Regeneration in Oxford

What is Regeneration?

In the 2008 publication, 'Transforming places; changing lives' the Department of Communities and Local Government defined Regeneration as:

"A set of activities that reverse economic, social and physical decline in areas where market forces will not do this without support from Government."

Not only then is the regeneration process 'area based' but it also tends to be led by the appropriate Local Authority, supported by other agencies and service providers.

Regeneration is not just about making pleasant places to live but is also about how people can gain better access to education, employment and healthcare opportunities.

Regeneration in Oxford

Oxford City Council takes its role as a facilitator of the regeneration process very seriously. Despite being an economically buoyant city, with world class education and healthcare facilities, not everyone in the city shares equally in this success. Some parts of the city suffer from stubborn deprivation and a significant number of people struggle to afford a home or get a job.

Examples of the inequalities facing the city include;

• Average house prices in the city are ten times the average earnings making Oxford the least affordable city in the country (Centre for Cities 'Cities Outlook 2009'). This creates difficulty in recruitment, increases inward commuting and congestion
• Residents of the least prosperous parts of the City will live for 10 years less than those in the most prosperous parts
• Educational attainment of some parts of the City is 15% behind the national average, with more than 45% of residents in some areas having no qualifications at all - twice the city average (2001 Census)
• Eight areas of the city feature in the worst 10% of the country for child poverty

These persistent measures of inequality have economic and social effects that demand a disproportionate amount of attention from the various authorities and agencies that work in Oxford. Addressing these inequalities requires a coordinated and structured approach that is led by the City Council.

In May 2009 the Audit Commission issued Oxford's Regeneration Inspection Report. Oxford was found to provide a 'Good' service in this respect with 'promising prospects for improvement'. Since the publication of this report the City Council has acted on the recommendations and is constantly striving to provide an excellent service.

Delivery of Regeneration

In 2009 the city council published a Regeneration Framework for Oxford which can be downloaded below:

 Regeneration Framework for Oxford to 2026 (1.5MB PDF)

The document sets out the City's regeneration objectives and provides a background to the key projects in the city. The objectives are to;

• Grow the economy to provide jobs for a growing population and maximise opportunities for all
• Remove barriers preventing citizens achieving their maximum potential
• Reduce inequalities between citizens

The framework also sets out the reasons for intervening through area based initiatives;

• area effects - concentrations of poverty tend to create further disadvantage such as low aspirations and cultural expectations, a lack of knowledge of job opportunities, over-burdened local service provision, and low demand for private sector services;
• targeting - where deprivation is concentrated, it is possible to more efficiently meet needs than it is for people who are geographically dispersed;
• effective delivery - delivery at local level enables better tailoring of services to meet specific needs;
• co-ordination - regeneration requires co-ordination across a range of services and policy areas - joining up is easier at defined and small geographic levels.

The City's Regeneration Framework is supported by the new Oxfordshire Local Investment Plan which can be downloaded below:

Oxfordshire Local Investment Plan (3.9MB PDF)
Oxfordshire Local Investment Plan - Appendices (2.6MB PDF)

The Local Investment Plan (also known as the LIP) has been produced by all six local authorities in the county (the County Council in conjunction with the five district councils) and the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) in a process known as the 'Single Conversation'.

The Single Conversation is the way in which the HCA agrees and secures the delivery of development and regeneration at the local level in support of its national objectives. The term 'Single Conversation' refers to its comprehensive coverage including the full range of housing, infrastructure, regeneration and community activities. It draws on the priorities for a local area as set out in key local plans and is an ongoing, evolving and dynamic process.

Page last reviewed 30 April 2012