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Housing

"Where will our children and grandchildren live?"

"How many homes do we need? And where do we need them? These are important questions for Oxford, a small city which is among the least affordable places to live in the UK. House prices are over 12 times household earnings. Private rents are soaring.  

"Unaffordable housing puts people at greater risk of homelessness. It pushes them into hardship, overcrowded conditions or out of Oxford altogether. The 2021 Census found 23% fewer under-fives in Oxford compared to 2011 – a clear sign young families find it increasingly difficult to live here.  

"Even before the cost-of-living crisis, unaffordable housing meant a quarter of Oxford’s children lived in poverty. Bad housing has a devastating impact on children’s health and wellbeing and casts a long shadow over their future life chances.  

"Our draft Local Plan 2040 prioritises housing and we’ve left no stone unturned in identifying space to build 9,612 new homes in Oxford. This will be achieved by a range of measures including building at higher density and using our housing company OX Place to unlock difficult-to-develop sites traditional builders wouldn’t touch.

"The problem is Oxford will need 26,440 homes by 2040 and – as the city is built on a flood plain and surrounded by green belt – we’re out of room. The remaining 16,828 homes will need to be built in our neighbouring districts.  

"Our figures are based on an independent assessment of how many homes Oxford needs to support job and population growth until 2040. This approach is more realistic than the outdated 'standard method’ which relies on 2011 Census data and population projections from 2014. The 2021 Census proved these projections were wrong.  

"We’re not creating demand for jobs – our plans are about sensibly managing our local economy. Our Local Plan allocates no new employment sites and allows employers to build homes on their land. But we must nurture our world-class life science, education and technology sectors, not just for their sake but for the thousands of supply chain and service jobs they support across Oxfordshire.

"Our neighbours have already agreed to build 14,300 of the homes Oxford needs in their current local plans. This means we need an extra 2,528 homes – or just 126 new homes a year across Oxfordshire.

"We think most of these could be built on existing sites next to our boundaries like Grenoble Road, Bayswater Brook and Northfield, already earmarked for 5,900 homes. Densifying on such sites - near existing jobs, public transport and community networks - makes sense.

"There is a way. Time will tell if there’s the will. I hope so. Otherwise, where will our children and grandchildren live?"

Councillor Louise Upton, Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities

Green light given for affordable homes on brownfield sites 🎉

We have given the go-ahead for a project that could yield 30 affordable homes on council-owned brownfield sites in Barton, Wood Farm and Blackbird Leys.

Last week, cabinet agreed to use an award of £340,213 from the Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) to undertake legal and enabling work which will include demolition of garage sites and derelict bungalows. 

This will help pave the way for affordable community-led and council homes in Underhill Circus, Leiden Road, Balfour Road, Harebell Road and Pegasus Road in Blackbird Leys 🎉.

What are community-led homes?

Community-led housing means local people play a lead role in helping deliver the homes that communities need.  

The City Council has been working with Transition by Design and Oxfordshire Community Land Trust (OCLT) on plans to deliver community-led housing on land it owns.

Economy

It's Oxford Living Wage month! 🎉

February is now Oxford Living Wage month!

We created the Oxford Living Wage in 2017 to help address the high cost of living in Oxford. The wage is set annually at 95% of the London Living Wage and it will increase to £13.15 from 1 April! 🤩🎉

Last year, we had over 120 Oxford Living Wage-accredited employers across various sectors including hospitality, education, retail, and transport.

Becoming an OLW-accredited employer is free, easy and has many benefits. It boosts your business’s reputation, helps attract and retain top talent, and means people have more money to reinvest in the local area.

To find out more or to become an Oxford Living Wage employer, please email: economicdevelopment@oxford.gov.uk or keep an eye on our social media channels this month as we will share updates about OLW.

Communities

Support for Oxford residents this season 🌟

"As winter tightens its icy grip, the challenge of balancing essential expenses amidst the ever-rising cost of living intensifies.

"For many Oxford residents, the daunting choice between heating their homes and putting food on the table is a grim and unrelenting reality. With escalating energy costs demanding a larger share of budgets, at this time of year, many families are stretched further than ever.

