Challenge this u-turn

5:38pm Thursday 20th November 2008

When Oxford Community Hospital closed in May because of a severe outbreak of clostridium difficile, the county’s health and scrutiny committee backed the move.

A tight spot

5:38pm Thursday 20th November 2008

Today we expose a series of double-yellow lines which even the dinkiest of cars would have trouble parking upon.

Taxpayers take another hit in pocket

6:30pm Tuesday 18th November 2008

Raising already high car parking charges by an eye-watering 15 per cent is beyond the pale and we, like most readers, object. Bad news, they say, comes in threes. And if inflation-busting parking charges were not bad enough, 20 middle management posts at Oxford City Council are to be axed, while council tax bills — already among the highest in the UK — are set to rise by five per cent next April. It all paints a pretty miserable picture at the Town Hall. We are expecting similar news from County Hall shortly. In short, taxpayers are once again set to be hit in the pockets at home, through bigger bills, and when they are out-and-about, through rising parking charges and fees. It is hard to know whether to laugh or cry. Councils are hard-up, but that is nothing new. The city council blames the concessionary bus pass scheme for OAPs for a large part of its budget problems – as well as money caught up in the Icelandic banking crisis. But what do we actually get for our money? Most people pay an extortionate amount of council tax. Each year, it seems, the public takes a hit, because in reality it’s the only way the council can raise certain cash. But there is only so much the public is prepared to take.

Give dogs a present

7:00am Tuesday 18th November 2008

More than 70 greyhounds are still being kept in cramped kennels rather than a loving home because of an apparent reluctance by people in Oxfordshire to step forward and house them. The dogs, which make great pets but need regular exercise, were once pedigree racers but these days are not seen as family animals.

County Hall ought to do better

7:00am Tuesday 18th November 2008

The admission by Oxfordshire County Council that it has miscalculated the number of primary school places needed in Oxford will hardly inspire confidence among parents.

Stand by our independent shops

7:00am Monday 17th November 2008

The rallying call issued today by independent traders across Oxfordshire is a predictable but vitally important one.

Police must be freed of red tape

7:40am Saturday 15th November 2008

No-one can be in any doubt that our frontline police officers need to be set free from the shackles of red tape and form filling.

Keep him behind bars

8:00am Thursday 13th November 2008

Evil paedophile David Cullen is a man for whom there are too few adjectives.

University's bold vision

7:50am Thursday 13th November 2008

Oxford Brookes University might not have the academic kudos the city’s other, older university enjoys, but it is a modern success story.

Find this thief

7:30am Wednesday 12th November 2008

Take a good look at the picture of the low-life Poppy Appeal thief on out home page.

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