Deru, Joshua – Green

Strongly agree

Climate policy cannot be an isolated unit of for LAs – all decisions should be assessed, as they are for cost and health & safety, with a climate lens, and as a minimum must ‘do no harm’. Rapid decarbonisation must be at the centre of local authority strategies and embedded across transport, health, education, energy and all other policy. Green Councillors in Oxford successfully proposed that Oxford declare a climate and ecological emergency in January 2019, and will continue to push for genuine action on this.

Goodall, Chris – Green

Strongly agree

Climate breakdown is the most pressing challenge facing humanity and local authorities have an important role to play.

Hull, Mark – Labour

Strongly agree

We face an emergency and it should be built into all policies, of governments, firms and individuals

Landell Mills, Tom – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

Climate Change is the existential threat to our society and possibly humanity. All tiers of Government, not least the City Council, have key roles in the successful decarbonisation of our society and economy

Mckee, Sam – Labour

Strongly agree

It is one of the biggest challenges facing the UK today and should be considered in ALL decision making.

Miles, Katherine – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

Climate change is the biggest environment challenge we face, with devastating environmental, economic and social consequences for humanity. All tiers of Government, not least the City Council, have critical roles to mitigate, adapt to and address the loss and damage associated with climate change to achieve the commitments made under the UNFCCC Paris Agreement and in line with the UK’s Nationally Determined Contributions.

Deru, Joshua – Green

Strongly agree

As a Green New Deal UK organiser I campaign for solutions that address the UK’s twin crises of climate and inequality, and the CEE bill is a key pillar of this is – it centres the needs of both people and the planet in a just transition that rapidly decarbonises Oxford and the UK while leaving no one behind. Green Councillors in Oxford successfully proposed a motion to the City Council in support of the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (co-sponsored by Green MP Caroline Lucas) and will continue to support it.

Goodall, Chris – Green

Strongly agree

Hull, Mark – Labour

Strongly agree

We need urgent action now

Landell Mills, Tom – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

I strongly support the CEE, which would provide the legal framework needed to move to zero carbon and support a robust system of carbon accounting; addresses international industries such as aviation, tackle off-shoring of carbon demand and would prevent unproven and potentially dangerous carbon capture technologies from being deployed. My only concern is with the weight attached to Citizens Assemblies, which are a duplication of existing democratic arenas and the need for widespread participation could be addressed by other forms of consultation and I think could be changed as it goes through parliament.

Mckee, Sam – Labour

Agree

An important bill tabled for the good of society.

Miles, Katherine – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

Deru, Joshua – Green

Strongly agree

Reducing motorised traffic is good not only for the environment but also for improving health, reducing inequality, and increasing quality of life. This can and should be achieved by building a better system of public and active transport that replaces our current car-dependent one – by provision of affordable (ideally free) zero-carbon public transport (in both urban and rural Oxfordshire), safer streets, segregated cycle lanes and genuine support for those with disabilities, local business or in high carbon sectors with vulnerability to a net zero transition. A 50% target is broadly in line with the independent research commissioned for the Oxford Citizen’s Assembly which the Greens have supported.

Goodall, Chris – Green

Strongly agree

Increasingly we see that successful towns and cities around the world are pushing policies that give the streets back to people. Oxford can, and should, copy those places that prioritise walking and cycling. We have a relatively compact and flat city and can make this change quickly.

Hull, Mark – Labour

Agree

Much better bus services and cycleways are essential; only the Labour Party will really fight for this. Motorised vehicles can become electric-powered.

Landell Mills, Tom – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

The number of private cars on Oxford’s roads needs to be drastically reduced , even if they are or will be electric, to provide more space for electric buses and cycle lanes. Current Labour City and Tory County proposals are laughable and won’t reduce the number of private cars. I fully support the thorough re-examination of congestion charging by the City and County for the whole of the city, where new technology and smart pricing could be used to manage traffic volumes to provide enough space for cyclists, buses and pedestrians; and use revenue raised to subsidise buses.

Mckee, Sam – Labour

Agree

Reducing traffic and motor use will always be a high priority.

Miles, Katherine – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

To reduce green house gas emissions, and improve air quality, Oxford needs to significantly invest in measures to reduce motorised traffic in the city, and reallocate space to pedestrians and cyclists. This will require Oxford to invest in climate resilient and sustainable transport infrastructure, including segregated cycle lanes, to support a modal shift away from motorised vehicles. These actions will be critical if Oxford is to achieve net zero carbon emissions as a city by 2040.

Deru, Joshua – Green

Strongly agree

15 minute cities are at the core of Oxford Green policy, and will allow everyone to flourish in enjoyable low carbon lives without long and polluting daily commutes. The Greens submitted amendments to this effect to the Local Plan enquiry – although not all recommendations were accepted.

