Pictures show the shocking state of Oxford's roads as pressure mounts on the county council to repair the sheer volume of potholes.

Hundreds of people have been reporting the damaged roads across the city to Oxfordshire County Council, the highways authority.

Oxford City Council is responsible for inspecting and fixing potholes on the roads in Oxford, on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council.

The Oxford ring road has several potholes that have been reported to the council, which has the potential to cause significant damage due to the higher speeds at which cars are travelling.

One motorist, who asked not to be named, reported a pothole on the Southern Bypass and said: "One of several potholes on this stretch of road.

"This one is as dangerous as those previously logged on the stretch of road."

Another ring road driver, just near the Kennington Roundabout, found a deep pothole that could easily damage a tyre.

Just off the ring road is Horspath Driftway, where one pothole was reported on February 3 and has yet to be repaired.

READ MORE:

"This hole is degrading rapidly," said one anonymous driver.

"Drivers swerve to avoid it by either driving in the cycle lane or going into the oncoming lane.

"The oncoming lane is for turning into Eastfield Close and it is rather frightening on a bike with cars on either side, especially when they don’t stick to their lanes.

"The hole fills with a large amount of water (and ice) splashing pedestrians and cyclists."

There is also a pothole at the junction of Elsfield Road and Oxford Road in Marston, with an image taken Sunday showing a water-filled pothole with a raised metal cover.

The reporter said: "This pothole is patch repaired a couple of times a year.

READ MORE:

"Not surprisingly, the heavy traffic and recent rain has seen this pothole re-emerge yet again."

Over in Oxford Road by the bus lane into Cutteslowe, one pothole there has been described as a "cyclist killer" while "huge numbers of large" potholes have been reported in Cranham Street, Jericho.

"They have been here for a while and more and more keep appearing," the person who reported it to the council said.

Other bad craters can be found in Beechey Avenue in New Marston, with one frustrated householder saying: "This same patch has been repaired over and over and keeps opening up.

"It causes driver issues and constant muck being sprayed over my car."

And in Godstow Road into Wolvercote, one person said: "Schoolchildren use this route every day. It seems that you have little regard for the safety of cyclists, but then Oxfordshire's roads are probably some of the worst in country.

"I have watched cars in front of me slaloming down the M40 trying to avoid the many deep potholes."

Finally in North Hinksey, one person reported the "huge potholes getting worse all" along North Hinksey Lane.

"[It has] been like this for weeks (has been reported) and pot holes not even marked," said the complainant.

Oxfordshire County Council said last month that additional teams and resources are being made available to repair potholes following a rise in reports of defects due to recent wet and freezing conditions.

It said highways contractor M Group is more than doubling the number of repair crews from seven to at least 16 to reduce a backlog of potholes caused by the weather.

The council aims to repair potholes within two hours, 24 hours or 28 days, depending on how big a risk they pose.

About 875 of the 28 day jobs – around 35 per cent of the total – missed their deadlines by a few days because of the rise in reports at the beginning of January and other priority issues.

Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for transport management, said: “It has been a difficult winter, but we are actively looking to improve the situation on our roads by making more resources available to repair potholes as quickly as possible."

Oxford City Council has been approached for further comment.

Callum McFarlane has joined Oxford City FC on loan from fellow National League side Solihull Moors.

Born in the United States, McFarlane is a Fulham academy graduate who previously spent time with Wealdstone.

He has also featured on loan for Hereford earlier this season.

Mr McFarlane said: "I'm buzzing to be here.

"It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up, I was really intrigued by the manager and the system he has here.

"I'm really excited to get going.

"He's (Ross Jenkins) seen me play a few times and he's spoken to me about where he sees me fitting in, and in essence that's scoring lots of goals and helping the team as much as I can."

Oxford City manager Ross Jenkins said: "We're delighted to get Callum on board.

"He's a player that I know well and I've seen many times.

He will add energy and Work rate to the team and hopefully goals.

Most importantly is a great lad and will fit in really well with the squad."

Mr McFarlane joined Fulham at 18 and later moved to Wealdstone on loan for the 2024/25 season.

His time there was cut short by injury, but he did manage to score twice in a single match against Forest Green Rovers.

After leaving Fulham this summer, he signed with Solihull Moors.

He scored his first goal for the club against Rochdale before his loan spell at Hereford.

His Hereford debut came at The MGroup Stadium, where the Bulls lost 3-0.

He now joins Oxford City in search of more match time as the season heads into its final stages.

The public can have their say on how new councils in Oxfordshire could look.

The existing councils are going to be scrapped and replaced with one, two or three unitary councils by 2028.

This means that all services will be managed by each council, rather than being split between a county and district council.

The Government has launched a consultation on three possible proposals for the county, which has opened today (Thursday, February 5) and will close on March 26.

READ MORE: Duke of Marlborough denies strangling estranged wife in Oxford court

One proposal is to create one council for the whole county, which is being backed by Oxfordshire County Council.

