Businesses, partners and parliamentarians came together alongside Oxfordshire County Council and Advanced Oxford to celebrate the county’s life sciences sector at a high profile event in Parliament earlier this month (18 May).

The event, hosted by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford, showcased the work of Oxfordshire organisations to improve lives, strengthen the economy and reinforce the UK’s position as a global leader in life sciences.

It also gave businesses a platform to engage directly with national policymakers on the opportunities for growth and the challenges facing the sector, including skills and investment.

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Oxfordshire is one of the UK’s leading centres for life sciences innovation, with world class research being translated into real improvements in people’s lives.

“This showcase highlighted both the scale of opportunity in our county and the importance of continuing to invest in skills, infrastructure and partnerships to support future growth.

“By bringing businesses and policymakers together in Parliament, we are helping to ensure Oxfordshire continues to play a vital role in driving innovation and better outcomes for communities across the UK.”

Speakers from Immunocore, Perspectum and Pictura Bio spoke about their innovative approaches to healthcare and the unique growth potential of Oxfordshire’s innovation economy. They also highlighted challenges facing the sector, including attracting and retaining talent and the need for investment and capital.

Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford, who hosted the event, said: “It was a pleasure to host the Oxfordshire Life Sciences Innovation Showcase and to welcome a range of dynamic and ambitious life sciences organisations to Parliament.

“What distinguishes Oxfordshire is not just the excellence of its science, but also the consistency with which that science is translated into companies, products, and into patient and social benefit. And this innovation is taking place right across Oxfordshire within a deeply connected ecosystem where research, infrastructure, and enterprise all reinforce one another. This county-wide connection is what makes Oxfordshire such a great place to invest in.

“Oxfordshire innovation has had a global impact, from the roll out of the R-21 malaria vaccine across Africa, to advances in cell and gene therapies and digital health. In addition, growth in Oxfordshire contributes directly to growth in the UK, with investment collaboration flowing into other regions and supporting a more connected national innovation economy.

“Events like these matter because they showcase that innovation in action, and this showcase was about connection – discovery connecting with delivery, innovation connecting with investment, regional strength connecting with national ambition.”

Sarah Haywood, Managing Director of Advanced Oxford, said: “It is important for the region to communicate its strengths and the role in plays within the UK and global innovation economy.

“When we hear about the amazing work that our companies are undertaking, as highlighted by our speakers and the other companies in the room, we see the difference they are making. This includes new treatments for cancer and the delivery of a Community Diagnostics Centre by Perspectum, which redesigning diagnostic pathways for patients in Oxfordshire, while increasing capacity and reducing waiting times for diagnosis.”

“Despite the exciting work in our life sciences sector, we know there are challenges and barriers to growth that we must address. Our series of parliamentary receptions has given us an opportunity to take these issues directly to Westminster.

“We will only see the growth of these companies if we also address the skills challenges we are facing. We need to strike a balance between growing skills locally and creating a welcoming environment that attracts and retains talent from around the world.”

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Oxfordshire has globally renowned strengths in innovation, life sciences, clean energy, AI and quantum computing, and advanced manufacturing and is continuing to build on these.

Cllr Liz Leffman, the leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “The Modern Industrial Strategy is a huge vote of confidence in Oxfordshire. The groundbreaking research and development taking place here – from new medical breakthroughs to advancements in sustainable energy and autonomous systems – directly fuels economic growth, creates high-value jobs, and drives productivity far beyond our county boundaries.

“Our innovation spills over, inspiring and empowering other regions of the UK to develop their own capabilities and contribute to the nation's collective prosperity.

“We firmly believe Oxfordshire has the potential not only to deliver current expectations of growth but to plot an ambitious path forward to exceed this and deliver faster – particularly working with partners across the Thames Valley and the Ox-Cam Corridor.

“A key enabler of performance in the county is continued development of transport and energy infrastructure, noting our rural character and the importance of connecting our communities in a green and equitable way. We look forward to working with the government on how we can build on East West Rail and secure the further investment needed to make this collective opportunity a reality.

"Oxfordshire is a powerhouse of innovation, and we are ready to play a leading role in the UK's Modern Industrial Strategy. To truly unlock our potential, this strategy must be underpinned by a clear commitment to sustainable investment in our infrastructure, particularly transport and housing, and a relentless focus on developing the skills pipeline necessary for the industries of tomorrow.

“We must ensure that our world-leading research and innovative businesses can thrive, while also creating opportunities and a better quality of life for all our residents."

Jeremy Long, Co-Chair of the Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Partnership: "While Oxfordshire is a highly productive region, we also face significant challenges around inequality. The Modern Industrial Strategy presents a vital opportunity to embed inclusive growth at its core. We must ensure that as our economy flourishes, the benefits are widely distributed, addressing issues of deprivation and creating genuine opportunities for everyone in our county, regardless of their background. Our partnership is committed to working to translate national ambition into local action that genuinely improves local lives."

Alex Betts, Pro-Vice Chancellor at the University of Oxford said, “Oxford welcomes the Modern Industrial Strategy’s focus on UK strengths. As a cornerstone of Britain’s innovation landscape, our research in AI, quantum and life sciences is fuelling growth and delivering global impact.

“Innovation is international by nature, and Oxfordshire’s ability to attract talent and investment is key. We remain committed to developing expertise, discoveries and spinouts that keep our region at the forefront of UK and global innovation.”

Oxfordshire County Council looks forward to working closely with the Oxford Growth Commission, Ox-Cam Corridor, and the Government to identify further interventions necessary to maximise the impact of the Modern Industrial Strategy, ensuring that Oxfordshire continues to be a driving force for innovation and a significant net contributor to the UK economy.

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has unveiled plans for an Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor that it is reported will boost the UK economy by up to £78 billion by 2035. Lord Patrick Vallance is to be appointed as Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor Champion

Cllr Liz Leffman, the leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: We particularly welcome the investment in East-West Rail, which is so important for connectivity across the Oxford to Cambridge corridor. As is well known our ambition at the county council is to see greater investment in our rail infrastructure locally and regionally to boost connectivity and productivity. But we also need urgent action to fix our crumbling water and sewage system, and improve the electricity grid, if the region is to flourish.

“We look forward to working with Lord Patrick Vallance in his new role, alongside our partners in Oxfordshire and neighbouring areas, to enable our county and the wider region to reach its full potential.  

“One aspect of the announcement which will cause concern locally is the mention of a new reservoir near Steventon. We know that this is opposed by the majority of local people and has been questioned and scrutinised at many levels over a long period of time.”

The monthly event, next taking place on 17 October from 6pm, provides a free opportunity for individuals to connect with fellow entrepreneurs, share knowledge, experience and ideas, and grow their businesses.

The sessions are organised by the council’s Business and Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) and each event includes one or two business presentations, a question and answer period, and ample networking time.

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community & Corporate Services, said: “What our award-winning BIPC has achieved in such a short period of time has been astounding. Over 1,500 people have already been supported with their start-ups and their ideas, and the startup huddle is just one of a range of ways that people can benefit.

“Many of the services offered are free of charge, including this one. By providing free resources and support, we can help people in Oxfordshire turn their dreams into reality and help their businesses thrive.”

Located in the Oxford Central Library at Westgate, the centre provides a range of services, resources and activities for start-ups. Individuals can benefit from one-on-one support or attend workshops designed to help develop their business ideas.

Its success was recognised by the national Libraries Connected Awards back in June 2023, winning the children’s award for its work engaging hundreds of new youth participants aged eight to 25 in enterprising activities.

The centre is part of the British Library's National Network of Business & Intellectual Property Centres, which aim to transform the way ideas grow into successful businesses.

For more information on the BIPC, visit the centre on the second floor of Oxfordshire County Library or go online at oxfordshire.gov.uk/bipc.

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Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, has written a formal letter to Simon Clarke, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, to explain why it was thought this was not the right move for Oxfordshire.

She said: “We have thanked the government for inviting Oxfordshire to bid for investment zone status. We have decided not to progress this opportunity. Oxfordshire continues to support many very exciting business developments, particularly in the areas of science and technology, so in writing a letter to government I wanted to explain the logic behind why we feel that applying for an investment zone does not fit with our ambitions.

 “We consider that the de-regularisation of planning controls and reductions in environmental protection, which appear to be a condition of any investment zone, are incompatible with our net zero carbon aspirations and our commitment to protect and enhance biodiversity and environmental quality, as stated in our vision.

“Oxfordshire already has a successful and growing local economy built on the strengths of its world leading universities, science and technology base and locational advantages. We continue to support the creation of a high skill, high wage economy, which contributes significantly to the competitiveness of the UK, and we are proud that many of the UK’s leading research and innovation institutions are located here. We do not believe that an investment zone is needed to enhance this.

“Investment zones are better suited to large urban areas with substantial brown-field sites or former industrial areas, which are seeking much needed investment. We are very supportive of the intention to distribute economic advantage across the country and we will be happy to play whatever part we can in advancing this.

“In our letter to the secretary of state, we reiterate our call on government to provide support for infrastructure to support housebuilding. We remain committed to enabling the high levels of housebuilding that have been committed to within existing local plans, and as part of the government’s growth deal, to support our high performing economy. To do this, we need to focus on infrastructure, particularly promoting active travel and public transport and high environmental standards, which will contribute to the nation’s net zero carbon targets and protect the environment that we all rely on to survive.

