Latest news with #OxfordshireCountyCouncil
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Woodstock Road improvements costing £3.2m are complete
Road improvements costing millions of pounds have been completed in Road has had a number of enhancements geared towards creating better conditions for members of the public to walk, cycle and £3.2m project was funded through an Oxfordshire County Council scheme using government highway improvements include new side road crossings, wider pavements, ramp improvements and extended cycle paths. Councillor Judy Roberts, from Oxfordshire County Council, said: "I am delighted to see the beautifully designed improvements on Woodstock Road completed. "Not only is it a visual improvement, crucially it's safer for pedestrians and cyclists. This much better accessibility is part of our plan to give people genuine options to use sustainable ways of travelling on one of the major roads in the city. And to top it off, it is all looking lovely."The scheme was designed by council highways maintenance contractor M Group and other improvements include a new parallel crossing south of Bevington Road and a new full-time bus stop clearway. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
High-speed broadband brought to rural parts of Oxfordshire
A DIGITAL upgrade is bringing high-speed broadband to public services and rural communities across Oxfordshire. The GigaHubs project, led by Oxfordshire County Council, has introduced gigabit-capable broadband to 192 public service sites, including schools, GP surgeries, fire stations, libraries, leisure centres and community centres. Councillor Liz Leffman, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: "The GigaHubs project has transformed the digital landscape of Oxfordshire, enabling libraries, community centres, schools and GP practices to offer enhanced services to residents. "The successful collaboration with Neos Networks and other industry leaders has ensured that even the most remote areas now have access to reliable, high-speed internet. "This initiative supports our broader goals of reducing carbon emissions, promoting digital inclusion, and fostering community engagement." The project focused on rural areas where fibre connectivity has been difficult and costly to implement. It was jointly funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the county council, with the council's contribution drawn from revenue generated by its digital infrastructure programme. The project was managed by Neos Networks, with Openreach, Virgin Media Business, and Gigaclear serving as subcontractors. The upgraded connectivity is already making a difference, allowing village halls and community centres to livestream events, meetings, clubs and classes. In addition to broadband installation, the digital infrastructure programme is funding three years of internet access for the 55 community centres and village halls connected through the project. The council now hopes to develop these sites into broader community hubs, offering health and social care support and reducing the need for residents to travel long distances for essential services. The scheme has also enabled the migration of council buildings from leased lines to direct fibre connections, saving the council £70,000 annually in connectivity costs. David Bruce, chief revenue officer at Neos Networks, said: "The collaboration has allowed us to use our expertise and relationships to deliver real public good and support the council's vision for a smarter, more connected Oxfordshire. "This project should serve as a blueprint for other local authorities seeking to bridge the digital divide and support community development." The upgraded infrastructure is also expected to incentivise more investment from the commercial sector in rural areas now that the targeted hubs provide a way to connect homes and businesses nearby. As part of its agreement with Neos, the council secured a £20,000 social value contribution, which funded the purchase of 30 public computers now installed in libraries at Oxford Westgate, Cowley and Abingdon.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Westgate on plans to expand crowded car park
The Westgate shopping centre in Oxford has responded to plans over expanding car parking capacity ahead of the busy summer holiday period. The car park at the city shopping centre has been filling up for several days so far this summer, according to Oxfordshire County Council. So far this month, the council has reported Westgate's car park as being full six times – all before schools have even broken up. And traditionally, the 1,000-space car park is full around Christmas time too with many people buying gifts for family and friends at the facility. READ MORE: READ MORE: Driver caught with 26 points on his licence We asked Westgate whether it has any plans to expand its car parking capacity or even build another one to accommodate the vast number of shoppers arriving by car. In response, a Westgate spokeswoman said: 'We work closely with [[Oxfordshire County Council]] to manage traffic around the centre and have a transport plan in place, which includes measures to pre-empt higher volumes of [[traffic]] than usual. 'We encourage visitors to use public transport options where possible, especially during the current local road closures, with details available on our website.' ⛔️WESTGATE CAR PARK FULL The @WestgateOxford car park is full. Please use your nearest Park & Ride: #Thornhill - OX3 8DP #Redbridge - OX1 4XG #Peartree - OX2 8JF #OxfordParkway - OX2 8HE #Seacourt - OX2 0HP #OxonTravel — OxonTravel (@OxonTravel) July 12, 2025 When the car park is full, it causes issues for drivers in the area being stuck in tailbacks along Abingdon Road. Westgate has not publicly offered its opinion on the plans for a congestion charge in the city which would affect access to the car park. Under the plans, drivers would have to pay £5 to drive in Thames Street, where the Westgate car park entrance and exit is, on top of Westgate's parking charges.
BBC News
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Oxfordshire on-street electric vehicle charging scheme launched
A scheme that will allow residents without off-street parking to charge their electric vehicles outside their own home has been Oxfordshire County Council project will see charging cable channels installed outside the homes of 500 people who do not have their own is believed to be the largest scheme of its kind in the UK, and is being partially funded by a £700,000 grant from central Hargreaves, who took part in a similar but smaller trial in 2022, said his charging channel "works so brilliantly" that he "can't find a single fault". "The charging channel allows us to minimise the use of commercial chargers, whose rates are still a little too high at present," Mr Hargreaves, from Summertown, added that being able to charge at home was "safe and convenient". The council said the charging channels were an "affordable and practical solution" for people without off street parking who wanted to switch their petrol or diesel car to an electric Judy Roberts, the authority's environment chief, said: "A third of Oxfordshire householders don't have off street parking, so we believe this could be a real game-changer and give residents the confidence to switch to an electric vehicle (EV).""Being able to access home electricity rates and park in your usual spot are the sorts of things that are likely to make EV ownership a reality for many local people," she part of the scheme, residents would pay the council £300 to cover the cost of a site survey, the installation of a channel and a two-year licence to use the second year, those taking part would have to pay about £100 each year, which the council said would cover operating project is part of a wider council scheme that will see at least 1,200 public EV chargers installed across the county by the end of 2027. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
BBC News
12-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Woodeaton Manor School move from 'dilapidated' site to take years
Plans to move a school from a "dilapidated" site are at a "very initial stage" and will take years to come to fruition, a council leader has Manor School, near Oxford, was rated inadequate and found to be "chaotic" by Ofsted inspectors who visited in October 2023. Its governing body later resigned.A new head teacher and governors were appointed but - while inspectors found it had improved on a visit in March - it remains in special County Council leader Liz Leffman said what had happened at the school was a "very unfortunate episode". The authority said in June it had suffered "significant financial implications" after the school's former governing body did not "appropriately invest" in its Grade II* listed building and wider council said it had spent £1.6m improving it, including spending £900,000 on replacing fire doors as well as making other "fire safety improvements to meet the legislative standards"."None of us are proud of the fact that the school has failed in such a dreadful way and has had such a poor Ofsted report," Leffman told a council meeting on Tuesday."The whole question of what happens to the school is under review and we will be announcing in due course what that is going to look like." In a statement published ahead of the meeting, she said: "Our plans for the future relocation of the school are at a very initial stage and will take a number of years to develop. "I can understand that for parents and their children, the prospect of moving the school is disturbing. When these plans are firmer, we will involve parents and the school community on how we move forward."The school has about 80 pupils, all of whom have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).It previously offered residential placements but they were paused following Ofsted's inspection in 2023 and they have since been closed. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
