Newsletters

Striving for a better city region. Chairman’s summing up of an active year; the tension between planning for new homes or new business premises; transport challenges; enjoying our programme of events; keeping in touch; OxClean; strategic planning at a crossroads; forging a more equal city.

Chairman Ian Green laments the state of strategic planning; Louise Thomas discusses the Government’s recently published Street Votes Consultation; we learn about new Blue Plaques; other articles report on the current, very varied work of our working groups on Planning and Transport; and members’ letters to the Editor.

Oxford’s new Head of Planning, David Butler, talks to the Society; Response to the Oxford Local Plan 2040; Peter Thompson writes on housing; traffic management proposals; transport – Oxford Central West; the Watlington relief road; our aims and values.

New President's address; Appreciation of the outgoing president - Sir Clive Booth; Tony Joyce 1930-2023; The City Council's new Corporate Plan; The value of volunteers; Preparing for Oxford City's new strategic plan; Botley Road and buses.

Extending our reach; Monitoring the plans; Of talks, tours and visits; In touch and in the news; Travel and transport matters; Tackling inequality; Looking at the bigger picture; Sprucing up our city; money matters.

Balancing heritage and growth – Louise Thomas; Local Plan 2040 – Chair; Our future lies in science – Richard Venables; Planning Group report; Transport Group report; Blue Plaques in 2022; AGM agenda.

Paradise lost? 2050 Plan — Chair’s report; All go on transport — Transport report; Education matters — Margaret Maden; Revamping the city centre — Planning report; AGM; OxClean Spring Clean

A time for crucial decisions; OCS people; How to object to a planning application; Building design — who decides?; Food for thought at our AGM; Connecting Oxford — our proposal; Addressing inequality — where are we now?; Bookshelf: understanding Oxford’s story; OxClean Spring Clean

Business as usual; A watchful eye on development; Influencing the housing debate; Of talks, walks and visits; Keeping in touch with you; Of active travel and more; Taking a strategic view; Looking at inequality; Tackling litter, changing attitudes; Our finances in 2021

Why we need simpler county-wide planning; Addressing inequality; Blue Plaques in 2021; Volunteers; ROQ: the humanities building; Reducing traffic in our city; Transport Group’s report; On being High Sheriff; Programme April–July 2022; AGM; OxClean Spring Clean; Legacy

The talking is over: climate change; Mark Barrington-Ward; Museum of Oxford; Broad Meadow; Celebrating 150 newsletters!; Transport report; 2050 Plan; W hy buses matter more than ever; Oxford’s suburban waterfronts; Planning report: Can design codes help?; OxClean Spring Clean; Holly legacy

When the shouting stops: Hugh Ellis; Oxfordshire Plan 2050; New County Council; Land value capture: John Goddard; The fight for special places: Planning Group; Oxfordshire is special — debates: Ian Green; OxClean /Covered Market survey results; Improving our rail network: Transport Group; Programme August—November; OCS people; Your letters.

Chairman's summary; Planning the details; Taking our message to the streets; Transport - the need for an overall plan; Oxfordshire Futures; Talks - reaching new audiences; Money matters in 2020; Housing policy; OxClean triumph.

Optimism is the key for 2021; Transport report - Joining up the dots; OxClean; Planning report - Managing change for good; Housing - Can anything change the housing market?; Blue Plaques in times of plague; Road surfaces - Beneath our wheels; AGM agenda

Chairman’s introduction; ROQ centre; Keith Holly legacy; Planning White Paper: our views; Trending in Oxford — planning report; Only connect — transport report; Next steps on rail; Planning for a green recovery; A century of Oxford council housing; Broad Street; Members’ survey results

Shaping the City's Recovery; OCS people; The jigsaw that lacks a picture on the box (response to LTCP5); A shake up of the planning system; Transport: a post-COVID era; Balancing Heritage and Growth; Home truths: housing; OxClean Spring Clean; What the new Local Plan means for us; New OCS videos

Shaping the city centre for good; A city centre strategy; The need for a new vision; Oxford’s canal: an asset to cherish; The unequal struggle for affordable homes; Transport: could more research help?; A very special Blue Plaque

Celebrating our first 50 years; Celebrating our past, seizing the future; Planning for quality; Transport: addressing the problems; Housing policy: grappling with the issues; Oxfordshire Futures: managing growth; A programme for everyone; OxClean: still inspiring; Blue Plaques in 2019; On message; Money matters in 2019.

