Councillor Tim Bearder became only the fourth leader of the authority since 2001 when he succeeded Councillor Liz Leffman at the Extraordinary General Meeting of the council today (May 20).

He currently represents Wheatley at County Hall and lives in the village. He grew up in Wendlebury, went to school in Bicester and has also lived in Oxford.

The former BBC journalist addressed councillors after being elected to the role. Since 2021 he has served as both Cabinet Member for Adults and Cabinet Member for Highway Management.

He said: “It is a huge honour to have been given the opportunity to serve as Leader of Oxfordshire County Council. I do not take that responsibility lightly.

“Politics matters most when it improves people’s everyday lives.

“I came into politics because I believe in fairness. Fairness between communities. Fairness between generations and fairness in the opportunities people have to live healthy, secure and fulfilling lives.

“I also believe deeply that Oxfordshire can lead the way — on climate action, on sustainable transport, on strong public services and on building a county where prosperity is shared more fairly.

“Difficult problems are not solved through blame or simplistic slogans. They require thought, honesty, evidence-based policy and the courage to make difficult decisions. That is the kind of leadership I will strive to provide.

“I want us to be ambitious for Oxfordshire, but also grounded in the realities people face every day — cost of living, access to care, housing pressures, congestion, pollution and the need to protect the environment that makes this county so special.

“We are at our best when we work together — with each other, with residents and with our partners across the county.”

At the annual meeting of Oxfordshire County Council on 12 May the membership of cabinet was announced. There have been some adjustments made:

• Councillor Tim Bearder, Leader of the council
• Councillor Neil Fawcett, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources
• Councillor Sean Gaul, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People
• Councillor Gareth Epps, Cabinet Member for Transport
• Councillor Dan Levy, Cabinet Member for Finance and Property
• Councillor Liz Leffman, Cabinet Member for Highways Construction and Repair
• Councillor Rebekah Fletcher, Cabinet Member of Adult Social Care
• Councillor Kate Gregory, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Inequalities
• Councillor Judith Edwards, Cabinet Member for Local Government Reorganisation and Human Resources
• Councillor Laura Gordon, Cabinet Member for Environment and Economy

The new leader for the council’s Liberal Democrat group is Councillor Tim Bearder. There will be an extraordinary general meeting of the council on a date to be set to elect a new leader. In the interim, the current Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Cllr Neil Fawcett, will lead the authority.

Cllr Leffman is only the third leader of the county council since a cabinet system for local government was introduced in 2001. 

She said: “It has been a huge privilege to serve as leader of the county council since 2021. I have very much enjoyed the role and the connections that I have been able to make with people all over the county, in all walks of life.

"However, now is the time for me to stand down. In May 2027, we will be having elections for the new unitary council or councils, and as I will not be standing for election, it is right that I hand over the leadership in the run-up to these elections. I do intend to remain as a member of cabinet.

“I know that while welcoming new members the cabinet will continue to steer Oxfordshire through local government reorganisation, devolution and the financial challenges that are facing many councils

“We will also want to re-dedicate ourselves to our priorities based around climate action and sustainable economic growth.”

With Councillors Andrew Gant, Judy Roberts and Jenny Hannaby leaving cabinet there are new faces on the decision making body of the council to replace them. Cllrs Gareth Epps, Rebekah Fletcher, Laura Gordon and Judith Edwards have joined cabinet.

The new line up is as follows:

• Cllr Neil Fawcett, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources
• Cllr Laura Gordon, Cabinet Member for Future Economy and Innovation
• Cllr Sean Gaul, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People
• Cllr Gareth Epps, Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action
• Cllr Dan Levy, Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation
• Cllr Rebekah Fletcher, Cabinet Member for Transport Management
• Cllr Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Adults
• Cllr Kate Gregory, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Inequalities
• Cllr Judith Edwards, Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing and Safety

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Each year in May the council holds its annual meeting and that is the right time for changes to be considered on cabinet. Sometimes councillors decide it is the right time to step down and we thank them for the tremendous amount of work they have put in on behalf of the people of Oxfordshire.

