MAY
Local MP demands answers on chemicals in waterways
Following a meeting at Heyford Park to discuss the discovery of PFAS chemicals in local waterways, Bicester and Woodstock MP Callum Miller published the following statement:
The Environment Agency have found that a watercourse near Heyford Park has one of the highest concentrations of harmful “forever chemicals” in the country. I attended a public meeting with constituents last week at which many concerns were expressed. Here are the questions we need answered, with urgency.
The EA tested a series of waterways. It found that concentrations of PFAS (forever chemicals) were alarmingly high in the Gallos Brook, approximately 4.5km downstream from Heyford Airfield. This is consistent with what we know: that PFAS are used in firefighting foam which was used extensively by the US Air Force at the base.
The readings, taken in 2023 and 2025 were 2,021 and 2,294 nanograms/ litre respectively. The US Government says that drinking water should have no more than FOUR nanograms/ litre and that a level over 1,000 is “critical”. No wonder constituents are worried.
There are 16 waterways running off Heyford Airfield (which is on a plateau). The USAF had a firepit at the airfield, used for training their fire crews. Fuel was used to set a plane alight, and the crews had to extinguish it. The plane sat on a concrete base which drained to the soil beneath.
Constituents rightly want to know:
– what danger do the PFAS pose to them, their families and their pets
– what is known about the levels in PFAS in air, soil and water in the area
– who is responsible for measuring, monitoring and containing the PFAS
I have written to the Environment Agency to ask:
– them to monitor water and soil beyond Gallos Brook and to release their results
– whether the site has been prioritised for future monitoring and investigation
– what assessment they have made of the risk to people and animals
I have written to the MOD to ask:
– whether the USAF shared any environmental assessments or made remediation commitments when it handed back the base in 1994
– whether the MOD made any environmental assessments 1994-97 (before they sold the site)
– for any records relating to the historic use of firefighting foams at the site.
I have written to the Department for Education to ask:
– Whether any environmental, soil or air quality testing has been undertaken at Heyford Park School
– Whether the Department has assessed risks to pupils and staff from construction activity at the Heyford Park development.
– What guidance is in place for schools located near sites of known or suspected PFAS contamination
I have written to Cherwell District Council to ask:
– whether the environmental screening and assessment that was done as part of the Heyford Park development proposal addresses the risks of PFAS
– what steps it has taken in respect of past developments to ensure there is appropriate remediation to protect the health local residents
– whether it has sufficient information to take decisions on current planning applications
For completeness, here’s a link to statement from the current owners of the site, the development group Dorchester Living. They state there is no conclusive link between PFAS readings downstream in Gallos Brook and the historic activities on their site – and they argue that PFAS risk is best addressed by developing the site as they would then undertake remediation. https://www.heyfordpark-pc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PFAS-STATEMENT-FINAL.pdf
Thank you to the team who have raised concern and who organised the public meeting. Their own website is here: https://gallosbrook.wordpress.com/home/
This is a very serious matter. I have demanded urgent replies from all these government bodies and departments. People in the Heyford Park area deserve answers about who knew what when and who now has the responsibility for monitoring PFAS levels and for keeping them safe. I am determined to pursue answers.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewpln9d28ko
APRIL
Support for Red Lion as a community pub
Following the news that Renee and Bryan Walker, the popular landlords of the Red Lion pub are to leave on 11th May, there has been a very positive response to the idea of running it as a community pub.
The couple are the latest in a long line of tenants to have left after a short time in the village. Hook Norton Brewery say they are confident that they will be able to find a replacement soon. But in the meantime, Townend residents Rob and Nicky Boobyer decided to test the water to see if villagers would support a community run pub which they say could provide more consistency and control over such an important village asset.
They explain, “We have only lived in Steeple Aston a short time, but in that time have seen three tenants pass through the pub. Seeing what a valuable asset the Red Lion is to the village, we took it upon ourselves to conduct a community survey to gauge opinion as to whether villagers would support a community run pub. QR code posters were put up in the pub, Harris Stores and the Village Hall area and the questionnaire was put on the village Facebook page and website with the closing date of the 15th April.”
In just one week they had 126 responses to the survey, which were overwhelmingly supportive of the idea. The couple met with Edwin Pope, the Operation’s Manager at the brewery to understand what was needed to present their case, and as a result, they submitted a business plan to the brewery on 17th April.