Goodall, Chris – Green

Strongly agree

The idea of the 15 minute city is exciting and persuasive. We should study the places where 15 minute plans are being implemented and copy the successful ideas in our city.

Hull, Mark – Labour

Agree

You cannot get everything you need within 15 minutes; Sometimes longer shopping trips are warranted

Landell Mills, Tom – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

Remote and empty suburbs cut off from normal facilities play a significant part in creating car dependency, a generally unsustainable lifestyle and fail to create functioning communities and alienate people. There is a strong need for developers and planners to build meaningful communities where facilities and services are within easy walking distance that will be more sustainable and respect and value our humanity.

Mckee, Sam – Labour

Agree

Absolutely agree, labour policy.

Miles, Katherine – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

All new developments should be designed in a way so that residents are not dependent on cars. The developments need to be connected directly by public transport to travel hubs, including the nearest train stations. All developments need to provide for secure bike parking, and provide safe route for walking and cycling via segregated lanes into central Oxford and to other local facilities and services, such as local grocery shops, schools and health care centres .

Deru, Joshua – Green

Strongly agree

Amidst the climate crisis, Oxford also faces a housing crisis. Some of this can be addressed through rent controls and ending of exploitative landlord culture, but new housing is also needed. Oxford can use Norwich’s Goldsmith Street as an example of zero carbon, beautiful and affordable social housing to demonstrate that housing should be at a minimum zero carbon.

Goodall, Chris – Green

Strongly agree

Zero carbon homes are now no more difficult or expensive to build than the leaky alternatives we are burdened with today. Faced with the lamentable lack of action from central government, local authorities should take an assertive stance on this. Good for health, utility bills and living standards.

Hull, Mark – Labour

Strongly agree

Landell Mills, Tom – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

The City building regulations need to be upgraded to require Zero Carbon . The technology now exists to do this but unless it is mandated via the planning system volume house builders and others where the emphasis is on construction costs will not comply unless it is a legal requirement.

Mckee, Sam – Labour

Agree

Where possible, all new housing should adhere to the strictest environmental rules.

Miles, Katherine – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

The City building regulations need to require all new homes are build to Zero Carbon standards . This needs to be mandated via the planning system, but also enforcement measures need to be in place to ensure the regulations are followed.

Deru, Joshua – Green

Strongly agree

Retrofitting Oxford’s leaky housing stock is beneficial for so many reasons – it creates good green jobs in a time of high unemployment, it reduces the unacceptable levels of fuel poverty and cold-related deaths in Oxford, and it reduces wasted energy – increasing the viability of zero-carbon heating systems such as heat pumps.

Goodall, Chris – Green

Agree

Yes, but this is potentially an extraordinarily expensive measure and will need external funding as well.

Hull, Mark – Labour

Strongly agree

If we don’t make it a legal requirement builders and their clients will say they can’t afford it, so we have to make it illegal not to include a minimum of a C rating

Landell Mills, Tom – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

I support this initiative and 2035 seems like long enough to deliver it. There maybe some historical buildings where this is not practical – but they could be addressed by allowing a waiver if is not practical and they have taken reasonable steps to address energy conservation There should also be due consideration to help home owners with costs and technical guidance, which maybe provided at a national level. However, this should be achieved by consensus and I would be unhappy to compulsorily force changes on individual homes.

Mckee, Sam – Labour

Strongly agree

We have made good progress with our council house stock and will do more!

Miles, Katherine – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

Existing housing stock in Oxford and Oxfordshire needs to be retrofitted to be made low carbon, low energy and resilient to climate change, in order to mitigate and adapt to climate change. It will be essential for policy measures to be introduce to incentivise homes to achieve an EPC rating of C of higher over the next decade.

Deru, Joshua – Green

Strongly agree

Early decisions to build renewable energy and relevant infrastructure will lead to large emissions savings, as well as cost savings for Oxford in the long term. Authorities should support community-owned renewable energy, which can distribute profits back into the community, and can also finance this through municipal bonds (see the ‘Brummie Bond’). Oxford can and should be a leader in developing and installing renewable energy.

Goodall, Chris – Green

Strongly agree

Solar energy is now cheaper than any other form of electricity and local authorities in places such as Swindon, Warrington and West Berkshire have shown how it is possible to develop effective and inexpensive energy sources. We can copy these places.

Hull, Mark – Labour

Strongly agree

The Councils will have some of the largest potential opportunities

Landell Mills, Tom – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

There is considerable opportunity for local energy companies to provide Oxford and Oxfordshire with green energy, which should be supported. This needs to be a carefully considered process and should not be developed as a free for all. The Lib Dems with Green Councillors voted to invest in the region of £20 m in local renewable energy in the most recent city budget.