“That is certainly the case for Cllrs Gant, Roberts and Hannaby who have each dedicated themselves to their portfolios with distinction. We are incredibly grateful for their efforts and look forward to continuing to work for them as they represent their own individual parts of Oxfordshire as county councillors.

“Meanwhile we have the pleasure of welcoming newcomers to the cabinet and we look forward to working with them on all of the challenges and opportunities the council faces.”

The new Chair of Oxfordshire County Council for the 2026/7 year is Councillor Ted Fenton who represents Bampton and Carterton South at County Hall.

Councillor Fenton, 63, was voted in to the role at the Annual Meeting of the county council on Tuesday, 12 May. His chosen charities for the year will be Oxfordshire Air Ambulance and Oxfordshire Royal British Legion.

The Vice Chair for the 2026/7 year will be Councillor Roz Smith.

Educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne, King’s College London (BD, AKC), and Magdalene College, Cambridge (PGCE) Cllr Fenton moved to West Oxfordshire in 1985 to join Cokethorpe School. During 35 years there, he held roles including Director of IT, Senior Tutor, Director of Studies, and later Senior Administrator, transitioning from teaching Religious Studies to IT and academic administration.

Councillor Fenton was elected to West Oxfordshire District Council in 2015 (Bampton and Clanfield) and to Oxfordshire County Council in 2017 (Witney West and Bampton). In 2025, he was re-elected to represent the new division of Bampton and Carterton South.

He has been married to Hilary since 1998, he has three stepchildren, several young granddaughters, and a grown-up grandson. He retired early in 2020 to spend more time with family. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and practising the piano.

Cllr Fenton said: “It is an honour to have been elected by my fellow councillors to chair the council for this municipal year. I am looking forward to the next 12 months and to the challenge of chairing the council. As Vice-Chair of the council last year I have an insight into the role and thus I am well prepared.”

About the role of Chair

As the ceremonial head of the council, the chair must be a serving county councillor but must remain politically impartial. A new chair is elected each May at the annual general meeting of the county council, which this year was on Tuesday 21 May.

Ceremonial duties performed by the chair include:

• being the politically impartial civic leader of Oxfordshire
• promoting the objectives and services of the county council and Oxfordshire
• acting as an ambassador for the county council and Oxfordshire
• fostering community identity and pride

Key responsibilities include:

• presiding over meetings of the full council
• accepting invitations on behalf of the county council to attend events
• inviting individuals and representatives of key organisations to events at County Hall and other venues.

More than £30,000 has been raised for three local charities thanks to the generosity of council staff, county councillors and residents over the past year.

The fundraising took place during Councillor Mark Lygo’s year as Chair of Oxfordshire County Council, before he hands over to his successor, at the council’s annual meeting on 12 May.

The Chair of the county council traditionally raises funds for chosen charities during their year in office. A total of £10,300 was raised through events including four charity quiz events, a cake sale and the annual Chair’s charity gala dinner.

One of the highlights of the year was the annual Chair’s charity gala dinner, held to support the Chair’s chosen charities.

This year’s dinner took place in the historic HMS Diamond Room at County Hall.

Thirty special guests attended, including the Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, who represents His Majesty The King, and local government representatives from across the county.

The money raised will support Councillor Lygo’s chosen charities: OXSRAD, which provides inclusive fitness and social activities, the Riding for the Disabled Association, and Oxford United in the Community.

Chair of Oxfordshire County Council, Councillor Mark Lygo, said: “It has been a real privilege to serve as Chair over the past year and to see such generosity from council staff, councillors, community organisations and residents.

“Together, we have raised a fantastic amount for three very deserving charities. Thank you to everyone who supported these efforts and helped make a real difference to local people and communities across Oxfordshire.”

A further £20,200 was raised through events the Chair took part in, including a spinathon, charity football match, bingo nights and quiz nights.

EM Normandie Business School also donated £500 to the Chair’s chosen charities.

Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates in our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

The most significant changes to local government funding in more than a decade were originally due to be confirmed by government in October but have now been delayed until late November. The council will then not hear specifically how much money it is to receive in grant funding until mid-December.

Oxfordshire County Council is currently expecting to lose around £35 million funding over a three-year period but until specific detail is made clear by the government, large uncertainties remain.

Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “It is well known that the financial environment for local government has been very tough for some years now. We work hard to balance our budgets and continue to provide much valued, high quality services to Oxfordshire people. Overall, our finances are in a resilient and stable position compared to many other councils.

“Each year as autumn moves in to winter we have to wait to hear what funding central government will provide in grants, and there is always uncertainty until we see the detail in black and white. This year that uncertainty is greatly amplified because of the wide-ranging changes the government plans to the formula it uses to decide how much each individual council in England will receive.

“This creates real complications for our finance experts who have only been able to model the potential outcomes to a very limited extent due to the low amount of information available. We do expect to lose out over coming years but it’s hard to speak in anything other than the broadest terms.

“We do, of course, have all of the usual and continuing pressures on our budgets that have been experienced for a decade or more by us and fellow councils such as inflation and pressures on spend in social care. We also expect the government to increase the national living wage from April 2026.

“Our finances are managed well, and this gives us a strong base from which to seek protection for frontline services. However, there are so many unknown factors as we head into winter and the period when we set our budget for 2026/27.

“What we, and many people in local government, find disappointing is that the most significant change to the distribution of funding being announced for many years is being squeezed into the same timeframe as when councils are actually going through the process of setting a budget. It works against the ability to councils to conduct any meaningful consultation. It makes it very difficult to make the hard decisions that all councils go through when setting budgets and it limits our ability to serve our residents in an effective and cost-efficient way.

“We were promised by the incoming government that there would be improvements to the way that funds were allocated to support local services. We are still waiting for those improvements.”

When the council set its budget for 2025/26 it also set a medium-term plan for future years including 2026/27. This estimated a budget deficit of £2 million before the impact of funding reform. 

New pressures and impacts from the new government funding formula would be added to this

In the same medium-term plan the council worked on the basis of a 3.99 per cent council tax rise in 2026/27. In the summer the government confirmed that the referendum limit above which a referendum would be required for a council tax rise will be 4.99 per cent.

Medium-term financial planning for the council will be set out to the early 2030s so that information is available to support local government reorganisation, currently timetabled to happen in April 2028. Oxfordshire’s district and city councils are doing the same and this is to provide a good basis from which new council structures can work.

A temporary congestion charge for cars at six locations in Oxford will begin later this autumn.

The decision was made by the county council’s cabinet at a meeting today (Wednesday, 10 September).

The scheme aims to reduce traffic in the short term while Botley Road remains closed, preventing the start of the traffic filter trial. It is designed to improve bus services and make it easier for those with permits, including carers, traders and blue badge holders, to travel by car into and around Oxford.

A six-week consultation took place on the proposals from 23 June to 3 August, which received over 7,000 responses. Feedback from the consultation helped shape the final proposals presented to cabinet.

Cllr Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “Oxford needs a more sustainable, reliable and inclusive transport system for everyone. People have told us they want quicker journeys, more reliable bus services, and safer cycling and walking. In order to achieve that we need to reduce the number of cars on our roads. That is what the temporary congestion charge is set to achieve.”

“I’d like to thank everyone who responded to the recent consultation and previous consultations on the traffic filters scheme on which the temporary congestion charge is based. All of the comments have been considered by officers and helped inform the final proposals. We will continue to listen to people’s views and report on how the temporary scheme performs.”

A daily charge of £5 will allow cars without a permit to go through six charge locations on roads in Oxford. This will apply from late autumn when it is expected the scheme will launch. The council aims to have the scheme in place by 10 November.

Permits will be available for certain groups, including community health and care workers, carers, blue badge holders, and mobile traders. 

Following the public consultation in the summer, two new permit types were added to the scheme, allowing free travel for regular users of Oxford Ice Rink and for pool cars owned and operated by businesses or organisations in the Oxford permit area.

Details of the permit application system will be available on our website soon.

Cabinet members asked council officers to review how income generated by the temporary congestion charge should be used, to have the greatest possible impact. This could include other benefits instead of, or as well as, free Park and Ride fares.

More information about the scheme is available on our website.

