The government has announced the appointment of Neale Coleman as chair of the Oxford Growth Commission, the group tasked with accelerating plans for new housing, jobs and infrastructure across the city.

The new group will play a vital role in delivering the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, improving transport links alongside boosting energy and water security

Coleman has a track record in delivering growth and regeneration, including his work for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London and the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The commission forms part of wider government plans to deliver the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor that will inject up to £78bn into the UK economy by 2035, including new investment for the Abingdon Reservoir and funding for East-West Rail to deliver new services between Oxford and Milton Keynes. 

Its plans include helping to unblock sites already identified for development, assessing areas of potential investment, and bringing councils and developers to the table so they can assemble land faster for major infrastructure projects.

Chair of the Oxford Growth Commission, Neale Coleman, said he was “delighted to take on the role, adding: “The Commission brings together national government with partners from business, higher education and local government. 

“Together we can provide new and united leadership in accelerating growth and opportunity and improving the quality of life for everyone who lives in Oxford and the surrounding areas. Oxford starts with amazing resources in the world-leading quality of its universities, the talents of its people and its innovative businesses.  

“We can use all this as a springboard to accelerate and unblock barriers to sustainable growth delivering new job opportunities and more affordable housing as well as investing in sustainable travel and energy and nature recovery.”

The new group will deliver growth objectives through five initial workstreams and their focus in Oxford and the surrounding areas include: 

• Facilitating the delivery of priority transport infrastructure, such as buses and rail, and ensuring investment in new projects is aligned to areas under development. 
• Addressing utilities constraints, including the capacity of sewage treatment facilities, water and energy to dismantle barriers holding up new homes and jobs. 
• Identifying a pipeline of priority housing projects that includes more affordable homes, amenities and green spaces. 
• Working in partnership with the universities to encourage more private investment in skills and talent to boost local employment. 
• Piloting new investment models to unlock the financing and funding needed to accelerate infrastructure projects. 

To drive growth across the region, the commission will work closely with Lord Vallance as Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor Champion as well as Peter Freeman as chair of the Cambridge Growth Company.