Business 'enraged' over closure cash ineligibility

A business owner has been left "enraged" after his business was judged to be ineligible for a goodwill payment following the long-term closure of a major road.

Network Rail said last month that it would support local firms affected by the closure of Oxford's Botley Road, which has been shut since April 2023.

But David Hogben, of Courtney Pianos, said he had been told his business would not receive the payment, despite facing closure.

Those judged not to have met Network Rail's criteria for the payments have four weeks to appeal the decision, the rail company said.

In correspondence seen by the BBC, Network Rail judged that Courtney Pianos did not meet one of the six criteria for the goodwill payment.

It found that the shop was not dependent on footfall or through traffic on the Botley Road, and could operate remotely.

Mr Hogben, who has appealed the decision, said: "It sounds like these people have no clue as to the real world and what is going on.

"They've not actually seen these businesses, been and visited them, and seen the effect that this closure has had - I do feel slightly enraged about it."

On the particular issue of through-traffic, he said Network Rail's verdict that his business was not dependant on it was "nuts".

He added that the rail company "need to go back and rethink the whole thing and ask themselves what they are trying to achieve".

"Are they trying to fairly compensate those business that have genuinely lost trade, or are they actually trying to minimise and cut off the amount they have to pay out in order to save money?" he added.

Network Rail said it could not confirm how many businesses were considered for the goodwill payment, or how many were eligible.

The BBC is aware of multiple businesses that have been unsuccessful in their bids for goodwill payments - including one which is next door to a firm that has been successful.

The £231m Network Rail project to upgrade Oxford Station has been beset by delays, with the Botley Road now not expected to reopen until August 2026.

In a statement, Network Rail said: "We have followed the eligibility criteria as set out with the Department for Transport and HM Treasury when the allocation of goodwill payments to businesses affected by the ongoing delayed scheme at Botley Road was announced last month.

"We have also had independent oversight on these decisions from the Federation of Small Businesses.

"There will now be a four-week standstill period in which businesses can review and appeal the decision should they believe the criteria has not been applied correctly or if they believe there is an error in the information received."

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "We recognise the disruption and frustration caused by this work, and the Rail Minister continues to receive regular updates and engage with local businesses and residents on the project's progress, ensuring Network Rail is being held to account in delivering the critical works."

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