Councillor Matthew Webb, who represents Bicester North, was appointed to the role on Tuesday and hopes to use the position to build stronger links between the council and the thousands of small businesses that contribute to Oxfordshire’s economy and communities.

Cllr Webb said: “Small businesses are incredibly important to Oxfordshire. They create jobs, support our high streets and town centres, innovate, invest in their communities and contribute enormously to the character and prosperity of the places in which we live.

“But running a small business is not always easy. Whether it is dealing with rising costs, recruitment and skills, transport and infrastructure, regulation, accessing support or simply finding the time to make their voice heard, small business owners face very real pressures.

“I want this role to provide a strong link between those businesses and the county council. A key part of that will be listening. I want to hear directly from businesses about what is working, what isn't, and where the council can either help or make it easier for businesses to succeed.

“I also want to make sure that when we develop policies and make decisions, we properly consider their impact on small businesses. Sometimes relatively small changes can make a significant difference to somebody trying to run a business.”

Like other member champion roles, such as active travel and cycling, and public transport, the small business champion is an unpaid and non-decision-making position aimed at supporting cabinet members and assisting in policy development.

Cllr Webb said he intends to meet businesses and business organisations across Oxfordshire, including those in the county’s towns, villages and rural communities.

“One thing I am particularly keen to avoid is assuming that we already know what businesses need,” he added. “Oxfordshire has an extraordinarily diverse economy, and the challenges facing a shop in one of our market towns may be very different from those facing a rural business, a manufacturer, a technology company or somebody who has just started working for themselves.”

Alongside his role as a county councillor, he has extensive professional experience working within the small business sector, including in the electronics distribution industry.

His work has given him first-hand experience of many of the practical issues facing smaller companies, including working with customers and suppliers, quality and environmental standards, regulatory requirements and the day-to-day realities of operating and growing a business.

Councillor Laura Gordon, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Economy, said: “Small businesses are at the heart of our communities and are a key pillar of Oxfordshire’s economy. I’m looking forward to working with Cllr Webb to ensure we’re supporting small businesses across the county to thrive.”

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The event on 20 November was organised by Oxfordshire County Council and Advanced Oxford to discuss the opportunities within the county’s innovation economy.

It highlighted the county’s thriving advanced manufacturing sector and the urgent need for better countywide infrastructure to support growth.

Speakers from Harwell Science Park, BMW-Mini, Tokamak Energy and Polar Technology emphasised that their businesses cannot scale without investment in supporting infrastructure.

Inaccessibility to the national grid due to the lack of local substations prevents such businesses harnessing the power they need to deliver new innovative technologies, such as Tokamak Energy’s nuclear fusion magnets.

In addition, these businesses require good transport links to deliver raw materials and provide travel routes for their workforce.

Olly Glover, the Member of Parliament for Didcot and Wantage, who hosted the event, said: “I was really pleased to welcome businesses and organisations from across Oxfordshire to the House of Commons to champion advanced manufacturing and highlight our incredible and rapidly expanding community of high-tech companies and scientific innovators.

“Advanced manufacturing underpins many sectors, transport for example. Transport innovation is impossible without those who design and build the components that make it real.

“But innovation cannot thrive without the right infrastructure. Businesses in my constituency repeatedly say that, despite being at the cutting edge of science, their progress is held back by funding hurdles and infrastructure gaps, such as long delays in connecting to the national grid or recruitment of skilled staff who cannot afford to live in Oxfordshire.

“If Oxfordshire is to continue leading in innovation, we must provide its innovators with the support they deserve; reliable infrastructure, skills development, affordable homes for employees, and investment that matches their ambition.”

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “I was pleased to welcome businesses from across Oxfordshire to the second Oxfordshire Innovation Showcase in Parliament. Oxfordshire is a true place of opportunity, with the ‘Knowledge Spine’ – a strategic corridor linking Bicester, Oxford, and the Science Vale – at the heart of the county’s innovation ecosystem.

“Oxfordshire is one of the UK’s most productive and dynamic economic regions, but we must create the right conditions for opportunity to be accessible to all. Currently, both new homes and business expansion in Oxfordshire are constrained by limited grid connections.

