Oxford City Council Corporate PlanAnnual Statement 2018/19Building a world-class city for everyone

Oxford City Council Corporate Plan Annual Statement 2018/19

Building a world-class city for everyone

Contents

Introduction  3

A Vibrant and Sustainable Economy  4

Meeting Housing Needs  5

Strong and Active Communities  6

A Clean and Green Oxford  7

An Efficient and Effective Council  8

2 Find out more: www.oxford.gov.uk/policy

Our Corporate Plan for 2016–2020 sets out theCity Council’s vision for our city and for the quality of lifeof its residents, and our plans for how we will achieveour objectives in the five key priority areas:

� A Vibrant and Sustainable Economy

� Meeting Housing Needs

� Strong and Active Communities

� A Clean and Green Oxford

� An Efficient and Effective Council

This annual statement describes the achievements of thepast year in each of these areas of activity, and identifieswhere we will focus our priorities for 2019–2020. 

3Find out more: www.oxford.gov.uk/policy

Universal Credit – and the shredding of mental health and socialcare services.

Over the past year we spent £1.6 million on preventionprogrammes like Trailblazer, which provides early interventionfor those at risk of homelessness, and on increasing Oxford’swinter bed space for rough sleepers. Our vision is that nobodyshould have to sleep rough in Oxford. 

Another priority for the Council is to foster socially cohesive andactive healthy communities across the city. Great leisure andcommunity facilities are key to that, along with our wonderfulparks and hugely popular cultural events. I’m pleased that overthe year we saw 250,000 more visits to our leisure centres and an11 per cent increase in the use of Council-run communitycentres. In part, this reflects broadened provision, for examplethe launch of the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit at Rose HillCommunity Centre. 

This year I look forward to the ribbon cutting on our new £4.9million Sports Park on Horspath Road, including football, cricketand softball pitches, practice areas and a pavilion.

Another success was the Public Spaces Drugs Taskforce,launched in partnership with Thames Valley Police, OxfordshireCounty Council and the substance addictions charity TurningPoint as a direct response to rising concerns from residentsabout the amount of drug dealing and drug use taking place inpublic spaces. Over its first six months alone the Taskforce sawmore than 250 arrests and 12 interventions to protect peoplebeing ‘cuckooed’ – where drug dealers take over a vulnerableperson’s home to run their operations.

Maintaining efficient and effective services is important for themany people in Oxford that rely on them. While the Governmentgrant has now been cut to zero, we are working hard to generatenew sources of income from Oxford Direct Services (ODS) ourwholly-owned business that delivers waste collection, streetcleansing and highways maintenance to households, but also

While we are all living in extraordinary times as a nation, I’mpleased that the past year has been one of relative stability forOxford and we are in a good place to cope well with thechallenges. We have a great opportunity thanks to ourbusinesses, research and innovation, to lead the UK economyand compete with some of the world’s top technology clusters.

We are just at the beginning of the possibilities for majorinvestment in the Oxford to Cambridge Arc. Already, workingwith the other district and county councils in Oxfordshire,we have secured around £500 million of governmentinvestment in infrastructure countywide to develop the homesthat our workforce and local families need as part of theOxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal and linked funding.

Our new Oxford Local Plan 2036, the guiding document for thegrowth and development of Oxford over the years ahead,should also make it easier for developers to bring new homesforward. 

Work has already started on 53 additional affordable homes inRose Hill and Headington, many of which will be socially rented.Meanwhile, £18 million of footpath, cycleway, rail and roadimprovements are underway – including feasibility work onopening the Cowley Branch Line that will connect southeastOxford to the city centre. There is also funding for a new primaryschool in Barton.

Most people would agree that housing is a priority for the city.We are stepping up the Council’s own building programme,with our wholly-owned housing company to bring forwardmore than 600 units over the next two years.

