THE OXFORD PAPER Your guide for your
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Weekly leisure guide for in & around Is it Oxford the final curtain for Sherlock Holmes? Declutter and help raise United’s year: New boss
Market celebrates the Pages 6&7 funds big day
Page 16
in to steady ship
Sport
Super sleuth at Oxford Playhouse
Calls to improve air quality to protect residents’ health By Owen Hughes OXFORD residents’ health is at risk from the government’s lack of action to tackle illegal levels of air pollution. Consistently high levels of air pollution in the UK resulted in the country’s referral to the European Court of Justice last week. Oxford City Council is one of 45 councils listed in the 2017 Air Quality Action Report requiring more action to tackle air pollution. A report produced by Oxfordshire MEP Keith Taylor revealed 24 of Oxford’s 70 monitoring sites have NO2 pollution levels above EU legal limits of 40 micrograms per cubic metre. Mr Taylor said: “The European Commission is being forced to take legal action against the UK because the Government remains steadfastly apathetic in the face of a public health crisis that is linked to the deaths of 50,000 British citizens every year.” Julia Spragg, a Greenpeace volunteer in Oxford, said: “It’s great Oxford City and Oxfordshire County Council are facilitating practical trials of new technologies that help our move towards a low carbon, low pollution transport system. “But central government has to be much more ambitious about giving councils statutory powers and providing realistic funding for local government so our local councils can take serious action on air pollution.”
Government urged to act over levels Councillor Tom Hayes, executive board member for safer and greener environment, said the council welcomes the decision to refer the UK to Europe’s highest court. He said Oxford City Council “share the European Union’s commitment to standing up for our basic right to breathe clean air”. “We strongly believe – given Oxford’s toxic and illegal levels of air pollution in some streets – urgent action is needed. Every year there are tens of thousands of early deaths from dirty air in the UK; the benefits of cleaner air in Oxford are obvious.” Oxford is proposing the world’s fi rst Zero Emission Zone from 2020 in a bid to tackle air pollution levels. “We need Government support, particularly to help fund the installation of more electric vehicle charging points in Oxford,” Cllr Hayes added. “We hope the announcement by the European Commission encourages the government to strengthen its upcoming Clean Air Strategy and work even more closely with us.” Oxford City Council secured £3.25million from the government to tackle air pollution in the city with ministers pledging to provide “a more formal approach” in March.
Be spellbound by magic at Oxford Castle OXFORD wizards brave enough to trudge through the 900-yearold crypt at Oxford Castle & Prison will have the chance to concoct spells and potions with the great wizard Merlin. Oxford Academy of Magic will open the doors to the castle’s
crypt where stories of Merlin, King Arthur and Camelot were reputedly first penned. Young apprentices will decorate their own magic wand and potion bottle before blending magical mixtures and making sludgy slime.
Hour-long Wizardry Workshops will run daily at 10am from Monday to Friday. The activities are open to children with tickets available on the day, but accompanying parents or guardians can attend for free.