“Accelerating the construction of grid supply points within the county would create further capacity and further realise the county’s potential. This is why we are working closely with partners to remove these barriers to inclusive, countywide growth.

“Oxfordshire’s economy is ranked fifth globally for science and technology intensity. However, it is essential that vital infrastructure – grid connections, roads, railways, homes – keep pace with this growth. Such investment needs clear leadership and a countywide approach to deliver the scale of growth our fantastic businesses need.”

Sarah Haywood, CEO of Advanced Oxford, said: “Advanced Oxford is pleased to be working with Oxfordshire County Council to take Oxfordshire’s story to Parliament, and to showcase the fantastic innovation which is taking place across our region. Our speakers – all drawn from companies that are at the cutting edge of manufacturing – gave insightful presentations, setting out the opportunities, but also the challenges that they face. 

“The region is known for its strengths in R&D, but we have fantastic companies working at the interface of development with manufacturing, applying cutting edge technology and manufacturing techniques. We need to support these companies to scale and contribute fully to the growth of our economy.

“The Parliamentary reception demonstrated how business and local government are united in calling for continued support and investment into our region, particularly in key utilities such as electricity and grid connectivity.” 

The showcase brought together voices from every corner of the county to call for government support and investment to help unlock the potential of Oxfordshire’s innovation economy.

The clear message from the event was that Oxfordshire’s world-class businesses need reliable power, improved transport links and affordable homes to continue creating jobs and enable the region to thrive and deliver on the government’s ambitions for the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.

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From 1 April, OxLEP has operated under the guise of Enterprise Oxfordshire, with the change marking the completion of a two year process that has seen the economic development functions – previously led by LEPs – altered so that they are to be overseen through a mechanism agreed by respective upper-tier local authorities, in this instance, Oxfordshire County Council.

The shift in policy was originally announced by the previous Chancellor Jeremy Hunt at the then government’s spring budget in March 2023.

Since then, both OxLEP and Oxfordshire County Council have worked closely to ensure a refreshed and clear governance process was created, while maintaining operations and meeting the changes required by government.

What followed in November 2024 saw the county council’s cabinet announce that OxLEP Ltd would remain, with the county council acting as the organisation’s 100 per cent shareholder – known as a Teckal company arrangement.

OxLEP – which, since its launch in 2011, has secured £441.7 million of investment for Oxfordshire from the government’s Local Growth Fund and Getting Building Fund – would then adopt the new trading name, active from 1 April, as well as maintaining its independent company status.

Building on its significant legacy as OxLEP, Enterprise Oxfordshire will oversee the delivery of a comprehensive set of business, skills, investment and trade support services, as well as supporting a variety of strategies backing Oxfordshire’s economic potential to be delivered in a sustainable and inclusive manner.

The introduction of Enterprise Oxfordshire mirrors many new arrangements to have been confirmed across England over the past 24 months.

Depending on the frameworks developed between respective local authorities and former LEPs, areas in England now have a variety of arrangements in place, each suited to support their own local economic development activity and priorities.

Some former LEPs have been fully integrated into upper-tier authorities, some continue as independent organisations with a governance link in place with their authority, while others have been closed permanently.

The creation of Enterprise Oxfordshire is a specific arrangement for this county.

The organisation’s chief executive believes that the change represents an exciting future, including for those businesses, entrepreneurial individuals, communities, education providers and many other groups who have historically sought OxLEP’s backing and support.

Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive of OxLEP, said: “Of course, this is a big change for us as an organisation – however, it is an exciting one and we are delighted to introduce Enterprise Oxfordshire and begin our refreshed relationship with Oxfordshire County Council too.

“Although our name is changing, what is not lost is our experience, knowledge and positive impact on the Oxfordshire economy, diligently built over the past 15 years. We are looking forward to bringing this approach into a new era and under the guise of Enterprise Oxfordshire.

“We will continue to work in partnership with our business community, education providers and wider communities to ensure they are able to flourish, succeed and enjoy new opportunities and openings.”

The new name reflects the countywide role the company will continue to play in wider economic aims of Oxfordshire County Council, including supporting young people, promoting opportunities among less advantaged parts of the county and backing decarbonisation.

