Oxfordshire weekly round-up: 15 January - 20 January 2024

The XL bully has been added to the list of breeds subject to the Dangerous Dogs Act

A story about an XL bully owner's fear of losing her dogs was among our most read this week in Oxfordshire.

A variety of local issues were featured on the BBC News website, BBC Radio Oxford and South Today.

We have picked five stories to keep you up to date.

Town centre in line for £4.25m makeover

Cherwell District Council has allocated £4.25m towards the regeneration of Bicester market square

A town centre is to benefit from £4.25m to "re-energise" its market square, a council has said.

Cherwell District Council plans to use the government grant to transform the heart of Bicester.

The local authority is looking for experts to help with the design but is also inviting ideas from residents.

Rail commuter berates 'ridiculous' points failures

Commuter Matt Strachan requested rail performance figures under the Freedom of Information Act

A frustrated rail commuter has criticised the 200 annual points failures on his line.

Matt Strachan, from Oxford, said the statistic, which he obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, showed a "ridiculous" level of disruption between Reading and Paddington.

Network Rail said it had brought in external experts to investigate the issues delaying trains.

Solar farm size slammed by critics

Botley West Solar Farm would cover 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres)

A large solar farm proposed for the Oxfordshire countryside would be "entirely inappropriate", critics have said.

A public consultation is under way over the 1,000-hectare (2,471-acre) Botley West Solar Farm on three sites owned by Blenheim Palace.

The Stop Botley West campaign group said the scheme would be the size of Heathrow Airport, while developers Photovolt Development Partners (PVDP) said people would "not notice" it.

Woman's fear of losing XL bullies

Aichaa is worried about the future of her dogs in the wake of the XL bully ban

The owner of two XL bully dogs has said she would rather go to jail than have her pets taken away.

Aichaa, from Bicester, said she had taken the necessary steps to legalise her dogs, but was still worried about their future.

Following a number of attacks, the XL bully breed was added to the list of dogs subject to restrictions under the Dangerous Dogs Act in England and Wales.

Festival to return despite noise concerns

Acts including Sophie Ellis-Bextor have previously played at the festival

A popular festival will return this summer despite concerns about noise.

Wilderness Festival will take place at Cornbury Park, near Chipping Norton, after West Oxfordshire District Council approved its application for a premises licence.

Simon Taylor from the festival told councillors: "We will work on our traffic management plan and noise management plan."