Click Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates in our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

Positive progress has been made in 2024/25 against priorities set for Oxfordshire County Council by its cabinet, with notable achievements in the council’s work to tackle climate change.

The 17 June meeting of the council’s cabinet was presented with the authority’s annual report, which detailed many positive developments during 2024/5.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Across the wide array of services we provide to the Oxfordshire public, from highways to social care, our aim is to make Oxfordshire a greener, fairer and healthier county.

“Our officers have worked hard to deliver against these priorities in partnership with many other organisations. It was great for the first cabinet meeting since the elections to report on the progress that has been made in supporting our communities and protecting our environment over the past 12 months.

“It is worth noting that these achievements have been delivered against a backdrop of financial constraints and high, complex demand on our services as we continue to work with our communities to support those who are most vulnerable.”

Achievements in 2024/5

Action to tackle climate change lies at the heart of the council’s work and 2024/25 has seen the authority being ranked as the top performing waste disposal authority in England for the eleventh year running as well as expanding the council’s electric vehicle fleet and reducing operational emissions by 71 per cent.

Since the report was published the council has been told that it is the best performing county council in the UK for tackling climate change.

Meanwhile £3.6m has been secured to improve public EV charging to make driving electric vehicles more accessible in the county and more than 200 requests have been approved to reduce speed limits to 20mph in towns and villages. Five new bus routes began operating to connect more villages and market towns to Oxford following a £1.2m allocation from the council.

During 2024/5 the council planted 825 trees and 16 new community orchards. It completed more than 3,300 tree care operations and 20 new road verge nature reserves were designated.

The council’s work to support residents during the cost of living crisis includes providing 500 vulnerable households more than £1.2m in supermarket vouchers, energy credit and essential household items through the council’s government-funded resident support scheme; and providing £3.3m to ensure families entitled to free school meals received support during school holidays.

And in terms of wider support to the most vulnerable, the council was awarded local authority of sanctuary status for supporting people fleeing war, persecution and serious human rights violations - the first county council to do so.

Achievements around creating a healthier county include partnering with University College London’s Institute of Health Equity and renowned academic Sir Michael Marmot to become a “Marmot Place” – a two-year programme to tackle health inequalities and local communities.

Waiting times for social care assessments continued to fall, with the cumulative improvement over the last four years being 80 per cent. Meanwhile more people were supported to live in their own communities for longer with 3,186 packages of home care arranged.

The council’s discharge to assess programme has enabled more than 7,000 people to be discharged safely from hospital – an increase of 23 per cent compared to the previous year.

Many accolades were achieved by the council in 2024/5 including the 2024 LARAC Best Partnership award for improving recycling and reducing waste (jointly won with community action groups), and an MJ award for the “Cheers M’Dears” Community Support Service in Banbury.

The council’s performance and insight analyst team won the best teamwork award in the ONS Datathon 2024 and a construction project to improve Banbury railway station won a Green Apple Environment Gold award.

Cllr Leffman added: “The report provides a snapshot of the wide range of activity and support that the council provides to residents across the county on a day to day basis. It’s a great way for people to spend a few minutes learning what their council tax contributions went towards during 2024/25.”

Click Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates in our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

Councillor Lygo, 52, was voted in to the role at the Annual Meeting of the county council on Tuesday, 20 May.

His chosen charities for the year will be OXSRAD (providing a space for everyone to have access to inclusive fitness and social activities), the Riding for the Disabled Association and Oxford United FC in the community. The three charities will also be collaborating to support each other in the 2025/6 council year.

The Deputy Chair for the 2025/6 year will be Councillor Ted Fenton who represents Bampton and Carterton South.

Councillor Lygo was first elected to the county council in 2013 and has previously served as Cabinet Member for Public Health. He is currently the council’s Mental Health and Loneliness Champion and has for ten years served on as committee member for corporate parenting.

The former St Nicholas Primary School, pupil was first elected to Oxford City Council in 2008 and has held several cabinet with different portfolios, He is currently Armed Forces champion for Oxford. He has previously been Lord Mayor of Oxford, Deputy Lord Mayor and Sheriff of Oxford.

