Part of the Burford Road verge in Witney will no longer be mown regularly. Also: a new Oxford Hill bus shelter, a cemetery award, and award nominations.

A section of verge on Burford Road in Witney has been made a Road Verge Nature Reserve by Oxfordshire County Council. It will no longer be mown on the usual cycle. Instead it will be left to grow, to give wildflowers and insects more room.

Witney Town Council announced the designation in its autumn 2026 newsletter, published on 12 October. The verge joins about 57 others across the county, the newsletter says. The council has not said exactly which stretch of the road it covers.

What grows there

The verge already holds a mix of wild plants. The newsletter lists:

  • great mullein
  • musk mallow
  • knapweed
  • yarrow
  • tansy
  • woolly thistle

A new sign beside the verge names the species, so people walking past can find them. Regular monitoring will check that its wildlife value is kept up or improved.

A new bus shelter on Oxford Hill

The same newsletter reports a new shelter on Oxford Hill, which the council calls a biodiversity bus shelter. It replaces one that had been vandalised and left with no perspex.

A new dark green bus shelter with a lime green band, beside a stone wall on Oxford Hill, Witney, with a bus stop pole and bin next to it
The new bus shelter on Oxford Hill, Witney. Photo: Witney Town Council, from its autumn 2026 newsletter

The town council bought it after a recommendation from its Stronger Communities Committee. Grants came from four bodies:

  • Community Action Group
  • Witney Town Hall Charity
  • Climate Action Oxfordshire
  • Oxfordshire County Council

The shelter comes in two shades of green, so it blends in with the trees and walls around it. A lime-green band marks the seating, to help people with visual impairments find it. West Oxfordshire District Council moved the bin beside it to improve disability access. The town council says the shelter is part of a wider plan to upgrade shelters across Witney.

Awards for the town council this year

The newsletter also lists recognition for the town’s own services in 2026:

Award What for
Silver, Cemetery of the Year Awards 2026 Witney’s cemeteries, with Gold Standard certification for both
Community Event of the Year 2026, Oxfordshire Association of Local Councils The St George’s Day event in April
Local Wildlife Site status, June 2026 Witney Lake and Country Park
Shortlisted, Oxford Climate Awards 2026 Biodiversity in the council’s green spaces; the ceremony is due later this month

New information boards have also gone up at two entrances to Witney Lake and Country Park, Mill Meadow and Avenue Two. They carry a map, walking routes and notes on the park’s plants and animals. Oxfordshire County Council, the Lower Windrush Valley Project and Freshwater Habitats Trust helped pay for them.

What it means for you

You can nominate someone for Witney Citizen of the Year until Sunday 10 January 2027. The nomination form is on the town council’s awards page, or you can ask the Town Hall for a paper copy on 01993 704379. The Mayor presents the awards at the Civic Reception in March.

This year’s categories are:

  • Citizen of the Year, for people aged 18 and over
  • Young Citizen of the Year, for those aged 17 and under
  • Organisation, Group or Sports Team of the Year
  • Outstanding Merit, Outstanding Commitment to Public Service and Outstanding Contribution
  • Best Allotment, back after a few years away

The council says it particularly wants nominations for young people this year. Nominees must live in Witney or do the work they are nominated for in the town, the newsletter says. Do not tell the person you have nominated them: the council’s guidance asks nominators to keep it confidential.

If you see a problem on a verge, a pavement or a shelter, the newsletter points residents to FixMyStreet, which sends the report to whichever council is responsible. Our Witney roadworks and travel page has the road closures and bus changes this month.

Sources