Government picks former Olympic chief and Corbyn adviser to chair Oxford Growth Commission

The government has announced the appointment of Neale Coleman as the chair of the Oxford Growth Commission.

The commission will identify how best to unlock new development across the city and its surrounding areas and forms part of wider government plans to boost development in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.

Coleman previously worked for the Greater London Authority as an aide to both Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson. During this time, he was co-chair of the Olympic Delivery Group at the Greater London Authority, leading its work on the bid and delivery of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

He subsequently took a role in ensuring the continued redevelopment of the Olympic site in east London as deputy chair and later chair of the London Legacy Development Corporation.

Coleman briefly served as policy chief to Jeremy Corbyn, during the left-wing politician’s period as leader of the Labour Party, but quit just months into the role after reportedly being sidelined from decision making.

He also chaired the Capital Programme Delivery Board for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and was a National Infrastructure Commissioner (NIC) between 2021 and April 2025.

After the merger of the NIC with the Infrastructure Projects Authority, he was appointed as a member of the advisory council to the successor organisation, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), the Government’s new centre of expertise for infrastructure and major project strategy and delivery. 

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“Unlocking Oxford’s full potential would make a significant contribution to kickstarting economic growth and so the appointment of Neale Coleman as the Chair of the Oxford Growth Commission marks an important step forward in the government’s Plan for Change,” said housing minister Matthew Pennycook.

“I know Neale will use his invaluable expertise to help remove barriers holding up the delivery of essential housing and critical infrastructure in the city, and that he will ensure the Commission is effectively supporting the government’s wider plans for the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor to raise living standards, create new jobs and bolster the country’s connectivity and energy security.”  

Coleman said he was “delighted to take on the role” and said that the commission could “provide new and united leadership in accelerating growth and opportunity and improving the quality of life for everyone who lives in Oxford and the surrounding areas”. 

“Oxford starts with amazing resources in the world-leading quality of its universities, the talents of its people and its innovative businesses,” he continued.

“We can use all this as a springboard to accelerate and unblock barriers to sustainable growth delivering new job opportunities and more affordable housing as well as investing in sustainable travel and energy and nature recovery.” 

The group will focus on five initial workstreams, which include facilitating priority transport infrastructure, addressing utilities constraints and identifying a pipeline of priority housing projects.

The other two workstreams will see the group work with universities to encourage private investment in skills and pilot new investment models to accelerate infrastructure projects.

The commission will work closely with Lord Vallance as Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor Champion as well as Peter Freeman as Chair of the Cambridge Growth Company.

The commission will be composed of nine representatives, including the Ministry of Housing and Homes England.