They know that the brewery staff are also talking to other parties, so it may be that new tenants can be found. However, their track record in hanging on to their tenants has been woeful in recent years.
In the meantime, Rob and Nicky have also spoken to the Plunkett Foundation, based in Woodstock, who help rural communities set up businesses. If they are successful, the foundation will help them through the process of selecting and setting up an appropriate business structure.
Meanwhile they want to show their appreciation for villagers’ response to their survey. They say, “This has been a fabulous response, and we wanted to thank you for this. What a fabulous community we have! Your answers to the questions have clearly shown the way forward with many offering to volunteer and contribute money to make this idea happen. Thanks also for your additional helpful comments. They are much appreciated.
“Whether we are successful or not in our application, we have gained valuable information and knowledge and have put in the groundwork to stand us in good stead going forward to protect the Red Lion’s future. We will keep you updated every step of the way, but for now we just wanted to say thank you for your input so far.”
Please note that until 11th May, the Red Lion is open for drinks only from 5.00pm on weekdays and 3.00pm on weekends.
No parish elections in May, just one district council vote
Nominations have closed for the local elections on Thursday, 7th May. As there were only three nominations for the seven vacancies on the parish council, there was an uncontested election.
The three councillors elected unopposed were existing councillors Greg Elphick, and Martin Lipson and newcomer Andrew Gibson. They will be looking to co-opt a further four councillors after 11th May when the new term starts.
Villagers will, however, be able to vote for a Cherwell District councillor for the Deddington ward. The current Conservative councillor Eddie Reeeves is standing again and has four candidates running against him. The candidates are:
Aaron Bliss – Green Party
Ann Collingwood-Turner – Reform Uk
Eddie Reeves – Conservative
Dean Hartley – Liberal Democrats
Annette Murphy – Labour
Election Day is Thursday, 7th May and the polling station at Steeple Aston Village Hall will be open from 7.00am until 10.00pm. REMEMBER you must bring photographic identification with you to be able to vote.
If you’re interested in being co-opted on to the new parish council, please contact the Parish Clerk Cathy Fleet (parishclerk.steepleaston@gmail.com) for more information.
MARCH
The removal of the Brasenose Farm windpump
A familiar sight has disappeared from our landscape. Carl and Kate Tomlinson of Brasenose Farm explain:
We thought we should mark the recent removal of the windpump with a brief history of its presence.
Its purpose was to draw water from a well. There were two wells on the farm prior to its division and sale at the end of the last century. William Wing notes the death of two men in ‘an unfinished well, at Brazenose (sic) Farm’ on 8 June 1833.2
I asked Tim Taylor when the windpump was erected, neither he nor his brother remember the farm without it and Tim’s best guess was that it would have been erected in the second decade of the last century. A windpump is marked on the 1919 Revised OS map of Steeple Aston.1
There was no mains water here until the 1990s. The north elevation of the farmhouse still sports a flexible pipe which carried the the water pumped from the well into the house. Water was essential not just for the human inhabitants of the farm but also for their cattle. The pump became part of an intricate, some might say Heath Robinson, system of collection and storage developed by Bill Taylor, Tim’s uncle. Their few remnants are known as Billisms.
In the 1960s the Rays went into dairy farming. The windpump would have provided both drinking water and the water needed for sluicing stalls, sheds and yards. Since the abolition of the Milk Marketing Board in 1994, and the subsequent increased power of the supermarkets, the national dairy herd has fallen from 2.6 million cows to 1.4 million. Brasenose Farm is just one of 28,000 dairy farms to have ceased production in that period.3
The windpump was long since obsolete. It stood – at best – as a memorial to the slow death of the small family farm. It was of course a noted village landmark; traces of the red, white and blue paint which decorated it for the 1977 Silver Jubilee are still visible on the sails. And, unfortunately, it was a liability, creaking loudly in high winds and needing expensive maintenance and repair. We therefore we took the sad decision to dismantle it safely before it became dangerous. We will miss it and were fortunate to have been its stewards for the last two decades.
We have salvaged the sails and hope to mount them at ground level so that something of the history of this place is preserved.
- https://maps.nls.uk/view/106016181
- William Wing, The Antiquities and History of Steeple Aston, p 60
- Private Eye, 6 February 2026, p 16
Launch of petition on five local ‘mega’ developments
North Oxfordshire Residents Action (NORA) has launched a petition to try and protect the area from being overwhelmed by so-called mega developments, including the possible new town at Heyford Park.