Another is to create two councils, with Oxford, Cherwell and West Oxfordshire joining to form ‘Oxford and Shires Council’, and South, Vale and West Berkshire joining to form ‘Ridgeway Council’.

The final proposal is to create three councils, with a ‘Greater Oxford’ comprising of the city and its green belt, with most of Cherwell and West Oxfordshire joining to form ‘Northern Oxfordshire Council’ and most of South, Vale and West Berkshire forming Ridgeway council.

In a clip posted to Oxford City Council’s social media, council leader Susan Brown said: “We support three councils, because Blackbird Leys in Oxford, Henley-on-Thames and Chipping Norton are very different places.

“Three councils would mean local services could be tailored to local needs, and give local residents a stronger say over how their council is run, and better support our local economies, whether that’s medical research, health and education in Oxford, or small businesses, manufacturing motor sports and agriculture in rural Oxfordshire.

“Three councils would also allow us to build the homes that we need in Greater Oxford, which would enable people to live near their friends, families and workplaces, while also protecting rural Oxfordshire from overdevelopment and sprawling towns and villages.”

The leaders of the rural district councils – Cherwell, West Oxfordshire, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse – are backing the two-council option.

The leader of Vale of White Horse District Council Bethia Thomas said: “The three-unitary option would be devastating for Oxford, the green belt and the surrounding area.

“The proposal isn’t viable – all of the growth is planned for a heavily constrained Green Belt and it won’t be long before all the developable land is used up and the city has to knock on its neighbouring councils’ doors asking for help to deliver housing.

“It’s also disappointing to see that there isn’t a credible model included in the three-unitary proposal for the south and north councils.”

The leader of Cherwell District Council David Hingley added: “After carefully examining all three options, it is clear to me that the two-unitary model offers the best future for our communities.

“It delivers stronger services, long-term financial stability, real value for money, and the right balance between scale and local accountability.

“It creates councils that are big enough to be efficient but local enough to stay closely connected to the people and businesses they serve.”

Leader of Oxfordshire County Council Liz Leffman said: “One Oxfordshire offers a once in a generation opportunity to build a stronger, fairer and more ambitious future for the county.

“It is the only proposal that fully meets government criteria with the scale, efficiency and resilience to save the most money and withstand future financial shocks; the stability to protect and improve critical services; and the simplicity residents want.

“We will reduce duplication, protect our critical services and have the scale to focus and invest in prevention and early help, tackling inequalities and homelessness.

“By bringing together all the levers of local government into a single, resilient authority, we can unlock the full potential of our people and places, drive innovation and deliver the high quality services our communities deserve.”

The Government says it intends to make a decision on which option will go forward before their summer recess in July.

Respondents can either take part in an online survey or write directly to government with their views.

Residents are being encouraged to have their say on the largest change to local government in 50 years.

The government has launched a consultation on the future shape of local government across Oxfordshire and West Berkshire.

The change will see Oxfordshire’s six councils - including Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council - abolished and replaced with three, two or one councils.

The new councils or council will be established in 2028.

Oxford City Council is supporting the three-council proposal – known as 3Councils – as the model that we believe gives local communities the biggest voice and better supports Oxfordshire and West Berkshire’s diverse economies.

Residents can have their say over the next seven weeks by completing the Government’s consultation. There is a link to this at the 3councils.org website.

“Blackbird Leys, Woodstock, Newbury and Henley-on-Thames are very different places, and they need different approaches to support residents and businesses.

“With 3Councils, local services would be better tailored to meet local needs, residents would have a stronger voice, and local businesses would have more focused support – whether that’s medical research in Oxford or farming in rural Oxfordshire.

“3Councils is the only proposal that would deliver much-needed affordable homes where they are wanted, in Greater Oxford. This would enable people to afford to live near their friends, family and workplace, while also protecting rural Oxfordshire from overdevelopment.

“This is the biggest change to local government in a generation. It will have a profound impact on how local services are provided, where homes are built, and the future of our local economy. I would encourage everyone to take part in the consultation.”

Three proposals

In December 2024, the government asked councils across England for proposals on simplifying the structure of local government in their regions.

There are three proposals for how local government in Oxfordshire and West Berkshire could be reorganised. They would see Oxfordshire’s six existing councils abolished and replaced with either:

Each of the new councils would be responsible for all council services in their area, including those currently provided by city/district and county councils.

3Councils proposal

Oxford city and rural Oxfordshire are very different, with different demographics, cultures, needs and challenges. The 3Councils proposal will give residents a stronger say over how their local council is run, compared to the larger two-council and one-council proposals. 3Councils is the only proposal that separates urban Oxford from rural Oxfordshire, meaning each council can better tailor services to meet local needs.

Northern Oxfordshire would have its own council to take decisions that affect people in Banbury, Witney and surrounding areas. The new Ridgeway council would reunite the historically linked areas of southern Oxfordshire and west Berkshire, ensuring decision-making to meet their distinct needs.