We have also taken a leadership role in helping thosethreatened by homelessness or pushed into rough sleeping as aresult of the Government’s austerity programme. This is anational crisis born in Whitehall and Downing Street, which issadly all too obvious on the streets of Oxford. The rise in streethomelessness has been fuelled by welfare reform – in particular,

IntroductionLeader of the Council, Councillor Susan Brown

sells its services to businesses and other organisations, thusraising money we can invest back into public services for thepeople of Oxford.

Of course, Oxford is not wholly immune to national trends andas retail vacancy rates rise across the UK, Oxford too has seen theimpact of changing shopping habits, with an increase in thenumber of empty shops. 

In response, we are working with other major Oxford retailproperty owners to identify steps that can be taken to addressthe situation.  We established the Oxford City Centre Taskforce –which includes city centre businesses, local authorities andlandlords – to work in partnership to develop the city centre andincrease economic prosperity.  We are also working tostrengthen our local economy through expanding the numberof employers paying the Living Wage, or the higher OxfordLiving Wage. 

We’ve made huge progress with our work to ensure asustainable city. Working with the bus companies and securingsignificant Government funding for retrofitting cleaner engines,we saw a sharp drop in nitrogen dioxide emissions across thecity centre. We will continue our work with Oxfordshire CountyCouncil to see the introduction of a zero emissions zone in thecity centre next year. 

We’ve secured more than £80 million of funding to trial theworld’s largest hybrid energy storage system – essentially agiant battery – and a smart grid, to support electric vehiclecharging and low-carbon heat networking.   And, to help guideour action to address the climate emergency, Oxford hasbecome the first city in the UK to set up a Citizens Assembly tolook at what the council should be doing to tackle climatechange, and accelerate the push to net-zero carbon. We will betaking advantage of the great expertise we have on our owndoorstep to help us with the answers.

4 Find out more: www.oxford.gov.uk/policy

� Publish a refreshed Oxford Economic GrowthStrategy that will set out a range of economicinitiatives and interventions to safeguard thecontinued economic success of the city aswell as ensuring this is delivered in aninclusive and sustainable manner.

� Publish the Oxford Local Plan 2036. ThePlanning Inspectorate will examine the planin 2019 with a view to adoption in early 2020.

� Progress Oxford Station redevelopmentplans, working closely with Network Rail andpartners. This will involve station works,bridge works, additional tracks, as well as thewider commercial development andtransport interchange proposals.  

� Develop Blackbird Leys masterplan inconsultation with local people for new shopsand affordable homes.

� Develop a Vision for Oxford’s City Centre toguide the Council’s policies and support ourambition that it is a world class, attractive andvibrant centre for culture, retail, commerce,learning and leisure.

� Take forward our capital investmentprogramme to develop, for example,Seacourt Park & Ride and East OxfordCommunity Centre.

� Work with traders in the Covered Market toincrease footfall and awareness so itcontinues to be a sustainable and vibrantplace to trade.

� The Council’s digital technology partnershipSmart Oxford will provide co-working spacewith support and mentors for ten to twentydigital technology start-ups to deliver appsand solutions to support health andwellbeing.

1� Achieved near £12 million in rental incomeand raised £15 million from sales of property,including the disposal of Temple Cowley Pooland land at Oxpens. 

� Acting as custodian of the Covered Market onbehalf of the residents of Oxford, committedto invest £3.1 million over six years to secureits future and completed the lease renewalprogramme for another 15 years.

� Successfully delivered Phase 1 of the£380,000 European Social Fund (ESF) grantsprogramme that funded community-basedorganisations supporting the mostvulnerable residents to access the job market.

Areas of Focus 2019–2020 � Continue the successful delivery ofOxfordshire Housing and Growth Dealinvestment to provide affordable homes andtransport improvements for residents.

� Continue initiatives with the aim ofencouraging further take up of the OxfordLiving Wage.

Key Achievements for 2018� Successful partnership work to secure theOxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal whichwill deliver £215 million investment inaffordable housing and infrastructureprojects.

� Delivery of first Growth Deal projects inOxford including cycle path improvements,and public consultation on the Oxfordshire2050 Plan.

