In December, UK Property Forums gathered the leading lights of the Oxfordshire regeneration sector at Oxford Town Hall for a critical roundtable discussion on ‘Shaping the Future’. With the Oxford Growth Commission having just published its interim report, the message from the room was clear; Oxford is no longer just a historic city, it is a ‘global, super-ecosystem’ waiting to happen.
“I think we are moving from a regional shire university town into this global super ecosystem where we will see fantastic things happening.” Richard Venables, CBRE
However, as Sladen’s managing director Rachel Wood noted during the debate, the transition from vision to reality requires more than just high-level policy – but radical increase in the pace of delivery.
A year since our previous roundtable on unicorn businesses, much has changed in Oxford. Over the past 12 months, we have seen:
· The influence of the Oxfordshire Growth Commission
· The launch of Equinox to provide a single voice for investment
· Major progress on the Cowley Brand Line and the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT)
However, building on this progress is key to taking the region to the next level, with the roundtable, chaired by Matthew Battle, bringing infrastructure, community engagement, investment capital and collaboration between private a public sector, into the discussion.
While the vision is expansive, the room was united on the need to move from thinking to digging. Neale Coleman CBE, chair of the Oxford Growth Commission (OGC), spoke frankly about the current speed of development, highlighting the 18-month delay for a simple section 106 agreement at Begbroke.
“We need to act, particularly from the local authority perspective and the regulator’s perspective, with much more pace and speed. Everything is far too slow.”
The discussion highlighted that for developers and investors, the ‘catastrophe’ of delays – such as the Botley Road closure – eats into the capital required for high-quality infrastructure.
Rachel Wood emphasised that while conversations are happening, the impact must reach ‘working level’. Local authorities need the resources to ensure that high-level strategy trickles down into faster planning outcomes.
Perhaps the most pivotal talking point was the need for a ‘bottom-up’ approach. For growth to be sustainable, it must benefit the entire community, from lab technicians to teachers. Underpinning this is a clear communication challenge; residents need to better understand how regeneration benefits them directly, not just the city’s global reputation or investment profile.
CBRE’s Richard Venables captured the sentiment perfectly: “Without kitchen staff and cleaners, without bus drivers, without teachers, we’re never going to be able to advance our society or economy.”
Tackling regeneration should not be centred around ‘lab-enabled’ buildings, but rather meeting the demand for affordable housing that supports essential workers, enhancing educational aspirations at local schools such as Oxford Academy and clearer communication that helps to dispel the myth that Oxford is becoming a ‘closed’ university campus.
Few issues united the room more than the condition of Oxford railway station. Delegates described is as a poor and outdated gateway for a world-class city, with delays to the reopening of Botley Road compounding frustration for residents, businesses and visitors alike.
Beyond its day-to-day disruption, the station was seen as a critical catalyst for wider regenation in the West End. Without urgent action and coordinated delivery, speakers warned that Oxford risks undermining investor confidence and missing a major opportunity to reset perceptions of the city.
The roundtable didn’t shy away from the difficult economic climate. While Oxford has two million square foot of space coming through, the lifeblood of venture capital funding has slowed.
Rachel Wood noted that the investment market remains cautious: “Interest rates are high and they [investors] are just not committing – that is across all sectors.” The challenge for the next 12 months is translating latent demand into landed projects.
The consensus? Oxford is the envy of almost every city outside London, but it is at a crossroads. To succeed, it needs to act as ‘one Oxfordshire’, bridging the gap between its world-class innovation and its local infrastructure. While the vision spans the next 10 to 50
years, the action must be immediate. A recurring theme was the need for single, coherant entry point for investors, businesses and partners navigating the Oxford and Oxfordshire landscape. As Olga Kozlava summarised: “For some time, we have lacked a single voice, a single vision…The reason for creating Equinox is to bring everybody together.”
As the session concluded, the focused returned to the Oxford railway station – as a ‘disgraceful’ first impression for a world-class city, its redevelopment remains both a symbolic and practical key to unlocking Oxford’s long-term future – improving connectivity, accelerating delivery, restoring public confidence and strengthening Oxford’s offer to global investors.
Sladen Estates remains committed to delivering high-quality, sustainable spaces that support Oxfordshire’s growth while addressing the practical challenges of delivery. To discuss our current projects in the region, contact: 01773 515430
