News
🌟 Charlbury Primary School Launches Its Sponsored Story Spectacular! 🌟
Charlbury Primary has officially kicked off its Sponsored Story Spectacular, and the whole town is invited to join the fun!
From today until World Book Day on Thursday 5 March, every child will be helping to build a giant, school‑wide total of reading minutes. Whether they’re diving into a favourite book at home or being read to by a grown‑up, every minute counts!
And the big finale?
📚 A full day of tag‑team reading on World Book Day, with children keeping the storytelling going from morning until home time.
⭐ Plus, some well‑known Charlbury faces will be dropping in to share the books that inspired them when they were young.
This joyful two‑week celebration is about encouraging reading for pleasure at a time when it's diminishing. The Story Spectacular will also helping raise vital funds to support new creative and educational opportunities for Charlbury children.
💛 Want to get involved?
You can support the children by:
– Donating (a little or a lot!) via the QR code below
– Sharing the fundraiser with friends, family and neighbours
– Or getting in touch with the Charlbury School Association if you’d like to help inspire next year’s young readers
Together, let’s celebrate stories, spark imaginations—and make this Charlbury’s most spectacular readathon yet! Thank you! 📖✨
Jennifer Kidd ·
Mon 23 Feb, 20:26 · Link
Corner House News - February 2026
- Following the news that the public toilets at the Co-op building are due to close, the trustees have agreed to refurbish the (downstairs) toilets at the Corner House. Two detailed proposals were considered: a major reworking of the area, including the moving of the external door (as in the planning application detailed below*); and a less-thorough refurbishment. The former was estimated as costing more than twice the latter, and while it remains a long-term possibility, we agreed for reasons of economy and speed to proceed with the latter. [*and so the planning application referred to above is not being proceeded with.]
- Refurbishment of the Morris Room is now almost complete (see photo); new curtains will be hung in the next few months. It is already seeing an increase in daytime general usage and in evening bookings. Do feel free to use it as a comfortable space to enjoy your deli-bought coffee over quiet conversation or while reading one of our books or magazines .. or as a place to work in peace & comfort on your laptop.
- We are following the travails of the Delicatessen & Café, one of our more significant tenants, with interest and concern, and will do whatever we can to ensure that they, or a successor organisation, continue to provide a service to the town in the coming months & years.
- Some Swift boxes will be installed soon under the Corner House eaves.
John Partington ·
Mon 23 Feb, 13:07 · Link
Latest planning applications to West Oxfordshire District Council
The following planning applications have recently been lodged. Click on the address to see full details at the WODC website.
Mon 23 Feb, 06:15 · Link
Charlbury Deli & Café to close end March unless new director(s) found (updated)
As per our previous News item (see below),Rod Evans has confirmed his intention to resign for personal reasons and will be doing so from 31/03. So far no-one has offered to replace him. A limited company cannot function without a director so if that remains the case, the present company will have to cease trading from that date. Sales through the winter months have been disappointing, with the company continuing to trade at a loss - but in the expectation that it would 'turn the corner' as we move into spring with the use of the wonderful CH terrace and garden. The company might then convert to a Community Benefit Society. Anyone interested in becoming a director and helping the company to recover do please contact Rod for an informal discussion at rod@charlburydeli.cafe.
Janet Sly ·
Wed 18 Feb, 12:23 · Link
Evenlode Close Public Consultation - online
Please share your thoughts on proposals for the future of Evenlode Close, Charlbury.
Cottsway Housing Association is asking for feedback on plans to demolish and redevelop the former sheltered housing scheme into 15 new homes for people aged 55+ in housing need.
You’re invited to their open event to view the plans and ask questions:
📍 War Memorial Hall, Charlbury
🕔 Tuesday 24 February, 5 – 7.30pm
If you can’t make it, don’t worry you can also view the plans and share your feedback online from 17 February to 9 March 2026:
🔗 www.cottsway.co.uk/evenlode
Lisa Wilkinson ·
Wed 18 Feb, 11:15 · Link
Charlbury bowlers selected for England
Charlbury Bowls Club is pleased to announce that seven Charlbury Junior Academy bowlers have been selected to play in the England U21 squad against Wales on 28th March in Carmarthen.
Jackie Hague ·
Wed 18 Feb, 10:20 · Link
Consultation on the redevelopment of Evenlode, Charlbury
Cottsway Housing Association is inviting feedback on proposals to redevelop Evenlode, a former sheltered housing scheme in Charlbury.
The existing building is no longer fit for purpose and does not meet modern standards. The proposal is to demolish the building and three associated garages and replace them with 15 high-quality one and two-bedroom apartments for people aged 55+.
If planning permission is granted, the new homes would be available to people who cannot afford to buy or rent on the open market.
What’s being proposed
The plans include:
- 15 one and two-bed apartments for people aged 55+ in housing need.