� Worked with Independent Oxford to create anew incubation space for independent andlocal start-ups in Oxford City Council-ownedproperties. 

� Consulted on the City Centre ConservationArea, which will inform future alterations,development and demolition and ensure thatits character and appearance are not harmed.

� Successful implementation of a communityemployment plan for Westgate and Bartonprojects benefitting 140 people.

� Working with the Living Wage Foundation,launched a living wage initiative for the cityand raised the Oxford Living Wage from £9.69to £10.02 per hour in April 2019.

Corporate Plan Priorities2016–2020Make the case for greater local controland devolution of decisions andinvestment in transport, housing, skills andbusiness growth to meet the needs of oureconomy.

Promote growth and increasedinvestment in enterprise and theknowledge economy. 

Improve infrastructure, public transportand opportunities for walking and cyclingacross the city to reduce congestion, andsupport economic and housing growth.

Deliver effective support to attract newbusinesses and allow local businesses toprosper and grow.

Improve workforce skills to meet localdemand by working with Oxfordshire SkillsBoard to support educational attainment,traineeships, apprenticeships and bettertargeting of funding for skills across thespectrum.

Promote and shape development andunlock land for housing and employmentsites to help meet the needs of the city.

A Vibrant and Sustainable EconomyA smart and entrepreneurial city with a thriving local economy supported by improved infrastructure, training and skills

Success Measures

Amount of employment spacepermitted for development 

Number of jobs created or safeguardedin the city as a result of the Council’sinvestment and leadership

Net annual increase in the number ofbusinesses operating in the city

2018/2019Targets15,000 sqm

1,100

200 

2018/2019 Outcomes

12,750  – Slightly under target due to economicuncertainty 

Achieved over target at  1,272

40 net increase. While the target has not beenmet, this figure suggests more people havebeen choosing to work for an employer asopposed to being self-employed

5Find out more: www.oxford.gov.uk/policy

� Continue joint venture working withGrosvenor Developments Ltd to bringforward up to 885 new homes at Barton Parktogether with a new primary school andsports facilities.  

� Complete the development of a 37-bedroomsupported housing scheme in Cowley.    

� Continue our Trailblazer programme bysecuring additional appropriateaccommodation and early interventionsupport for households who are homeless orat risk of homelessness.  

� Increase homelessness budget by £200,000to £1.7 million a year for services for homelesspeople, and make leisure services availablefor free to homeless pathway clients.

� Provide further support to achieve our aimthat no one needs to sleep rough on ourstreets, including more winter provision andcontinuing our active role in the citywidepartnership to tackle rough sleeping.

� Continue enforcement against roguelandlords, utilising new legal powers toimprove the management of the privaterented sector and to protect and improvetenants’ lives. 

� Renew the Private Sector Housing Policy toreflect the impact of the Additional LicensingScheme for HMOs, and consider whetherfurther property licensing would provide thestep change in standards that is needed toimprove tenants’ lives.

� Implement Premium Council Tax of 100 percent additional tax for properties that havebeen empty for more than two years witheffect from 1 April 2019 to encourage moreempty properties back into use. 

2� Through the Trailblazer initiative,implemented homelessness preventionservices and developed a Champions’Network and Community Navigators thatprovide housing training and peer support toother local services. 

� Expanded the Rent Guarantee Scheme thathelps people access private rentedaccommodation and reduces the demand forsocial rented housing. 

� Continued to improve housing standards forresidents in private rented homes.  Carriedout over 800 investigations into unauthoriseddwellings, served 390 notices on landlords toimprove substandard accommodation, with26 financial penalties totalling £244,000issued to landlords, and two prosecutions.

� Introduced an innovative Housing Assistanceand Disabled Adaptation Policy to increasehelp for elderly and disabled people that isnow used nationally as a best practiceexample. 

Areas of Focus 2019–2020� Work through OCHL and with RegisteredProviders to increase the delivery ofaffordable housing, including social rentedhomes, through Growth Deal funding,with work starting on over 600 units byMarch 2021. 

