THE Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership will be consulting on a revised Local Economic Plan for the County later this year.

Unfortunately, it appears that the intention is only to ‘refresh’ the plan rather than ‘rewrite’ it. This is wholly inadequate since basic assumptions in this plan are incorrect.

For example on housing, it envisages 100,000 new homes in Oxfordshire 2013-2031.

However, if the rate of housing completions 2004-2013 continues, then only 37,000 units will be completed. As regards employment, assumptions about job growth in Oxfordshire have been used to obtain the 100,000 target figure for new homes.

But Oxfordshire has some of the highest home prices and rents in the country, meaning that employment expansion will mean traffic expansion as people travel from places outside Oxfordshire to access jobs in Oxfordshire. But more seriously, the deliberate attrition of public spending means that the growth of housing, where it does occur, will not be accompanied by adequate numbers of schools, GP practices, community facilities, social services or hospital facilities.

In short, there is a comprehensive failure on the part of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership to provide reasonable or realistic plans.

Its £100million a year would be better given to local councils and it should be spent in a way that is fully transparent and accountable. Austerity must end so that we can have effective local government and public services.

Please sign the petition to make LEPs fully accountable at change.org/p/greg-clark-mp-the-secretary-of-state-for-communities-and-local-government-make-local-enterprise-partnerships-accountable-to-the-public

Dr HAZEL DAWE
Oxfordshire Green Party
Bulan Road, Oxford