• How to Comment on Planning Applications

    A thorough guide to commenting - or objecting - to planning applications

    13 November 2014

    When a planning application appears to affect your life, what can you do about it? Tony Joyce spells out how to make your views known.

    Read more
  • Oxford Futures 2014

    10 November 2014

    Oxford Civic Society launched the report “Oxford Futures” by Nicholas Falk of URBED in March 2014. This is a short record of the launch.

    Read more
  • Northern Gateway Area Action Plan

    Our response to the Proposed Submission

    1 October 2014

    Before any development of the Northern Gateway site the problems of serious traffic congestion, noise and chronic air pollution must be resolved. This is recognised in the adopted Core Strategy. The AAP Proposed Submission differs from the Core Strategy with no justification, making it unsound and potentially, we suspect, illegal.

    Read more
  • Oxford Futures Symposium and Debate

    The third ‘Oxford Futures’ event

    13 September 2014

    The event comprised an afternoon symposium and workshops, and an evening debate following three talks. Oxford’s issues are inextricably entwined with those of its surrounding towns and villages. Development proposals must be made on a city-region basis, across the boundaries of several authorities. Transport matters are critical to these considerations.

    Read more
  • Response on Green Belt release

    Letter to the 'Sunday Times'

    10 September 2014

    Eleanor Mills threw a welcome spotlight on the ideas which deservedly won URBED the 2014 Wolfson Economics Prize (News Review 7th September), but I feel I must pick her up on one point. Oxford Civic Society has been arguing for properly-coordinated, consistent and integrated planning and transport policy, not "green-belt release".

    Read more
  • Reviewing the Green Belt – disaster or distraction

    The debate about the Green Belt is distracting us from the real issues.

    22 July 2014

    Many of us involved in planning issues believe that we are in something of a Titanic situation in Oxfordshire. The course we have been following for the past few decades is heading for a number of environmental icebergs. These include energy availability and cost, climate change, air pollution, health issues, traffic congestion, social inequality and despoliation of the landscape we hold so dear. To confine the debate to the arrangement of the deck chairs when what is desperately needed is a change of course, seems naive and complacent.

    Read more
  • Oxford Futures – Achieving Smarter Growth

    Launching a major report on planning the future of central Oxfordshire

    1 April 2014

    On 31 March 2014 we launched a major report “Oxford Futures – Achieving Smarter Growth in Central Oxfordshire”. It argues that Central Oxfordshire is going to grow. It can grow smartly and we can all benefit. Or it can muddle its way through and lose out to better organised places. It says the only way to solve the problems arising from these growth pressures and bring about a prosperous future for the region is for all the different agencies to work together. This needs visionary leadership from the leaders of our communities, businesses and universities. The report calls on them to work together to achieve smarter growth.

    Read more
  • Roger Dudman Woe

    The independent review of the Castle Mill flats planning fiasco.

    6 March 2014

    We shall probably never know why the University of Oxford changed the brief for the student housing on Roger Dudman Way from “creating a sense of place and community” to one that produced the structures that now dominate Port Meadow. The City Council commissioned an independent review following the outcry when local people finally became aware of the blocks being built. The review was published at the end of December. We had the small consolation of being included in the working party of three councillors and three community organisations appointed by the Council to oversee the review.

    Read more
  • Westgate revised application

    We are disappointed to see that our concerns have not been addressed in the revised application.

    3 February 2014

    The arrangements for accessibility and the overall design concept of the proposed development remain inadequate. Consideration of these fundamental issues need to be addressed at this stage and cannot be deferred until a later stage of design.

    Read more
  • The Plain cycling project

    Our comments on Oxfordshire County Council's plans as they stood at Jan 2014 for redesigning The Plain for the benefit of cyclists.

    1 February 2014

    The proposals amount to little more than the re-alignment of kerbs, adjustment of levels, alteration of surfacing materials and colours, and the application of road paint. Given the ambitious claims that the scheme will achieve a 20% increase in cycling through the roundabout and act as a catalyst for improvements elsewhere it seems doubtful that such modest proposals will be effective. Likewise, it seems doubtful that these proposals will make much progress towards fulfilling Oxford City Council's ambition to make Oxford the premier cycling city in Europe.

    Read more