Citizens' assembly

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During February and March 2025, 40 Oxfordshire residents will take part in our first ever citizens’ assembly. Participants will dedicate 45 hours across nine sessions to answer the following challenge question:

‘What steps do we need to take so Oxfordshire's transport system enables our county's health, economy, and environment to thrive in 2050?’

The assembly's purpose is to make recommendations on how the vision and targets set out in the council local transport and connectivity plan (LTCP) can be achieved in ways that best meet the needs and preferences of the people of Oxfordshire and other stakeholders.

About the assembly

We’ve partnered with experts in deliberative democracy, Mutual Gain, to deliver the sessions. Assembly participants are being selected by democratic lottery, by the Sortition Foundation, a not-for-profit company dedicated to promoting fair, transparent, inclusive and effective deliberative citizens’ assemblies.

While the sessions will discuss implications for the whole county, a portion of the overall time has been allocated for the central Oxfordshire travel plan area. At the end of the assembly, participants will recommend how we can best achieve the vision and targets set out in our LTCP.

Our LTCP vision is:

Oxfordshire County Council aims to create a net-zero travel and transport system that enhances quality of life, supports the local economy, and protects the environment.

Key targets include:

  • Reducing 1 in 4 car trips by 2030
  • Achieving a net-zero transport network by 2040
  • Minimising road fatalities by 2050

Advisory Board

The assembly is being supported by a project team working with MutualGain. Overall, the project is overseen by an independent advisory board to ensure it achieves its objectives.

The advisory board's duties include helping to make sure the information discussed by participants is accurate and balanced and that the recommendations are considered by stakeholders and policymakers. They also help to review the scope of the assembly.

Our 18 advisory board members are :

  • Dr Veronica Barry - Executive Director, Healthwatch Oxfordshire
  • Cllr Robin Bennett - County Councillor for Berinsfield & Garsington - Green Party Member (Liberal Democrat Green Alliance)
  • Michael Bettington - Head of Roads Policing, Thames Valley Police
  • Bev Bishop - Head of Transport Behavioural Change, Department for Transport
  • Xavier Brice - Chief Executive of Sustrans
  • Cllr Liz Brighouse - County Councillor for Churchill & Lye Valley, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council's Labour Group (Labour & Co-operative Party Group)
  • Rachel Geliamassi - Customer Services Director at Great Western Railway
  • Ian Green - Chairman of Oxford Civic Society
  • Chris Hulme - Traffic Management Officer, Thames Valley Police
  • Sajad Khan - Chair of City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association (COLTA)
  • Dan Leveson - Place Director Oxfordshire, Buckinghamsire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB)
  • Emily Lewis Edwards - Joint Chief Executive, Community First Oxfordshire
  • Zuhura Plummer/Robin Tucker - Co-Chairs of Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel (Oxfordshire)
  • Cllr Sally Povolotsky - County Councillor for Hendreds & Harwell and Leader of the Independent Voice of Oxfordshire (Independent Member)
  • Professor Alan Renwick - Deputy Director of the Constitution Unit at University College London (UCL)
  • Professor Tim Schwanen - Director, Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford
  • Cllr Ian Snowdon - County Councillor for Didcot West - Conservative Party Member (Conservative Independent Alliance)

Keep up to date

Assembly sessions are closed and not being broadcast to respect and protect the confidentiality of participants. Through this page you can keep up to the date with the assembly, including the topics discussed and some of the materials shared by speakers at the assembly sessions (subject to their consent).

We have also published FAQs to provide more information about the practicalities of the assembly.



During February and March 2025, 40 Oxfordshire residents will take part in our first ever citizens’ assembly. Participants will dedicate 45 hours across nine sessions to answer the following challenge question:

‘What steps do we need to take so Oxfordshire's transport system enables our county's health, economy, and environment to thrive in 2050?’

The assembly's purpose is to make recommendations on how the vision and targets set out in the council local transport and connectivity plan (LTCP) can be achieved in ways that best meet the needs and preferences of the people of Oxfordshire and other stakeholders.

About the assembly

We’ve partnered with experts in deliberative democracy, Mutual Gain, to deliver the sessions. Assembly participants are being selected by democratic lottery, by the Sortition Foundation, a not-for-profit company dedicated to promoting fair, transparent, inclusive and effective deliberative citizens’ assemblies.

While the sessions will discuss implications for the whole county, a portion of the overall time has been allocated for the central Oxfordshire travel plan area. At the end of the assembly, participants will recommend how we can best achieve the vision and targets set out in our LTCP.

Our LTCP vision is:

Oxfordshire County Council aims to create a net-zero travel and transport system that enhances quality of life, supports the local economy, and protects the environment.

Key targets include:

  • Reducing 1 in 4 car trips by 2030
  • Achieving a net-zero transport network by 2040
  • Minimising road fatalities by 2050

Advisory Board

The assembly is being supported by a project team working with MutualGain. Overall, the project is overseen by an independent advisory board to ensure it achieves its objectives.

The advisory board's duties include helping to make sure the information discussed by participants is accurate and balanced and that the recommendations are considered by stakeholders and policymakers. They also help to review the scope of the assembly.

Our 18 advisory board members are :

  • Dr Veronica Barry - Executive Director, Healthwatch Oxfordshire
  • Cllr Robin Bennett - County Councillor for Berinsfield & Garsington - Green Party Member (Liberal Democrat Green Alliance)
  • Michael Bettington - Head of Roads Policing, Thames Valley Police
  • Bev Bishop - Head of Transport Behavioural Change, Department for Transport
  • Xavier Brice - Chief Executive of Sustrans
  • Cllr Liz Brighouse - County Councillor for Churchill & Lye Valley, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council's Labour Group (Labour & Co-operative Party Group)
  • Rachel Geliamassi - Customer Services Director at Great Western Railway
  • Ian Green - Chairman of Oxford Civic Society
  • Chris Hulme - Traffic Management Officer, Thames Valley Police
  • Sajad Khan - Chair of City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association (COLTA)
  • Dan Leveson - Place Director Oxfordshire, Buckinghamsire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB)
  • Emily Lewis Edwards - Joint Chief Executive, Community First Oxfordshire
  • Zuhura Plummer/Robin Tucker - Co-Chairs of Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel (Oxfordshire)
  • Cllr Sally Povolotsky - County Councillor for Hendreds & Harwell and Leader of the Independent Voice of Oxfordshire (Independent Member)
  • Professor Alan Renwick - Deputy Director of the Constitution Unit at University College London (UCL)
  • Professor Tim Schwanen - Director, Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford
  • Cllr Ian Snowdon - County Councillor for Didcot West - Conservative Party Member (Conservative Independent Alliance)

Keep up to date

Assembly sessions are closed and not being broadcast to respect and protect the confidentiality of participants. Through this page you can keep up to the date with the assembly, including the topics discussed and some of the materials shared by speakers at the assembly sessions (subject to their consent).

We have also published FAQs to provide more information about the practicalities of the assembly.



Page last updated: 13 Jan 2025, 05:01 PM