In an article last week, former Oxford jeweller and retail industry expert Ian Middleton said Oxford had become a 'scruffy, poorly-managed clone town, trading on its past glories' and said the city council must use more initiative to help independent businesses. In this rebuttal, council board member for city centre Mary Clarkson says Oxford is already bucking national retail trends, and the authority had plenty of plans up its sleeve.

WHILE of course everyone is entitled to their opinion, I think the Banbury parliamentary candidate, Ian Middleton’s description of Oxford as ‘a scruffy, poorly-managed clone town, trading on its past glories’ is one the vast majority of people who live in our 1,000-year-old city would reject.

Retail has been having a tough time across the UK, evidenced by the number of high street names that have gone to the wall, but Oxford continues to buck the national trend.

People are increasingly looking for destinations and experiences when they shop – the very opposite to the quick convenience of online shopping.

Oxford has these in abundance and this puts us in a strong place.

Commercial agents Carter Jonas reported consumer expenditure in Oxford grew by two per cent in 2017 and is forecasting growth at 1.3 per cent this year, which it says is ‘noticeably above the national average’.

Retail spend per square foot in Oxford is 10 per cent higher than the average across the UK.

The Westgate has added an attractive new retail and restaurant quarter to our city.

Some 96 per cent of their units are now let and they have reported footfall is above their own forecasts.

As expected, the ‘Westgate effect’ has benefitted other retailers, with footfall in the city centre up eight per cent over the past six months and 17 million visits; again bucking national trends.

Shops relocating into Westgate did of course leave some empty units on our high streets.

Of the 36 void units in the city centre, another two have just been taken up by new tenants while a further seven are currently undergoing redevelopment.

The city council is working with colleges and other commercial property owners to ensure the remaining empty units are refurbished and let as soon as possible.

It is evident from new arrivals in Cornmarket that there will be a partial change in retailing focus with a number of tourist-driven retailers and convenience food outlets taking the place of traditional high street retailers in this area.

Key to Oxford’s appeal is the fact that fully 49 per cent of the region’s retailers are independent, bringing zest and vibrancy to areas like Turl Street and the Covered Market in particular.

Carter Jonas reports Oxford has a 48.6 per cent business survival rate after five years, compared to 44 per cent across England.

Nonetheless, some businesses have struggled to survive the changes in people’s shopping habits.

Oxford City Council does what it can do to help.

We continue to provide business rates through a number of different schemes. In the current financial year to date we have issued some £31 million in different types of business rates relief to more than 1,700 local businesses.

As custodians of public funds, we have to ensure business rate reliefs are in the best interests of Oxford’s residents and council taxpayers and produce a local benefit.

If a business can show us that they are getting on track then we will consider whether support should be offered. However, we will not use council taxpayers’ money to prop up failing businesses.

Oxford has the second fastest growing economy of any city in the UK. The city council’s emerging Local Plan reflects the changing retail environment with additional flexibility in the retail policy.

City centres are rapidly evolving, incorporating health, leisure, entertainment, education, office space as well as shops, and Oxford continues to reflect this balance of uses.

As we look to the future with next stages of development in the Oxpens, Station and Osney Mead areas, we are setting up a city centre taskforce involving retailers and other stakeholders – to ensure Oxford remains a good place to do business.