Latest news with #LondonRoad
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Smashed car on side of London Road decorated in Christmas tinsel
A car abandoned on London Road for at least a month has been decorated with Christmas tinsel in Oxford. The small black and silver vehicle is parked to the side of London Road in Headington, near to Bury Knowle Park. Since it was first photographed a month ago – when it was already in a dilapidated state – its front window has been smashed and much of its front has been torn off. In addition, it appears to have been decorated with blue Christmas tinsel, hanging from its wing mirror and windscreen wiper. The car has been abandoned for at least a month on the side of the road (Image: Headington News) Although this adds a festive touch to the area it is unlikely to become as iconic as the Headington Shark, which is across the road and there have been calls for the car to be scrapped. Experience the pulse of Oxford at your fingertips 🗞️ With our flash sale, Oxford Mail keeps you updated for less: only £4 for 4 months or save 40 per cent on an annual subscription. Don't miss out on what's happening locally #DigitalDeal #LocalJournalismhttps:// — Oxford Mail (@TheOxfordMail) June 16, 2025 However, fifteen years ago when a damaged car was seized, Oxford City Council was fined and given a criminal record. READ MORE: The authority admitted criminal damage after its contractors seized Martin Young's Ford Escort from near his home despite it being legally parked on private land. The vehicle was later crushed. Mr Young's car was in poor condition after being vandalised and was parked on private land near to his home because the pensioner intended to repair it. But after reports the car had been abandoned, the contractor seized it under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Latest plans at 'derelict and neglected' Stroud site
FRESH plans have been lodged to transform a graffiti strewn grot spot on a key gateway to Stroud. Proposals have been submitted to convert the former Bristol Street Motors showroom in London Road into a new convenience store which also includes plans for a new roof, shopfront and signage. This is the second attempt to revitalise the graffiti strewn site described as a 'horrible, neglected eyesore' and which closed two years ago. Previous plans to demolish the car dealership and build more than 30 homes were refused by Stroud District Council. The new plans - for a store which would sell food, household products and more - also includes twenty parking spaces. The proposals have been blasted by a leading figure who says he doesn't think there is enough demand for another convenience store, adding that the site should be used for housing. Cllr Lucas Schoemaker, town and district councillor for Trinity ward, said: 'This site as it stands is a horrible, neglected eyesore and a visual blight on this key entrance into Stroud town centre. 'Something needs to be done with it and I would ideally like this site to be used for housing. "However, we have heard nothing further from the potential developer whose earlier application was turned down for failure to meet SDC's affordable housing criteria.' Cllr Schoemaker doesn't believe that there is enough demand for another store of this kind. He said: 'The applicants say that the nearest similar stores are in Brimscombe and Bussage. "They don't seem to have taken into account that both Waitrose and the existing BP petrol station are only a short walk away – and that a convenience store only recently opened in King Street, a short drive away. 'I want the applicants to share with local councillors evidence of public consultation and market research to show that there is indeed enough demand to justify this application. I'd also like to know which retailer would be operating the proposed store, as this is not mentioned in the application. 'I'm also concerned about the potential traffic issues, given that the store would be open for 11 hours every day of the week, and the site's proximity to a busy roundabout. "Is the road wide enough for a right-turn lane? "I fear the same issues as at Merrywalks, where the lack of a right-turn lane for McDonalds is leading to long tailbacks, frustrating for motorists and a real threat to our precious air quality which is always under threat in the Golden Valley.' 'The tree officer's request is spot on: that a proper tree impact survey is done to reassure the council that the trees will be protected during the proposed work.' Cllr Schoemaker plans to 'call in' the application – meaning that it will be subject to a full discussion by councillors on the development control committee. Meanwhile he urges residents to submit comments to the council by the deadline of July 1 so that their views are taken into account. A statement - on behalf of the applicant - read: 'The provision of a convenience store on the east side of Stroud will fulfil the need for a store where customers will benefit from shorter cashier lines and longer opening hours selling food, grocery supplies, household products, hygiene products, toiletries, and other items similar to items on sale in larger supermarkets 'The nearest similar stores are at Brimscombe and the Tesco at Bussage. 'Twenty parking spaces including two staff and two accessible will be marked out in front of the building 'The building which has been unoccupied and boarded up since June 2023 provides a suitable location for a convenience store, with good access and adequate parking.' The proposals were also due to be discussed by the Highways and Consultations Committee at Stroud Town Council on Monday. In July 2023 Bristol Street Motors closed its doors for good - the site had been used for the motor trade for six decades. See the plans -
