27 February 2017

In our previous post about the competing proposals for restructuring local government in Oxfordshire we explained we were preparing a Gap Analysis. The aim is to complement the financial focus of the earlier consultants’ studies with an analysis of how well the proposals contribute to better and more effective governance and democratic processes. We have…

1 February 2017

Matt Oliver’s article in last Monday’s Oxford Mail is hugely significant, because it highlights so many threads coming together. It has been assessed that the county needs around 100,000 new homes by 2031, many for commuters working in the city region. The new Westgate Centre opens this autumn, and its success depends on attracting several…

30 January 2017

We understand that the five Oxfordshire District Councils and the County Council are jointly preparing a proposal which justifies the devolution of powers from central government, leading to access to significant development funding. The proposal includes the establishment of a combined authority led by an elected Mayor. We believe that it resembles the successful devolution…

30 January 2017

An article today in The Oxford Mail raises the possibility of creating an integrated transport system for Oxford and the surrounding area, starting with a ‘Swift Rail’ line. This line would connect Kidlington to Oxford and extend to Cowley using the existing branch line. A further extension could go to Abingdon and through to Didcot. The…

12 January 2017

The Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) for Oxfordshire was published in 2014, setting out the county’s housing needs up to 2031. It recognised that Oxford City could not build enough houses to meet its own needs, and called on the surrounding districts to co-operate to meet this ‘unmet need’. After much discussion and debate Oxford’s…

12 January 2017

A packed symposium in Oxford’s Kellogg College drew members of the Historic Towns Forum ranging from St Albans to Wells and York, together with a large contingent from Oxford. The aim was to learn from success, and to debate the principles that would lead to sustainable or ‘smarter growth’ that does not outstrip infrastructure capacity….