Married with two children, Cllr Lygo’s hobbies include being a level 5 referee in football, meaning he officiates at grassroots and academy football matches. He is the former chair and vice chair of Quarry Rovers FC and is a member of volunteer charity for good deeds Goodgym.

His wife Louise Lygo will be his consort. She has worked for Oxfordshire County Council since 2007 as family health practitioner.

Cllr Lygo said: “I am looking forward to a busy year seeing all parts of the beautiful county of Oxfordshire and supporting as many events as I can. Having served as Deputy Chair to Councillor Alison Rooke in 2024/5 I have had a good insight in to what the role involves and I also have experience of serving as Lord Mayor of Oxford to bring to my new role.”

About the role of Chair?

As the ceremonial head of the council, the chair must be a serving county councillor but must remain politically impartial. A new chair is elected each May at the annual general meeting of the county council, which this year was on Tuesday 21 May.

Ceremonial duties performed by the chair include:

• being the politically impartial civic leader of Oxfordshire
• promoting the objectives and services of the county council and Oxfordshire
• acting as an ambassador for the county council and Oxfordshire
• fostering community identity and pride.

Key responsibilities include:

• presiding over meetings of the full council
• accepting invitations on behalf of the county council to attend events
• inviting individuals and representatives of key organisations to events at County Hall and other venues.

Click Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates in our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

The accreditation has been awarded by the City of Sanctuary UK movement following assessment by a panel of experts on migration.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “The county council is immensely proud of the work it has undertaken to support refugees and asylum seekers arriving in Oxfordshire. Supporting people who arrive with very little and enabling them to regain their confidence and independence is not only the right thing to do, but it also reduces the risk of future pressure on vital services.

“We are especially proud of our partnership with Asylum Welcome and the bus companies to provide free bus passes for asylum seekers in Oxford. The scheme has already had a positive impact.

“It has enabled them to access services that are not close by, as well as provide a safe way to escape the pressures of living in a hotel on a long-term basis, while learning about the Oxfordshire way of life.”

“Oxfordshire has always been a welcoming place and achieving sanctuary status underpins the county council’s commitment to welcoming all sanctuary seekers coming to the county, regardless of how they arrived.”

The county council’s vision is to lead positive change and make Oxfordshire a greener, fairer and healthier county. The council is committed to responding in a humane way to all people seeking sanctuary, supporting our priorities of reducing inequality and preventing a greater increase in demand for services in the future.

As a member of the Oxfordshire Migration Partnership, the county council works alongside the city and district councils, voluntary and community sector organisations, the NHS and Thames Valley Police to ensure a warm welcome to everyone, regardless of how they arrived.

Together, partners have supported over 8,000 refugees and asylum seekers to access the services that they need. These include help to find their own accommodation;  gain employment;  register with a GP and attend hospital appointments; get children into school; use libraries as places to learn English; and make new friends within communities.  

Work is now underway to finalise the Council of Sanctuary action plan (2025-2028) and ensure Oxfordshire grows as a place of welcome and inclusion for people seeking sanctuary for many years to come.

Sian Summers-Rees, the Chief Officer of City of Sanctuary UK said: “Oxfordshire County Council’s recognition as the first county council of sanctuary is a testament to its commitment to compassion, inclusion and support for those seeking sanctuary.

“This award reflects years of dedicated work to create a more welcoming, fair, and inclusive county, work that will continue through partnerships, community engagement and practical action.

“By embedding sanctuary principles across services, we not only support new arrivals but also strengthen our communities, fostering understanding, resilience, and a sense of belonging for all.”

The award has been achieved following a motion passed at a meeting of all county councillors in November 2023, approval by the council’s cabinet in June 2024 and an assessment by the City of Sanctuary UK peer review group on 10 March 2025.

In early February, the government set out more detail on its timelines for changes in local government structures.

A request was made to all remaining two-tier areas across England (county and district councils) for interim proposals for new single-tier (unitary) authorities by 21 March and final proposals by 28 November.

Cabinet or executive meetings will take place at Cherwell District Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council and West Oxfordshire District Council on this subject between 19 and 20 March.

