Greater Oxford
Greater Oxford Council
Greater Oxford Council will cover Oxford and the area known as its “Green Belt” surrounding it.
Greater Oxford population
| Population today | 240,000 |
| Population in 2040 | 345,000 |
By 2040, Greater Oxford would have a population larger than 23 of London’s 33 boroughs (including the City of London).
Benefits to Greater Oxford
- Only having one council to contact for all services
- Tailored services to the needs of the more urban Greater Oxford
- Enabling 40,000 homes – including 16,000 social and affordable homes – to be built within Greater Oxford by 2040
- By focusing growth within Greater Oxford, creating 218,000 jobs and generating £168.8bn for the UK economy by 2050
- Giving local residents more control over Oxford’s transport for the first time in 50 years
- Savings of £47m a year across Oxfordshire and West Berkshire by cutting duplication and merging services
- Giving Greater Oxford its own seat on the Thames Valley Mayoral Strategic Authority
Oxford’s Green Belt
The Greater Oxford boundary closely follows the line of Oxford’s Green Belt.
Currently, almost all of Oxford’s Green Belt – which was created in 1975 – sits outside the city’s administrative boundaries.
And, because Oxford has built up to its boundaries and has largely run out of space, new homes for the city are often built in towns and villages across Oxfordshire.
By moving the Green Belt within the Greater Oxford boundaries, high-density homes could be built near to existing jobs, transport networks and communities.
This would mean Greater Oxford could meet its housing need within its boundaries.
The three-council proposal would see 40,000 homes – including 16,000 social and affordable homes – built within Greater Oxford by 2040.
This would use 2.6% of Oxford’s 35,000-hectare Green Belt, while also protecting rural Oxfordshire from overdevelopment and sprawling towns and villages.
More on each council
Greater Oxford is one of three new unitary councils we propose, which can each support each area in its own way. Read about each of the three:
Public consultation
The government has launched a consultation on the future of local government in Oxfordshire and West Berkshire.