New data provided by MRI Software shows pedestrian numbers in Queen Street increased by one per cent during the four months after Oxford’s temporary congestion charge was introduced, compared to the same period the previous year.

Oxfordshire County Council is publishing monthly data to help monitor Oxford’s temporary congestion charge. Footfall and spend figures are not currently being published due to challenges with available data, but this new source of data provides a snapshot in one area of the city.

The county council’s temporary congestion charge is at points on six roads in Oxford and was introduced on 29 October. It is designed to reduce traffic in the city while Botley Road remains closed, and the start of the council’s traffic filter trial is delayed.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “It’s reassuring to see that from the limited footfall data we now have, the Queen Street figures are positive, particularly in comparison with other town and city centres which have seen some decline, according to the same data provider. It gives an indication that Oxford city centre remains an attractive and thriving destination for shopping and leisure.

“This small increase may be a result of many factors, and we cannot attribute it to the temporary congestion charge. It’s still too early to draw any firm conclusions about data trends and the data we’re collecting will help us build a picture over time of how the temporary charge is working.

“We’re working hard to secure more detailed footfall and consumer spending data for locations across Oxford, but there have been some frustrating challenges sourcing this data.”

Monitoring data for the scheme is now published for November, December and January, with some data sets not yet available. Footfall and spend figures are not published while anomalies are being investigated and will be added as soon as they are available. Travel patterns and external factors will continue to change. The data that is being collected will build a picture over time of how the scheme is working and highlight any issues the council may need to address.

Notes

About footfall and spend data

The county council undertook to publish monthly monitoring data in relation to the temporary congestion charge. A key part of this data set is monitoring footfall and consumer spending. For this, the council engaged a new external supplier, Huq Industries.

Huq provides footfall and consumer spend data for over 90 UK local authorities and business improvement districts, as well as over 300 global brands and retailers across three continents. Huq’s current and historic data is available for any location in Oxfordshire, as it does not rely on physical on-street equipment.

Footfall data for November was provided by Huq and published in December. Through comparisons with other data sources, which only became available in January, a number of anomalies were identified which could not be explained. The data was published in good faith and as soon as the anomalies became apparent the data was removed, so as not to be misleading. Huq has identified the cause of the issue and are working to correct it. The county council’s decision to pause its use of the Huq data for now does not affect the data itself, nor what is or will be available. Huq continues to collect and hold the data regardless of whether the council is currently using it, so there’s no interruption in data collection. As soon as the data is available and validated, it will be published.

A representative from Huq explained:

“We identified that a rebalancing of the dataset implemented mid-last year had an unintended impact on very densely populated areas. This resulted in certain locations showing inflated figures compared to expected real-world levels.

“To address this properly, rather than apply a surface-level correction, we have signed a new agreement with an additional data provider. This will effectively double our panel size and increase our raw data points by approximately 3x. The goal is to materially strengthen the underlying data set so the modelling has a larger and more stable base to work from, improving robustness, consistency, and reliability moving forward.

“The engineering team already has access to the new data and is finalising the last validation and modelling checks. We will incorporate this into our core methodology early next week and we expect this update to bring late-2025 footfall levels more closely in line with real-world activity.”

In the meantime, the council has procured pedestrian data from another supplier (MRI Software). MRI data is used by over 200 UK local authorities and widely used in the retail and estate management sectors.

Unlike Huq, MRI uses physical on-street equipment to count pedestrians, so before and after data is only available for locations where a counter has been installed for some time. Queen Street in Oxford city centre is the only public location in Oxfordshire with an MRI monitor.

The MRI data shows that pedestrian numbers in Queen Street increased by 1 percent during the period November 2025 to February 2026, compared to the same period the previous year. Meanwhile the corresponding figure for all UK high streets indicates a decline in footfall of just over 1.5 percent. This data will be published on the council’s website as part of the February update, towards the end of March.

The council is currently investigating using other sources of data, such as Vivacity Labs and Telraam counters that are already in place in several locations around the city. However, both technologies are very sensitive to lighting conditions, meaning reliable, comparable data may only be available during daylight hours, providing only a partial picture of trends.

Consumer spend data is currently being verified, including making comparisons with other data sources before being published.

Residents or businesses with comments or concerns about the congestion charge can email ccharge@oxfordshire.gov.uk

About the temporary congestion charge

A charge of £5 per day is payable to drive a car without a permit through the six congestion charge locations. Cars with permits and all other vehicles can go through the temporary congestion charge locations for free.

There are permit types available that allow free travel through the congestion charge points. Permit applications covering different circumstances can be made from the county council website, including for residents, traders, carers and blue badge holders. To find out about different permits and exemptions, visit the congestion charge website.