“Any support government is able to provide to help us achieve balanced communities, with good infrastructure and decent environmental standards, would be welcome.”

A new plan aims to enhance the infrastructure, environment and new developments in the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. It will be developed by government, informed by engagement with local communities and stakeholders, and will have sustainability at its core.

This public consultation is the first of three that will guide a new Spatial Framework over the next two years, and a digital platform has been created that will make it quick and accessible for people who live, work, and have an interest in the area to make their voices heard.

Comments received in the consultation will help create the Spatial Framework’s vision for the area to 2050, and will help guide local planning and investment decisions in four areas; the environment; the economy; connectivity and infrastructure; and place-making. Visit this link.

The consultation is also seeking views on the work the Government has done to set the scope of the Sustainability Appraisal.

The government has additionally today announced a new expert panel to advise on sustainable economic and housing growth in the Arc. The panel will be chaired by leading development and regeneration expert Emma Cariaga and will advise the government on issues ranging from design and sustainability to delivery and investment models.

The panel’s primary area of focus is between Bedford and Cambridge, where the government is examining opportunities to bring forward well-designed, inclusive and sustainable places.

Other members will consist of industry leaders, local representatives and subject area experts from a range of disciplines, who will work with local government and other partners to inform the panel’s advice. The full panel will be confirmed in due course. Further details can be found here.

Housing Minister Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP, said: “Today is a big step forward for the OxCam Arc as we have launched an innovative digital consultation with the public, including those that live and work in the Arc, so that everyone has a chance to have their say.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for people across the arc to make their voice heard and help create the future for their community that they want to see. Both the Spatial Framework consultation and Expert Advisory Panel will help us to ensure the Oxford-Cambridge Arc to be a great place to live and work – now and in the decades to come."

Transport Minister Chris Heaton-Harris, said: “The East West Rail project plays an important role in enabling connectivity within the OxCam Arc and will help us build back better from COVID-19.

“We’ve committed £760m to the first phase of EWR which will support improved access to jobs and other opportunities in the area as well as boosting economic growth in the region more widely.”

Cllr Barry Wood, Leader of Cherwell District Council and Chair of the Arc leadership groups, said: “The bold economic and sustainability ambitions we have set out for our region need to be matched by well-planned, long-term and coordinated investment into our towns, cities and rural areas. Inclusive growth, with high environmental standards so that all our residents can benefit, remains at the heart of what we seek to achieve.

“By progressing the Arc Spatial Framework, government will look at how and where we need to connect and build new infrastructure, whilst enhancing our environment to deliver the sustainable growth that our region is capable of. To start, we must shape a shared vision for the type of growth we want to see.

“This is why it’s so important for every single resident to be able to have their say directly to government on what matters most to them. How we create opportunities for people to prosper, today and in the future, is an important matter for everyone.”

Dr Barbara Ghinelli, Director, Harwell Campus Development and High-Tech Clusters, UKRI-STFC, said: “The Oxford-Cambridge Arc has a unique combination of world-class scientific, technical and knowledge capabilities that can drive forward the economy, improve quality of life and benefit all the residents of the United Kingdom.

“These capabilities are crucial for attracting talent to further science and technology excellence across a number of business sectors and therefore making the UK highly competitive on a global scale. It is important that we do not squander the opportunities thus created, and that means fashioning an environment in the region where people can thrive, be engaged and deliver their best.”

Clare Walton, Chief Executive, Community Action: MK, said: “The success of the Oxford to Cambridge Arc will be measured by the experience of the communities who live there. The key to creating inclusive and sustainable communities will be partnership working and investment in community support.

“This is an exciting opportunity for the government to think differently about how large-scale housing developments can design out inequalities. The Arc offers great potential to innovate and embrace science and technology, but our collective prosperity must be paramount. We must create opportunities for all people regardless of income, gender, race, disability, age, and this requires commitment to social infrastructure. Enabling the Voluntary and Community Sector to thrive in these new communities will help create vibrant sustainable places that people feel invested in and a part of.”

Emma Cariaga, Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel, said: “I am delighted to be chairing the new panel exploring opportunities for sustainable economic and housing growth in the arc. The past eighteen months have highlighted the importance of the quality of the places in which we live, work and enjoy ourselves. So it is great to see those opportunities to bring forward well-planned places that make the most of existing, proposed and emerging infrastructure are being properly considered.

“As a panel, we will explore a range of subjects – including design, finance models and sustainability – that will be vital for these places to get right if they are to serve present and future communities. I look forward to getting started.”

“This regional success will build on the work of the government that has helped millions of people continue to provide for their families as part of its Plan for Jobs to protect, support and create employment.”

The Oxford-Cambridge (OxCam) Arc is the name given to the area identified by government as a key economic priority with the potential to be one of the most prosperous, innovative and sustainable economic areas in the world. It is made up of the five ceremonial counties of Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

The consultation document just published, Creating a vision for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, is the first of three planned public consultations on the Spatial Framework. Alongside this, the government has published the Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report for consultation.

The Sustainability Appraisal (SA) will inform development of the Spatial Framework and ensure that sustainability is at its heart. The consultation will be supported by a new and innovative digital engagement platform designed to give a voice to the wider community, as well as traditional engagement methods such as workshops.

Feedback from this consultation will help to create the Spatial Framework’s vision for the arc to 2050. Using the vision as a foundation, the next document "Towards a Spatial Framework" is planned to be published for consultation in spring 2022, focussing on options for delivering the Spatial Framework’s objectives based on feedback from engagement, initial evidence gathering and analysis.

The government then hope to publish a draft Spatial Framework for consultation in autumn 2022, with implementation of the final framework shortly after. The public will be consulted with at each of these stages and government will continue to work closely with local stakeholders throughout.

With the right interventions and investment, local economic forecasts suggest that by 2050 we would see economic output in the arc doubling to over £200bn. The arc’s success is key to Britain’s national prosperity, international competitiveness, and ability to meet the challenges and opportunities we will face as a country over the next century, including climate change and supporting nature recovery, technological change, fighting COVID-19 and preventing future pandemics.

The OxCam Arc offers a significant opportunity for the government and partners to work together to support the harmonious delivery of improved connectivity, productivity and place-making, whilst ensuring pioneering environmental standards and enhancements are delivered and the government’s 25 Year Environment Plan is put into action.

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The Oxfordshire Strategic Vision for Long Term Sustainable Development is a landmark document for Oxfordshire led by the Oxfordshire Growth Board and being voted on this spring by its constituent members including the county and district councils.

Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet approved the vision with some amendments at its meeting on Tuesday, April 20. The document sets out specifically the concept of “good growth” based on enhanced social, environmental and economic wellbeing. This means that by 2050 amongst other goals that Oxfordshire will:

• Be healthy and inclusive, with all development addressing inequalities and contributing positively to the overall health and wellbeing of Oxfordshire's communities, environment and economy.

• Support diverse, accessible employment, generating a highly productive and inclusive economy based on our world-class research, innovation and technology.

• Build resilience to change, with growth planned in ways that: build on strengths and assets to support communities during periods of change; support economic diversity and can accommodate changes in technology; recognise changes in the way that people live and work and changing demographics; and respond to worldwide impacts, particularly from climate and economic changes.

These goals will form the basis of county council-specific plans for growth including the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP), the Oxfordshire Infrastructure Strategy (OXIS) and the future Nature Recovery Network Strategy.

In addition, the vision includes working towards a County target of 2040 for net zero carbon. This emphasises a shared commitment for county-wide net zero target of 2040 in alignment with district councils within 10 years of our own Carbon Reduction Framework target of 2050.

As a partner of the Oxfordshire Growth Board, the county council has been part of the commissioning and development of a new Oxfordshire Strategic Vision for Long-Term Sustainable Development. The Growth Board published a draft Vision document for engagement in November which was considered by Cabinet on 15 December.

The Strategic Vision was endorsed by the Oxfordshire Growth Board in March. The vision is being considered for endorsement by all local authorities in Oxfordshire this spring.. This will then allow the Vision to play its appropriate role in helping shape the next stage of the Oxfordshire Plan for 2050.

Thanks to consultation responses from residents and organisations in January and February, final scheme designs have been agreed by the county council and are now set to be implemented.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “I’d like to thank all those that contributed their views in the consultations on the schemes for Bicester and Witney. The consultations have helped us to design schemes that are right for the towns and that make a lasting difference in the council’s goals of increasing journeys made by cycling and walking.”

“Active travel and climate action are at the heart of our plans. We have put forward schemes that will have the greatest impact in terms of air quality, physical activity and environmental benefit. Both schemes are projects which go to the heart of supporting healthy and vibrant communities.”

Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We are delighted to learn that work is set to begin on this scheme, benefitting both businesses and residents alike, as well as supporting a shift towards cleaner travel. As the Local Enterprise Partnership for Oxfordshire, we continue to play a vitally important role moving forward, securing investment that enables and unlocks new opportunities for our many businesses and communities right across the county.”

The work has been delivered at pace thanks to funding of £1.4 million secured by the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) from the Government’s Local Growth Fund.

In Witney, an enhanced cycling and walking connection between Tower Hill and Madley Park will be created, incorporating the town centre, shops, schools and businesses. Following consultation feedback, Holloway Road will remain open and the proposed bus lane on Corn Street has been deferred to be considered within the Witney transport strategy review.