The larger-than-usual November 2019 edition of 'Visions' focuses on climate change and related issues.

What can we do about climate change?;
Housing: making it fit for the future;
Transport: speeding up the solutions;
Climate action at Oxford University and in the community;
OxClean: how green can we go?;
Walking: free, fun and green!;
Connecting Oxford: our views;
How climate-friendly is your lifestyle?;
The need for a county-wide plan and bold ambitions;
OCS@50: the battle for Oxford 1969;
Tourism: can we manage it better?

The debates go on; Making a difference: our 50 year history (new publications); Driving up standards in shared housing; OCS people (Richard Venables, Chris Church, Sue Stewart, Louise Thomas, Natasha Robinson; Rosanne Bostock retires); OCS@50 debates; What Germany can teach us about renting; How homesharing meets many needs; Making transport carbon neutral; Celebrating 100 Blue Plaques.

The Struggle Goes On; Oxfordshire 2050; OCS@50 debates; OCS@50 A Very Special AGM; Making Connections; Remaking the Museum of Oxford; Expect Delays on our Transport; The Expressway - your letters; All welcome at the 50th AGM.

A Focus on Planning; OxClean - picking up momentum; Walks, talks and vists; Transport hold-ups; Oxfordshire Futures; Finances in 2018; Housing Policy; Our message.

OCS@50!; Two cheers for Oxford North?; First reactions to the Expressway; Transport and the Local Plan; Letters

Creating consensus on growth; New recruits to our work (Thelma Martin, Anne Gwinnett); An award for Sheila Glazebrook; OxClean goes to Westminster; What we really think about cable cars; The WOW factory!; Our future at stake; Celebrations at the Museum; Transport is key to successful development; Are we becoming Bananas now?; A victory for Neighbourhood Plans; How to preserve local character; Your data; Students onside!

In praise of partnerships.

The city centre goes west; OCS people - Kate Joyce, James Stevens Curl, Derek Parfit; Keeping the city centre moving; Learning from Italian city centres; How tall is a high building?; Blue Plaques in 2017.

Chairman’s commentary - Oxford is not an Island; Making a success of the Westgate Centre; The transport of the future; Better by design; Tackling our housing shortage; Enjoying our waterways; Why are green issues last on the list?; Ashmolean event /A meeting of minds.

Visions and Priorities; OCS People; An Inspector Calls; Queen Street again; Local Plan 2016 - 2036.

Chairman's summary; Planning for change; All our Futures; Action for Oxford; Finances; Governance

How to solve the housing crisis; How to build in the Green Belt; Abingdon, a town in limbo?; Local action on climate change; Access to the new Westgate Centre; Blue Plaques in 2016; AGM; letters; programme;

It’s time to tackle deprivation; Preserving our war memorials; What are Oxford’s priorities?; The greening of Oxford; Towards a plan for Headington; Exeter's Ruskin campus; Museum of Oxford; Spring events programme.

Fighting for better governance; An even bigger success for OxClean; Queen Street blues; Winning the battle of Jericho; The wind and the willows (Danny Dorling); How to encourage more cycling; The ‘Internet of Things’; Time to grow UP?.

Back to the future; OxClean – sprucing up the city, inspiring a nation?; Planning – down your street; Walks, talks and visits: for the love of Oxford – and beyond; Transport: of stations, squares and strategy.

Conflict or cooperation?; Development planning – unravelling the complexity; Will we get the main railway station we deserve?; Of parks and people.

The Westgate dig; Transport update; Reclaiming St Giles; Constitutional change; Smart Oxford; Spring Programme

45 years of transport planning in Oxford; Oxford Futures - latest developments; housing; flood relief scheme; the Museum of Oxford; OxClean, and the autumn programme of walks, talks and visits.