Key Achievements for 2018� Enabled the delivery of more than 90affordable homes, with 30 social rentedunits built in Barton Park through theCouncil’s housing company Oxford CityHousing Limited (OCHL).  

� Invested an additional £5 million to buyaffordable homes through the NationalHomeless Property Fund. Secured £3.9million through the planning system tobuild further affordable housing.

� Undertook recladding and refurbishment ofthe city’s tower blocks. 

� Developed a new Tenancy Strategy with acommitment to deliver genuinely affordablehousing and rented accommodation letwith Secure (Lifetime) Tenancies.     

� Secured over £1 million from the CentralGovernment Rough Sleeping Initiative Fundthat expanded the number of bedsavailable, provided a hub and additionalsupport services in the city for roughsleepers through winter 2018/19.

� Developed a citywide partnership, OxfordHomeless Movement, to deliver acoordinated and effective response torough sleeping.

Corporate Plan Priorities2016–2020Tackle the city’s housing crisisbypromoting high quality development in thecity and in locations near to Oxford withgood transport links working in partnershipwith developers, universities, businessesand neighbouring District Councils to buildthe homes that Oxford needs.

Build more affordable homes inpartnership with developers, housingassociations, universities and the healthsector to meet the needs of differentincome groups and types of employmentin the city, including those on low incomesand those who are vulnerable.

Improve conditions for private tenantsby actively enforcing standards for privaterented housing and managing the impacton neighbourhoods of Houses in MultipleOccupation (HMOs).

Improve homes for our existing tenants byrefurbishing our properties above nationalstandards, making homes more energyefficient and improving the generalenvironment of our estates.

Tackle homelessness and rough sleepingby securing appropriate accommodationand support for those affected.

Meeting Housing Needs Improving Oxford residents’ access to affordable and high-quality homes in good environments that are close to jobs and facilities

Success Measures

Number of new homes granted permission 

The percentage of HMOs licensed in the city

Limit the use of temporary accommodationto 2015 levels

2018/2019 Targets

400

70%

120

2018/2019 Outcomes

Achieved over target at 452  

Achieved over target at 82%

Achieved, only 84 in temporaryaccommodation

6 Find out more: www.oxford.gov.uk/policy

Areas of Focus 2019–2020� Open a new £4.9 million Sports Park onHorspath Road to feature floodlit 3G footballpitches, grass football pitches, cricket andsoftball pitches, practice areas, a pavilion andchanging rooms.  

� Help shape and support the launch anddelivery of GoodGym Oxford, whichorganises jogging activities and links themwith volunteering opportunities to helpsupport communities and older people inparticular.

� Review the provision and maintenance ofCouncil-managed community centres andcontinue the modernisation of othercommunity centres, focusing on increasingusage and satisfaction levels.  

� Deliver a safe and clean public realm throughengagement and enforcement activities anddeal with the challenges of drug markets inthe city through the Drugs Taskforce.

� Continue to build on ‘Investor in Volunteers’accreditation and maximise the quality andrelevance of our support to the communityand voluntary sector.  

� Raise funds to continue our communitycohesion and integration work until 2020. 

� Conclude and evaluate our £734,000Building Better Opportunities project thataims to engage entrenched NEETs (Not inEducation, Employment or Training). 

� Work with partners on the implementationof countywide strategies including theOxfordshire Health & Wellbeing Strategy andOlder People’s Strategy to meet the needs ofresidents in the city. 

3� Launched ‘MyConcern’ as a new way to recordand monitor safeguarding concerns, identifygaps in knowledge and strengthen our goodpractice. 

� Our Sports and Physical Activity Teamachieved excellent in the QUEST UK Qualityscheme for Active Communities. Also receivednational award of  ‘Highest Achieving ActiveCommunities Team’ in Quest. 

� Won two awards for the Adaptations serviceand the Handyperson scheme and nominatedfor the Chartered Institute of EnvironmentalHealth Heroes award. 

