THE future of BBC Oxford has been secured in what campaigners are calling a “victory for the people of Oxfordshire”.

Plans to move TV operations from Banbury Road to Southampton to save money sparked anger in May.

But in an email to BBC staff on Monday, director-general Mark Thompson said that the corporation “won’t be closing any local radio stations or television regions”.

He explained: “The work so far suggests there’s a smarter way of making savings without taking entire services away from the public. Why? Because every single service is strongly valued by its audience.”

Mr Thompson, who lives in Oxford, last month told Prime Minister David Cameron he believed the plans would be “a retrograde step”.

Paul Jenner, National Union of Journalists (NUJ) shop steward at BBC Oxford, said: “It’s great to see that Mark Thompson has really seen the value of what we do.

“From an NUJ perspective, we are delighted we will continue to provide audiences in Oxfordshire the services they deserve.”

The BBC needs to cut 20 per cent of its costs following the decision to freeze the TV licence fee for five years.

The plans would have seen see the county lose its dedicated news bulletins and be replaced by a bigger BBC South Today programme.

An idea to merge parts of local radio with BBC Radio Five Live has also been scrapped, it emerged.

Mr Jenner added: “Local news is absolutely vital to what the BBC provides.

“This is a victory for people in Oxfordshire who have successfully defended their services.”

A 950-signature petition against closing the office was handed by viewers to the corporation’s governors earlier this month.

Oxford City Councillor Van Coulter said: “It’s fantastic news. Local news is so important in informing people about what’s going on.

“And it holds us to account. Centralised BBC would not have been able to hold city or county councillors to account. Local journalists do such an important job.”

Earlier this month, staff held a strike in opposition to compulsory redundancies elsewhere at the BBC.

About 20 staff refused to work at the corporation’s Banbury Road office, causing disruptions to radio and TV programmes throughout the day. Another strike is planned for Monday againother BBC cuts.

Blackbird Leys parish chairman Gordon Roper said: “I am pleased and the rest of Oxfordshire should be pleased, too, because of the coverage they give local programmes, issues, football, you name it.

“It is a victory for common sense. When you look at Meridian, they give Oxford about two minutes, if anything at all.”

ITV shut Abingdon-based Thames Valley Tonight two years ago and replaced it with Southampton-based Meridian Tonight.