The work in Bicester incorporates the eastern end of Middleton Stoney Road. This scheme will boost cycling and walking from the expanding south and west of Bicester and provide connectivity into the town centre through Oxford Road/Kings End and Causeway, as well as an off-road route through Piggy Lane. A decision on Causeway has been deferred until the detailed designs have been prepared and discussed with stakeholders.

Shared paths will be widened in both towns to three metres wherever possible to create a safer environment to cycle and walk.

Work on both schemes is set to be completed in May, offering residents a great chance to enjoy more active travel journeys from the summer.

The  plan will help to create thousands of jobs, drive investment, protect and enhance the environment, and provide the infrastructure and beautiful new places needed to make the area – which spans the five counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire – an even greater place to live and work.

Read more about this announcement from the Government.

Oxfordshire County Council will begin the main phase of work along the A40 from 11 February on a short section of the road just to the west of the Wolvercote roundabout. The upgrade is scheduled for completion in late 2021.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment said: “This work will help deliver real and positive impacts on the lives of local people. These improvements will mean residents can look forward to riding on faster buses and better cycling and walking facilities. This, combined with the Housing Infrastructure Fund 2 (HIF 2) scheme for the A40 to Witney, will offer people a rapid means of travel along the road with the combined benefits of cleaner air, active travel and reduced congestion.”

The work is part of a multi-million pound investment into Oxfordshire’s infrastructure, including plans to improve the A40 with upgraded cycle and bus infrastructure as part of the county’s vision for improved active travel and public transport routes.

This stage will include full widening of the road to offer improved cycle/footpaths as well as a bus-only eastbound lane. This phase of work will also include the building of a small, temporary compound alongside the A40.

Signs will divert cyclists and pedestrians from one side of the A40 to the other at various stages via a temporary crossing to the west of the work area and the existing crossing at the Wolvercote roundabout. A suitable alternative route will therefore be available throughout the work.

Both lanes of the A40 will be kept open for most of the work but there will be traffic flow reduction with lane widths. Some night work is planned for this stage, but traffic access will continue, controlled by temporary traffic lights. There will also be a speed limit of 40mph in force.

The work has been designed to keep the area open to business as usual as far as possible.

The work is supported by the government’s Local Growth Fund, which has seen the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) – working alongside Oxfordshire County Council – secure £8.4 million of funding for the project.

This, and other significant investments into Oxfordshire’s infrastructure over the coming years, will not only help with transport connectivity and a shift to greener forms of transport but will also have a positive impact on the local economy and jobs.

The proposals for the scheme in Bicester result from an investment by the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) with a focus on increasing cycle journeys.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment said: “This is great news for the growing town of Bicester. The funding from OxLEP recognises the ambition of our active travel plans and enables us to build on our existing commitment to accelerate our bold plans for transforming how people travel and how communities are connected. As Bicester grows, it is vital that this growth is made sustainably so we minimise emissions and car journeys and help the growth be geared to connected and healthy, active communities.”

“Active travel and climate action are at the heart of our plans. We have put forward schemes which will have the greatest impact in terms of air quality, physical activity and environmental benefit. This scheme and that for Witney are projects which go to the heart of supporting healthy and vibrant communities.”

Councillor Lynn Pratt, Cherwell District Council’s Lead Member for Economy, Regeneration and Property, said: “Improving the cycling infrastructure in Bicester is a key part of the Garden Town project, bringing real benefits to residents. By encouraging people out of their cars and onto two wheels, we will not only see improvements to air quality but also support a healthier lifestyle for those choosing to cycle. The greater connectivity will make it even easier for new residents to the south-west of Bicester to get into town, giving the high street shops a welcome boost.”

Nigel Tipple – Chief Executive of OxLEP said: “As the Local Enterprise Partnership for Oxfordshire, we continue to play a vitally important role moving forward, securing investment that enables and unlocks new opportunities for our many businesses and communities right across the county. “We would encourage residents and businesses in Bicester to take part in this upcoming process, as this new cycle scheme continues to evolve.”

The Bicester Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan sets out an ambitious target of doubling sustainable transport, at a minimum, from around 15,000 to 30,000 trips a day within the town.

This means a daily increase from around 3,000 to 9,000 bike trips a day and 18,000 to 24,000 walking journeys a day. It is based on the development and delivery of a comprehensive network of cycle routes across the town by 2031, in tandem with development allocated within the local plan.

A detailed household survey showed that in Bicester, 50 per cent of local car trips were easily replaced by cycling and 25 per cent of car trips by walking.

This proposed scheme incorporates the eastern end of Middleton Stoney Road. This corridor scheme will capture flows from the expanding south and west of Bicester and provide connectivity into the town centre through the central corridor (Oxford Road/Kings End) and Causeway.

The scheme will be complemented by off-road pedestrian and cycle facilities and reduced traffic speeds, creating a safe and attractive environment for those who might have previously driven or taken the bus into town.

The work will be done using an experimental traffic regulation order, which will last for a period of six months. The consultation webpage will be open for the whole six months after implementation for people to offer their views.

The county council is seeking the opinions of residents, visitors and local businesses before the scheme is implemented. The council is running this pre-statutory consultation survey to understand resident expectations and concerns so the output from the consultation will be carefully examined as the scheme progresses to the next stage.

The consultation opens on 21 January and closes at 23.59 on 11 February.

You can learn more about the plans for the scheme in Bicester and examine some frequently asked questions and take part in the consultation on the county council’s website.

The Arc is already home to nearly four million people and two million jobs which together generate over £111bn of economic output each year. Based upon determined leadership and new financial backing, forecasts show that increased productivity resulting from intensifying the Arc’s global strengths in science, technology and high value manufacturing, could double the area’s economic output to over £200bn by 2050.

Cllr Barry Wood, Chair of the Arc Leaders Group and Leader of Cherwell District Council, said: “The Arc region has a critical mass of research, high-technology expertise and innovation assets found nowhere else in the UK. Yet we are at a pivotal time, during which our nation’s economic resilience is being tested far beyond anything we’ve seen before. Working with Government we can release the potential of the Arc’s key sectors, scientific community and entrepreneurial spirit to propel our country’s response to the major national and global challenges we face.”

The prospectus asks for commitment from Government to long term investment in the area, enabling the Arc to fulfil its true potential to deliver transformational economic growth that will benefit the whole of the UK. That investment will be crucial to tackle connectivity and congestion constraints and to provide the skills that industry requires to enable the Arc to pursue its role as a leading global innovation region.

Jeremy Long, Chair of the Arc Local Enterprise Partnerships Group and Chair of OxLEP, said: “Our vision is for the Arc to be a global hub for innovation, and home to exemplary models of green development that will inspire communities around the world. The Arc’s place is at the forefront of the UK’s green recovery and this will be made possible through bold leadership that focuses on the big opportunities. The Arc’s world-leading innovation across multiple sectors can deliver prosperity for the UK. We now need the commitment from Government and international investors to make the ambition a reality.”

The Arc will pursue innovation-led growth to help solve major, urgent environmental, health and social challenges, and at the same time, drive UK competitiveness and local prosperity. The Arc’s vision specifically sets out a plan to make the UK a world-leader in new technology and industries in zero-carbon aviation, space, life sciences, future mobility and energy.

Professor Sir Peter Gregson, Chair of the Arc Universities Group, said: “With investment, we can better connect and realise the potential of our world-class assets and the know-how created by our area’s people, businesses and institutions. We aim to be a testbed for new ways of living and working including by demonstrating net zero carbon and environmental net gain are achievable and economically beneficial. This connection will unlock the potential across our sector strengths to propel the Arc and the UK into an era of global growth at the vanguard of innovation.”

Cllr Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council, said: ''The cities of Oxford, Cambridge and Milton Keynes are all dynamic drivers of growth within the Arc and are known around the globe. They have a key role to play in its success. We want to make sure that Oxford plays its part in the economic recovery. We have the expertise, the innovation and the research and we must ensure that our residents are able to benefit from the huge economic opportunities to be gained from working with our local authority and other partners across the geography of the ARC.

“The economic prospectus sets out the huge concentration of economic assets across the ARC and makes a compelling case for investment. We believe that the ARC is leading the way in innovation that can support clean and inclusive growth.

“Many of our aspirations are long term, but there are some critical infrastructure investments that are urgent if we are to make full use of the potential of Oxford and other areas. For Oxfordshire and beyond, this includes confirmation of investment in Oxford City station, to increase capacity in support of east-west rail, and to open up economic development opportunities in several surrounding market towns. It will also allow development sites that will support the opportunity for all areas to level up and to ensure no communities are left behind. We need to deliver more homes to meet local demand, and help ensure that our economic growth is greener and that Oxford continues to be a dynamic place with an excellent quality of life.”

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “This is a very significant moment. The development of the Oxford to Cambridge Arc is a real key to unlocking economic growth that will bring jobs and prosperity to all of the people who live in the areas around and between these two famous university cities. That would be important at any time but as we emerge and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic it will be particularly crucial. I look forward to seeing these plans come to life in future months and years along with the associated benefits for our towns, cities, villages and rural areas.”