Martin Reeves, Chief Executive of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Enterprise Oxfordshire will reflect both what we’ve already achieved and our bold commitment to go even further to help the local economy thrive and grow, putting enterprising people at the heart of our vision.

“Much has been achieved since the company became part of the council last year. We’ve been actively improving the provision of workforce skills needed to drive growth and innovation in the local economy, backing capital projects and inward investment.

“I’m proud that in 12 months we’ve played a significant role in supporting 1,790 local businesses, inspiring over 3,250 students, including more than 250 from special schools through our Careers Fest conference and other activities.

“Hundreds of apprentices have been supported, 115 entering the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards.

“We’ve also funded visitor economy marketing campaigns engaging millions of people, helping boost footfall to locations such as Oxford city centre.

“All of this is a stepping stone to taking Oxfordshire, and its diverse, expert, innovative companies and individuals to the next level. We’re flying the flag as Enterprise Oxfordshire.”

Enterprise Oxfordshire will begin life building on a significant legacy left by OxLEP.

Its last impact report – detailing activity delivered during the 2023/24 financial year alone – highlighted how OxLEP developed almost 700 bespoke support plans for Oxfordshire businesses; secured £842,000 worth of grants to over 50 visitor economy businesses in the county; while also optimising over £2.6m of underutilised apprenticeship levy (a figure that has now reached over £3.6m) into new apprenticeship schemes. This filled business needs and skills gaps using funding that would have otherwise been lost to Oxfordshire and returned to the Treasury.

This new arrangement with Oxfordshire County Council is one that has been implemented previously by a number of local authorities, creating a structure for companies to operate in fields such as health care, adult social care and other public services.

A Teckal company – also known as a Local Authority Trading Company (LATC) – is a company wholly owned by a local authority, set up to operate certain services or functions.

The shift to a Teckal company is also coupled with a much refreshed new governance structure. This includes a reduced board presence, down to three members – two of which represent Oxfordshire County Council (one elected member and one executive member) with a third non-executive director to become the new chair of Enterprise Oxfordshire, representing the county’s private sector.

The new trading name will be particularly visible across Enterprise Oxfordshire’s digital channels which will be fully updated to reflect the new arrangement.

Nigel Tipple added: “Through our top-class legacy, we remain the ‘go to’ organisation for those looking to start-up, develop or take on a new business challenge, as well as those aiming to inspire new career and skills opportunities too.

“We are excited to build on an already solid relationship with Oxfordshire County Council, acting as a vibrant catalyst and convener to support an inclusive and sustainable economy, which we can all be proud of. As Enterprise Oxfordshire, we will work hard to develop new programmes and initiatives that support our motivated business communities and associated groups and organisations.”

For more information, visit www.oxfordshirelep.com

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Oxfordshire County Council is urging residents not to be complacent over the busy holiday shopping season and keep up the good work to help control infection rates across the county.

The latest figures show a small increase in figures for the week ending 4 December. A total of 568 people tested positive in Oxfordshire. This is the equivalent of a weekly rate of 82.1 per 100,000 compared to 78.8 per 100,000 in the week ending 27 November.

These figures come as the first wave of vaccinations begin on the over 80s and some frontline health and care workers across the county.

Ansaf Azhar, Oxfordshire County Council’s Director of Public Health, said: “While everyone is looking forward to the holiday period, we must all do our bit to ensure that infection rates stay under control and we do not see a return to additional restrictions in the new year.

“It’s really important when we do go out, whether to go shopping or out for a meal, we all adhere to national guidelines, socially distance, wear a mask, wash our hands, and stay in ventilated places as much as possible. We are also encouraging residents to shop locally and avoid going into crowded areas at busy times.

“Although vaccinations have begun for those in priority groups, two doses of the vaccine spaced 3 weeks apart are needed to make sure it is effective and full protection does not begin until seven - 10 days after the second jab. Therefore, it’s up to all of us to do our bit so that we all can enjoy a very happy holiday season.”

Local companies have had to adapt to new ways of working over the past three-months, many now face great challenges going forward.