Mckee, Sam – Labour

Strongly agree

Absolutely

Miles, Katherine – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

The use of energy represents by far the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. To reduce emissions from Oxfordshire, the City and County Councils need to introduce a range of policy measures to support the transition to renewable energy sources and encourage the installation of renewable energy sources.This is essential as part of efforts towards meeting international climate change commitments.

Deru, Joshua – Green

Strongly agree

Individuals cannot decarbonise Oxford on their own, and Oxford currently has a net zero 2040 plan without a strategy for reaching it. Net zero goals must be backed by robust short term targets and clear policy mechanisms to ensure these are reached. Any costs incurred now will lead to savings multiple times over via the reduction of the impacts of climate breakdown, and can help Oxford build a fairer, greener society that works for all.

Goodall, Chris – Green

Strongly agree

Both councils should start with their own buildings, helping develop and train the local companies that will be needed for the transition to a low-carbon buildings.

Hull, Mark – Labour

Agree

Yes, but not at the cost of creating unaffordable heating for the very poorest homes

Landell Mills, Tom – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

Local authorities should maximise the role they can play in moving society to Net Zero and decarbonising the economy – utilising the powers and areas of influence under their control. Building Regulation should support Zero Emissions and the use of building industry inspectors should be policed to ensure that these meet local authority standards.

Mckee, Sam – Labour

Strongly agree

We should always back the most sustainable methods.

Miles, Katherine – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

Local authorities should maximise the role they can play in moving to Net Zero and decarbonising the economy utilising the powers and areas of influence under their control. Building Regulation should support Zero Emissions and the use of Building industry inspectors should be policed to ensure that these meet local authority standards.

Deru, Joshua – Green

Strongly agree

Climate action cannot focus just on carbon but must also address biodiversity and nature specifically. Biodiverse systems support the ecosystems in which we live, and are also hugely important for mental and physical health. Access (for all) to biodiverse green spaces builds greater understanding and motivation across society to protect and safeguard our environment at all costs.

Goodall, Chris – Green

Strongly agree

In combination with 15 minute cities, this can provide a huge enhancement to the pleasures of living in Oxford/Oxfordshire

Hull, Mark – Labour

Strongly agree

Landell Mills, Tom – Liberal Democrat

This is an important area for local authorities to work with landowners, environmentalists and developers too realise. Creative and imaginative landscape and ecological planning needs to be combined with existing and new planning powers to deliver Net Environmental Gain and Net Biodiversity Gain, which will be embedded in the forthcoming Environment Act.

Mckee, Sam – Labour

Strongly agree

Miles, Katherine – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

Biodiversity loss is a significant global and local problem. There is an opportunity for Oxford to be part of a Nature Recovery Network through the protection, restoration and creation of wildlife-rich places. This will require multi-stakeholder collaboration in order to achieve a Net Environmental Gain and Net Biodiversity Gain.

Deru, Joshua – Green

Strongly agree

I fully support the FoE campaign to double tree cover and Greens already actively support community tree planting campaigns, e.g. in Marston, and argue for more City grant funding for such groups. It is important to remember that these must be the right types of trees in the right places (not monocultures on unsuitable land), and that protecting and nurturing existing ecosystems is as important as creating new ones.

Goodall, Chris – Green

Strongly agree

Thoughtful increases in tree cover will help retain biodiversity, build climate resilience and improve air quality.

Hull, Mark – Labour

Strongly agree

Oxfordshire will be creating hundreds of thousands of new homes over the next two decades, which will mean the destruction of thousands of trees, bushes and shrubs, so we need to restore some of the carbon balance in southern England.

Landell Mills, Tom – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

Oxfordshire has a fairly low tree count and there is plenty of scope to increase it. As an Oxford City candidate I am aware that there is limited space within the city to plant more trees. Two initiatives I would personally like to promote are the City Council providing and planting a free tree to any family who has a new child – and secondly outside Oxford, the creation of a Forest of Oxford where the city create a new 100 ha forest, that is open to the public and contributes to the Nature Network Recovery.

Mckee, Sam – Labour

Agree

Where possible tree coverage should be increased.

Miles, Katherine – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

Increasing tree cover in Oxford city will require innovative approaches to make a significant contribution to doubling tree cover in Oxfordshire by 2045. This may include specific incentives for landlords and tenants of HMOs to plant trees in the front and back gardens of rental properties; and exploring the creation of a vertical forest. Overall for Oxfordshire achieving this goal will require a well-informed planting strategy to ensure the right trees are planted in the right places. It will also require multi-stakeholder collaboration with the council working with community groups, schools, local landowners and businesses to achieve this goal.

Deru, Joshua – Green

Strongly agree

Local regenerative agricultural systems can help to restore our soil’s dwindling carbon stock, while improving biodiversity, reducing ‘food miles’ and supporting good green jobs in Oxfordshire. Greens recently won Council support for a new Oxford Food Strategy bringing together the health, social and environmental dimensions of Oxford’s food supply chains to decarbonise food while creating a healthier, fairer society.

