Summary

  • Updates on Tuesday 16 February 2016

  • News, sport, travel and weather updates resume at 08:00 on Wednesday

  1. Our news coverage through the daypublished at 18:19 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    Rather later than normal after the marathon budget debate, that's all from BBC Local Live for today.

    We'll be back from 08:00 on Wednesday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather updates for Oxfordshire.

  2. Weather: Dry and chilly overnightpublished at 18:14 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    Alexis Green
    BBC South Today weather presenter

    It will stay dry across the area through the evening and overnight period with clear spells, allowing a patchy frost to develop for a time.

    Weather

    However, cloud will tend to increase in the west by Wednesday morning. Lows of 1C (34F).

    For a full forecast visit the BBC Weather site.

  3. Oxfordshire budget: The key details from the dealpublished at 18:12 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    Oxfordshire County Council has published further details of the deal agreed between the three largest parties, external on the council this evening.

    • £2m of savings relating to early intervention hubs and children’s centres will now not take place
    • £3m of savings relating to day centres (including transport to day centres) will now not take place. Instead they will be replaced by a saving of £1m from 2017/18 resulting from a full review of all day services for older people
    • There will be a further £300,000 contribution to the budget from reserves.

    The result is that the council will now have to find £15.2m of savings as opposed to the previous figure of £11.2m - this extra £4m of savings will need to be found next year.

    Other important elements of the deal include:

    • A cross-party board of county councillors will be created to "consider maximum benefit of use of the £4m of temporary funds awarded by central government"
    • The council will commit to a full review relating to a workplace parking levy looking at implications and with a view to implementation as early as feasible
    • There will be a free vote for all councillors on the subject of a full and timetabled consultation relating to unitary government
  4. Sport headlines: Oxford United set for Northampton town clashpublished at 18:06 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    BBC Sport

    This evening's top sport stories:

    • Oxford United face League Two leaders Northampton Town tonight, with the visitors arriving at the Kassam Stadium on the back of a seven-match winning streak
    • Striker Jordan Bowery could be in line for his first league start for United, with top scorer Kemar Roofe a doubt following a groin injury
    • In non-league football, Didcot Town host Burnham tonight in the Southern Division South and West
  5. Oxfordshire budget: Council leader praises cross-party collaborationpublished at 17:58 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    Oxfordshire's county council leader says today's deal is a "county budget" rather than a party political one. 

    Ian Hudspeth

    Ian Hudspeth says the deal will still mean a "real impact" on service users but praised Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors for their "Dunkirk spirit".

    Quote Message

    The council faces a paradox. The local economy is growing, but the county is having to make significant savings. This budget will inevitably have a real impact on service-users, so it needs to be about delivering more for less. It was refreshing to see such a display of 'Dunkirk spirit' when the whole spectrum of political opinion came together in the face of financial adversity.

    Ian Hudspeth, Leader, Oxfordshire County Council

  6. Evening TV: Reaction to budget votepublished at 17:48 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    Geraldine Peers
    Presenter, BBC South Today

    On South Today this evening: We have reaction to Oxfordshire County Council's budget vote.

    Media caption,

    Geraldine Peers brings you the stories coming up at 18:30

    One farmer's warning about the future of the British pork industry.

    And two poems by author JRR Tolkien have been discovered in a copy of an old school magazine publish 80 years ago.

    Join Geraldine Peers for all the region's news at 18:30.

  7. Oxfordshire budget: Not all children's centres will be savedpublished at 17:45

    The budget agreed by councillors at Oxfordshire County Council does not mean all children's centres will be spared from the axe.

    Councillors in the last hour have agreed a budget that will see proposed cuts of about £4m to children's centres and day centres for the elderly stopped.

    Labour councillor John Tanner says the deal agreed after negotiations between parties earlier in the day will mitigate the worst effects of the original proposals.

    Quote Message

    A lot of children's centres are likely to close still, but it does mean we have £2m extra plus transition funding which we can use to keep a lot of children's centres open.

    John Tanner, Labour councillor at Oxfordshire County Council

  8. Oxfordshire budget: Admended budget voted throughpublished at 17:44 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    Oxfordshire County Council has voted in favour of an amended budget. Following talks between party leaders, cuts of £4m, affecting elderly day centres and children's centres, were dropped from the plans.

    Council protests

    More than 200 protesters had gathered outside the meeting and Unite members had gone on strike in protest at the proposals for the children's services.