"As a council, we've implemented measures to address these challenges, recognising the urgency of the situation. Actively working with a number of community groups, charities and other public sector organisations, we offer a wide range of support in Oxford’s communities. This includes providing immediate relief where we can, as well as longer term support measures.

"Throughout Oxford this winter, warm spaces and activities are open to give residents free and low-cost places to meet and spend time. These spaces provide a safe, warm space for all ages to get support, share hot drinks and hot meals, and serve as a crucial lifeline for many in the community during these colder months.

"Community fridges, larders, and support groups in Oxford continue to play a pivotal role in helping families put food on the table – and we’re seeing these become invaluable in more and more communities. Many provide a warm café or a pay as you can meal, alongside offering a really affordable way to top up groceries each week. Find these across the city.

"Looking towards the longer term, the Council offers support to residents to help make their homes more efficient to reduce heating bills, such as insulation and other retrofitting measures. Various government grants are also available to enhance the energy efficiency of homes. For more information, visit our retrofitting your home webpages.

"Oxford is frequently labelled one of the least affordable places to live in the country and grapples with significant economic disparities. The Oxford Living Wage, initiated in 2008, stands testament to the city's commitment to fair compensation. With over 120 employers now enrolled in the programme, this hourly minimum pay aims to ensure liveable earnings for all workers in the city, acknowledging the unique challenges posed by the cost of living in Oxford.

"However, it's paramount that interventions such as these, though valuable, are not normalised. We firmly believe that people deserve more than temporary solutions; they need resources sufficient to cover life's essentials. Wholesale change, supported by central government, is vital to tackle this issue effectively - and the sooner, the better.

"If you need help in Oxford, support is available. Explore the resources online on our cost of living page."

Councillor Mark Lygo, Cabinet Member for Safer and Inclusive Communities 

Climate Emergency

Sign up to our new climate newsletter! 🥳🌳♻️

Are you curious to find out more about how we are working to achieve net zero carbon Oxford by 2040?

Then we have exciting news for you! Our 'Oxford to Zero' newsletter is coming soon! 🎉

Our new climate-focused newsletter will keep you updated with the progress we are making towards our net zero goals. It will cover topics such as:

• reducing carbon emissions
• boosting biodiversity
• improving air quality and more. 

We will also share information about how you can get involved in Oxford, with tips from Climate Action Oxfordshire.

Oxford

Aurora Energy Research secures new global headquarters 🎉

Consultations

OCC Website Refresh 🎉 Over recent weeks, we’ve carried out a range of work to improve our website, including: upgrading the look and structure of the site reducing the overall number of pages and documents making accessibility improvements Over the Christmas period, we asked our Residents’ Panel for their views on an earlier draft of the website, and their comments have fed into the changes we’ve made. We’re now looking for feedback from the wider public. This consultation ends on 29 February 2024.

Corporate Strategy 2024-28 Last week we published our draft Corporate Strategy 2024-28. The draft strategy sets out our plans over the next four years across our five priorities: Good, affordable homes Strong, fair economy Thriving communities Zero carbon Oxford  A well-run council We've worked with local partners, organisations, community groups and businesses to develop the strategy, but now we want to hear your thoughts. This consultation ends on 21 March 2024.

Oxfordshire County Council

New app is set to improve responses to road and streetlight complaints

Introducing Oxfordshire's new app, Fix My Street app, which allows residents to report potholes, faulty streetlights and a host of other street defects and queries, has been updated.

The amount of categories of street defects has been streamlined, and they have now been split up into sub-categories to make it easier for people to find the section they are looking for 🤩.

The changes are aimed at reducing the number of reports sent to the wrong department or council, which can delay the problem being resolved.

More than 1,000 reports are regularly made to Fix My Street every week, with users encouraged to include photographs of the defect to help the inspectors.

Responsible waste disposal advice ✨

New strategy hopes to improve health services for the elderly

Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB) have published its draft Primary Care Strategy to transform general practice, community pharmacy, eye care and dentistry for residents. 🌟

The strategy outlines three priorities to help deliver these ambitions:

1. improve access so patients get the right support first time
2. develop proactive and personalised care in the community setting
3. prevent ill health by using and sharing data with our partners about the health needs of local communities

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