Oxford's £1m funding from MHCLG for sustainable growth

Image: Oxford's Bonn Square, near to Oxford Castle opposite the Queen Street entrance to the Westgate shopping centre

Oxford City Council reports that it has secured £1 million of funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to continue work developing proposals for inclusive and sustainable growth.

This work follows recommendations in the Oxford Growth Commission’s interim report. 

Future Cities Forum has invited David Butler, Director of Planning and Regulation, at Oxford City Council to our 'Science Cities' forum this September, to talk about how the city will develop its housing, transport and science hub developments with the announcement that local government in the Oxfordshire region will be transformed into three unitary councils (from seven councils) by 2028.

The forum is being held at Cohen Quad, Exeter College, Oxford, with Nicholas Badman, Bursar, contributing on the development of EXOq science district development, near Oxford Parkway Station.

On the newly reported funding Oxford City Council states:

'The interim report, published in December 2025, had over 40 recommendations focused on accelerating housing delivery, including those for social rent, promoting innovation and supporting jobs, and upgrading infrastructure across 13 strategic opportunity areas. This included Oxford’s West End where the majority of the funding is to be spent.  

'The funding to support a programme of studies and evidence-gathering work. This will focus on key opportunities, including identifying new funding models for improvements, looking at ways to enhance the public realm and open spaces as well as highlighting opportunities for infrastructure improvements in rail, water and energy.  

'It will also help to make the case for future investment and long-term funding streams. 

'The aim is to create viable proposals supported by government to create a long-term model to invest in much-needed local infrastructure, improve Oxford’s public realm and support new homes in the area.'

At our last Oxford forum discussion, Carolyn Ploszynski, answered a question on heritage concerns and how the growth of housing can develop in the city, particularly around the Cowley Branch Line:

'I guess it is always the balance that Oxford has to strike, but this part - the southern part of the city - has the biggest growth potential of the whole place and so that is why the Cowley branch line is so important, to unlock it. Every site in the city is difficult. Part of the problem is that the city has not been able to grow for such a long time.

'Government re-organisation will help unlock opportunity and significant growth in the city. Outside the city there is a massive anti-growth lobby about the city expanding its bounds. That has been going on for a long time but I think recent research showing that Oxford has been left behind significantly on the global stage is evidence that the policy is not working.

'Unless the city is able to start delivering infrastructure and release more of its green belt, the city is just going to continue to flounder and will not stay competitive. It is why we believe that the three unitary councils is the way forward for Oxford and that we should release a further green belt to deliver 40,000 additional homes for Oxford in addition for further science and employment space for the city.

'There is always a fine line between regeneration and gentrification and that's the line we have to walk with the Cowley Branch Line. We have the benefit at the city council of being the main housing developer and housing stock owner in the city, so we can control that to a degree. I absolutely think we can win out against anti-growth. We need to start to deliver to show that growth isn't necessarily bad.'