Wider Region
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Restructuring – a Gap Analysis
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…
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Devolution and Restructuring in Oxfordshire
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…
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Oxford’s unmet housing – Cherwell DC plans
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…
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Local Authority Devolution
3 August 2016
New possibilities for place-based leadership On 22 July 2016 Oxford Civic Society organised a lecture by Professor Robin Hambleton (University of the West of England) as a contribution to the debate on local authority devolution in Oxfordshire. The lecture was followed by a chaired discussion. The seminar focussed on leadership, democracy and growth for Oxford and…
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Science Vale Area Action Plan comments
24 April 2015
Whie the city and its neighbours have always functioned as a city-region, with the strong impetus now being given to economic development planning in Oxfordshire this has become even more evident. Our principal interest is to see the Knowledge Spine of the Oxfordshire Strategic Economic Plan implemented successfully, for the benefits it will bring nationally, regionally and locally.
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Oxford Affordable Housing
5 April 2015
A workshop on Affordable Housing was held on 3 March 2015 at Oxford Brookes University. The workshop was the second in a new series on future growth in central Oxfordshire. It was organised by Oxford Brookes University with URBED, and was sponsored by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The findings of the workshop are available in this…
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