However, fire officers are on hand to help them return to work safely as COVID-19 restrictions are eased.

Gabby Heycock, Head of Protection for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:

“We are here to support businesses the best we can during these challenging times.

“Our fire safety inspection team is working hard in providing guidance to ensure that companies and customers across the Thames Valley are safe to reopen. They are on hand to answer any questions.”

New ways of working may mean business needs have changed, and so it is important fire risk assessments are reviewed to ensure they continue to reflect the new situation.

Factors that could impact on a fire risk assessment include:

• Changes to work processes and their implementation, such as new equipment.
• Temporary changes to how the premises are used, for example, introduction of sleeping on site.
• Alterations to the building, including the internal layout.
• Substantial changes to furniture and fixings.
• Increase or change to the amount of stock kept on premises.
• An increase or decrease in the numbers of staff or customers.

Businesses are encouraged to check they are still able to safely evacuate everybody; and ensure the fire assembly point is still workable with social distancing in mind.

Other considerations include:

• The amount of rubbish being generated, and ensuring it is properly disposed of to reduce the risk of arson.
• Ensuring means of escape are adequate for the number of people in the building and their needs; and kept clear of obstructions.
• Making sure new members of staff are properly trained, including any additional training needs that arise from the latest fire risk assessment.
• Checking the fire warning system and emergency lighting work correctly, and whether they have been tested whilst the building has been closed.
• Employees should be reminded not to prop open fire doors. Minimising contact with door handles may be at the forefront of people’s minds, but they must not use wedges or extinguishers to hold open fire doors.

Businesses can contact Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service by:

Email: fire.service@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Phone: 01865 895999.

Further advice is also available from Oxfordshire County Council’s website here.

Also read here New approach to Business Fire Safety Week delivers for Oxfordshire takeaways.

Malicious email attachments, false government grant phone calls and CEO impersonation scams are among a raft of scams undermining businesses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oxfordshire County Council is supporting Businesses Against Scams – an initiative from National Trading Standards; with a free online training tool to protect businesses, employees and customers from costly scams.

With remote working and many businesses having to stop or diversify their trading practices, criminals are seizing the opportunity to target employees who are isolated from colleagues. Scams include criminals impersonating government officials or a senior member of the business in order to put pressure on employees to give out sensitive information or make payments.

Criminals will also try and gain access to businesses devices and networks, and everything stored on them. They can do this by:

• Sending emails with malicious attachments;
• Exploiting vulnerabilities in operating systems if they are not up-to-date;
• Trying to get you to click links or visit malicious websites.

Once they have access to a device and to data, they may try to steal that data or extract money by getting businesses to pay a ransom.

At a time when Oxfordshire businesses are already facing challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, the proliferation of related scams are adding further strain. This includes scams directly targeting businesses – such as tax refund frauds – which can lead to significant financial losses for businesses.

Scams targeting customers also undermine businesses, causing reputational damage and potential loss of custom. The emotional and mental impact on employees and business owners who have fallen victim to a scam can also be devastating and long-lasting.

The increased risk for businesses has led National Trading Standards to encourage more businesses to join Businesses Against Scams. The initiative provides free tools for businesses to help upskill and train their workforce, through free online training modules that will help staff identify and prevent potential scams. Businesses can take the training and sign up at: www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk/BAS.

Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for Community Safety, said:

“Criminals will use every opportunity to defraud, and they don’t care ‘one iota’ about the devastation it can cause to businesses or residents.

“We want everyone in Oxfordshire to be vigilant. That’s why we are supporting Businesses Against Scams as a free tool for organisations to help them to protect their business, their staff and their customers.

“Businesses in Oxfordshire must be vigilant against scams and fraud.”

Four common scams targeting businesses

Government grant/tax refund scams – A business is contacted by phone, email or post by government imposters suggesting the business might qualify for a special COVID-19 government grant or a tax refund. Variations on the scheme involve contacts through text messages, social media posts and messages.

Businesses should be cautious about unexpected urgent communications offering financial assistance. Check that the information is genuine by using official government websites.

Invoice/mandate scams – A business may be contacted out of the blue by someone claiming to be from a regular supplier. They state that their bank account details have changed and will ask you to change the payment details.