  9. Travel latest: A40 delayspublished at 17:22 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    BBC Travel

    There are delays of about 20 minutes on the A40 eastbound from Cassington through the roadworks at Wolvercote.

    Elsewhere there are hold-ups on the A415 at Kingston Bagpuize because of temporary traffic lights.

    The A4130 is busy outbound from Didcot to the Milton Interchange.

    More on the BBC Travel website.

  10. Oxfordshire budget: Revised plan approved by councillorspublished at 17:15 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016
    Breaking

    Amended budget - which removes cuts totalling £4m to day centres and children's centres  - has been voted through by councillors. 60 in favour, 0 abstain, 2 against. 

    More details to come...

  11. Arrest made over Oxford Lush store burglarypublished at 17:09 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    An arrest has been made after a burglary at a beauty store in which a homeless woman claimed to have stopped the culprit.

    Lush store in Oxford's Cornmarket
    Image caption,

    Lush store in Oxford's Cornmarket was targeted by a thief last week

    Lottie Pauling-Chamberlain, who sleeps outside Lush in Oxford, said she challenged a man as he left the store in the early hours last Wednesday.

    A woman, 29, of no fixed abode, has now been held on suspicion of burglary and possessing Class A drugs, police said.

    Thames Valley Police said its policy was not to name those arrested.

  12. Oxfordshire budget: Councillors edge closer to votepublished at 16:59 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  13. Villagers form human chain as thatched cottage in Balscote is devastated by firepublished at 16:50 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    Villagers formed a human chain to salvage belongings from a thatched cottage in Balscote which has been badly damaged in a fire.

    Balscote fireImage source, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service

    Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the fire after being called to the property shortly after 10:30.

    Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue says its crews held back the flames to allow the community to form the human chain to get belongings from the house.

  14. Oxford hospitals' pipeline scheme: Planning permission 'invalid'published at 16:42 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    BBC Radio Oxford

    We've had an update on the ongoing saga of a £14.8m hot water pipeline between Oxford's John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals.

    PipelineImage source, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    Work was halted in January over whether contractors had the correct planning permission.

    In a statement, Oxford City Council confirmed retrospective planning permission was "invalid" as Oxfordshire County Council may not own all of the highway land where the pipeline would be installed.

  15. Shilton flood defence schemed hailed a successpublished at 16:32 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    A flood defence system at a West Oxfordshire village has been hailed a success after being put to the test by the recent wet weather.

    Shilton bundsImage source, Harry Metcalfe

    A series of measures were put in place after properties in Shilton suffered flash flooding in 2007, 2012 and 2013, caused by the Shill Brook overflowing.

    Recently shot drone footage shows two large earth bunds successfully holding back water. District councillor Alex Postan said it was a "huge relief".

  16. Oxfordshire budget: Deal on council cutspublished at 16:19 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    Bethan Phillips
    Political reporter, BBC Radio Oxford

    Following talks between party leaders at the Oxfordshire County Council budget meeting, the following amendments have been made. A vote will take place later:

    • A £2.05m cut to day centres for elderly people will not now go ahead
    • £2m of cuts to children's centres have also been stopped
    • The money the council needs to save hasn't changed - it needs to find £69m over the next four years. The amended budget will require an extra £15m to be found, rather than £11m in the original plan
  17. Latest headlines: Budget agreement in cuts debatepublished at 16:00 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    Oxfordshire's top stories this afternoon:

    • Impressionist Rory Bremner is opening Oxfordshire's first private Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder clinic later
  18. Woman arrested in connection with Lush burglarypublished at 15:43 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    A 29-year-old woman has been arrested following a burglary at Lush cosmetics store in Oxford's Cornmarket Street.

    The woman, of no fixed address, has been held on suspicion of committing a burglary other than a dwelling with intent to steal, and on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs.

    Thames Valley Police said she was currently being questioned in custody.

  19. Cycling near misses in spotlightpublished at 15:32 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2016

    Oxford cyclists are discussing near-misses they have encountered at a meeting later.

    Cycling in OxfordImage source, Getty Images

    Dr Rachel Aldred from the Near Miss Project, external is addressing a Cycle Ox meeting about her research among cyclists across Britain, to highlight potential danger spots.  

    Quote Message

    Near misses can be really unpleasant and off-putting especially for cyclists who might be nervous about being on the road.

    Catherine Cochrane, Cycle Ox