Time Out
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The 10 best new London theatre openings in June 2025
If you want to look for unifying trend in June 2025 London theatre, then it's very much about classic shows being brought back: last year's Fiddler on the Roof, 2019's A Midsummer Night's Dream, 2011's London Road and most remarkably still, a sort of (it's complicated) reprise for the original 2000 production of Sarah Kane's posthumous masterpiece 4.48 Psychosis. On the other hand, there's more to the month than old stuff and for many the real treat will be a first chance to see a couple of big shiny American shows: David Adjmi's wildly acclaimed Fleetwood Mac (sort of) drama Stereophonic, and the latest massive Disney musical Hercules, which makes its English language premiere at Theatre Royal Drury Lane this month. The best London theatre openings in June 2025 1. Stereophonic US playwright David Adjmi's drama – with songs by erstwhile Arcade Fire man Will Butler – comes to the West End as the most Tony-nominated play of all time. It's still pretty bold of producer Sonia Friedman to plonk a three-hour play with no famous people in it directly into the West End, although the subject matter should serve as enticement: Stereophonic is a fictionalised account of the legendarily fraught recording sessions for Fleetwood Mac's landmark album Rumours. Duke of York's Theatre, now until Sep 20. Buy tickets here. 2. 4.48 Psychosis To state this straight away, 4.48 Psychosis is totally sold out already: the only day you're getting in is on a Monday when all 90 tickets to the Royal Court's tiny Upstairs space go on sale on the day itself. Sarah Kane's final play, 4.48 Psychosis is a sort of generically unclassifiable freeform poem – which some have referred to as a 'suicide note' – that was originally staged at the Royal Court a couple of years after her death. This unusual production reunites the entire original team behind James Macdonald's production, including a cast that includes current RSC boss Daniel Evans. It's not as simple as restaging the original show: the idea seems to be to come up with a new production that saves the original from the darkness. Royal Court Theatre, Jun 12-Jul 5. 3. London Road Although it actually dates back to the Nicholas Hytner era, Alecky Blythe and Adam Cork's London Road was clearly the best thing just departed NT boss Rufus Norris directed for the theatre. So it was great that he brought the visionary verbatim musical about an Ipswich community's reaction to the Suffolk Strangler killings back for his final season. But there won't be much coverage this time, due to the media blackout around Steven Wright's latest trial causing the NT to decide to pull press night. Which seems a bit excessive (Wright isn't even a character in it) but hey ho – it's one of the most remarkable shows of our time and you really should see it. National Theatre, Olivier, Jun 6-21. Buy tickets here. 4. A Midsummer Night's Dream In a very big month for returning shows, here comes a welcome second crack at Nicholas Hytner's sublime 2019 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. There is some fun genderfluid stuff at work here, with many of the lines for fairy king and queen Oberon and Titania swapped over. But really it's about bagging the standing tickets and getting swept up in a joyous production that ends up as full-on dance party. JJ Feild and Susannah Fielding lead the cast. Bridge Theatre, May 31-Aug 23. Buy tickets here. 5. Hercules If the recent live action screen version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves taught us anything, it's that even the biggest of Disney's old hits aren't necessarily suited to a 2025 makeover. Conversely, a big glossy musical version of 1997's Hercules makes perfect sense: the film wasn't a big hit for Disney but was well-regarded, is relatively contemporary, and a musical is a fine opportunity to bring it to a wider audience. In addition the Greek mythology setting is a great opportunity to go nuts with the special effects and means everyone kind of knows the story already. Theatre Royal Drury Lane, booking Jun 6-Jan 10 2026. Buy tickets here. 6. Fiddler on the Roof Jordan Fein's production of Bock & Stein's immortal musical set in the last days of the shtetl was a massive hit at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre last summer and subsequently won three awards at this year's Oliviers. Now it's back for an indoor stint at the Barbican and what a treat it'll be to have this excellent production back again. It perfectly mixes joy in the classic songs with a deft awareness of the unsettling undercurrents to the story. Barbican Centre, now until Jul 19. Buy tickets here. 7. A Moon for the Misbegotten The Almeida's in-house hard-hitter Rebecca Frecknall turns her sights on Eugene O'Neill for the first time, directing Michael Shannon and Ruth Wilson in O'Neill's sort of sequel to the monumental Long Day's Journey Into Night. US star Shannon is a particularly intriguing piece of casting because he played the role of the alcoholic James Tyrone Jr in a 2016 Broadway production of Long Day's Journey, making him possibly the first actor in history to have played James in both shows. Almeida Theatre, Jun 18-Aug 16. 