� Increased the number of people whoattended our cultural events, with MayMorning, St Giles Fair, Christmas Lights andDancin’ Oxford reaching over 200,000. Raisedover £220,000 to support culture and eventsin the city. 

� Launched the Public Spaces Drugs Taskforcein partnership with Thames Valley Police,Oxfordshire County Council and Turning Point,to address drug dealing and misuse in the city.

� 2,500 antisocial behaviour and environmentalcases investigated by the CommunityResponse Team and Antisocial BehaviourInvestigation Team. Cases ranged fromenvironmental crimes, noise problems andneighbour disputes. 

Key Achievements for 2018� Launched our Children & Young People’sStrategy and worked with partners to set up apilot Community Impact Zone in East Oxfordto target support for troubled families andchildren in an area of deprivation.  

� Completed the £1 million redevelopment ofBarton Neighbourhood Centre into a healthand community hub that hosts a range ofsupport services for the health needs ofresidents.

� Increased use of Council-managedcommunity centres by 11%.  Broadenedprovision , for example with partnerslaunched the Early Pregnancy AssessmentUnit at Rose Hill Community Centre.

� Created a ‘Springboard’ service, whichsupports new Universal Credit applicantswith claims and budgeting. 

� Supported 30 Syrian refugee families throughthe Government funded Resettlementprogrammes.   

� Supported over 40 refugees and migrants toimprove their English language skills, andfacilitated the volunteering of more than 700hours to their local community, improvingcohesion and integration.  

Corporate Plan Priorities2016–2020Tackle inequality through improvedprosperity and by targeting resources tothose who need most support. 

Provide high quality community andleisure facilities and seek to increaseparticipation in regular physical activity toimprove people’s health and quality of life.

Improve opportunities for young peopleto engage in positive activities and developthe skills and ambition to achieve to thebest of their abilities.

Celebrate diversity and support ourdifferent communities by understandingtheir needs, supporting voluntary andcommunity groups and delivering highquality cultural events and activities.

Promote safe neighbourhoods andtackle anti-social behaviour througheducation and early engagement withproblems, backed by enforcement action ifrequired.

Safeguard and support vulnerablepeople including improving quality of lifefor older people and protecting children,families and adults at risk of exploitation orcrime.

Strong and Active Communities Socially cohesive and safe communities

Success Measures

Resident satisfaction with their area as aplace to live

The number of people taking part in ourYouth Ambition Programme

Increase leisure centre participation  targetgroups

2018/2019 Targets81%

5,700

3% increase

2018/2019 Outcomes

84% achieved in 2017/18. No new data for2018/19

Achieved over target at 6,795  

Target group participation up 4 %   

7Find out more: www.oxford.gov.uk/policy

Oxford City CouncilCorporate Plan Priorities2016–2020Secure a devolution agreement withcentral governmentwhich gives greaterlocal control of decisions and investment intransport, housing, skills and businesssupport to meet the needs of our economy.

Promote new jobs and increasedinvestment in local enterprises and theknowledge economy. 

Improve infrastructure, public transportand opportunities for walking and cyclingacross the city to reduce congestion, andsupport economic and housing growth.

Deliver effective support to attract newbusinesses and allow local businesses toprosper and grow.

Improve workforce skills to meet localdemand by working with Oxfordshire SkillsBoard to support educational attainment,traineeships, apprenticeships and bettertargeting of funding for skills across thespectrum.

Promote and shape development andunlock land for housing and employmentsites to help meet the needs of the city.

� Continue to promote the uptake of lowemission vehicles through the delivery of EVon-street charging and EV taxi charginginfrastructure, and through the secondOxford EV summit.

� Continue to improve homes for tenantsthrough a programme of energy efficiencyand refurbishment work, provision of energyadvice and information to residents, andregeneration of our estates. 

� Develop a multi-agency enforcmentapproach to prohibiting landlords fromrenting out poor energy-rated properties.

