Homes, schools and shops top priority, says city council leader

7:10am Sunday 13th May 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Andrew Ffrench, covering Didcot and Wallingford. Call me on 01865 425425

GETTING up to 1,200 new homes built on land next to Oxford’s ring road and improving education are key priorities for the city’s ruling Labour council.

Leader Bob Price outlined his priorities for the next two years after the Labour group strengthened its grip on the Town Hall at the local election on May 3.

It now has 29 councillors on the 48-seat authority.

Building the new homes, improving school pupils’ exam results and moving forward with plans to improve the West End, including the Westgate shopping centre redevelopment, are three key priorities, said Mr Price.

He said the Labour group wanted to ensure that new facilities built with new homes at West Barton, including a new primary school, complemented existing community facilities on the neighbouring Barton estate.

He said: “The new estate will need a new primary school because of its size and it is likely to be an academy-type operation.

“Whatever goes on the new estate will have to work closely with the lively community centre and sports and social club on the Barton estate.”

An examination-in-public on the Barton Area Action Plan will take place at the Town Hall from July 16-20.

Mr Price remains as Labour group leader after the group’s annual general meeting on Thursday, with Ed Turner remaining as his deputy.

But three changes were made to the city executive board.

Scott Seamons replaces Joe McManners, who held the housing portfolio, Steve Curran replaces Antonia Bance for stronger communities, while Bob Timbs, who stood down as a councillor, is replaced by Dee Sinclair on crime and community safety.

Mr Price added that improving the educational attainment of the city’s primary school pupils is another key priority, Last year’s Key Stage One results for seven-year-olds were lower in Oxford City Council’s boundaries than anywhere else in England.

Mr Price said the city council would invest £400,000 a year over the next four years in a joint project with the county council designed to improve results.

He added: “Education is a county council responsibility, but we feel very concerned about low educational attainment and its effect on employability.

“Young people will need a relatively high level of attainment if they are going to go in for jobs at science parks and business parks.”

He added that he was confident that plans to revamp the Westgate Centre would go ahead, with the refurbished shopping centre opening in 2017.

He said: “Crown Estates are working hard on these proposals which would bring in a John Lewis store, and with the electrification of the railways, due to take place between 2014 and 2016, there is a real opportunity to transform the whole West End.”

The Liberal Democrats now have 13 seats on the council, while the Greens have five and there is one Independent.

Comments(16)

Pundit says...
7:28am Sun 13 May 12

Why should city taxpayers pay again for underperforming Oxford schools when they have already paid once through paying tax to Oxfordshire County Council, which is responsible for education? Another example of sloppy financial management by give-away Labour. They should be chasing up the county council and demanding better service not splurge more of the taxpayers' money.

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Sophia says...
8:13am Sun 13 May 12

Pundit, good question and one the District Auditor might usefully answer. After all the Council does not have power to spend on just anything it likes!

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Lord Palmerstone says...
8:37am Sun 13 May 12

A new Science Park popped up on the A44 at Yarnton/Begbrooke the other day. It won't provide too many jobs I fear, skilled or otherwise. A couple of cars a day take employees in and out. Of course the dribblers we elect to County Hall have spent trainloads of our cash building entirely unnecessary traffic lights when anyone who was not bloated with self-importance could see that noth bound traffic could simply have gone round the roundabout and returned south to enter and a small slip road was all that was needed. Don't these people love themselves?

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pandapops says...
10:50am Sun 13 May 12

Begbroke Science Park is not new and has been there since 1999.The entrance has just been diverted away from Sandy lane/Kidlington and onto the A44 which makes much more sense. This was funded mostly by Oxford University. So what has this to do with homes/shops & schools in Oxford really?

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pandapops says...
10:53am Sun 13 May 12

Begbroke Science Park is not new and has been there since 1999.The entrance has just been diverted away from Sandy lane/Kidlington and onto the A44 which makes much more sense. This was funded by Oxford University. So what has this to do with homes/shops & schools in Oxford really?

