Citizens' assembly

Share Citizens' assembly on Facebook Share Citizens' assembly on Twitter Share Citizens' assembly on Linkedin Email Citizens' assembly link

Introduction

Participants of Oxfordshire County Council’s first citizens’ assembly on travel and transport presented their 20 recommendations to council decision makers on Sunday 16 March, at the assembly’s final session. The council’s cabinet will be asked to agree how these recommendations will be responded to at its meeting on Tuesday 25 March.

Assembly participants were selected by a randomised sortition process to broadly represent Oxfordshire residents.

They came together to address the challenge question of: ‘What steps do we need to take so Oxfordshire's transport system enables our county's health, economy, and environment to thrive in 2050?’. Thirty four residents committed 45 hours of their time, including nine in-person discussion and engagement sessions at County Hall in Oxford, delivered by experts in deliberative democracy, MutualGain.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “I would like to thank members of the assembly for the huge commitment they have made to learning about and considering the issues we face in meeting some of our ambitious transport targets. I was struck by the sense of responsibility that I felt in the room on Sunday and I look forward to considering the assembly’s recommendations in detail. I am very thankful for their valuable contribution throughout this whole engagement process.”

Recommendations

Participants were asked to provide recommendations towards achieving the vision and targets set out in the council’s local transport and connectivity plan in ways that best meet the needs and preferences of the people of Oxfordshire and other stakeholders. Their recommendations were presented live at the end of the process to representatives from the council and are published on the council’s website (agenda item 9.)

Learning from experts

Assembly members heard from over 40 experts during their learning and deliberation, including academics, businesses representatives, community representatives, travel and transport specialists and council officers, who provided wide-ranging information and covered different perspectives. The assembly discussed implications for the whole county and a portion of the overall time was focused on the central Oxfordshire travel plan area.

Next steps

The process that council officers propose for responding to the assembly’s recommendations uses a structured framework to ensure fair and thorough consideration. A full report of the citizens’ assembly and the council’s response to the assembly’s recommendations will be considered by the council’s cabinet in July 2025.

Subject to consent, it is hoped that the council can continue to work with assembly participants.

The council will publish more detailed information on what the assembly covered, including evidence givers’ presentations and films (where consent has been obtained), to coincide with the publication of the final report of the assembly in July 2025.

More information about the assembly

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

A citizens’ assembly is a broadly representative group of residents who are chosen by democratic lottery. Citizens’ assemblies follow agreed standards and usually adopt a three-step process whereby participants:

  • learn by hearing evidence from a wide range of experts and questioning these;
  • deliberate with one another, carefully considering what they have heard and weighing up the pros and cons; and
  • reach collective recommendations on what they think should be done, with each recommendation aiming for 80 per cent agreement across all assembly members.

Recruitment to the council’s travel and transport citizens’ assembly was led by the Sortition Foundation. Forty Oxfordshire residents were selected by democratic lottery to take part against broad quotas designed to reflect the population make-up of the county in terms of geography, demographics, driver status and attitudes towards climate change. Of the 40 residents selected, a core group of 34 assembly members attended every meeting.

The assembly process is overseen by an independent advisory board whose duties included helping to make sure the information discussed by participants was accurate and balanced and that the recommendations are considered by stakeholders and policymakers.

Introduction

Participants of Oxfordshire County Council’s first citizens’ assembly on travel and transport presented their 20 recommendations to council decision makers on Sunday 16 March, at the assembly’s final session. The council’s cabinet will be asked to agree how these recommendations will be responded to at its meeting on Tuesday 25 March.

Assembly participants were selected by a randomised sortition process to broadly represent Oxfordshire residents.

They came together to address the challenge question of: ‘What steps do we need to take so Oxfordshire's transport system enables our county's health, economy, and environment to thrive in 2050?’. Thirty four residents committed 45 hours of their time, including nine in-person discussion and engagement sessions at County Hall in Oxford, delivered by experts in deliberative democracy, MutualGain.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “I would like to thank members of the assembly for the huge commitment they have made to learning about and considering the issues we face in meeting some of our ambitious transport targets. I was struck by the sense of responsibility that I felt in the room on Sunday and I look forward to considering the assembly’s recommendations in detail. I am very thankful for their valuable contribution throughout this whole engagement process.”

Recommendations

Participants were asked to provide recommendations towards achieving the vision and targets set out in the council’s local transport and connectivity plan in ways that best meet the needs and preferences of the people of Oxfordshire and other stakeholders. Their recommendations were presented live at the end of the process to representatives from the council and are published on the council’s website (agenda item 9.)

Learning from experts

Assembly members heard from over 40 experts during their learning and deliberation, including academics, businesses representatives, community representatives, travel and transport specialists and council officers, who provided wide-ranging information and covered different perspectives. The assembly discussed implications for the whole county and a portion of the overall time was focused on the central Oxfordshire travel plan area.

Next steps

The process that council officers propose for responding to the assembly’s recommendations uses a structured framework to ensure fair and thorough consideration. A full report of the citizens’ assembly and the council’s response to the assembly’s recommendations will be considered by the council’s cabinet in July 2025.

Subject to consent, it is hoped that the council can continue to work with assembly participants.

The council will publish more detailed information on what the assembly covered, including evidence givers’ presentations and films (where consent has been obtained), to coincide with the publication of the final report of the assembly in July 2025.

More information about the assembly

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

A citizens’ assembly is a broadly representative group of residents who are chosen by democratic lottery. Citizens’ assemblies follow agreed standards and usually adopt a three-step process whereby participants:

  • learn by hearing evidence from a wide range of experts and questioning these;
  • deliberate with one another, carefully considering what they have heard and weighing up the pros and cons; and
  • reach collective recommendations on what they think should be done, with each recommendation aiming for 80 per cent agreement across all assembly members.

Recruitment to the council’s travel and transport citizens’ assembly was led by the Sortition Foundation. Forty Oxfordshire residents were selected by democratic lottery to take part against broad quotas designed to reflect the population make-up of the county in terms of geography, demographics, driver status and attitudes towards climate change. Of the 40 residents selected, a core group of 34 assembly members attended every meeting.

The assembly process is overseen by an independent advisory board whose duties included helping to make sure the information discussed by participants was accurate and balanced and that the recommendations are considered by stakeholders and policymakers.

Page last updated: 18 Mar 2025, 11:26 AM