Never rush a payment. Use contact details that you have used before to check that it is genuine.

CEO impersonation scams - A sophisticated scam that plays on the authority of company directors and senior managers. An employee receives a phone call or email from someone claiming to be a senior member of staff – they ask for an urgent payment to a new account and instil a sense of panic. Scammers may even hack a staff email account or use spoofing software to appear genuine.

Be cautious about unexpected urgent requests for payment and always check the request in person if possible.

Tech support scams – With more people working remotely and IT systems under pressure, criminals may impersonate well-known companies and offer to repair devices. Criminals are trying to gain computer access or get hold of passwords and login details. Once they have access, criminals can search the hard drive for valuable information.

Always be suspicious of cold callers. Genuine companies would never call out of the blue and ask for financial information.

Report it

If a business believes they have been the victim of a scam they must contact their bank immediately and report any suspicious activity to Action Fraud www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

Businesses Against Scams is a new element of the successful Friends Against Scams initiative, run by National Trading Standards to provide free online training to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk/

Jobs completed

The team is making good progress on a range of tasks on the Harwell Link Road project.

All the tree removal is now completed and work on surface water drainage is now into the second week, with another week left to go. Work to move the BT cables and equipment on the A417 is also now complete.

Things ongoing

Work has started early and is progressing well with the importing of “stone fill” at the B4493. The team are progressing northwards along the link road where there needs to be a large quantity of filling in done (as much as 4m) to bring the new road up to the level of the existing road.

The results of the Oxfordshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) published in 2014 established the overall housing need for each district planning area. The councils in Oxfordshire generally agree that Oxford City is not able to fully accommodate its need within its boundaries. Government requires neighbouring areas to cooperate in such circumstances and an agreement was reached that assistance would be needed from other districts in Oxfordshire to meet Oxford’s unmet need. Senior officers for all of Oxfordshire’s councils set up a programme of work to address this issue.

The Oxfordshire Growth Board will meet to agree a proposed apportionment of 15,000 homes but will not make decisions on where in each district housing growth will go. Each Local Planning Authority has the responsibility of doing this in their Local Plans. The Growth Board will consider a body of jointly produced work with a view to reaching a cooperative agreement on how Oxford’s unmet housing need should be distributed across the county. This work has involved consideration of the level of unmet housing need, the sustainability of broad growth options, a study of the Green Belt, transport and infrastructure issues.

The report to be presented on Sept 26 recommends that the Growth Board:

• approve the apportionment of the agreed working figure for the unmet housing need for Oxford

• approve a Memorandum of Co-operation setting out the apportionment and timetable for delivery of the unmet housing need for Oxford

• formally recommend the approved apportionment to each of the Oxfordshire Local Planning Authorities for consideration in the preparation of their Local Plans, in the interest of meeting the objectively assessed housing needs for Oxfordshire.

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council and Chair of the Oxfordshire Growth Board, said:

“It is a well-known fact that housing is a major issue in Oxfordshire, with no easy answers, so it’s important that we all work together to consider the housing needs of the county in the context of economic growth.

“The Oxfordshire Growth Board enables local government and representatives from education, transport and local business to focus on resolving county-wide issues such as housing in a co-ordinated and sustainable way.

“It is welcome news that the Oxfordshire Growth Board now has a comprehensive, county-wide evidence base which is needed to consider a fair and sustainable way to share Oxford’s housing needs beyond the Oxford boundary.”

Notes to editors

Item 15 of ‘Oxfordshire Growth Board Post SHMA Strategic Work Programme’ report

The recommended apportionment is as follows:

The Oxfordshire Growth Board is a joint committee of the six councils of Oxfordshire, set up to facilitate and enable joint working on economic development, strategic planning and growth. It does this by:

• advising on matters of collective interest, to seek agreement on local priorities and influence relevant local, regional and national bodies

• overseeing the delivery of projects that the councils of Oxfordshire are seeking to deliver collaboratively in the fields of economic development and strategic planning and those agreed in the City Deal and Local Growth Deals that fall to the councils, working collaboratively, to deliver and has an overall responsibility to manage these programmes of work alongside the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP).