� Take forward energy efficiency work toensure all commercial leased propertiesachieve compliance to the minimum energyefficiency standard concentrating on heatingand insulation.

� Convene a Citizens Assembly in Oxford tohelp consider additional carbon reductionmeasures to address the climate emergency.

� Work with partners to develop longer termcarbon targets for the city, and consult on anOxford City Council Sustainability Strategywhich will help set a course to a 2050 zerocarbon future for the city. 

� Continue to work with the EnvironmentAgency to deliver the Oxford FloodAlleviation Scheme. 

� Develop a programme to encourage areduction in the use of single-use plasticswithin the Council among our suppliers. 

� Invest £250,000 for new cycle infrastructure,supporting matched funding with otherpublic bodies.

4improved loft insulation, installation of newefficient storage heaters in 64 homes, andgas central heating to flats in Southfield Park. 

� Installed home improvements funded by theWinter Warmth Grant and Gas Safe thathelped 61 homes occupied by elderly peopleto keep warm. 

� Planning permission received for a RecyclingTransfer Station at Redbridge and nowmoving into the design stage for the facility.

� In partnership with Friends of the Earth andOxford schools our Schools Tackling Oxford’sAir Pollution (STOP) project won a NationalAir Quality Award as the bestcommunications initiative.

� In response to an increase in graffiti, forexample, on Meadow Lane and the Thamesfootpath, staff numbers were increased andgraffiti in these and other areas removed.Also set up an anti-graffiti project resulting incommunity street art activities. 

Areas of Focus 2019–2020� Detailed work in partnership with the CountyCouncil on implementation plans for theZero Emissions Zone 2020 and further publicconsultation on the final proposals. 

Key Achievements for 2018� Secured £1.7 million for the first fully electricbuses in Oxford, £200,000 to purchaseelectric delivery vehicles and install chargingpoints for Covered Market traders, andalmost £500,000 to trial the world’s firstpop-up electric vehicle (EV) charging points.All supporting a future Zero Emission Zone. 

� Provisionally secured over £10 million offunding support for the EnvironmentAgency’s planned Oxford Flood AlleviationScheme including in-kind contribution ofland towards the overall scheme. 

� Reduced City Council carbon footprint by5%. Now generating the equivalent of 10%of our annual electricity requirement fromrenewables saving more than £100,000 ayear.

� Improved the energy performance of Housesin Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in the privaterented sector, with over 272 propertieschecked, and 90 improvements made tomeet the minimum energy standards. Energyadvice provided to 2,600 tenants.

� Continued to improve homes for Counciltenants above national standards, with

Corporate Plan Priorities2016–2020Save energy and reduce carbonemissions through energy saving andrenewable energy schemes that bringdown energy bills, tackle fuel poverty andreduce the city’s carbon footprint.

Tackle congestion and pollution thatfrustrates growth and damages people’shealth through a better public transportoffer, our low emission zone and bypromoting cycling and walking.

Improve cleanlinessof our streets,neighbourhoods and open spaces so thatOxford is an attractive, clean and safe placethat residents, visitors and those who workin the city enjoy.

Reduce the total amount of waste andincrease the proportion of the waste streamthat is recycled, providing excellentrecycling services and facilities across thecity, and working with partners to promoterecycling. 

Protect the city from extreme weatherevents and flooding by working withpartners to invest in effective flooddefences.

A Clean and Green Oxford An attractive and clean city that minimises its environmental impact by cutting carbon, waste and pollution

Success Measures

Amount of non-recyclable waste produced in thecity per households decreases each year

Satisfaction with our street cleaning services

Implementation of measures to reduce CityCouncil’s carbon footprint by 5% each year 

2018/2019 Targets419kg

77%

5% 

2018/2019 Outcomes

Above target at 360kg

On a 0–5 star rating, 81% of residentsrated satisfaction with streetcleanliness at 3 stars or above. Achieved

8 Find out more: www.oxford.gov.uk/policy

Areas of Focus 2019–2020� Delivery of the updated ODS business plan,which will increase capital investment andboost the rate of growth and income generatedfor the Council.

