Clare Martin has taken over the position of centre director from Brendan Hatton who has moved on in the business after 25 years.

Mrs Martin has been at the Westgate since 2018, working in various roles including the deputy to the former boss.

An Oxfordshire local, she brings a wealth of experience in the retail, food and beverage, and leisure sectors to the role.

Westgate (Image: Westgate)

Speaking exclusively to this newspaper in her new role, Mrs Martin emphasised the importance of the Westgate being a “destination” rather than the traditional shopping centre.

“For Westgate, it’s about making it relevant to everybody,” she said.

“We have got a really broad retail offer, and that includes things like lifestyle and leisure – we’re a big destination.

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“And we’ve also got really unique USP here at Westgate such as the roof terrace, an extensive leisure offer. We’re building a really strong family offer like Lego which is thriving.”

Mrs Martin has been credited with being instrumental in bringing brands such as Sephora, The Beefy Boys and Flight Club to the city.

Clare Martin, Westgate’s new centre director (Image: Westgate)

Sephora, Lego, The Beefy Boys and Fight Club are all first venues in the city and Oxfordshire, with the new centre director aiming for the Westgate to bring “first-in-region offers”.

“You have got to come to Westgate to shop this sort of offer,” she added.

“They are unique and they’re good for the city because they bring people to Oxford who wouldn’t come otherwise.”

Community is also a focus for the new boss where “everyone is welcome”, she said, including hosting Pride, Sobell House Hospice’s 50th anniversary and the full takeover for Dancing Oxford.

Westgate also works with Aspire for accessibility, it supports local charities, sponsoring the Oxford Climate Awards and raising £1.7m in social value.

Over the decades, the Westgate has seen some significant change, not least the £440m facelift in 2017.

And Mrs Martin is hoping to make her own mark on the centre after 25 years of the former boss.

She said: “The centre is in a different position.

“Brendan saw it through a massive transition and a huge redevelopment phase, so that was his legacy.

“This is now my opportunity to drive it through that next future, and that is definitely about bringing world‑class brands to Oxford as well as to Westgate, definitely about delivering those big goals.

“I think we’re already better than Bicester Village, but we’re different to Bicester Village.

“And we have to have – a bit like the Covered Market or Gloucester Green – our unique identities and reasons for people to visit us.

“We don’t have to necessarily crossover. We can all celebrate success by being individual. I think that’s really important for a place like Oxford.”

Bicester’s Giant Bootsale will be held every Sunday in July, August and September this year by the Oxfordshire Bootsale and Events Company.

The company runs other popular car boot sales across the county, including in Witney and Abingdon.

A statement from the organisers said: “After 20 years, it’s back and better than ever.”

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The car boot sale will be held on the corner of Fringford Road and the A4095 north of Bicester at Caversfield.

Starting from Sunday, July 5, sellers can arrive at 8.30am costing them £10 for any size vehicle with unlimited space.

Buyers can arrive from 10am each Sunday with entry costing £1 for adults and kids under 16 going free.

CIMA has welcomed the Skills England Annual Skills Report while urging greater emphasis on business finance skills. It also said the report raised fresh questions about the removal of Level 7 apprenticeships in accounting and finance.

The institute said the government’s broader approach to workforce development should place more weight on management accounting, financial management and professional qualifications as employers adapt to the spread of artificial intelligence across the economy.

CIMA’s intervention adds to the wider debate over how the UK should train workers for an economy shaped by automation, data analysis and changing job roles. While Skills England’s report focused on skills gaps, productivity and labour market change, CIMA argued that technical and digital training alone would not meet employers’ needs.

“We welcome Skills England’s focus on building a more responsive and future-ready skills system. As the UK accelerates towards an AI-enabled economy, there is a clear opportunity to place greater emphasis on the business-critical skills and lifelong learning that underpin effective decision-making, especially in management accounting, financial planning, and performance management,” said Andrew Harding, Chief Executive of CIMA.

CIMA said finance professionals increasingly need to turn data into practical insight, support strategy, maintain financial governance and connect finance teams with technology and operations. It argued that these functions become even more important as companies adopt AI tools without weakening oversight, accountability or trust.

Apprenticeship concern

The institute’s main criticism was the withdrawal of funding for Level 7 apprenticeships in disciplines including accounting and finance. The policy has become a point of contention among employers, training providers and professional groups that see higher-level apprenticeships as an alternative route into skilled work.

“Professional bodies such as CIMA play a critical role in supporting lifelong learning, and helping individuals and businesses adapt through continuous reskilling and upskilling. We stand ready to work in partnership with government, educators, and employers to ensure the workforce is equipped not just for today’s jobs, but for the evolving demands of the future,” Paul Turner, Vice President for the UK and Europe at CIMA, said.

He linked that case for collaboration to concerns about apprenticeship reform, arguing that the skills system risks becoming less accessible if established vocational routes are cut back just as demand for higher-level expertise grows.

“The removal of Level 7 apprenticeships in areas such as accounting and finance – one of the UK’s core business skills – is at odds with the ambition to drive growth, opportunity, and social mobility. These pathways have proven to be a vital route for early-career talent to access high-level professional skills while earning and learning,” Turner said.

The issue reflects a long-running tension in skills policy: whether public funding should focus on lower qualification levels or continue to support advanced training that can lead directly into regulated and professional occupations. For accountancy and finance employers, it also affects recruitment pipelines and the balance of university, workplace and professional learning open to new entrants.

CIMA said the Lifelong Learning Entitlement was a positive step, particularly if it develops into a more flexible system for adult learning. But it wants the framework to extend to professional qualifications and higher-level courses delivered by recognised professional bodies, rather than being limited to more traditional academic options.

Call for partnership

The institute also called for a closer relationship between the government and professional bodies in designing the national skills system. It said those organisations can help deliver work-based learning, short courses and reskilling options while maintaining standards of competence and ethics.

That is particularly important in sectors such as finance, where qualifications often sit between higher education and employment and where professional accreditation still carries significant weight with employers. CIMA argued that a modern training system should build on that existing infrastructure rather than treat it as separate from mainstream skills policy.

“If we are serious about building a dynamic, AI-enabled economy, we must ensure that individuals from all backgrounds have access to advanced training opportunities. Curtailing these routes risks narrowing the talent pipeline at precisely the moment when demand for higher-level skills is increasing,” Turner added.

CIMA’s policy proposals include broader use of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement for professional courses, faster rollout of modular learning and greater flexibility in the Growth and Skills Levy so employers can fund shorter courses and professional qualifications. It also wants Level 7 apprenticeship eligibility reformed to allow access up to age 25.

CIMA, founded in 1919, describes itself as the largest professional body for management accountants and said its members and candidates work in more than 150 countries and territories. It operates within the wider Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, which says it represents 574,000 members, candidates and registrants worldwide.

“If the UK is to realise the full potential of AI and drive long-term, sustainable growth, it must invest not only in technology, but in the human capabilities that ensure it is used effectively. Strengthening business skills, protecting high-quality pathways such as apprenticeships for accounting and finance, and embracing the role of professional bodies will be critical to achieving that ambition,” Turner said.