 08:06 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlptux5ffs2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlptgdshs22aIn quite the most fun planning application we’ve reported for some time, outdoor charity Adventure Plus wants to build a “lake for non motorised sports activities, construction of hill with caving system, and erection of coasteering wall” at their base in Clanfield, West Oxfordshire.13 May 2026 07:58 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlptgdshs22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlprulyvtk25World Morris Dance Record Update: Duncan has reached Abingdon; he danced into the square accompanied by his wife and daughter. Full report and really lovely pictures on the ever excellent Abingdon Blog : abingdonblog.co.uk [contains quote post or other embedded content]13 May 2026 07:30 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlprulyvtk25https://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlpqphaa3c25Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) is among the most improved NHS trusts in England for urgent and emergency care performance in 2025/26. The Trust’s four-hour performance rose from 68.4% of patients being seen within four hours in March 2025 to 80.2% in March 2026. https://www.ouh.nhs.uk/news/articles/2394/?page=1&returnlink=/news/13 May 2026 07:09 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlpqphaa3c25https://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlplwvsqv22qOxford Swift City is looking for volunteers in their bird era to help survey swifts across the city this summer. Swifts are famous for their high-speed flights and distinctive “screaming parties” at dusk, but like many bird species, their numbers have declined rapidly in recent years.13 May 2026 05:44 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlplwvsqv22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlplcys4c22qThames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber is hosting a roundtable discussion in Didcot today, to bring together councils and housing developers to tackle the growing problems caused by unadopted roads and housing estates, given Oxfordshire's homebuilding acceleration.13 May 2026 05:33 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlplcys4c22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlokipv2sk2qOxfordshire has new councillors. Congratulations to all those newly elected. We're reposting this excellent article from former Labour councillor Damian Haywood, with some tips for newbies. While this was written for county councillors, much of the advice still stands. Good luck to you all! https://oxfordclarion.uk/how-to-be-a-councillor/12 May 2026 19:46 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlokipv2sk2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlntmhcfxk2iThe new leader for the council’s Liberal Democrat group is Councillor Tim Bearder. There will be an extraordinary general meeting of the council on a date to be set to elect a new leader. In the interim, the current Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Cllr Neil Fawcett, leads the authority.12 May 2026 12:56 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlntmhcfxk2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlnon5syoc2iOxfordshire County Council's chair for the 2026/7 year is Councillor Ted Fenton (Bampton and Carterton South). Cllr Fenton, 63, was voted in to the role at the Annual Meeting of the county council. His charities will be Oxfordshire Air Ambulance and Oxfordshire Royal British Legion.12 May 2026 11:27 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlnon5syoc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlnmtmh2bc2zAll the Oxfordshire news you need (and some you might not) in today’s Clarion newsletter: 🗳️ Elections post-mortem 🔵 New Blue Plaque 🇪🇺 Europe Day 🔬 Quadsqueezing 🐑 It’s Shaun the Sheep! Plus politics, university news and more. Join thousands reading it twice a week: https://oxfordclarion.uk/the-clarion-12-may-202612 May 2026 10:55 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlnmtmh2bc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlnlqbyu2c2aBanbury MP Sean Woodcock has been appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Cabinet Office. https://labourlist.org/2026/05/live-updates-government-resignations/12 May 2026 10:35 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlnlqbyu2c2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlm2xfbss226Currently battling the word count on tomorrow's newsletter, with an analysis of the implications of Thursday's results. If you're not signed up, now would be a good time to do it. It's a good'un. Join thousands of others getting the Clarion to their inbox twice a week. Free. oxfordclarion.uk https://static.klipy.com/ii/4e7bea9f7a3371424e6c16ebc93252fe/a7/55/KW9DsAL1uYw8pOQk.gif?hh=266&ww=498&mp4=tGHzjVOOGRZci4QjdwD&webm=FO0EqOhopkUmR11 May 2026 20:02 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlm2xfbss226https://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mllvhephvs2aRaise the Colours Oxfordshire have been reinstalling flags in Oxford. In a statement on their Facebook page, the group said "Green Road roundabout looking spectacular again. The public fund our flags and we have plenty more in reserve, you can take them down but we will put them straight back up!"11 May 2026 18:24 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllvhephvs2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mllrva42es2zConsolidation in Oxfordshire’s independent schools market continues as Abingdon School has announced that it is to take over the Manor Prep School, on the edge of Abingdon. It already runs Abingdon Prep School in nearby Frilford. The group says it is “being created from a position of strength”.11 May 2026 17:20 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllrva42es2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mllbgn25ys27Oxfordshire County Council’s LibDem administration has selected its new cabinet. New faces include Rebekah Fletcher at highways; Gareth Epps at environment and future transport; Laura Gordon at economy and innovation; and Judith Edwards at community safety.11 May 2026 12:25 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllbgn25ys27https://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlladrj7bc2lHalf-term activity klaxon: Official Aardman clay-modelling workshops on 26/27 May at the Westgate centre, which also has an augmented reality Shaun the Sheep trail until 31st May: pick up the free trail map and headband from guest services, next to JD Sports https://www.westgateoxford.co.uk/en/shaun-the-sheep11 May 2026 12:06 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlladrj7bc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mll74u27vc24Oxford’s Green Party group has elected Lois Muddiman, councillor for Osney & St Thomas, as their new leader. The party made the most gains in last week’s Oxford City Council elections, becoming the second largest group on the council. She replaces Chris Jarvis, who has chosen to step down.11 May 2026 11:44 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mll74u27vc24https://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mll6chto3222Local Conservative leader Cllr Liam Walker says Andrew Gant’s decision to step down as Oxfordshire highways chief is “the right one… he allowed Oxfordshire’s potholes crisis to spiral out of control”. Cllr Walker resigned from the same position in 2020 after breaching the council’s code of conduct.11 May 2026 11:29 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mll6chto3222https://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mll4owaxbc2iAndrew Gant is stepping down as Oxfordshire’s transport chief. As the County Council’s cabinet member for transport management, he introduced Oxford’s congestion charge and 20mph limits in towns and villages, and oversaw the bedding in of the city’s Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.11 May 2026 11:01 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mll4owaxbc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mll2nzdojk2mSix thousand runners of all speeds took on the Oxford Town and Gown 10k in aid of Muscular Dystrophy UK on Sunday. Our photographer Roger Close was out on the course... https://oxfordclarion.uk/town-and-gown-may-2026/11 May 2026 10:24 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mll2nzdojk2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/oxfordclarion.bsky.social/post/3mlkxspz26s23Waste removal at the illegal Kidlington fly-tip is progressing well, reports the Environment Agency. At the northern extent of the site, the material has now been fully removed and taken away. The EA has warned of an “inevitable odour” in the warmer weather, with deodorisers installed on-site.11 May 2026 09:33 +0000at://did:plc:sehe5pdc7ptfh5ayttdusqpp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlkxspz26s23