• Availability of affordable housing
• Increasing congestion on roads and rail
A deteriorating public transport infrastructure
• Increasing costs for businesses coupled with reducing economic activity leading to increased pressure on margins
• The problems created by the increasing levels of business crime
• The proposed changes in the planning system are creating uncertainty and making it difficult for businesses to plan ahead
• The development of other town centres has increased the competition for retailers in Oxford whilst little has been done to develop the city’s attractiveness as a shopping centre
• With a significant rural business base, Oxfordshire is very badly served in its IT infrastructure
• In common with the rest of the country, Oxfordshire businesses suffer from the increasing level of costs coming from Central Government. The large number of small and start up businesses in the county carry more than their fair share of this burden

• Sustainable economic development is at the core of the Chamber's policy. Whilst Oxfordshire currently has a strong economy, there is no room for complacency or in relaxing the emphasis on growth since it provides the wealth to support other objectives. The Chamber has lobbied against the policy of employment restraint, which features in both the county and Oxford city economic development plans. It has asked for it to be scrapped. It holds regular meetings with economic development officers from each of the five district councils and the county council to press the business case for economic development.
• Oxfordshire has a mainly rural economy, but has significant areas of transport congestion. With cut backs in investment by the Strategic Rail Authority, the Chamber sees little option but to press for road improvement. This must be linked to improved parking facilities at the end of journeys.
• In the absence of investment in the rail infrastructure, the bus is a key element in the support of the rural economy and in access to town and city centres. The Chamber fully supports the improvement of bus services and, in principle, the development of the GTE in Oxford and its environs.
• With public transport in its current state, the Chamber sees no justification for congestion charging, taxation of workplace parking or road tolling. These are seen as taxes on business and the Chamber will continue to oppose them.
• The Oxfordshire economy has a thriving tourism sector centred in Oxford but which is spreading throughout the county. The Chamber will actively support efforts to enhance the tourist industry.
• The continued development of ITC and the further shift towards a knowledge-based economy is of particular importance to the whole of Oxfordshire and not just to the areas of hi-tech development around Oxford and the universities. The availability of broadband and accessibility of the Internet is vital in the development of rural based business and hence the transport infrastructure. The Chamber will push for the widest possible access to broadband and will support the county council in looking at ways to make its major investment in broadband available to the wider business community.
• The implementation of central government policy continues to increase business red tape. The costs of red tape and the introduction of increased employers' national insurance contributions are but two of the ways in which this is happening. The Oxfordshire Chamber will work with other Chambers in the Thames Valley Group and the British Chambers of Commerce to lobby government to reduce these costs. Schemes from government think tanks will be monitored to make sure they do not add to costs.
• The revenue from business rates in the county does not come back in the local settlement grant from central government. This is diverting substantial amounts from local authorities in the South East to other regions in the North. This puts further pressure on council taxes in Oxfordshire and thus onto the labour market. The Chamber will lobby to make sure that the county is more equitably treated.
• There has been a great deal of investment in town and city centres around the Oxfordshire borders to make them more attractive to shoppers. Oxfordshire has lagged behind. The Chamber, in conjunction with the local town chambers, will press for improvements in all the shopping centres in the county to make them competitive.
• The small retail business is disappearing from our city centres with the increase in rents and other tenancy impositions. The Chamber will lobby for ways of encouraging and supporting greater diversity in retail services in the county.
• The Chamber will continue to voice the views of local business in the development of Local Structure Plans across the county and will press for them to be business friendly.
• The Chamber will work with the local Business Link, Enterprise Agencies and Learning and Skills Council to ensure they provide support and services to the local business community which are appropriate in both quality and content.
• Crime has a major impact on the business community. The Chamber is committed to work with the police service and local authorities in a drive to reduce crime both directly and through the education of businesses on how it can be prevented.
• Successive governments have taken an increasing proportion of GDP in taxation to support growing public expenditure. The Chamber believes that the proportion of GDP taken in tax of all types is too high and will continue to campaign for its reduction.

1. On planning, to ensure that the new Oxfordshire Structure Plan, each district council’s Local Plan, and their attitude to economic development supports the continuing growth of the county’s economy and is friendly to the business community. The Chamber is actively lobbying councillors and council officers on these issues and continues to make significant progress in winning support for the business case.
2. On housing, to encourage all those involved to make 2006 a year where real progress is made in tackling Oxfordshire’s housing shortage for the benefit of business and those who live or need to live in the county. The Chamber will continue to press the case for Oxford to take a greater share of new house build in the county. Through its new Property Group, the Chamber will establish an evidence-based case on the proportion of affordable housing that is appropriate for new developments and lobby to have that case accepted by local councils.
3. On communications, to work towards the faster implementation of broadband across the county. Through contacts with councillors, potential supplier companies and others, the Chamber continues to work hard to persuade all those involved to speed the process towards broadband being available to all.
4. On economic development, to lobby for co-ordinated progress on the redevelopment of the ‘West End’ of Oxford city centre including the redevelopment of the Westgate Centre and the relocation of the rail station. The Chamber is a strong supporter of development in this part of the City of Oxford and has registered its support with the developers in each case. It is also a board member of the new Oxford City Centre Management Company, OX1, which is delivering improvements in the city.
5. On transport, to press for further improvements to Oxford’s Park & Ride sites including the implementation of single ticketing and the extension of the terminal building model, developed at Water Eaton, to the other four existing sites. To continue to press for changes to improve the flow of traffic on the A40 between Oxford and West Oxfordshire.
   

OWNERSHIP

The Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce Council produces this document. Liz Sale, as President of the Council, leads the local campaigns and is supported by the following counci members

LAST UPDATED: April 2006