Watch 'Our 3Councils proposal explained' on YouTube (1 minute, 51 seconds)

Oxford has a highly specialised local economy – with world-leading medical research, education, and health – while the rest of Oxfordshire’s and West Berkshire’s economy is more diverse – with important clusters of manufacturing, motorsport, hospitality, farming and other sectors.

3Councils is the only proposal that separates urban Oxford from rural Oxfordshire, meaning each council can better focus on supporting the needs of its local economies.

Economists have found that enabling Oxfordshire and West Berkshire’s economy through the 3Councils proposal would generate £170bn for the UK’s economy by 2050 – £43bn more than the one-council proposal.

3Councils is the only proposal that aims to tackle Oxfordshire’s housing crisis.

It will do this by concentrating 40,000 new homes – including 16,000 social and affordable homes – within the boundaries of Greater Oxford by 2040.

This would be achieved by using 2.6% of Oxford’s 35,000-hectare Green Belt.

This would enable local people to afford to live near their friends, family and workplace, while also protecting rural Oxfordshire from overdevelopment and sprawling towns and villages.

This also means Northern Oxfordshire and Ridgeway will be able to focus on housing delivery for their local communities, rather than meeting Oxford’s housing need.

Abolishing Oxfordshire and West Berkshire’s seven existing councils and replacing them with three will generate significant savings.

By year five of the transition, the 3Councils proposal is expected to save £47m every year across Oxfordshire and West Berkshire. The additional growth that 3Councils unlocks will boost council tax and business rates revenues on top of these cost savings.

This will create three councils that will be efficient and able to withstand financial shocks, while also tailoring services to meet the needs of local residents and businesses.

The government is looking to create devolved strategic authorities across all regions of England to coordinate strategic issues like housing, transport and economic growth.

3Councils is the only proposal that would give Greater Oxford, Northern Oxfordshire and Ridgeway separate seats at the strategic authority table to represent their areas’ distinct interests, alongside places like Reading, Slough and Swindon.

Informed by local views

Oxford City Council held an online survey for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire residents to give their initial views on local government reorganisation in July and August last year.

More than 1,500 people took part, with 69% agreeing that councils are most effective when they are smaller and closer to the people they serve, and 80% agreeing that urban and rural areas often require different approaches to housing, transport, and other services.

Engagement with businesses in Oxford found that 68% of companies supported going beyond Government targets for the delivery of new affordable housing around Oxford.

Next steps

The government’s consultation launched today (Thursday 5 February) and will run for seven weeks until 26 March.

The consultation results are expected in the spring, with the government then deciding on the structure of local government in Oxfordshire and West Berkshire in July.

‘Shadow councils’ are expected to be elected in May 2027. The shadow councils will be responsible for establishing the new unitary councils, including deciding on the new policies and strategies, and hiring and transferring employees.

Oxfordshire’s existing six councils will be abolished on 1 April 2028, with the new unitary councils or council established on the same day.

The last major change to local government was in April 1974, when county councils and city/district councils were established across England and Wales.

Oxford City Council has pledged over £200,000 in new funding to local charities and support services helping people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping, a response to rising need in the city.

The funding, confirmed this week, builds on the council’s recently launched Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Initiatives Grant Scheme and aims to strengthen vital services, from winter outreach to specialist women’s provision and help with moving into independent tenancies.

Rising challenges in Oxford

Recent local data highlights the scale of need across Oxfordshire:

These figures reflect broader national trends showing increased complexity in homelessness support needs.

Where the new funding will be used

The new grant awards will support a range of services, including:

✔ Specialist provision for women ✔ Accommodation and advice for refugees and migrants ✔ Street outreach and winter support ✔ Health and wellbeing services ✔ Lived-experience forums ✔ Restorative practice training ✔ Help preparing for independent tenancies

Organisations receiving funding include:

Councillor response

Councillor Linda Smith, Executive Member for Housing and Communities, said:

“I’m pleased to confirm the organisations that will receive funding to help us battle homelessness across the city. Our voluntary and community sector partners play a crucial role in preventing homelessness and supporting people away from rough sleeping, and this funding will help them continue delivering vital services for Oxford’s residents.

“We continue to experience significant demand pressure on our temporary accommodation services in Oxford, and these additional funds will help us address the housing and homelessness crisis in the city.”

How residents can help or get support

If you or someone you know is rough sleeping or at risk of homelessness in Oxford:

Contact Oxford City Council’s housing team:

For immediate support (rough sleeping):

Local charities that can help directly:

Many organisations also accept referrals on behalf of clients; residents can often help just by connecting someone to one of these services.

You can also volunteer at the homeless charities.

Did you know?

The government’s Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant (RSPRG) funds local authorities to boost homelessness prevention, outreach and accommodation pathways. Oxford secured additional RSPRG funding in autumn 2025, enabling the launch of this grant scheme.

Quick links