My priorities

Raising standards in public life

Councillors should show up, behave professionally, and be held to account. I’ll make my role open and accessible - with monthly surgeries for community, business, and student groups, plus bookable one-to-one meetings for anyone in the division. I will also actively engage with my division and the local area on decisions about how local discretionary funds are spent.

I will push for:

• Higher, enforceable attendance standards, including a duty for councillors to actively engage with the residents and businesses they represent.

• A stronger, stricter code of conduct.

• A right to recall councillors who repeatedly fail their communities.

Better planning, more access, safer streets

The punitive traffic filters scheme should be scrapped entirely. It is poorly designed, deeply divisive, and risks doing more harm than good - particularly to local businesses, families, and vulnerable residents.
(You can see more about my position on the scheme and what I’ve been fighting for here.)

Safe cycling must be positively encouraged - something not achieved simply by restricting other forms of transport. I cycle regularly and support active travel, but I also recognise the vital role of cars and deliveries, especially for businesses, families and disabled residents. We need thoughtful, inclusive planning - not blanket restrictions.

I will fight for:

• The full removal of the current traffic filter scheme.

• Thorough review of East Oxford LTNs. Some are longstanding and work well, while others are causing more harm than good and need urgent removal. This must be addressed properly, not with a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

• Fully subsidised Park & Ride fares to promote greener travel into Oxford.

• Hop-on, hop-off fares for local buses to make public transport more flexible and accessible.

• School shuttle services from Park & Ride locations.

• Opening up cycling access through college parks.

• A major expansion of secure, well-placed cycle parking across the city centre, especially:

  • On the High Street, where provision is poor, including in front of Exam Schools - an obvious opportunity for installation, in collaboration with the University.

• Urgent safety upgrades to dangerous cycling routes - including Magdalen Bridge and The Plain roundabout.

• Stricter regulation of Lime bikes and e-scooters to protect pedestrians and those with access needs.

Oxford needs a transport system that balances ambition with realism - one that serves all who live, work and study here.

When small businesses close, we lose more than just jobs - we lose identity, choice, and community. Local trade underpins our walkable, vibrant neighbourhoods. As a small business owner myself, I know how fragile that ecosystem can be - and how vital it is to protect.

A higher percentage of money spent at independent businesses stays in the local economy compared to national chains. They also create more local jobs, enhance our unique sense of place, and make Oxford a far more appealing visitor destination than it would be otherwise.

I already advocate for bricks-and-mortar independents in my role as secretary for both the Oxford High Street Association and the Oxford Business Action Group - as well as in regular conversation with both City and County Councils. If elected, I’ll be even better placed to drive positive change and defend Oxford’s small business ecosystem - especially when business rates contribute so significantly to local funding. Supporting these businesses isn’t just good for our communities, it’s a fiscal priority.

I will demand:

• Proper consultation and fair treatment for small businesses in all local policy decisions.

• Transparent performance metrics for traffic schemes - with the power to remove any that harm local trade, and/or to support businesses through any short-term adverse effects, including but not limited to full temporary suspension of business rates.

• Stronger CCTV coverage and better police support to protect shopfronts and public spaces.

Joined-up systems, real environmental progress

Oxford should lead on sustainability, but we’re falling short on the basics. While energy goes into headline-grabbing schemes, we’re missing everyday opportunities to reduce waste and improve infrastructure.

At Hoyle’s, I work hard to cut our own waste — for example, we shred supplier packaging to reuse as void fill in customer orders, and we’re rigorous about sorting landfill from recycling. Yet on Cornmarket Street, I often see national chains contaminating recycling bags with general waste, or failing to recycle at all.

This isn’t just frustrating - it undermines the efforts of small businesses, residents, and the city’s environmental goals. I want to work with Oxford Direct Services (ODS) to improve commercial recycling standards and explore the feasibility of fines for repeated poor practice.

I will call for:

• A unified, user-friendly city centre recycling system, with clearly marked bins in high-footfall areas.

• An Oxfordshire-based textile recycling facility to reduce landfill and keep usable materials in-county.

• A cross-council strategy to enforce better waste sorting by commercial operators, with support - and consequences - where necessary.

Oxford’s live music and nightlife have long been part of what makes this city culturally vibrant and economically strong. Post-pandemic efforts to revive that scene have fallen short - and without proper support, we risk losing a core part of Oxford’s identity.

While licensing and venue policy sit with the City Council, the County Council has a crucial role to play in supporting a thriving and safe night-time economy. That includes ensuring late-night public transport is available and reliable, improving safety through better lighting and secure streets, and investing in youth and creative programmes that sustain our cultural landscape.

I will work to ensure County Council decisions actively support Oxford’s nightlife - not sideline it.

Greener streets, cooler neighbourhoods, stronger communities

Oxford needs ambitious, thoughtful greening - not only for beauty and biodiversity, but as a serious response to rising urban temperatures, air pollution, and flood risk.

As County Councillor, I’ll push for a far greater focus on street tree and understory planting, especially along highways, key pedestrian routes, and public transport corridors, where the County has direct responsibility. Green corridors don’t just improve wellbeing — they cool the city, reduce surface water runoff, and make our public realm more resilient.

Other cities are showing what’s possible. From Hull’s Butterfly City initiative to Rotherham’s River of Flowers and SUGi pocket forests, there is no shortage of bold and beautiful models. I will champion urban greening at every opportunity, ensuring Oxfordshire learns from and leads alongside the best.

I will fight for:

• A comprehensive strategy for planting and maintaining street trees and native flora in County-managed spaces

• Integrated greening of transport routes and cycling infrastructure

• Stronger collaboration between the County and City to deliver impactful, joined-up biodiversity schemes

• Practical pilot projects - including community orchards and pocket forests on underused land

All while respecting Oxford’s historic character and the sightlines that define our city.