Those driving in a car without a permit can pay the congestion charge online by midnight on the day after driving through one of the six charge locations – no account is needed. There is also an option to pay by phone.

Locations and operating times:

· Hythe Bridge Street, St Cross Road, St Clement’s Street and Thames Street - Monday to Sunday - 7am to 7pm

The scheme will remain in place until the traffic filters trial is introduced, once Botley Road reopens, expected to be August 2026.

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Oxfordshire has been snubbed in the newly released Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide for 2026 as the list doesn't include a single place in the county.

The newly released guide crowns a regional winner and an overall best place to live in England every year, and gives honourable mentions to other places across the country to 'showcase the best of Britain'.

This year, Norwich in Norfolk was named the overall national winner while Linfield in West Sussex has been named the best place to live in the south east.

Judges described Linfield as a 'beautiful village' with a 'useful and aspirational' high street, good schools, smart shops, amenities and connections and features to appease 'romantic souls'.

A total of 10 other locations in the south east are featured in the 'comprehensive' guide - but not one of them falls within the Oxfordshire border.

This is despite last year's list naming Thame in South Oxfordshire one of the best places to live in the south east, and East Oxford getting a glowing review in its list entry in 2023.

Helen Davies, Sunday Times editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: “This guide is a great opportunity to highlight the best places in Britain.

"It is full of places that show that our village, town and city centres can still be full of life, as well as places bursting with natural beauty, culture, connectivity and most importantly a sense of community.

"Our expert team of judges visit every location on the list and talk to the locals to find out what they love about the place they live.

"One thing all our chosen locations have in common is that the people who live in them are proud to call them home."

South east locations which were mentioned include Amersham, Caversham, Cookham and Milton Keynes. Find the full list at: https://www.thetimes/com/best-places-to-live.

Work is being carried out at a "tired" Oxford’s bus and coach station aimed at improving the situation for passengers.

Councils are investing £150,000 in the Gloucester Green station to improve and refresh the Oxford city centre spot.

Following a review of the coach station in 2023, several interventions were identified.

Improvements will include new signage, real time passenger information showing arrival and departure times, new noticeboards, anti-pigeon measures, decluttering, a commercial bin store, repainting, a deep clean of all areas, new larger planters in key areas and bespoke and accessible seating.

Oxfordshire County Council, in partnership with Oxford City Council and its service provider ODS, is investing the money from the bus service improvement plan (BSIP) funding provided by the government.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for transport management, said: “Gloucester Green coach station dates from 1989 and it has developed a tired appearance over time.

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"It is certainly not an attractive gateway for local, national and international visitors to Oxford.

“To realise its full potential would require substantial investment and a complete redevelopment, and this remains a long-term ambition.

"However, in the shorter term, we’re delighted that we are able to carry out a series of measures that will improve the environment for everyone that uses it.”

Councillor Anna Railton, Oxford City Council’s cabinet member for zero carbon Oxford, said: “Gloucester Green bus station is often the first impression someone has arriving in our wonderful city, so I am very pleased with these plans to refresh and enhance it.

"I very much welcome this and the long-term plans for improving the space.”

The partners are working with Oxfordshire based suppliers and contractors on the project.

Oxfordshire County Council and the local bus operators that make up the Oxfordshire Bus Enhanced Partnership were awarded more than £10 million last July to fund the proposed measures in the BSIP.

Oxford City Council has published its business plan for 2026/27, setting out a wide-ranging programme that includes building more homes, improving standards in the private rented sector and completing the Local Plan 2045.

The plan, which will be discussed by Cabinet on 18 March, outlines the council’s priorities for the coming financial year as well as progress made over the past 12 months.

It also comes against the backdrop of major structural change in local government, with Oxford City Council due to be abolished in 2028 as part of the government’s proposed reorganisation of councils in Oxfordshire.

Homes and housing remain central

A major focus of the plan is housing.

The council says it remains on track to deliver 1,571 new homes between 2025 and 2029, against a target of 1,600. More than 1,000 of those homes are expected to be council homes, exceeding an original target of 850.

For the year ahead, the authority says it will continue work towards the 1,600-home target and provide more temporary accommodation for people at risk of homelessness.

It says it prevented 200 households from becoming homeless in 2025/26 and expanded temporary housing stock to support those who might otherwise have had nowhere to stay.

New focus on rental standards

The business plan also points to a stronger role in improving standards in the private rented sector.

The council says it will enforce the Renters’ Rights Act to improve the condition of privately rented homes in Oxford, where high rents and limited supply continue to place pressure on tenants.

