As a long-term resident of Oxford, I’ve always admired the city’s charm—its historic streets, picturesque lanes, and, above all, the fact that it’s already one of the most walkable cities in the UK. So, imagine my bewilderment when I stumbled upon the latest Cabinet report, “Making Oxford a Truly Walkable City“, which reads less like a practical strategy and more like a satire of local government waste.
£30,000 to Reinvent the Wheel (or the Walking Map)
The report earnestly proposes spending £30,000–£40,000 to create yet another walking map of Oxford—despite admitting that multiple guides already exist, both online and in shops. The City Council’s own website links to the Oxford Pedestrian Association’s detailed map, launched in 2023, complete with surface types, seating locations, and even toilet stops. The County Council also hosts active travel resources, including route plans and design standards.
Yet, the report solemnly weighs two options:
- Option 1: Spend £30,000 in-house to design a map, plus £5,000 annually to keep it updated.
- Option 2: Outsource the job for £35,000–£40,000, plus up to £10,000 per year in maintenance.
The mind boggles. In what universe does a map—of a city that hasn’t significantly changed its layout in the past decade—require such lavish expenditure? Are we expecting sudden tectonic shifts in the High Street? A mysterious new quadrangle materialising overnight?
The Real Agenda: The War on Cars
Let’s not pretend this is about “walkability.” Oxford’s streets are already pedestrian-friendly, and the report itself admits there’s “no obvious gap” to fill. Instead, this fits neatly into the council’s broader ideological crusade, as outlined in the Oxford Local Plan 2036, which explicitly prioritises “minimising car use” above all else.
The report pays lip service to accessibility (a legitimate concern for disabled residents) but then casually dismisses practical measures—like mandating Dutch-style kerbs—because it’s “not the City Council’s responsibility.” Meanwhile, they’ve happily splurged
- £500,000 on an “Infrastructure Place Study” for the Cowley Branch Line
- £397,000 on resurfacing St Michael’s Street (so café tables don’t wobble), and
- £248,000 to make Market Street “less vehicle-dominated.”
The Irony of “Investment”
The report boasts of the council’s commitment to walking, citing projects like £33,000 for the Oxford Greenways Project and £120,000 on the “Broad Meadow” pedestrian experiment. Yet, when pressed to actually improve infrastructure—say, by fixing potholes or enforcing pavement parking bans—the response is always the same: “That’s the County Council’s job.”
The most telling line? “There is minimal risk to this recommendation, however… not taking the initiative could have a negative impact on the council’s reputation.”
Translation: We’re doing this to look busy, not because it’s needed.
A Better Idea: Stop the Waste
If the council truly cared about walkability, it would:
- Enforce existing pavement parking laws (instead of just writing letters to the Transport Secretary).
- Fix broken footpaths rather than commissioning redundant maps.
- Stop treating drivers as cash cows while pretending pedestrianisation is altruistic.
But no—instead, we get another costly, duplicative project, dressed up as progress. Oxford doesn’t need more bureaucracy. It needs competence.
A bemused (and still perfectly mobile) Oxford resident.