Business installs mock blue plaque in project protest

A disgruntled business owner has installed a mock blue plaque to recognise the "unprecedented disruption" caused by a three-year road closure.

Zack Iqbal has fitted the sign to his garage First Stop Spanner Works on Ferry Hinksey Road in Oxford, which sits just off Botley Road.

Botley Road, a main route into the city centre, reopened to traffic in September after much-maligned Network Rail works which first began in April 2023 and were beset by repeated delays.

Throughout the road closure, local traders reported drops in custom and footfall, with some failing to survive the period.

To recognise that impact, Iqbal has now installed a mock blue plaque onto his garage.

It reads: "To commemorate the three years of chaos (2023-2026) and £millions wasted by Network Rail and Keir in trying to build a bridge."

The closure had been a "a massive ordeal for independent local businesses", Iqbal said.

He said he was now "incredibly relieved" to welcome customers back now the route had reopened after "three and a half long years of unprecedented disruption".

"Throughout it all, I felt deeply let down and ignored by the large institutions, including Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council, who treated our livelihoods with disdain while the project suffered endless delays."

"The sign on my garage simply reflects my immense frustration with how this situation was handled.

But Tom Rainey, who runs The Punter pub on Osney Island, said he was concerned that the plaque "trivialised" the losses local firms experienced during the closure.

He estimates the three-year works affected his business "to the tune of £1m" and that it would "take years for us to re-establish the business to where it was four years ago".

"Anger is still the only word I can use to sum up this total worldwide embarrassment," he added.

Network Rail, Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council have been contacted for comment.

In 2025, small, local businesses impacted by the delayed works were eligible to receive one-off payments from an £850,000 government fund.