Group tasked with accelerating plans for new housing and infrastructure
The government has announced the appointment of Neale Coleman as the chair of the Oxford Growth Commission.
The commission will identify how best to unlock new development across the city and its surrounding areas and forms part of wider government plans to boost development in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.
Coleman previously worked for the Greater London Authority as an aide to both Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson. During this time, he was co-chair of the Olympic Delivery Group at the Greater London Authority, leading its work on the bid and delivery of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
He subsequently took a role in ensuring the continued redevelopment of the Olympic site in east London as deputy chair and later chair of the London Legacy Development Corporation.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said: 鈥淚 know Neale will use his invaluable expertise to help remove barriers holding up the delivery of essential housing and critical infrastructure in the city, and that he will ensure the Commission is effectively supporting the government鈥檚 wider plans for the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor to raise living standards, create new jobs and bolster the country鈥檚 connectivity and energy security.鈥�
The group will focus on five initial workstreams, which include facilitating priority transport infrastructure, addressing utilities constraints and identifying a pipeline of priority housing projects.
The other two workstreams will see the group work with universities to encourage private investment in skills and pilot new investment models to accelerate infrastructure projects.
The commission will work closely with Lord Vallance as Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor Champion as well as Peter Freeman as Chair of the Cambridge Growth Company.
The commission will be composed of nine representatives, including the Ministry of Housing and Homes England.
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