Cllr Sue Cooper, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “The work taking place now and in the future across the Arc region will have an impact on our lives, whether that’s through transforming how we live and work, by providing us with the means with which to tackle the climate emergency, or by helping us to come up with innovative solutions to address issues such as social inequality. I would encourage people to take a look at the prospectus to find out what it means, not only for those of us living and working here but also in terms of our future nationally and globally.”

Cllr Emily Smith, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “The world leading research and development work that takes place in Oxfordshire and across that Arc region every day will play vital role in our future, from how we address the climate emergency to ensuring that we can respond quickly and effectively to situations such as Covid-19. Local leaders are now asking government for support to provide physical and social infrastructure and to support our world leading businesses and research in a way that ensures everyone living between Science Vale and the Cambridge Science park benefits - whether that is from skills of employment opportunities, quality housing, or the acceleration of sustainable transport.”

Cllr James Mills, Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “The Arc represents an opportunity for our children and future generations to be able to have meaningful, high value jobs and still be able to live in their local communities. There is so much potential and if that is supported properly, then it will change lives, power the UK economy and make us a genuinely global centre for science, technology and innovation.”

Culham Science Centre-based Reaction Engines is one of thousands of innovative Oxfordshire companies that is set to take advantage of the new infrastructure, connectivity, and investment in the Arc. The growing company employs over 200 people who are developing new engines to make space and hypersonic travel more efficient, as well as commercialising thermal management technologies and improving the performance of electric vehicle batteries.

Mark Thomas, CEO of Reaction Engines, said: “We benefit greatly from our location and already collaborate with a number of suppliers and partners across the region and also undertake validation testing and share ideas with the UK Aviation Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship cluster at Cranfield University. By coming together as an Arc we gain a more powerful voice, both with government and with international investors, and it gives us all the opportunity to bring revolutionary green technologies and their supporting supply chains to worldwide attention.”a vision for

ENDS

In October, work will start on the first phase of the Bicester A4095 road realignment scheme. The work, funded by Homes England and the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal, is designed to address expected congestion between Howes Lane (A4095) and Bucknall Road, ensuring road capacity keeps pace with the housing and economic development in and around Bicester.

The new road realignment will also help to support the North West Bicester eco-town development, delivering up to 6000 much needed new homes and related community infrastructure.

The scheme has been helped with £23.5 million of funds from the £150 million Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal the Oxfordshire Growth Board agreed with the Government to accelerate the building of already planned housing that requires infrastructure investment to bring them forward.

The first phase of the work will be a bridge under the railway (a rail underbridge) to accommodate the realigned Howes Lane together with a separate underpass through the railway embankment at Bicester. The underpass will open a new route for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders, eliminating the current obstacle of the railway embankment.

The building of both the underbridge and underpass beneath a live railway, the twin track NAJ2 Marylebone to Aynho line, is a specialist and challenging engineering project. This has been achieved through the close and collaborative working, for over a year, on design and delivery of the scheme by key partners of Oxfordshire County Council including Network Rail, Cherwell District Council, adjoining landowners and utility firm Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.

A brief railway closure over the Easter period of 2021 has been agreed with Network Rail to allow safe insertion of the steel underbridge while minimising disruption to the public.

The work is due for completion by July 2021. Both bridges will deliver the first phase of the A4095 realignment to be followed by the roadworks to complete the scheme; reducing local traffic congestion, improving connectivity and supporting the goal to open the Bicester eco-town and its promise of 6,000 new homes.

Cllr Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment said:

“Investment in better infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians along with real sustainable travel options is a vital part of our growth strategy. New homes are much needed in Oxfordshire but only in locations where they can be built with sustainable supporting infrastructure.

This work along the A4095 will allow Bicester to grow with real active travel options for future residents to enable it to be healthy and sustainable community.”

Cllr Lynn Pratt, lead member for economy, regeneration and property at Cherwell District Council said:

“The realignment of Howes Lane, and associated improvements for walkers and cyclists have only been possible because of extensive collaboration between Cherwell, Oxfordshire County Council, Network Rail, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks and local landowners.

“Delivering this new infrastructure will not only ease congestion in the area but also unlock a vital parcel of land in north west Bicester, enabling the provision of 6,000 homes under the Garden Town scheme.”

The county council is currently spending almost £600,000, through the first part of the government’s emergency active travel fund, in a series of measures to help make journeys easier by bike and on foot and enable people to maintain social distancing. The government requires this money to be allocated to projects in the first four weeks and completed in eight weeks.

Longer term, the county council is now looking at ways to maximise environmental gains with a further £2.4m of government funding, and boosting the uptake of cycling, walking and public transport are at the top of the agenda. Measures being discussed include:

• Three new bus gates in central Oxford to slash city centre congestion, cut air pollution and improve the speed of bus journeys as services recover
• The adoption of school streets (ready for September) to prohibit vehicles around schools at certain times of day to help improve air quality and encourage active travel
• Greater reallocation of road-space for bikes across Oxfordshire
• Further 20mph zones to make journeys safer for those who walk or cycle (Banbury, Bicester & Kidlington, Abingdon, Didcot, Faringdon, Henley, Thame, Wallingford, Wantage and for villages that support them)
• Changes to road junctions to improve safety, especially for those on foot or bike (Banbury & Bicester, Abingdon, Didcot, Faringdon, Henley, Thame, Wallingford and Wantage)
• Electric scooter trials being brought forward from 2021 to this summer as another zero-emission way to travel sustainably

A survey of county councillors was undertaken in May to determine the core priorities for how the active travel funding should be invested to benefit all areas of the county.

Residents are welcome to give feedback on the proposals via the council’s active travel website:

www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/activetravel.

Cllr Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment, said:

“The active travel funding will build on our existing ambitious plans for transforming how people travel and how communities are connected.

“Active travel and climate action is at the heart of our plans, and I’d like to encourage everyone to make their comments about how we can target the funding to achieve cleaner and more sustainable travel for Oxfordshire and help transform our lives for the better.”

The news comes after the Secretary of State for Transport approved Network Rail’s Transport and Works Act Order application, granting permission for work to begin on the next phase of East West Rail.

Work can soon begin on Phase 2 of East-West Rail after central government granted planning powers – which will mean services to Bicester, Oxford Parkway and Oxford double with services running every 15 minutes.

The new route will also help reduce traffic on the A34 as some journeys will become more practical to take the train rather than use the roads.

The Government’s milestone decision means that Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District can now play a key part in the project in terms of putting the required highways and planning consents in place to deliver this key infrastructure work.

This will enable vital work to be undertaken including the removal of the level crossing at Charbridge Lane in Bicester to be replaced by a bridge over the railway. Details of the work involved will be notified in due course and both Oxfordshire County and Cherwell District councils will continue to play their parts in the East West Rail Consortium on the detail of programmed works, to minimise disruption to residents, particularly in the Bicester area.

The first phase between Oxford and Bicester delivered in 2016 enabled new train services between Oxford and London Marylebone via Bicester, with Phase 2 enabling new services to Milton Keynes and Bedford by 2024. A decision on the preferred central section route to enable delivery of the final phase between Bedford and Cambridge was made at the end of January, and it is expected that construction on this section could start by 2025 with trains running by the late 2020s.

Cllr Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment at Oxfordshire County Council said: “Infrastructure development is key to developing the immense potential of England’s Economic Heartland from Oxfordshire, to central England and beyond to East Anglia. The announcement on Phase 2 of the western section is a major milestone towards delivery of the full East West Rail project. It will also play an important role in helping to reduce road congestion along the A34 and other strategic roads.”

Further information:

East West Rail phase 2 is part of the wider East West Rail proposal to connect Cambridge to Oxford.

The Western Section (phase 1), which operates services between Oxford and Bicester was completed in December 2016.

The Western Section (phase 2) proposes to extend services from Oxford to Bedford and Milton Keynes to Aylesbury.

The Central Section (phase 3) will see the full reconnection from Cambridge to Oxford, and the proposal is currently in development.

Alongside Oxfordshire Growth Board partners, the County Council recently completed Stage 1 of the Oxfordshire Rail Connectivity Study. This identifies an opportunity for new services to operate through to Didcot, allowing for direct services between Bicester and Didcot for the first time in history. The council will continue to work in partnership on this with others, including through the East West Rail Consortium and England’s Economic Heartland, the sub-national transport body for the area between Swindon and Cambridge.

Carillion provided services on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council including maintenance of council buildings; property services, and building work such as school extensions.

Members of a county council committee will next week consider the process of assessing costs, liabilities and risks to assure themselves that the review of the county council’s properties is thorough and comprehensive.

Oxfordshire County Council made a net payment of £10.6m at the end of December 2017 to Carillion to cover work already completed as part of the final settlement to end the contract with the company, limiting any future financial liability.

However, the costs of dealing with ongoing construction and property maintenance problems following the Carillion collapse have not yet been calculated but are expected to be “very significant”. Surveys to assess defects in buildings including schools are continuing across the county council’s properties.

Compliance with health and safety requirements is also being considered, with any safety issues that emerge being dealt with quickly. One of the problems that came to light after Carillion collapsed was that records of building assessments were not kept properly. This means that building maintenance requirements are emerging for the first time.

Councillor Nick Carter, chairman of the Audit and Governance Committee, said:

“Like many other public bodies, Oxfordshire is having to pick up the pieces left after the collapse of Carillion. We need to know the real costs of getting our properties in good order so the council can plan and budget properly.