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Oxford taxpayer says...
1:41pm Sun 13 May 12

I understand that there was a backlash against the coalition, however, are people so rich here that they want a high spending council that will no doubt increase our council tax instead of cutting back on excess spending?

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Bartsimpson_uk says...
2:39pm Sun 13 May 12

New council homes are needed. Remember it was the Thatcher Tory Toffs that sold of council homes but refused to allow the councils to use the money to build new ones, thats why there is a shortage of council homes now and thousands on the waiting list. At last Labour has started to reverse this.

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xjohnx says...
5:28pm Sun 13 May 12

1200 new homes!
Sounds like another Blackbird Leys.
Some money spent on proper design would help. We don't need another national crime statistic like the present development.

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LORD PETER MACVEY 0X2 6EG says...
5:53pm Sun 13 May 12

Oxford taxpayer wrote:
I understand that there was a backlash against the coalition, however, are people so rich here that they want a high spending council that will no doubt increase our council tax instead of cutting back on excess spending?
Of course we are, with a 2 up 2 down costing £400,000 and the big houses up from me starting at 7 figures what is another grand on the council tax, an extra 5 minutes a day in the office.

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EMBOX1 says...
6:41pm Sun 13 May 12

Labour have had enough time to fix these things in Oxford. No party will be any different. Flip the lot of them.

Party politics has failed. Vote independent, and stuff will get done. No agendas, no party line, just do what is needed in Oxford.

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Lord Palmerstone says...
8:47pm Sun 13 May 12

pandapops wrote:
Begbroke Science Park is not new and has been there since 1999.The entrance has just been diverted away from Sandy lane/Kidlington and onto the A44 which makes much more sense. This was funded mostly by Oxford University. So what has this to do with homes/shops & schools in Oxford really?
It may make much more sense; I have no idea. But, extra traffic lights, enormous expense, when a small slip road was all that was necessary? What it's got to do is grandiose ideas about blowing tax pounds. State/local authority bureaucracy can only damage; it can never be a positive force.

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John Lamb says...
12:38am Mon 14 May 12

Maybe this Labour council are providing homes for the hundreds of thousands of immigrants it encouraged to come here. Should be an interesting place to live.

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John Lamb says...
12:46am Mon 14 May 12

Lord Palmerstone wrote:
pandapops wrote:
Begbroke Science Park is not new and has been there since 1999.The entrance has just been diverted away from Sandy lane/Kidlington and onto the A44 which makes much more sense. This was funded mostly by Oxford University. So what has this to do with homes/shops & schools in Oxford really?
It may make much more sense; I have no idea. But, extra traffic lights, enormous expense, when a small slip road was all that was necessary? What it's got to do is grandiose ideas about blowing tax pounds. State/local authority bureaucracy can only damage; it can never be a positive force.
Anything that slows down the speed-freaks on that stretch of road is more than welcome. I think some drivers think because it's near an airport, if they go fast enough, they can actually take off.

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Lord Palmerstone says...
8:49am Mon 14 May 12

Spoken like a true councillor Mr. Lamb. Why not go one better and close the A44 altogether, and a heap of other roads? No "speed freaks", no infrastructure, no economy-socialist heaven.

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CLLR KEN TIWARI says...
1:33pm Mon 14 May 12

I wonder what happen to the Money from sale of the Council Home's (some £ 55million+ in the housing Kitty- then in 1998)- ?

Cllr Ken Tiwari (parish-of-R&S/Oxfor
d ).

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LORD PETER MACVEY 0X2 6EG says...
3:46pm Mon 14 May 12

CLLR KEN TIWARI wrote:
I wonder what happen to the Money from sale of the Council Home's (some £ 55million+ in the housing Kitty- then in 1998)- ?

Cllr Ken Tiwari (parish-of-R&S/O
xfor
d ).
It was a lot of money wasted, and the fact that it couldn't be spent on new house building showed the contempt that Thatcher had for the working class. But at least it won't be too long till we can celebrate.

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