For council tenants, the authority says it will work to meet the Regulator of Social Housing’s new consumer standards and continue improving the energy efficiency of its housing stock.

That includes making further progress towards a target of 95% of council homes reaching EPC C by 2030.

Local Plan 2045 to shape Oxford’s future

One of the most important planning documents for the city is also due to move forward this year.

The council says it aims to complete the Local Plan 2045, which will guide where homes, jobs and infrastructure are delivered in Oxford over the next two decades.

That document is expected to play a central role in shaping future growth, particularly as pressure continues on land, housing and transport across the city.

Major projects highlighted

Among the council’s other priorities for 2026/27 are several major infrastructure and regeneration projects.

These include:

What the council says it has achieved

The council’s report also highlights a number of achievements from the current financial year.

These include:

The authority also says it developed a range of new policies over the year, including action plans, anti-social behaviour measures and updated tenancy strategies.

Council preparing for abolition in 2028

The business plan is one of the clearest signals yet of how Oxford City Council intends to operate in the years immediately before local government is reorganised.

At present, Oxford has a two-tier system, with city and county councils responsible for different services. The government plans to replace that structure with new unitary councils from 2028.

A public consultation is currently under way on proposals covering Oxfordshire and West Berkshire.

Council leader Susan Brown said the authority still had major work to do before the current system ends.

She said: “Oxford City Council, as it is currently, won’t exist from 2028. However, we still need to continue our important work supporting local residents and businesses.

“We’ve achieved a lot over the last 12 months, but we have an even bigger year ahead of us, including building new homes, completing the Local Plan, and supporting the Pride in Place Programme in Blackbird Leys.”

What happens next

The 2026/27 business plan will go before Cabinet on 18 March.

If agreed, it will form the basis of the council’s work programme for the coming year, alongside its already approved budget and medium-term financial plan.

For residents, the document provides a broad guide to where the council says it will focus its efforts during one of its final full years before reorganisation.

Oxford City Council is preparing to take steps to unlock the long-delayed redevelopment of the Jericho Wharf site, a prominent waterfront location that has remained largely derelict for nearly two decades.

A report published on 10 March 2026 proposes that the council seek a new development partner to bring forward the site if the current landowner cannot progress plans that align with local planning policy.

Councillors will be asked to consider the proposals at an upcoming Cabinet meeting.

Long-awaited development

Jericho Wharf sits beside the Oxford Canal in Jericho, close to the city centre, and has long been identified as a key redevelopment opportunity.

Planning permission had previously been granted for development on the site, but that consent has now expired. Despite discussions between the council and the landowner over several years, no progress has been made.

Local residents and community groups, including the , have repeatedly raised concerns about the lack of development and the condition of the site.

The council now says it wants to ensure the area finally delivers the homes, public spaces and community facilities originally promised.

Council exploring new development partner

Under the proposal, the council would begin a procurement process to identify an alternative development partner capable of acquiring the land and delivering a viable scheme.

The approach aims to bring forward a mix of housing, improved public realm and community facilities in line with the Oxford Local Plan.

If Cabinet approves the proposal, the process to select a new development partner is expected to take six to nine months.

During that time, the council will continue discussions with the current landowner and local stakeholders.

Compulsory purchase considered as last resort

As part of the strategy, councillors will also consider whether the council should prepare to use Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers to acquire the site if it cannot be obtained through agreement.

The report makes clear that a CPO would only be pursued as a last resort, and only if all legal requirements can be met.

An existing £200,000 capital budget has been allocated to support initial work, including procurement and preparatory steps. Any further costs associated with a potential CPO would be expected to be recovered from a future development partner.

Council response

Councillor Ed Turner, Deputy Leader (Statutory) and Cabinet Member for Finance and Asset Management, said the community had been waiting too long for progress.

He said: “The local community has waited far too long for progress at Jericho Wharf, so we’re exploring ways to make sure the site finally delivers the homes and community facilities they were promised.

“We continue to engage with the landowner but, failing any progress there, we should also look for a new partner who can make this happen.

“The use of CPO powers would only ever be a last resort, and only if all legal tests are fully met, but all options have to be on the table, as the current situation is not acceptable and has gone on for far too long.”

What happens next

If the Cabinet approves the proposals, the council will begin the process of identifying a development partner while continuing negotiations with the landowner.

Should compulsory purchase become necessary, a further report would be brought back to Cabinet outlining the legal case before any formal action is taken.

For residents in Jericho, the move signals a renewed attempt to finally bring one of Oxford’s most talked-about stalled sites back into development.