“To minimise the impact to Oxfordshire tax payers, it is vitally important that no stone is left unturned when reviewing the potential costs and liabilities. Councillors on the audit committee will want to satisfy themselves that there is a proper process in place, with health and safety made the number one priority.”

Where possible, unfinished work by Carillion as the council’s property maintenance and building contractor has restarted, with new contractors in place.

The hardest cost to quantify are ‘latent defects’ – problems that emerge after building work is completed that would normally be dealt with as part of the contract with the builder. With some – but not all - Carillion businesses in liquidation, claiming for the cost of these defects is not straightforward, and may lead to legal action.

The county council is surveying the structural condition of buildings and does not include the general condition of buildings, including schools, which schools manage themselves through their delegated budget.

Alexandra Bailey, Director of Capital Investment and Delivery, said:

“The collapse of Carillion has created financial and legal difficulties related to our properties, which we are working through in detail. We don’t yet know what the total cost will be but I do know it will be very significant.

“I know this uncertainty is having an impact on service users and staff who use our buildings and I am sorry about the disruption and uncertainty this has caused. We have no choice but to go through each issue systematically and come up with a long-term recovery plan.

“Where we can get building work moving again we have, and our first priority is always to deal with health and safety issues.”

Many councils and other public service organisations were hit by the collapse of the Carillion, and Oxfordshire County Council believes that those organisations need to band together to deal with the government and the company’s liquidators.

The county council is now gathering support for a national stakeholder event in October organised jointly with the Local Government Association to consider opportunities for joint action to minimise the costs to local council tax papers.

“This is a national issue and we would like to see a national response to ensure that the public sector does not bear the brunt of this corporate failure,” said Alexandra Bailey. “The cost is likely to be significant, but the county council’s financial position is resilient and we can manage the impact on our budget over the long term.

“We are doing everything we can to minimise the costs and taking a robust legal position with the liquidators to ensure that local tax payers do not bear an unfair burden following Carillion’s collapse.”

The county council’s Audit and Governance Committee meets on 25 July to review the process for estimating the council’s financial liabilities that emerged following the collapse of Carillion. The council’s Cabinet is expected to receive an assessment of the costs in the autumn, along with a long-term plan for dealing with the problems identified in surveys.

More than 95 per cent of Oxfordshire premises are now able to get superfast broadband and take-up of the technology by local households and businesses is among the highest in the country*, with more than 50 per cent of those reached by the roll-out already opting for an upgrade.

So far BBfO has enabled more than 73,000 households and businesses to connect to superfast broadband speeds. The latest communities to benefit from the BBfO roll-out include: Cookley Green, Pyrton, Balscote, Baulking and Waterperry.

The major milestones were confirmed by Oxfordshire County Council and BT Group, who spearhead the BBfO partnership.

It is part of the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme, which aims to make superfast broadband available to 95 per cent of the country by the end of the year.

Councillor David Bartholomew, Cabinet member for Finance of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Reaching these important milestones in the run-up to Christmas and ahead of schedule is a terrific achievement and shows our commitment to make this important service available to as many parts of Oxfordshire as quickly as possible.

“We’re using a combination of technologies and co-funding solutions to ensure residents and businesses in even the smallest, most remote parts of our county have access to fast broadband.”

The upgrade work is being carried out by engineers from Openreach, the business responsible for Britain’s largest digital phone and broadband network.

Steve Haines, Openreach’s Managing Director of Next Generation Access, said: “The broadband landscape across Oxfordshire has been transformed in recent years so that the great majority of households and businesses can now get superfast speeds. And we are most certainly not stopping there. We’re committed to going further with superfast and ultrafast broadband.

“Increasingly high-speed broadband is no longer a ‘nice to have’ – it is a ‘must have’. Reaching this important milestone at this busy time of the year is particularly good news for people wanting to use the internet more than usual for online shopping and ‘click and collect’ services. At home, it enables families to connect to several different devices at the same time, so children can play online games without affecting parents or grandparents while they watch catch-up television or contact friends and relatives abroad.

“This exciting technology also breaks down barriers to doing business in the digital world, around Oxfordshire and across the globe. It helps small businesses to find new markets, sell new products and communicate more easily and quickly with their customers, suppliers and employees.”

People can follow the progress of the roll-out and get more information about the council’s community co-funding scheme via the website: www.betterbroadbandoxfordshire.org.uk

Because the fibre broadband network is being installed by Openreach, households and businesses have a wide choice of fibre broadband providers. Upgrades do not happen automatically. Anyone wanting to benefit needs to place an order with their chosen fibre broadband provider.

Read how superfast broadband helped these SMEs in Oxfordshire:

Notes to Editors

*Source: Thinkbroadband

The 95 per cent superfast broadband coverage figure has been achieved as a result of superfast broadband roll-outs by BBfO combined with private sector investment by network businesses such as Openreach.

About Better Broadband for Oxfordshire

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

The report makes a series of recommendations to Government on how to maximise the economic potential of the 130-mile corridor that links the two cities over the next thirty years.

The Board will now study the report in detail and looks forward to the Government’s response to its findings.

The project aims to grow the knowledge-based economy across the arc so that it competes on a global stage with areas such as Silicon Valley in the US, while protecting the area’s high-quality environment, and securing the homes and jobs that the area needs.

The area is home to four of the UK’s fastest growing towns and cities, as well as globally-renowned centres of research expertise and advanced manufacturing. Oxfordshire already boasts concentrations of cutting-edge innovation, in particular the Harwell and Culham science parks, Oxford’s universities and medical research centres and the automotive and motorsport clusters particularly in the north of the county.

The NIC’s proposals seek to bring forward investment to harness the region’s economic potential, to benefit local people and boost UK plc in a post-Brexit landscape. It is proposing significant investment funding for new transport infrastructure. This includes strategic schemes - such as East-West Rail connecting Oxford and Cambridge via Milton Keynes, as well as more localised projects - such as the opening of a Cowley Branch Line by end 2019, and improved cycle routes across the county.

The Growth Board has already published an Oxfordshire Infrastructure Strategy that identifies the county’s infrastructure needs up to 2040. It has also recently approved proposals to develop a joint strategic spatial plan for Oxfordshire to provide a county-wide integrated planning framework to support sustainable growth. And it has endorsed plans to develop a ‘Living Lab’ within the county to test and measure the impact of a variety of innovative approaches to improve health, mobility and energy generation.

Councillor Bob Price, Chair of the Oxfordshire Growth Board and Leader of Oxford City Council, said: “Oxfordshire is at the centre of the UK’s knowledge-based economy. This region is already growing strongly and the Oxford-Cambridge ‘brain belt’ offers an opportunity to create a fourth economic powerhouse for the UK to rival those in London, the Midlands and the North. This economic growth needs to be matched by investment in infrastructure and provision of more high quality affordable housing, as well as social infrastructure such as schools and hospitals, while protecting our high-quality environment.

“There are some eye-catching numbers in the NIC report that looks right out to 2050 and covers a wide arc. Our focus across Oxfordshire today and over coming years will be to ensure that development is properly planned, is sustainable and works in the interests of existing and well as future residents. In particular, we want to improve connectivity and tackle congestion to make Oxfordshire an easier place for everyone to travel around.”

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, the strategic planning authority, said: “As the transport lead for Oxfordshire we take great encouragement from the report’s call for Government to commit to and accelerate both East West Rail and the Expressway, to look at re-opening the Cowley branch line and to make Oxford `world class for cycling`.

“We have been calling for the right infrastructure to support growth and new housing for a while now. The recent short term announcements, including for Botley Road and the new slip roads from the A34 at Abingdon, have been very welcome but it is these longer term and major investments that will make the real difference for residents to get around more easily and for businesses to contribute to the UK’s economic success over the coming decades.”

Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive of Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP), said: “This announcement is extremely welcome news for Oxfordshire and the regions identified in this report.

“Just last week, PwC’s ‘Good Growth for Cities’ report announced Oxford as being one of the two highest-performing cities – in relation to growth – anywhere in the UK. This follows last month’s announcement from Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economics and Business Research who said Oxford had the second fastest-growing economy of any UK city.

“It is clear that Oxfordshire continues to reaffirm a position of having a world-leading economy and this report further identifies the global opportunities and strengths our region has to offer.”

The six councils represented on the Oxfordshire Growth Board are Cherwell District Council, Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council and West Oxfordshire District Council, together with the OxLEP.

NIC report: "Partnering for prosperity: A new deal for the Cambridge/Milton Keynes-Oxford Arc": https://www.nic.org.uk/publications/partnering-prosperity-new-deal-cambridge-milton-keynes-oxford-arc/

Backhill Tunnel – which links Milton Park and the adjacent A4130 in west Didcot – was officially opened earlier today (17 November) by Didcot and Wantage MP Ed Vaizey.

The redeveloped tunnel now benefits from a lit pedestrian and cycle link, joining the northern side of the A-road directly with Milton Park.

The tunnel is set underneath the main London Paddington line and was redeveloped through its existing structure.

Its completion will now enable 9,000 people working at Milton Park to either cycle or walk to-and-from their place of work. The tunnel will also allow better access to amenities at Milton Gate, including the four-star Milton Marriott hotel, due to open next summer.

