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:
- supporting the reopening of the Cowley Branch Line
- helping deliver the Oxford West End and station developments
- progressing the Oxpens River Bridge
- supporting the Pride in Place Programme, which will bring £20 million of investment to Greater Leys
- developing options for a heat network in key parts of Oxford
What the council says it has achieved
The council’s report also highlights a number of achievements from the current financial year.
These include:
- refurbishment of East Oxford Community Centre
- continued construction of new homes and a new community centre in Blackbird Leys
- securing £120 million of government funding for the Cowley Branch Line
- improvements to Leys Pools and Leisure Centre and Ferry Leisure Centre
- opening the Leys Youth Hub
- expanding the Zero Carbon Oxford Partnership into a countywide programme
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.