Founded in January 2025. NORA says it is “a diverse team of conscientious residents from north Oxfordshire who are concerned about the pace and nature of development in our local area”.
The petition is sponsored by Somerton parish councillor Paul Fennemore and supported by the Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock MP, Callum Miller. Gideon Amos MP, the Lib Dem spokesperson for Housing and Communities raised the issue in Parliament and noted the scale of proposed development in Cherwell.
NORA’s mission is to ensure that local residents know about and participate in decisions about planned development where they live and work. They want residents to be able to engage in meaningful dialogue about meeting local needs.
They also want to prevent overdevelopment in north Oxfordshire in favour of high-quality development that truly meets local needs and protects the living environment
They launched the petition on 1st February calling for a fix to a flawed planning process: they say decisions are being made in silos, without a proper assessment of combined (cumulative) impacts of multiple developments.
As previously reported, North Oxfordshire is being targeted by several large-scale developments being proposed all at the same time. They’re listed in the petition as:
- Heyford Park (one of 12 designated New Towns)
- Hawkwell Village housing estate
- Oxfordshire Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (OxSRFI)
- Puy du Fou mass tourist destination and
- four massive warehouses at Baynard’s Green, which are headed to appeal.
They say that together these schemes will completely change our landscape and quality of life permanently. To illustrate the true impact of these proposals, NORA estimates that they will generate over 45 million vehicle movements annually and introduce 50,000 more people to an area of just a four-mile radius.
The petition says this tsunami of population and traffic will devastate the character of North Oxfordshire and asks that the planning process should be halted until there is a coordinated response from government. They suggest a ‘Cumulative Impacts and Infrastructure Board’ or an equivalent governance structure should be set up to consult widely and make a plan for the integrated development of all five projects. The plan should cover transport/traffic, public services (schools/healthcare), utility services, emergency services, the environment, community wellbeing, views and heritage with published assumptions, scenarios and data.
The petition had over 1,750 signatures by 7th March. You can find it here.
Recruitment under way for new Dr Radcliffe’s head
Rob O’Malley, the Headteacher of Dr Radcliffe’s Primary School in Steeple Aston, has resigned from his post because of ill health. Mr O’Malley only took over the role in September 2023, so his departure was unexpected.
Recruitment for his replacement has already started. It is hoped that the new head will be in post for the start of the school year in September. Meanwhile a part-time Interim Headteacher has been appointed and will work with the two assistant heads for the rest of this school year. It was important to get a new structure in place quickly as the school is facing two important inspections in the next few months.
Lisa Boote, Chair of the school’s Local Governing Body writes:
There is a new chapter happening at Dr Radcliffe’s. Due to ill health our Headteacher Rob O’Malley has made the decision to resign as our Headteacher and will formally leave at Easter. We wish him a speedy recovery and send him and his family our best wishes. Whilst we are saddened by this news, we fully support his decision to prioritise his recovery.
We are immensely grateful for Rob’s commitment, dedication and care to our pupils, the school team, and the community during his time at Dr Radcliffe’s. We will miss his sense of humour, his passion for sport and his pride in the children achieving.
When the time is right, we will acknowledge his headship and ensure that he knows how grateful we all were for his leadership.
Our priority is to ensure that the school stays in strong hands and continues to move forward. The key development areas in our School Improvement Plan are a priority and will be developed and driven forward to improve outcomes for all our pupils. We are fortunate to have an experienced and dedicated Senior Leadership team and our thanks to Sarah Goldsworthy and Becky Roberts, our Assistant heads in stepping up to lead and support the school in Rob’s absence. Our whole school team, who are experienced and highly skilled, have been proactive, thoughtful, and responsive in their support. Our thanks go to each one of them for going above and beyond at short notice.
Supported by our Academy, Oxfordshire Diocesan School’s Trust, we acted quickly, thinking of our pupils and the school community and the fact that we are due two inspections this academic year – OFSTED and SIAMs (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) and were exceptionally fortunate in organising an Interim Headteacher. Mrs Lorraine Wood, an experienced headteacher, currently leading in another ODST school St Francis in Oxford started on the first day of this term. She will be in Dr Radcliffe’s for three days a week supported by Mrs Goldsworthy and Mrs Roberts. Mrs Wood is excited about supporting our school and been made very welcome.
The next step is for the LGB (Local Governing Body) to begin the formal process of recruiting a permanent full time Headteacher. The process has begun and I look forward to letting you know who our new Headteacher will be starting in September.