Alongside Mr Vaizey at the official opening were representatives from the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP), Oxfordshire County Council and South Oxfordshire and Vale of the White Horse District Councils.

Representatives from MEPC – the asset manager and developer of Milton Park, who organised the event – were also in attendance alongside members of the 250 businesses based there.

OxLEP secured the £1.4m funding for the project via the government’s Growing Places Fund, with further private works funded directly by MEPC.

A second phase of the project – which will see the creation of a safe crossing for pedestrians and cyclists across the A4130, adjacent to the tunnel – is set to be completed by March next year.

Nigel Tipple – OxLEP Chief Executive – said: “The completion of such a significant project – that will have a positive impact on hundreds of businesses and their employees – is excellent news.

“As the local enterprise partnership for Oxfordshire – we want to ensure our county benefits from an infrastructure that is fit-for-purpose, supporting economic growth.

“Recent national research has shown that the demand for business space in Oxfordshire is at its highest level in just under five years – with this mind, projects like this will further attract businesses to invest in the county.

“We believe this project meets that aim and even supports people to take up a more active lifestyle.”

The tunnel’s opening also coincided with Milton Park’s ‘Bike 2 Work’ event – encouraging employees across the site to take to the saddle as part of their commute to work.

Philip Campbell – Commercial Director at Milton Park, MEPC – said: “We’re delighted the tunnel is now open. It provides an excellent new pedestrian and cycle link into Milton Park and will also allow the many thousands of people working at Milton Park access to the amenities at Milton Gate, which will soon include the new four-star Milton Marriott hotel.

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved.”

Ed Vaizey MP added: “It has been a great honour to be asked to open Backhill Tunnel today.

“This is a great piece of infrastructure which will benefit a huge amount of people that work in Milton Park and also those who will be staying in the area at the new hotel.

“I am particularly impressed by the way these projects can be achieved when the local enterprise partnership, county council and Milton Park work so well together.”

County Councillor Yvonne Constance – Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Environment – said: “After two years of close working with our partners at the UK Atomic Energy Agency, Network Rail and local businesses we are delighted to be realising the project and to further enhance pedestrian and cycle links.

“Opening this underpass beneath the Great Western Railway provides an excellent opportunity to improve access for residents to jobs and recreation, reducing distances to bus services and reducing the need for private car use.

“This legacy will further support the many millions of pounds the county council is spending on cycling and walking infrastructure in Oxfordshire over the coming years.”

Councillor Matthew Barber – Leader of Vale of White Horse District Councils – added: “We are delighted that the disused tunnel has been reopened for everyone working and travelling around Milton Park and the wider Science Vale area.

“Projects to open pathways and cycle routes fit exactly with the principles of the Didcot Garden Town and we hope to see more schemes as new plans are formalised.”

For more information on the project, go to: www.oxfordshirelep.com.

The draft Infrastructure Strategy is an independent report commissioned by Oxfordshire’s six councils who make up the Oxfordshire Growth Board. Developed in partnership, it sets out the investment in transport, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure needed to support the predicted growth in population, and meet the future needs of Oxfordshire families, their children and grandchildren in terms of jobs and homes across the county to 2040 and beyond.

Major investment projects include:

• Improvements to the A34
• Rapid bus routes linking key locations
• East-West Rail connecting Oxford to Cambridge
• A long term strategy to address congestion on the A40
• Redevelopment of Oxford Station
• A new Garden Town for Didcot
• Incentives to encourage businesses to locate and expand within the Science Vale.

Once adopted, the Oxfordshire Infrastructure Strategy will provide an agreed template for planning and directing around £9 billion of mainly central government investment to support Oxfordshire’s growth to 2040 and beyond. The Oxfordshire Growth Board will consider the final report on 26 September 2017.

That investment is linked to number of key national decisions expected over the next few months. These include the publication of the Government’s Industrial Strategy and the second report from the National Infrastructure Commission; allocations from the Housing Investment Fund and the autumn Budget.

There is still time for residents and businesses to have their say on the emerging infrastructure strategy for Oxfordshire before 10 September 2017 by visiting: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/growthboard.

Councillor Bob Price, Chair of the Growth Board and Leader of Oxford City Council, said: “Across the county, people need places to live, with a great environment, transport and other vital infrastructure to support them. Oxfordshire sits at the centre of the UK’s knowledge economy and must play a key role in the nation’s future growth story. This is only possible by attracting significant investment to the region, and the Infrastructure Strategy shows Government and other infrastructure funding partners the investment Oxfordshire needs in a clear and co-ordinated way. It helps set Oxfordshire’s course for the future.”

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council and Growth Board member, said: “As the lead for transport and highways in the county; improved, new and appropriate infrastructure is key to how we see Oxfordshire growing and developing in the coming years. We want to see benefits for both new and existing residents. To achieve this we are working closely with partners including OxLEP, our Local Enterprise Partnership, and all of our local planning authorities. This joined-up approach in Oxfordshire is vital if we are to achieve our ambitions through this strategy.”

Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive of OxLEP (Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership), said: “The need to ensure Oxfordshire benefits from an infrastructure that is fit for purpose and one that doesn’t hold back dynamic economic growth – whilst being sensitive to the environment – is a key priority.

“As a county, we need to maintain growth but – similarly – ensure that our future infrastructure fully-supports our desire to grow.”

The Oxfordshire Growth Board is a joint committee of the six councils, formed to provide strategic planning for all the challenges that the growth agenda for Oxfordshire brings.

The six councils represented on the Oxfordshire Growth Board are Cherwell District Council, Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council and West Oxfordshire District Council.

This release is issued on behalf of the Oxfordshire Growth Board.

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, the Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Oxfordshire County Council is investing millions of pounds on cycle route improvements and will continue to do so in future. Our Local Transport Plan is an ambitious 20 year strategy, which in Oxford includes cycle route improvements to provide safe and direct access to a range of destinations. Over the last few years the county council has also delivered a number of schemes that support more cycling including at Frideswide Square and The Plain roundabout.

“We are currently implementing a £12.5m package of improvements as part of the ‘Access to Headington’ project that will deliver new and improved cycle routes and priority as well as a number of innovative cycle features such as segregated ‘hybrid’ cycle lanes and cycle pre-signals. All of these improvements are designed to help people move around the county in a healthy way while supporting Oxfordshire’s thriving economy. We also have a programme of cycling projects across the county, including a £4.5m package of schemes in Science Vale. “We want to make cycling accessible to everyone in Oxfordshire, regardless of age, background or cycling experience.”

Councillor Bob Price, the Leader of Oxford City Council: “We are delighted to welcome Andrew Gilligan to Oxford, our cycling city where already thousands of people commute to work by bike. We will show him our aspirations run much higher – we want Oxford to become not just the UK’s cycling capital, but an international model that inspires cities across the world to promote cycling as a means to tackle pollution and congestion, and keep people healthy. The City and County Councils have spent significant amounts in recent years to improve cycling infrastructure across Oxford, but funding from the National Infrastructure Commission will allow a significant step change. We want to see more segregated and car-free cycling lanes that link transport hubs with employment sites, and more cycle parking in the city centre and at park and ride sites, to further encourage people to commute by bike. For a city with what is essentially a medieval street plan that’s challenging; but with the right backing it is achievable.”

Pic.1 (l-r) Cllr Hudspeth, Andrew Gilligan and Cllr Price. Pic.2 Cllr Price, Andrew Gilligan, and Cllr Hudspeth.

The e-bikes were kindly on loan for Mr Gilligan’s visit by a local retailer Bike Zone, located on St Michael’s Street in Oxford. Both Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council are keen to encourage greater use of e-bikes, which are ideal for less confident cyclists and people keen to improve their health but concerned about their fitness to cycle.

Two new south-facing slip roads at the Lodge Hill Interchange will help end years of congestion and pave the way for up to 1,700 new homes in Abingdon.

The long-awaited scheme, which will receive up to £9.45 million over 4 years, will also boost growth in the wider Science Vale area, where up to 20,000 new jobs and 20,000 new homes will be created by 2031.

This is on top of the £2.3 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund, announced earlier this month, which will pay for local infrastructure across the country to support local housing delivery.

 Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said:

“Local leaders in Oxfordshire want to go for growth, and so that’s why I’ve pledged more than £9 million of Government cash for this A34 upgrade scheme.

“Most people are willing to accept new housing in their areas, but they don’t want to see massive development when local roads are already under pressure.

“This funding will bring much-needed improvements to the A34 for motorists and help to deliver thousands of new homes that Oxfordshire desperately needs.

“This is thanks to the hard work of former MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, Nicola Blackwood, who tirelessly campaigned for this interchange to receive Government funding, working closely with Oxfordshire County Council and the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership.”

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council said:

“The County Council is pleased to see Oxfordshire’s growth ambitions recognised by the funding announcement today. The delivery of much needed housing in and around Abingdon is heavily reliant on funding for new slips at Lodge Hill.

"Residents have been concerned that large numbers of houses will be built before the necessary highway infrastructure is in place. This announcement means that vital infrastructure will be built at the early phase of development to cope with the associated additional traffic.

"Oxfordshire County Council will continue to work with our partners at Highway’s England to deliver the scheme as quickly as possible to ensure Oxfordshire is a thriving place to live and work.”

Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive of OxLEP, said:

“This announcement represents a further positive step in ensuring Oxfordshire has an infrastructure that is fit for purpose, supporting the county’s desire to grow.

“Securing a strong infrastructure is a priority for OxLEP and we are confident that this prioritised Local Growth Fund investment will bring a variety of benefits across a number of key areas.

“We expect the Lodge Hill investment to unlock greater housing growth in the area, give better connectivity to key ‘hubs’ – such as Milton Park and the Harwell campus – as well as relieving pressure around the A34 Marcham Interchange.”

The report by AECOM, a professional and technical services firm highlights the need for long-term investment that will be required to plan for and manage growth in a way that supports the local economy and protects quality of life across the county.

For the first time Oxfordshire councils are working together to develop a joint infrastructure strategy, detailing the county’s key infrastructure requirements.

Some of these have been outlined already in individual Local Plans and the Local Transport Plan, but the Oxfordshire Growth Board has looked more comprehensively at what is going to be required further into the future across all areas.

Major investment projects include:

• Improvements to the A34
• Rapid bus routes linking key locations
• East-West Rail connecting Oxford to Cambridge
• A long term strategy to address congestion on the A40
• Redevelopment of Oxford Station
• A new Garden Town for Didcot
• Incentives to encourage businesses to locate and expand within the Science Vale.

Once complete, the Oxfordshire Growth Board will have a new infrastructure strategy that will identify, map and support the county’s strategic infrastructure requirements. It will include evidence of the infrastructure required for strategic transport, energy and the utilities, waste management, flooding and water management, green infrastructure, education, adult social care and broadband. It will be clear on what is needed to keep Oxfordshire thriving to support anticipated growth to 2040 and beyond and what it will cost to deliver it, currently estimated at £9 billion. This will help infrastructure providers to plan for the future.

Outgoing chair of the Oxfordshire Growth Board, Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: "Across the county, people need places to live, with a great environment, transport and other vital infrastructure to support them. We remain committed to attracting the necessary investment to the region so that we can have the right infrastructure in place through to 2040 so that residents, businesses and visitors continue to thrive.”

Incoming chair of the Oxfordshire Growth Board, Councillor Bob Price, Leader of Oxford City Council, said: “It is really important that we plan the infrastructure needed to support Oxfordshire and its growth. By having an integrated strategy that clearly shows the infrastructure needed to support future growth such as new housing developments and new businesses, we stand a greater chance of securing the necessary funding to deliver what is required.”

Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive, Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP), said: “The need to ensure Oxfordshire benefits from an infrastructure that is fit for purpose and one that doesn’t hold back economic growth – whilst being sensitive to the environment – is a key priority. This draft strategy is aligned with the priorities set out in our own strategic economic plan for Oxfordshire and – as a Local Enterprise Partnership – we will continue to champion our economy with the aim of securing future funds for key projects.

“Oxfordshire has seen 45,000 new jobs created over the past five years, representing over half of a 2031 target of 85,600 new jobs. As a county, we need to maintain this growth but – similarly – ensure that our future infrastructure fully-supports our desire to grow.”

Bringing together all this evidence will allow Oxfordshire to engage in strategic discussions with Government and other infrastructure funding partners to understand how it will cohesively address the challenges that providing the scale of infrastructure required presents.

The AECOM report is published on the Oxfordshire Growth Board website at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/growthboard and there is an opportunity to submit comments online.

Funding will be sought from various sources including the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund which is designed to deliver more homes and help support significant new growth initiatives, which includes funding for unlocking sites for new homes in areas of high demand.

The Oxfordshire Growth Board is a joint committee of the six councils, formed to provide strategic planning for all the challenges that the growth agenda for Oxfordshire brings.

ENDS

Notes to editors

The six councils represented on the Oxfordshire Growth Board are: Cherwell District Council, Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council and West Oxfordshire District Council.

East West Rail will eventually connect Oxford in the west with Cambridge in the east, a ‘corridor’ running across the south of England which experts believe could become the UK’s answer to Silicon Valley. It will improve rail journeys for potentially millions of passengers by opening up new routes for regional and cross-country travel and reduce the need to go into London for onward connections.

It is being supported by the East West Rail Consortium, an alliance of councils including Oxfordshire County Council.

Network Rail is a holding a consultation on the section between Bicester Village and Bedford, including a spur between Princes Risborough and Milton Keynes via Aylesbury (known as the Western Section Phase Two) which began on June 30 and runs until August 11.

Public exhibition dates

• Bicester (July 10, 12-8pm, John Paul II Centre, Henley House)
• Launton (July 13, 12-8pm, Sports and Social Club, Bicester Road)

This part of the scheme will use existing rail lines, some of which have become freight only or, in other areas, have been mothballed. Trains should be running by the mid-2020s at the latest.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment at Oxfordshire County Council whose portfolio includes strategic rail said:

“East West Rail is a once in a generation opportunity to secure a huge step in connectivity within Oxfordshire and across the whole Oxfordshire to Cambridgeshire area. It is a key part of the Government’s investment plan for the Oxford to Cambridge growth corridor, and the new infrastructure and rail services it provides would bring more frequent services in Oxfordshire directly connecting Bicester, Oxford and Didcot. This will in turn help reduce pressure on our busy road network, especially the A34.

“With phase 1 of the scheme between Oxford, Bicester and London already open and very successful, the consultation sets out what is proposed for Phase 2, to reopen the railway between Bicester and Milton Keynes/Bedford, along with a route down to Aylesbury. This in turn would link to the next section, the new route on to Cambridge. We encourage everyone in Oxfordshire to take a look at what is proposed and respond to the consultation before 11 August.”

Councillor Mark Shaw, chairman of the Joint Delivery Board for the Western Section, said: “East West Rail is about so much more than upgrading old bits of track to take on new passenger and freight services. It is an essential piece of infrastructure which will unlock the region’s huge economic potential and support planned housing growth - that’s why it has the support of the councils which sit along its route. We continue to lobby for it to be completed as soon as possible.

“However, I recognise that people who live near to the route may have questions about how East West Rail’s construction and new services could affect them. That’s why I’m encouraging as many people as possible to go along to the public exhibitions and speak directly to the engineers, planners, environmental experts and property specialists involved in the scheme. Residents can also submit their views to Network Rail’s consultation, so please, make your voice heard.”

Phase One of the Western Section, a link between Oxford, Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village, was completed last year. The Central Section, between Bedford and Cambridge, is the most challenging part of the scheme as much of the old railway has been built over. A route via Sandy has been identified as the ‘preferred corridor’ for a new line and work on this continues. Work is also continuing assessing ways the existing connections between Cambridge and Norwich and Ipswich in the Eastern Section can be improved.

Following a study of the region by the National Infrastructure Commission, its deputy chair, Sir John Armitt, said: "the corridor connecting Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Oxford could be Britain’s Silicon Valley – a globally recognised centre for science, technology and innovation".

To take part in the consultation log on to ewrconsultation.co.uk. The consortium’s website is www.eastwestrail.org.uk

Local roads are also set to benefit from Oxfordshire County Council being given a share from a national roads fund but details of the exact proportion of money to be allocated to Oxfordshire and other councils in England have yet to be confirmed as well as the type of road which would eligible for funding.

Bev Hindle, Strategic Director for Communities at Oxfordshire County Council said: “We welcome today’s announcement from the Government, confirming their support and commitment to invest in the A34 (M4-M40), East West Rail and the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway. We will continue to talk to Government and partners about the county’s transport infrastructure strategy to ensure the needs of future generations who live, work or travel through Oxfordshire can be met and planned for.

He continued:  “As the Transport Secretary said, getting transport spending right is absolutely crucial which is why the county council and members of the Oxfordshire Growth Board are working on a the development of an Oxfordshire Infrastructure Strategy which will identify, prioritise and cost Oxfordshire’s future infrastructure to 2040. We already know that existing funding will not deliver the scale of infrastructure investment required which is why we will work together to explore alternative sources of funding.

He concluded by saying:  “I am delighted the Government has highlighted England’s Economic Heartland as one of a number of partnerships in England that have been created between local authorities with the aim of becoming a Strategic Transport Authority. As a co-founder of England’s Economic Heartland, the county council is working hard with eight local authorities (Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough) to improve physical connectivity between larger urban centres, with a particular emphasis on east-west connectivity, and improved access into and within larger urban centres.”

He will see first-hand how the technology is driving innovation and transforming the way Oxfordshire firms do business during his visit to Milton Park today (Friday).

The whole area – part of Science Vale UK Enterprise Zone – now has access to faster fibre broadband thanks to Better Broadband for Oxfordshire (BBfO).

The £35 million BBfO roll-out is being led by Oxfordshire County Council and BT, with additional funding from Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP). It is part of the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme and builds on private sector investment.

Across Oxfordshire more than 70,000 businesses and households now have access to superfast fibre broadband as a result of BBfO. The figure rises to around 273,000 when combined with commercial roll-outs.*

The Rt. Hon Matt Hancock MP said: “Nine out of 10 homes and businesses can now get superfast broadband, and we’re reaching thousands more every week. I’m delighted we’ve now reached more than 70,000 additional properties in Oxfordshire, providing a tremendous boost to the local economy, and helping make sure that the people of Oxfordshire have the connectivity they need in today’s digital society.”

