It was fitting that David Willetts, the Minister of State for Universities and Science, launched the new report on accelerating growth in Oxfordshire.

For the report, The Oxfordshire Innovation Engine: Realising the Growth Potential, set itself the task of showing how Oxfordshire might generate an additional £1bn to the national economy within ten years.

It offers a wide-ranging look at past and present business triumphs and most importantly the things limiting growth: lack of space for new and innovative companies, the clogged-up A34, no space for staff to live — all topics too familiar to companies, both universities and our readers.

But while it is meant to be a report on economic growth, the report by SQW is honest enough to recognise that economic growth and development on the ground are closely linked. Begbroke is singled out as an area with serious development potential, because it has an existing science park, complete with a new access road.

It is also close to the new parkway station planned at Water Eaton and, best of all, it has large areas of surrounding land, owned either by the university or colleges.

Some will say that the focus on Begbroke should come as no surprise in a report that the university itself had commissioned, given that the university has long viewed Begbroke as a key area for future expansion — although in fairness the report takes a serious look at many aspects of the county’s science-based economy.

Proposals to redraw the Green Belt at Begbroke to facilitate development are already there in the Local Plan being worked on by Cherwell District Council.

The presence of Mr Willetts at the report’s launch showed that Oxfordshire’s ability to attract new research and growth companies is now a national as well as local issue.

It all seems to suggest that things are beginning to move north of the city. There can be no doubt that the existing science park has been a good neighbour, even if locals balked at the access road.

With impressive road and rail infrastructure appearing in and around Begbroke, it is essential that surrounding villages are informed at the earliest opportunity about the extent of the development and the level of housing being thought about.

The university will have a strong case for expansion, but it is parish councillors, as well as government ministers, who must hear it.