Making a real difference; Planning issues: an epic battle?; Walks, talks and visits: appreciating our city; Transport: going places?; Enhancing our streets and communities.

More on the Green Belt; development - A Race Against Time?; trains, trams and bicycles; citizen involvement; the Design Review Panel; OCS AGM

The Green Belt and Garden Cities, Northern Gateway & Oxpens, big ideas for transport but little funding, and events for Spring 2015.

The Green Belt, Westgate, Northern Gateway, Transport issues, Walks in Oxford, OxClean's Spring Clean, a new programme of walks and talks, and more!

A focus on the future; Oxford at a crossroads; The good, the bad and the ugly – planning issues.

Cycling, Members' survey, the Oxford/Oxfordshire City Deal, Roger Dudman Way, and agenda for 2014 AGM

Oxford – the weakest link?; What can Freiburg teach us?; Will this Magnet attract?; Planning - Kate Joyce looks back; Strengthening communities; Hogacre Common; OxClean in schools.

The case for joined-up planning; Why should Oxford grow?; What the 2011 Census tells us; West End developments; St Giles’ – a history; Low Carbon Hub; Oxlean 2013.

A year of celebration?; Planning for change; Down your street – local planning issues.

Planning our future; Tribute to David Townsend; Report on the Planning Seminar; Planning – the big picture; Shape up for summer.

Oxford – museum or crucible?; Retirements – and opportunities; Expansion and extensions; Changing Oxford; Shaping our communications.

Communications – the future; Neighbourhood planning; OxClean update; Recording our heritage; Museum of Oxford news

A new railway station for Oxford?; UNESCO World Book Capital in 2014?; Help us to declutter the city centre; Can we end our traffic problems?; Transport in Oxford: the broader,
longer view.

A new railway station for Oxford?; OxClean launch; World Book Capital; Transport in Oxford—Peter Headicar; Changing Oxford—from 1992; Blue Plaques.

A framework for a free-for-all?; Managing our energy; National Planning Policy Framework; Why boulevards don’t work; Changing Oxford—from 1968.

Controversy – cars, carbon and culture; Paul Cullen tribute; Streets for People; OxClean—bags of success!; Low Carbon Oxford; Reclaiming the ring road.

The Localism Bill - threat or opportunity?

Tony Joyce - a decade as Chairman.

Oxford Brookes University;Area Committees - Challenges/Opportunities; Museum of Oxford; Oxford Streets for People; Cleaning up Oxford - Schools Campaign.

Mark Barrington-Ward, ‘Forty Years of Oxford Planning’; Planning Report; Local Transport Plan; Chiltern Railways Proposal; Transport Notes.

In our 40th year, what of the future?; Review of Bus Services.

‚Civic Society Initiative - a new national network?; OxClean is hard at work; Museum of Oxford’s Volunteer Corps; Report of the Travel Behaviour Group; Pedal Power!

OxClean Spring Clean 2009

‘Transformation?’; A new arrival at Magdalen College

OxClean; A Tourism Strategy for Oxford; Website re-design

OxClean, Spring Clean 2008; The City in the Evening; Sustainability and Climate Change in our daily travel

Bodleian Library Book Depository; Bus Shelters; Playgrounds

Towards the Core Strategy

The Erosion of Oxford by Ann Spokes Symonds

Towards a new West End; Charitable Status for the Society; Osney Island’s late, lamented willows

The Society’s Constitution; The Way Forward; Kate Miller and Tony Joyce wedding

Oxford Castle Heritage Project by Trevor Osborne; Signage in Central Oxford; The Future of Oxford’s Town Hall

The changing face of Oxford

The Society at Work

Reflections on Transport Issues

In the beginning; Recollections of a Founder Member

Westgate and West End; Helen Turner; City Centre Signage – an update; Councillor Mike Woodin; Oxford Milestones

A TIME OF OPPORTUNITY; DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF THE TOWN HALL; A CRITICAL LOOK AT OXFORD CITY CENTRE; CITY CENTRE SIGNAGE REVIEW

CAN OXFORD LEAD AS WELL AS INSPIRE?; Walking – Poor Relation of OTS?; The BBC Under Threat