More than 6,500 Oxfordshire businesses can now access the technology as a result of the BBfO roll-out, including around 250 firms on Milton Park, home to some of the county’s most dynamic industries, innovative small and medium businesses and world-leading life science companies.

Among them are Motors.co.uk, the online car specialists, based in Olympic Avenue, and printing and design experts, Carbon Colour, whose bosses welcomed the new development.

Phill Jones, managing director of Motors.co.uk, said: “As an online business, fast and reliable internet access is critical for our operation. It is great to see investment in the infrastructure to support the growth of businesses like ours and others in Oxfordshire.”

Nigel Allen, managing director of Carbon Colour, said: “As a print and display company we rely on fast broadband to send and receive large image files, so welcome the arrival of fibre broadband to Milton Park. This superfast service will increase our productivity and help us beat the tightest of deadlines that can be a problem when using just basic broadband.”

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “We’re delighted that all businesses at Milton Park are now able to choose a connectivity service which offers choice and affordability to innovative companies who are helping to boost a critical segment of the economy, not just here in Oxfordshire, but around the UK.”

Engineers from Openreach – BT’s local network business – have installed five new fibre broadband cabinets on Milton Park and more than four kilometres of fibre optic cable.

As a result, many households in nearby Milton village that were previously not able to access fibre can now get the many benefits of the technology.

Councillor Hudspeth added: “We expect at least 95 per cent of Oxfordshire premises to have access to superfast broadband by December, and I’m delighted to announce an ambition to improve on this. In partnership with BT, we are finalising plans to make the technology available to a further 2,000 premises as a result of contract savings achieved in this successful programme to date.

“We’re also about to launch a co-funding scheme whereby Oxfordshire County Council will support those very rural or very small communities which are too expensive to upgrade using public funds alone.”

Further details are available on the BBfO website: www.betterbroadbandoxfordshire.org.uk

Nigel Tipple, chief executive of OxLEP, which contributed £2 million to the BBfO programme to enable more businesses in the Enterprise Zone to get superfast broadband, said: “This is a great step forward for Oxfordshire. Introducing superfast broadband at Milton Park, along with our wider programme of improvements to digital connectivity in Oxfordshire, means we have a great platform to ensure network capacity is available for our modern businesses to thrive and grow, benefitting the local economy.”

Phillip Campbell, Milton Park’s commercial director, said: “Giving Milton Park businesses plenty of choice when it comes to broadband services is very important to us. The timing of the extra service fits nicely with our new Park Drive East development.”

Steve Henderson, BT’s regional director for broadband partnerships, said: “Superfast fibre broadband is transforming the way people do business and communicate. Whether it’s downloading or sharing large files and other information with customers, suppliers or employees, or uploading graphics and photographs, everything is easier and faster with fibre technology. As a result, it makes firms more efficient and competitive, and opens up new and exciting trading opportunities for local businesses across the county and around the world.”

The Openreach network is ‘open’, which means businesses and households choosing to upgrade have a wide choice of fibre broadband providers. The FTTC network provides access to download speeds of up to 80 megabits per second (Mbps) and uploads of up to 20Mbps**.

*Source: www.thinkbroadband.co.uk

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

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council which co-founded England’s Economic Heartland Strategic Alliance said:

“We strongly welcome the publication of today's interim report from the National Infrastructure Commission which acknowledges the vast economic potential of the corridor connecting Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Oxford, comparable to Silicon Valley. We share the Commission’s view that England’s Economic Heartland is a national asset, one whose economic success is central to the future of the UK economy.

“As co-founder of England’s Economic Heartland Strategic Alliance, Oxfordshire County Council is delighted that the Commission is encouraged by the Alliance’s work on strategic transport to date and agrees with our view that the full potential of East West Rail and the Expressway cannot be realised without investment in its wider road and rail network.

“We have long argued that East West Rail and the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway, can be a catalyst to bring the region together to deliver the housing that is required in the region as well as the connectivity it will need to compete with the best in the world and welcome the Commission highlighting this in their report today.

“We remain committed to taking an integrated strategic approach to transport and infrastructure planning to secure the area’s future success.”

Corridor could be Britain’s Silicon Valley

Releasing the report, National Infrastructure Commission Deputy Chair, Sir John Armitt said,

“To succeed in the global economy, the UK must build on its strengths. The corridor connecting Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Oxford could be Britain’s Silicon Valley – a globally recognised centre for science, technology and innovation. But its future success is not guaranteed.

“Transport links across the corridor are often slow, unreliable and congested, and the area is home to two of the least affordable cities in the UK, in part because it has consistently failed to build the homes it needs. These twin problems are already increasing costs for businesses and diminishing their ability to attract employees at all levels – including the recruitment and retention of globally mobile talent.

“This area can become greater than the sum of its parts with better strategic planning which radically improves its transport connectivity whilst securing the tens of thousands of new homes it so desperately needs. This is a once in a generation opportunity – we must grab it with both hands.”

The Access to Headington project, which is funded by Oxfordshire’s Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP), is the latest in a planned programme of transport improvement work being done in and around Oxford. It is expected that stage one of the works will be complete by March 2017.

Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said:

“This latest investment forms part of an integrated programme of improvements, funded through Oxfordshire City Deal, which recently included the Wolvercote and Cutteslowe junction schemes.

"We recognise the pressure our infrastructure is under and we are delighted therefore to see this next phase of major road improvements get underway. The works will help to reduce congestion for local residents and commuters into the city, making it easier to travel between where they live and work.

"These works are essential to support the major employment sites to the east of the city, particularly the John Radcliffe and Old Road Campus areas, enabling the growth of quality jobs in the city.”

It will be delivered in a series of smaller packages to minimise disruption and starts now that the new traffic lights at Cutteslowe and Wolvercote have been switched on. The full programme of works is expected to be completed by September 2018.

The work in the first stage includes:

• building a new lane to exit from Roosevelt Drive
• increasing the length of the approach lane on Old Road
• upgrading the signals so that they more efficiently manage traffic and;
• making improvements to the pedestrian crossing.

Improvements for cyclists

Cycling facilities will also be upgraded to tie in with the rest of Old Road in a future stage. Advanced stop lines for cyclists on each arm of the junction will be provided along with upgraded street lighting. The work will require some removal of trees, but these will be replaced.

Part of a wider strategy

Oxfordshire County Councillor David Nimmo Smith, Cabinet member for transport, said:

“This is a major investment in sustainable transport and forms part of a wider strategy to make getting in and around Oxford easier.

“We need to tackle transport issues in and around Headington now to avoid congestion holding back the planned growth or exacerbating journey times for public transport, general traffic and suppliers of goods and services.

“Access to Headington supports better access to the area including in particular to its hospitals and major employment sites. The completed project will support economic development by addressing existing traffic pinch-points and encouraging greater take-up of more sustainable and space efficient modes of travel.

“The Access to Headington project will take nearly two years to be completed, but it really should be thought of as a series of individual pieces of work which will be done over time so that disruption is minimised.

“We are well aware of the hospital’s pipeline project and all other work in the area and will coordinate these works on the local roads to keep the impact to a minimum.”

Plan journeys to avoid delays

Temporary lights will be used during the works so that disruption is minimised. However delays are to be expected, particularly at the busiest times and so people are advised to plan their journeys and consider if other forms of transport, or adjusting journey times, could be an option.

Find out more

More information on the project, including traffic management drawings and the final layout can be found on the Oxfordshire County Council website at  www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/accessheadington. You can also keep up-to-date with information by signing up to our fortnightly project news bulletin

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council and Chair of the Oxfordshire Growth Board, said: “The recommendations made to the Growth Board on housing apportionment was the result of years of hard work by all six councils in the county who have worked in partnership to develop a sustainable approach to meet the county’s future housing needs.

“I am disappointed that South Oxfordshire District Council was not in a position to support the recommendation. However, I am pleased that all other councils voted in support of the recommendations.”

The Memorandum of Co-operation was expanded to reiterate that the programme does not “identify, propose, recommend or seek to identify, propose or recommend any site or sites for additional housing within any district. Each Local Planning Authority will remain responsible for the allocation of housing sites within its own district and through its own Local Plan process.”

What is the Oxfordshire Growth Board?

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 leaders of all six councils sit on the Growth Board.

ENDS

Notes to editors

The following recommendations presented to the Growth Board at its meeting on September 26^th have been agreed by five of Oxfordshire’s six councils (Cherwell, City, County Council, Vale of White Horse, West Oxfordshire). South Oxfordshire District Council has yet to agree its figure.

1. Approve the apportionment of the agreed working figure for the unmet housing need for Oxford, in the interest of complying with the Duty to Co-operate.

2. Approve the attached Memorandum of Co-operation setting out the apportionment and timetable for delivery of the unmet housing need for Oxford, subject to the following addition as a new 3.6 to Section 3: 

3.6 The Programme does not identify, propose, recommend or seek to identify, propose or recommend any site or sites for additional housing within any district. Each Local Planning Authority (LPA) will remain responsible for the allocation of housing sites within its own district and through its own Local Plan process.

N.B In light of the vote, officers were authorised to make such minor editing changes to reflect that South Oxfordshire District Council will not be signing the Memorandum of Understanding.

3. 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.

The recommended apportionment discussed today (September 26) was 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.

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.