8. Intimate Apparel Lynette Linton has directed phenomenal productions of Lynn Nottage plays for each of the previous two Donmar artistic directors, and now she makes her Timothy Sheader-era debut with a third. Where Sweat and Clyde's were UK premieres, this will be the first revival of the excellent Intimate Apparel, which will this time feature US star Samira Wiley as Easther, a Black seamstress in early twentieth century New York. She dreams of finding a man and saving up enough money to open her own Black beauty parlour – but that might be easier said than done. Donmar Warehouse, Jun 20-Aug 9. 9. Showmanism Hampstead Theatre has been on a mercurial course since its last artistic director Roxana Silbert quit in 2022 (after the theatre lost its Arts Council funding). Undoubtedly the highlight of the new era to date was lip sync performance artist Dickie Beau's deeply moving Re-Member Me, a light hearted tribute to Shakespeare's Hamlet that became ever more powerful as it unexpectedly changed shape. So what a treat to have him back with Showmanism, his attempt to trace a complete history of the stage, from Greek tragedy to nightclub queens. As with its predecessor, expect it to start funny and get intense. Hampstead Theatre, Jun 18-Jul 12. Buy tickets here. 10. North By Northwest North Londoners can enjoy a quick London stop for the latest from British theatre's whimsical genius Emma Rice, as her adaptation of Hitchcock's North By Northwest calls in at Ally Pally for a couple of weeks. Yes, it seems fairly nuts to adapt his kinetic spy thriller about a man who finds himself thrust into a vast, country-spanning conspiracy after a mix up at a restaurant. But you could say that about almost everything Rice has ever adapted. Alexandra Palace Theatre, Jun 11-22.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Bicester level crossing petition supported by thousands
A petition calling for a fully accessible underpass at a town's level crossing has received more than 3,000 by MP for Bicester and Woodstock Calum Miller, the petition calls on the government to ensure any replacement of the level crossing at London Road in Bicester includes access for cars, not just cyclists and is set to be closed on safety grounds when the East West Rail (EWR) line becomes fully operational, which many fear would cut off crucial access to thousands of residents. Mr Miller will present the petition, which can only be signed in person, in Parliament on 3 June. In the most recent consultation, which received more than 6,000 responses and closed in January, EWR had proposed a new footbridge or underpass for pedestrians and a letter from CEO David Hughes later suggested the plans were under a meeting with Mr Miller and Baron Peter Hendy, the Minister for Rail, on 7 April, Mr Hughes wrote that "further work" had been undertaken as a result of said: "I can confirm that since our meeting we have held discussions with both Network Rail and the local council to understand the feasibility of developing the design to incorporate some form of vehicular access."Mr Miller previously told BBC Radio Oxford it would be "very hard" to put a bridge in office said that in addition to the thousands of signatures it had gathered across Bicester, community volunteers had also taken it door-to-door in areas such as Miller, who launched the petition a few weeks ago, said the amount of collected signatures "in a very short period of time demonstrates just how strongly people feel about it"."East West Rail is a project of national significance – but it must not come at the cost of existing residents in our town," he said."The impact of cutting off this crucial artery would be a disaster for Bicester, no one wants the town cut in two."He said the petition was "a way of highlighting the issue" and said he would continue to press the government and EWR "to commit to deliver the solution that Bicester people want to see".The Department for Transport has been approached for comment. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Key Stroud road closed due to burst pipe
A KEY road in Stroud town centre is currently shut due to a burst water pipe. A section of London Road - between Trio and Cornhill roundabout - is closed this morning, Saturday, May 24. A spokesperson from Gloucestershire Highways said: 'London Road, Stroud is currently closed due to a burst water pipe. 'Please follow the diversion and drive safely.' It is understood Severn Trent is aware of the incident.