The meetings are administered and hosted on a rota basis and currently Oxfordshire County Council is the hosting authority.

The Oxfordshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) was commissioned jointly by all the Oxfordshire district councils supported by Oxfordshire County Council and published in 2014. It was a technical study intended to help the Oxfordshire local planning authorities understand how many homes will be needed in the period 2011 – 2031. It also considers the housing needs of specific groups such as older people, minority groups and people with disabilities and what housing growth will be needed to support the economy.

Oxfordshire County Councillor, Nick Carter, said: “With Oxfordshire firmly over the 90 per cent superfast coverage target, it is good news the programme is now reaching even more premises, as is happening today in Ashbury. This important phase of delivery is extending fibre broadband coverage into the most rural parts of the county and we look forward to reaching over 95 per cent of households and businesses across Oxfordshire by the end of next year.”

Visitors to benefit as well as households and businesses

The arrival of faster fibre broadband was welcomed by Neil Hislop, co-owner of the Rose and Crown Inn, Ashbury who said: “Customers nowadays expect to be able to get online when out and about, and it’s great news we can now offer that to people in our pub, restaurant or staying at the Inn. All of our customers will be able to benefit and use apps like Facebook, Skype and media streaming services. But in particular, we think it’ll really benefit our business visitors who are working away from home. Not only will it allow them to work in their rooms or around the Inn during their stay, but it’ll also make it far easier for them to stay in touch with family and friends, which is obviously very important.”

Paul Bimson, BT’s regional partnership director, said: “Whether it’s families wanting to connect more than one device to the internet at the same time, or people working from home – everything is easier, better and faster with fibre broadband, which is why it’s so important that our roll-out is reaching some of the most remote parts of Oxfordshire.”

“When combined with BT’s own investment, the total number of premises in Oxfordshire able to access fibre broadband is more than 275,000.”

As the Openreach network is open to all communications providers, local households opting for an upgrade will be able to order fibre broadband with download speeds of up to 80Mbps and uploads of up to 20Mbps* from a wide range of service providers.

Residents and businesses can follow the progress of the roll-out via the project website: www.betterbroadbandoxfordshire.org.uk

Notes to Editors

Pictures were taken by Andrew Walmsley L-R: Cllr Nick Carter (Oxfordshire County Council), Cllr Matthew Barber (Leader of the Vale District Council) and Paul Bimson (BT’s regional partnership director). The fibre optic broadband roll-out, which is part of the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme, is led by Oxfordshire County Council and BT.

* These are the top wholesale speeds available from Openreach to all service providers; speeds offered by service providers may vary.

About Better Broadband for Oxfordshire

Better Broadband for Oxfordshire is a partnership between Oxfordshire County Council, BT and BDUK.

The first phase of the programme was comprised of £25 million of funding: £10m from Oxfordshire County Council, £4m from the Government (Broadband Delivery UK) and £11m from BT. Engineering work on this phase began in August 2013 with the first homes and businesses going live in December 2013.

Further funding of £5.1 million to roll out fibre broadband was announced in February 2015 and work began earlier this year. Funding was made up of £1 million from South Oxfordshire District Council, £500,000 from Cherwell District Council, £250,000 from the Vale of the White Horse District Council, £200,000 from Oxfordshire County Council, £1.2m from BT, and a further £1.95m from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Superfast Extension Programme (SEP).

Additional funding of £5.58 million was announced in November 2015. This will increase the percentage of county homes and businesses able to get superfast fibre broadband to more than 95 per cent when combined with earlier phases of the Better Broadband for Oxfordshire programme and the private sector’s commercial roll-out of the technology. This funding comprises: £2 million from the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP); £120,000 from the South East Midlands LEP and Cherwell District Council; £168,000 from Oxford City Council; £2.2 million from the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme and £1.1 million from BT. When combined the additional funding adds a further 12,000 premises to the programme.

Better Broadband for Oxfordshire has now completed its planned work in West Oxfordshire. Further roll-out is being carried out here by Cotswold Broadband, which is separate from Better Broadband for Oxfordshire.