JANUARY
Workshop highlights villagers’ concerns on transport and traffic
A public workshop was held on January 30th for villagers to consider what community benefits might be required if there was approval for one or more of the nearby ‘mega’ developments currently under consideration.
Parish councillors heard that villagers’ top priorities were transport, traffic, highways and footpaths. They were followed by concerns about the environment, infrastructure and health. The Parish Council will now discuss how to make these ideas become a reality.
The giant developments proposed are Heyford Park (and its potential New Town); the Oxfordshire Strategic Railfreight Interchange at Ardley; Puy Du Fou near Bucknell and Baynards Green warehousing.
The planning system allows authorities to ask developers to pay for ‘mitigation’ where a community is likely to be adversely affected by the development. In the case of Steeple Aston, it is the impact of increased traffic in the area that is the greatest concern, although there could also be other negative impacts.
The Parish Council opposes all these schemes, and they may not all be approved. But councillors wanted to hear what villagers think about improvements to the village that might be desirable and possible.
The Vice-Chair of the Parish Council Martin Lipson reports on the meeting:
An excellent turnout of 35 people for the Parish Council’s workshop on possible future improvements netted a total of 70 ideas, some of which were close matches for other ideas, so it was probably nearer to 60, including several sent in by villagers who couldn’t make the meeting. It was perhaps no surprise that the largest number related to transport and traffic, highways and footpaths (the same outcome as the 2015 consultation on the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan- MCNP). The second largest group was for ‘the environment’.
The top proposals per category were:
Transport
- Bus route servicing the north of the village
- New footpath linking school to Grain Store and on to Middle Aston
- Traffic-easing measures and weight limits on HGVs through village and using Rousham Bridge
- Improved pedestrian/ cycle access to Heyford Station.
Environment
- Designated green space to protect village’s character (although many of those present may not have been aware that the MCNP has already given protection to the Paines Hill ‘green’, the allotments and Robinson’s Close).
- Address wildlife displacement – wildlife corridors or a reserve/ country park
- Increase tree planting – pockets and avenues
Infrastructure
- Phone mast to improve reception
- Address sewage issues
- Sustainable energy initiative e.g. solar or wind
Health
- New community health hub for SA at least two days a week
- Improved health services – enlarge Deddington HC, or a full surgery at Heyford Park
Over the coming months Parish councillors will discuss how to make these ideas become reality.
Deadline extended for survey on concerning fire service changes
Oxfordshire County Council, which is responsible for local Fire and Rescue Services, is asking for your views on proposed changes to how they respond to emergencies. They say they want to ensure that more fire engines are consistently available, and that they can get to incidents across Oxfordshire more quickly.
However, there have been criticism of their proposals by the Fire Brigades Union and councillors in Kidlington and West Oxfordshire. And concerns have been raised over the impact on villages like Steeple and Middle Aston.
Two young firefighters attended Steeple Aston’s Parish Council meeting on Monday, 19th January. They said that aid that they felt the changes being proposed were “about hitting targets rather than safety”. Steeple Aston will very much be affected if the proposals go ahead – with our area possibly being covered by just two fire engines (and eight firefighters) rather than the current five engines (with 35 firefighters) with longer wait times and decreased night time cover. They spoke passionately on the topic saying they feared safety was being compromised
The survey deadline has been extended until Saturday 31st January, so it’s important to act now.
The complex proposals suggest closing stations in Kidlington and Oxford’s Rewley Road and replacing them with a single new station in North Oxford. There would be new 12-hour day shifts for full-time firefighters at five currently on-call fire stations including Bicester. On call crews will provide cover at night.
On call stations in Eynsham, Woodstock and Henley are also proposed for closure, but no change is proposed for our nearest on call station in Deddington.
The county council say the proposals are designed to:
- Match resources to risk, based on an understanding of where incidents are most likely to happen across Oxfordshire to ensure that the right level of cover is available in those areas.
- Improve community safety, with the service continuing to conduct prevention and protection work, but reshaped and enhanced to meet the changing needs of Oxfordshire’s communities.
- Futureproof the service by reviewing how it operates, which will help in making informed decisions that ensure long-term sustainability and resilience.
You can see the detailed proposals and take the survey here. The closing date for responses is 31st January. https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ofrs-consultation
The Fire Service has also produced a document responding to some of the criticisms of their proposals. It’s called Facts First.