Oxford City Council launches consultation on Corporate Strategy 2024-28

The Council has worked with local partners, organisations, community groups and businesses to develop its Corporate Strategy 2024-28, which outlines the top issues it will deliver on.

The draft strategy sets out the Council’s plans across its five priorities:

• Good, affordable homes
• Strong, fair economy
• Thriving communities
• Zero carbon Oxford
• A well-run council

Last night (24/1), the Council’s Cabinet agreed to launch a public consultation on the draft strategy.

Oxford residents can have their say on the proposals by visiting the Council’s consultation portal.

Good, affordable homes

Oxford is one of the least affordable places to live in the country.

Average house prices are now £445,775 – 12 times average earnings – and there are currently more than 3,300 households on the waiting list for council housing.

Oxford’s population grew from 151,900 in 2011 to 162,100 in 2021, and it is continuing to grow.

The Council’s aim is to improve existing housing and increase the number of new homes for social rent and to buy, particularly through the more affordable pathway of shared ownership; rapidly rehouse homeless people and people experiencing rough sleeping; and improve private-rented housing.

The Corporate Strategy 2024-28 sets out the Council’s work in this area, including:

• using its housing company, OX Place, to deliver hundreds of new homes
• continuing to invest in improving the quality of its existing 8,000 council homes
• licensing all private-rented homes to drive up standards and tackle rogue landlords
• taking a housing-led approach to help homeless people back into secure accommodation
• lobbying government for powers to introduce rent controls and controls on short term lets

Strong, fair economy

Oxfordshire, led by the success of the city’s economy, is one of just four regions of the country that are net contributors to the UK’s economy.

Oxford’s economy supports 128,000 jobs, with 73% in ‘knowledge-intensive’ sectors such as health, research, publishing and education.

The city attracts international investment in the biotech sector, including the Ellison Institute seeking to build 30,000m2 of medical research space in Oxford over the next few years.

Oxford is also seeing BMW invest £600m in MINI Plant Oxford, protecting thousands of jobs for local people. The city’s tourism industry was worth £864m in 2022, supporting 15,000 jobs.

The Council’s aim is to support economic growth, and ensure it provides valuable local jobs and supports better opportunities for everyone in Oxford.

The Corporate Strategy 2024-28 sets out the Council’s work in this area, including:

• promoting the Oxford Living Wage to ensure Oxford residents are paid a fair wage
• nurturing small businesses by providing flexible business spaces in its markets and through the ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire...’ project
• supporting young people into work and training through apprenticeships
• using Council spending to support the local supply chain and provide wider social value
• maximising the local benefit from investment in a new station for Oxford, and continuing to work for the Cowley Branch Line extension

Thriving communities

Oxford is a starkly unequal city.

Ten of Oxford’s 83 neighbourhoods are amongst the 20% most deprived in England, and, after adjusting for housing costs, one in four children in Oxford live below the poverty line.

Men in Oxford’s most deprived areas die, on average, 13 years younger than those in the least deprived areas. For women, the gap is nine years.

The Council’s aim is to focus on areas of highest inequality to improve health, wellbeing, skills and employment opportunities and equal access for everyone.

The Corporate Strategy 2024-28 sets out the Council’s work in this area, including:

• working with partners at all levels to tackle inequalities, champion diversity and inclusion and support access to jobs, skills and cultural activities
• providing a sustainable leisure service, through its leisure centres, ice rink and outdoor pool, with access to those on low income and free swimming for children
• reducing health inequality by working with health services and communities to help residents prevent health problems or manage health conditions well
• supporting Oxford’s art, culture, sport and community groups to provide opportunities for everyone
• managing its network of parks and open spaces to support health and wellbeing

Zero carbon Oxford

Oxford is built on two rivers. The climate emergency is an existential threat to the city.

The Council’s aim is to prioritise climate change goals to cut carbon emissions from buildings, improve air quality by facilitating more electric vehicle infrastructure and promoting active travel, and ensure residents have access to high quality parks and green spaces as well as preparing to deal with climate change.

The Council has set targets to become a net zero carbon council by 2030 and a net zero carbon city by 2040.

The Corporate Strategy 2024-28 sets out the Council’s work in this area, including:

• securing external funding to improve energy efficiency in Council homes, other council buildings, and support residents to retrofit their own homes
• requiring all new homes to be zero carbon at the adoption of the Local Plan 2040 – likely in 2025
• enhancing our green spaces and access to nature in the city, and ensure building projects support biodiversity
• supporting the design and delivery of the Environment Agency’s Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme
• continuing to design and deliver pioneering projects, such as the Oxford Energy Superhub

A well-run council

To achieve all of this, the Council plans to be more efficient with its resources by offering better digital services, prioritising its activities, and balancing spending with income growth.

The Council will continue to deliver other essential services like bin collections, street cleaning, welfare support, licensing, food safety inspection and planning services.

For more information about the Corporate Strategy 2024-28, please visit the Council’s consultation portal.

Comment 

“We’ve set out our plans to help Oxford become a fairer city, tackling our huge housing challenges, the serious gap in wealth and health across the city, and adapting to a changing climate.  This is the chance for residents to tell us whether our plans are taking us in the right direction.

“This strategy matters. It will help us prioritise where we put our resources and what progress we measure over the next four years.

“For some of our residents, Oxford is already a world-leading city – we want to make it a fair, thriving and welcoming city for everyone. It will take long-term commitment to long-term challenges, and with this strategy we’ve set out how we will take the next steps on this journey.”

Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council