- Parking beneath the building, including electric vehicle charging points
- Air source heat pumps for heating and hot water
- Mobility scooter and cycle storage
Have your say
Before a planning application is submitted, you can see their plans and speak with the development team at:
- War Memorial Hall, Browns Lane, Charlbury, OX7 3QW
- On Tuesday 24 February between 5pm – 7.30pm
If you can’t attend, full details of the proposals will be available online from Tuesday 17 February to Monday 9 March 2026, including plans and an online feedback form. See:
Cottsway have written to nearby residents directly to let them know their plans and how they can give feedback All comments received during the consultation period will be reviewed and, where requested, responded to.
Sara Long ·
Tue 17 Feb, 07:54 · Link
Latest planning applications to West Oxfordshire District Council
The following planning applications have recently been lodged. Click on the address to see full details at the WODC website.
- Appletrees Thames Street Charlbury
Discharge of condition 4 (Tree Protection Plan) of planning permission 25/02630/HHD
WODC reference: 26/00279/CND - Wed 04 Feb 2026 - Under consideration
Mon 16 Feb, 06:15 · Link
Health and wellbeing research in Charlbury – have your say!
There is currently an opportunity to give your views to service-providers on what helps people living in rural areas keep healthy and well and what makes this difficult. Charlbury is one of 14 rural communities selected by the Oxfordshire County Council to help them learn more about the needs of rural communities and to plan services which support the good health and wellbeing of local residents.
Two local charities – Community First Oxfordshire and Healthwatch Oxfordshire – will be running an online and paper survey until 1 April 2026 and will also be holding a representative focus group of local residents in each community including one in Charlbury.
There is an information sheet giving further details on ATIC’s page in the Community section (Charities and World) of this website here: https://www.charlbury.info/community/98
The survey can be filled in online by using this link: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/rurallivingpublic/ or by scanning the QR code at the end of the ATIC information sheet and shown in flyers available in key outlets in the town, including Cornerstone in the Corner House..
If you do not have access to the internet or do not have a smartphone, you can obtain a paper copy of the questionnaire by contacting Healthwatch on 01865 520520. Healthwatch is also offering to enable people to fill in the survey on the phone (number as above). Copies can also be provided in large print or alternative formats or languages. Healthwatch’s email address is hello@healthwatchoxfordshire.co.uk.
If you do not live in Charlbury itself but have a connection to or live close to the town, you can still complete the survey and give your postcode to show where you live. The views of people living in rural communities which are smaller than Charlbury will also be valuable.
Please pass on this information to anyone you know who is not online and is not likely to see this here.
Meryl Smith ·
Sat 14 Feb, 15:08 · Link
Charlbury Deli & Cafe
For the uninitiated, the
Charlbury Deli & Café was set up as a limited company in 1991 (then ka The
Good Food Shop) by a group of people, as I’ve always understood it, who simply wanted
the town to have such a facility. It has
always been run more as a community enterprise than in the expectation of private profit, with paid managers and staff but
volunteer directors.
Faced with financial difficulties
in 2016/17, a new group of directors came forward, including me, and funds were
raised through a second share issue. The
business then moved, enthusiastically and energetically, into the Old Bank
House on Market Street.
As you may be aware, with the end
of our lease in sight, we moved into the Corner House in November last year. The shareholders voted before Christmas to
aim to convert the company into a Community Benefit Society (CBS), a far more
sensible structure for a community based enterprise. It would also be far more in keeping with the
new location. With the use of the garden
and newly refurbished reading room it has enormous potential, with any profits
going to support both the Corner House itself and other local charitable
causes.
But sadly the company is
currently faced with similar difficulties as in 2016/17 – one major difference
being that despite several attempts to find new directors, this time no-one has
come forward. Instead, we have an
advisory team but only one director – me.
I really need to stand down for personal reasons and have given notice
to the shareholders that I intend to do so come what may on 31 March (postponed
once already from 31/12).
The company’s poor financial
position also means we are not currently able to go for conversion, even
assuming one (or ideally more) new directors were willing to take over. But there is nothing to prevent other people
setting up an entirely new CBS, with members rather than shareholders – and
then acquiring the business and/or its assets.
We plan to hold an open public meeting to discuss that as soon as we can
agree a date (probably with Plunkett UK, a locally based but national charity which
supports people in rural areas to set up and run a wide range of businesses in
community ownership). So watch out
for the date in Events!
In
the meantime, we’ll not only be very glad of your custom but if anyone might be
willing to stand as a director, even if only as a ‘caretaker’ pending further
developments, do please get in touch. The
company cannot continue to trade without at least one director so would
otherwise have to go into liquidation, with all the difficulties and loss of
employment that would entail. Which after
35 years, I think would be a great shame.
Charlbury, the choice is yours.
R
O Evans
12/02/2026
PS For anyone interested, there is a useful introduction here: https://cwmpas.coop/what-is-a-community-benefit-society
Rod Evans ·
Wed 11 Feb, 12:29 · Link