Goodall, Chris – Green

Strongly agree

People want more local food but cannot get it. We need to push landowners into allocating space to small scale horticulture that will bring inexpensive, fresh and healthy fruit and vegetables into our communities. Getting involved in this as a councillor would be a real pleasure for me.

Hull, Mark – Labour

Agree

Of course we want bio-friendly farming in this County, but I still want to drink imported coffee, chocolate and tea

Landell Mills, Tom – Liberal Democrat

Agree

As a local councillor I would see what the City and County Councils can do more through their procurement processes to source food locally and ensure that it is environmentally and ethically produced. There are opportunities to promote more wholesale and local farmers markets. Local mobile slaughter houses should be developed that help smaller farmers get meat and poultry to market. The City and County Councils could potentially diversify some of their pension into farmland – and local authority farms could introduce environmental terms and conditions to the farm leases.

Mckee, Sam – Labour

Strongly agree

Miles, Katherine – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

The City and County Council’s procurement processes need encourage the sourcing of food locally and ensure that it is environmentally and ethically produced.

Deru, Joshua – Green

I will push locally and at County level to deliver a comprehensive Green New Deal for Oxford – one that addresses the huge scale of the climate emergency while building a society where all of us can lead better lives. In Oxford this means deep decarbonisation, a localised circular economy, a funded net zero target backed up by investment in renewable energy, accessible zero-carbon public transport, insulated and affordable homes, safe streets for walking and cycling, access to green space for all, and a broader commitment to centre the needs of people and planet in all decision-making. I have worked with Green New Deal UK to put together an interactive summary of ideas to support a local Green New Deal for Oxford (while hopefully encouraging national government to follow suit) at the following address: https://prezi.com/view/tXMVmnFFCoVeNoVfokZP/

Goodall, Chris – Green

My knowledge lies in increasing the speed of the energy transition. I have detailed knowledge from around the world. I will, of course, see this as my main job as a councillor. But I am also fascinated with the prospects for relocalising food production and look forward enormously to working with local groups on this objective. Thank you for the opportunity to fill in this questionnaire.

Hull, Mark – Labour

I will champion safer and better cycleways to encourage motorists out of their cars, 5-minute bus services form every Park’n’ride to the City Centre, the JR, and the Headington hospitals, small electric buses in streets more than half a kilometre from an existing bus route, school buses from Park’n’rides to local schools, and frequent electric bus services around the Ring Road from one Park’n’ride to another.

Landell Mills, Tom – Liberal Democrat

As a city councillor for Summertown I would support a more sustainable neighbourhood, promote economic activity generally and local businesses specifically, and protect the unique character of Summertown and Oxford, In my ward I would defend Summertown from insensitive and thoughtless development and ensure that Easy Hotel adhered to its no car planning requirements and in general ensured that developers adhered to CIL and other planning agreements. With the redevelopment of Diamond Place I would place great weight on the following considerations: high quality architecture and landscape design; provision of an efficient alternative transport system to compensate for loss of car parking, space for a new health facility, inclusion of a significant amount of new housing at reasonably high density and affordable housing. More generally I support the Lib Dem manifesto on transport and personally would strongly recommend that a city wide congestion /clean air charge is given proper consideration, to be used as a traffic management tool to reduce car numbers so that public transport can work efficiently and that there is space for cycle lanes on Woodstock and Banbury Roads. On a city wide basis I would support more low cost, zero emission, good quality housing, on brownfield sites and in some parts of the Green Belt where there is no danger of coalescence with other settlements.

Mckee, Sam – Labour

I plan to back all Labour guidelines to make sure that Oxford is a world leader in green innovation and culture.

Miles, Katherine – Liberal Democrat

We need to deliver an equitable, inclusive and green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. I will contribute my professional international experience working on policy issues related to the gender dimensions of climate change and financial inclusion, sustainability reporting and more broadly in the field of sustainable economic development to inform action. I will be an advocate for the creation of segregated cycle lanes on the Banbury and Woodstock roads in to the city centre and to Oxford Parkway Station. I will support measures to reduce car use in the city and build new infrastructure for cycling and walking. I will work to ensure that climate change considerations are embedded in all Council decision-making toward the zero carbon goal for Oxford. Specific to Summertown, I will advocate these considerations are built into decisions related to the redevelopment of Diamond Place. The economic recovery of Oxford must not be at the expense of the environment. I will support the creation of policy incentives to stimulate green investment and the creation of decent work that supports the transition to a zero carbon economy for Oxford. Moreover, I will encourage greater transparency by companies operating within Oxford on their environment and social impacts.