Global City plans 'unrealistic'

Council's plans to turn Oxford into a 'Global City' will exacerbate social and environmental problems say Greens

Plans set out in the City Council's draft Oxford Economic Strategy (consultation on which ends on 19^th January 2022) that focus on turning Oxford into a 'Global City' on a par with places such as London, Paris and Rome are unrealistic say the Greens and will only make existing social problems worse and make it more challenging to meet its zero carbon goal.

Says City Green Group Leader Cllr Chris Jarvis,

“Oxford simply doesn’t have the size, economic power, land, connectivity or housing to compete with currently recognised global cities such as London, Paris and Rome. It seems that the Labour-run Council behind this Strategy are on some sort of growth-obsessed ego trip that can only end badly for the people of Oxford.”

“We are the most unequal City in the UK. We have the least affordable housing, 1 in 10 households is experiencing food poverty and 29% of children are living in poverty. 10% of residents earn below the national living wage.” 

“We need a more inward looking economic strategy that focuses on fixing these very real problems within the context of addressing the climate and ecological emergency. Instead we have an outward focused Economic Strategy that will simply lead to more of the same.”

The Greens have submitted a comprehensive response to the consultation on the draft Economic Strategy.