Today (15 June) is National Clean Air Day – a day in which many people across the UK focus on the challenges air pollution can bring.

An aim of National Clean Air Day is to create an opportunity for people and businesses to find out more about air pollution and share information on how we can all support a cleaner Britain.

At OxLEP – our Strategic Environmental and Economic Investment Plan (SEEIP) has a specific vision around this. A vision for a ‘high-quality, resilient environment which supports economic growth, development, health, wellbeing and prosperity for all’.

Of course, promoting cleaner air options – particularly within our towns and cities – is something we intend to be at the forefront of and a key priority of the SEEIP is ‘growing the green economy in Oxfordshire’.

As we continue to see the number of new jobs rise in the county – over 45,000 new roles created since 2014 – it’s important that we ensure a sustainable and clean transport network is in place, supporting this development.

And as we moved towards our 2031 target of 85,000 new jobs in Oxfordshire, the need for cleaner transport is only going to grow.

OxLEP’s SEEIP steering group work with key stakeholders to identify investment proposals with a real potential to deliver our priorities – including the growth of a genuinely green Oxfordshire economy.

Totalling £31millon-worth of investment, these proposals have included; a cluster of projects promoting low carbon energy and transport, maintenance of green spaces in the county and targeted improvements to walking and cycling routes – as well as green spaces – in-and-around urban areas. 

In turn – by promoting alternative transport methods – we also indorse much healthier lifestyles to the county’s population too, encouraging more people to perhaps cycle or walk to work, when they may have previously driven.

As a county, we benefit from magnificent natural ‘capital’.

We have excellent parks, open spaces and areas of outstanding natural beauty – therefore, as well as pushing for a high-quality environment in Oxfordshire, it’s just as important that we really do make the most of this fantastic county, as much as we can.

Nigel Tipple
Chief Executive – OxLEP