� Continue to work to increase the diversity of theCouncil’s workforce to better reflect thecommunities we serve and ensure we are seenas an employer of choice.

� Maintain our awards, including CustomerService Excellence, Payroll Assurance Schemeand Investors in People accreditation.

� Deliver a new Customer and Digital TechnologyStrategy to further improve our customerexperience, self-service opportunities andautomation of our processes.

� Implement a new system to make it easier forresidents to make payments through a range ofdigital and non-digital channels.

� Formation of a Social Housing Provider DataHub to proactively tackle tenancy fraud andabuse.

� Invest £34,000 to create a mobile accessibilityapp to make it easier for people with a disabilityto access city venues. 

� Development of a new Oxford City CouncilCorporate Strategy to set out our plans andobjectives for delivering high-quality servicesfor the people of Oxford for the period beyond2020.

� Using the Local Government Associationequalities framework, the City Council willreview its performance in meeting the needs ofits diverse communities and in particular thosegroups with protected characteristics under theEqualities Act 2010, and draw up an action planfor improvements where needed. 

5� Launched a smartphone service so customerscan submit recordings in support of noisecomplaints. 

� Relaunched our community newsletter‘Your Oxford’, changing the format to providemore detailed information, increasingfrequency and saving public money. 

� Achieved Customer Service Excellencere-accreditation. 

� Established a new approach to managingmajor development and ICT projects, with 16projects completed during 2018/19 resultingin community benefits or internal efficiencies.

� Council Counter-Fraud Team became the firstnationally to win Excellence awards for threeyears running from the Institute of RevenuesRating and Valuation. Also shortlisted asFinalists by the the Local GovernmentChronicle for their Team of the Year award. 

� Achieved significant growth in our Fraudservice working with other organisations inthe private and public sector, increasingtarget income for the council by 400%. 

Key Achievements for 2018� Oxford City Council has continued to deliverefficiency savings during 2018/19 to a valueof £0.5 million in addition to £2.9 millionachieved in the previous three years.

� Successful launch of Oxford Direct ServicesLtd. (ODS), wholly-owned by Oxford CityCouncil, which provides services to morethan 150,000 residents on our behalf, andwith income generated from working forother clients reinvested in services forOxford’s residents.

� Introduced online tools to analyse thenumber and type of interactions with ourcustomers and improve our online formdesign. 

� Increased self-service transactions throughweb chat, automated payment andtelephone services. Launched onlinelandlord portal. 

� Commissioned a new housing softwaresystem that, when implemented in 2019,will streamline working practices andprovide an opportunity for customers tomake online housing applications. 

Corporate Plan Priorities2016–2020Continue to deliver high-quality servicesto residents and businesses in the cityensuring the flexibility to deal withuncertainty about future funding.

Continue to invest in technology toprovide customers with more flexible andlower cost ways of accessing services. 

Manage our property and assetseffectively to generate savings andmaximise returns.

Manage our contracts and procurementprocesseseffectively to deliver maximumvalue for money and continue to developour anti-fraud capability to protect publicmoney. 

Recruit, develop and value a diverseworkforce that reflects the make-up of thecommunity that we serve, tackling barriersto employment and career progression.

An Efficient and Effective CouncilA customer-focused organisation, delivering efficient, high quality services that meet people’s needs

Success Measures

Level of staff engagement based on bestcompanies staff survey results

The percentage of customer satisfied at firstpoint of contact

Delivery of the Council’s cost savings andincome targets

2018/2019 TargetsPositive

85%

£4,684,000

2018/2019 Outcomes

Achieved target in 2017/18, no new dataavailable until November 2019  

Percentage of customers satisfied  at thefirst point of contact now reported asfollows: Face to face 89.5% Telephone 99.86%Web 57%

Achieved

Oxford City Council Corporate PlanAnnual Statement 2018/19Building a world-class city for everyone

Contact us

pressoffice@oxford.gov.uk

01865 249811