Goodwill cash over three-year road closure

Businesses affected by the extended closure of a major route in Oxford will receive goodwill payments to "recognise the trouble the delays have caused", the rail minister has said.

Some small, local businesses impacted by the delayed works on Botley Road will be eligible to receive one-off payments from an £850,000 government fund.

The road has been closed since April 2023 as part of a £231m Network Rail project to upgrade Oxford Station and is expected to reopen in August 2026.

Rail minister Lord Hendy welcomed the additional support and said he was "glad the project is now on track".

When the rail operator first outlined its plans the road was expected to be shut over two six-month periods, with a six-month break in-between in April 2023.

But in September 2023 it announced there would be no break because works had run behind schedule following the discovery of a Victorian-era arch.

Then in July last year it said it would not reopen in October as planned due to issues with "highly complex" pipework.

A new timetable was adopted in January this year, with reopening set for August 2026.

During a visit to the site on Friday, Lord Hendy said: "I'm pleased that Network Rail can now offer payments to those eligible small, local businesses affected, and while it can't undo all the hardship businesses have faced, it recognises the trouble the delays have caused."

"That wont make up for the long-term disruption that this has caused - but it will be financial goodwill payments that will help them survive and prosper after this job is finished.

"The scale of the disruption here, and the evident distress that this has caused local businesses is something that we have been mindful of, and we've argued our way through government to get a decent sum of money that can be applied for by those businesses and distributors in a fair and equitable way."

Businesses can apply for the one-off government payments through Network Rail, although a time scale has not yet been provided for when the funding would be handed out.

Amanda Suliman Bell, who owns the Rainbow and Spoon boutique in Frideswide Square, said the payments were "excellent news".

"The fact that there is an offer on the table and we are going to get a slice of the pie is really good news for everyone involved," she told the BBC.

She said, however, that it was "too little to late" for some businesses that had already been forced to close.

"Footfall has been an issue and no business can survive without footfall," she added.

Layla Moran, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, said the payments would go "some way towards repairing the damage caused by the chaos and disruption of this project".

"Our vibrant local businesses now have a better chance to come out of the other side of this difficult period and thrive," she said.

The scheme follows the closure of Courtney Pianos after more than three decades - with the owner pinpointing the long delays to the Botley Road works as the main cause.

Owner David Hogben told the BBC the effect the disruption had on the shop was "like falling off the edge of a cliff", adding there had been a 40% drop in sales since the closure.

In April, five separate businesses affected by the works stopped paying their business rates and said they would not pay them until they received further financial support.

At the time, Network Rail said it was supporting local firms with "independent, tailored advice" to apply for a reduction in their business rates.

During Lord Hendy's visit to Oxford it was also revealed that costs for the scheme had risen to £231m - about £70m more than initially suggested.

A new walkway and cycleway is also set to be completed this summer.

Marcus Jones, Network Rail's western route director, said: "We know the delays to this project have been frustrating, and we're sorry for the disruption they've caused.

"The good news is that the project is now firmly back on track, and we're making strong progress.

"We're committed to keeping the community informed as we deliver a safer, more accessible Oxford station for everyone."

You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.