Each cabinet or executive will be asked to endorse a joint response to government that sets out how local authorities in our area are collaborating to develop proposals for new unitary structures. The response will also include information on each of the three options being developed for Oxfordshire, in line with the criteria set out in the government’s statutory invitation. The options are:

1.    A single unitary council for Oxfordshire – Oxfordshire Council.

2.    North Oxfordshire Council (created from the existing district councils of Cherwell, Oxford City and West Oxfordshire) and Ridgeway Council (created from the existing district councils of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse and the unitary council of West Berkshire).

3.    Three unitary authorities – with a unitary city on expanded boundaries as well as northern and southern unitaries, also including West Berkshire.

Should each cabinet or executive approve this approach, further detailed discussions will take place between the councils so that final proposals can be submitted by 28 November. The government will then decide what form unitarisation will take in Oxfordshire.

In parallel, all Oxfordshire councils, with other partners, will continue collaborating to propose a mayoral strategic authority to government as part of the national programme of devolution and re-organisation of local government. 

Councillor David Hingley, Leader of Cherwell District Council, said: “Cherwell’s thriving market towns, valued rural communities, and diverse economy give our area a distinct identity, which we want to enhance through any local government reorganisation. We have worked closely with neighbouring Oxfordshire councils to develop credible initial options for further discussion. Our focus is prioritising strong local governance and securing the best outcomes for our residents.”

Councillor David Rouane, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “New unitary councils could provide a strong foundation for the future. It’s an opportunity to provide enhanced financial stability, sustainable economic growth, and to address our housing and infrastructure needs. Our cabinet will discuss its preferred approach on 19 March, focusing on the needs of our communities as well as the government's criteria for new councils."

Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council, said: “Unitary councils will be simpler for everyone. We propose separate councils for central, northern and southern Oxfordshire together with West Berkshire, to reflect our distinct geographies. We are working collaboratively with the other councils in the interests of Oxfordshire residents and businesses, and our place in a mayoral strategic authority.”

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: "Local government reorganisation offers an opportunity to improve our services for residents and nurture a vibrant and inclusive economy. We must maintain the links between our great universities and organisations developing advanced technology, including on Bicester, Culham, Harwell and Milton Park campuses, so that our county can drive change across the Oxford to Cambridge corridor."

Councillor Bethia Thomas, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “The government's invitation provides an opportunity to combine the strengths of existing councils to create a modern and effective local authority that puts people and communities at the heart of strong, healthy and robust local government, all while providing a firm base for wider regional economic growth."

Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “West Oxfordshire has a rich cultural and heritage environment. In a changing landscape we need to work together in partnership with neighbouring authorities to ensure we have improved services, a strong workforce and that our communities voice and engagement is heard and enshrined in emerging local government structures.”

The dates of individual cabinet and executive meetings are:

• Cherwell District Council, Oxford City Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council, West Oxfordshire District Council, 19 March.
• Oxfordshire County Council, 20 March.

In late December, councils across the country were given individual information on their grant funding for 2025/26.

In the autumn, Oxfordshire County Council had said that it would face a £25 million funding shortfall in 2025/26 before taking account of any new funding.

The impact of new money allocated to local government combined with local changes and a recommendation for a 4.99 per cent council tax increase in 2025/26 means proposals can be made to deal with this shortfall with some additional money to allocate to services.

A total of two per cent of the council tax increase would need to be ringfenced for adult social care under rules set down by central government.

Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “Each year central government allocates grant funding to individual councils and this information is communicated in late December.

“Our finance team has been working its way through this information in fine detail. The analysis is that the council is now able to set a balanced budget in 2025/26 with some additional funding allocated to new priorities on a one-off basis.

“We still look to future years with some concern. While the 2025/26 financial year looks healthier, there remains huge uncertainty about the impact of funding reform that could reduce the funding available to the council beyond that.”

Changes to previous proposals

The combination of a proposed 4.99 per cent council tax rise and additional grant funding from government means the following one-off broad additions can be made to areas of the council’s budget with precise detail to be worked on later by officers:

• £2.1m for pro-active flooding measures and working with communities who have suffered flooding. This would be added to £1.5m new funding that has already been proposed for highway drainage.
• £1m to leverage investment in rail, including supporting active travel access, improvement programmes and the development of strategic cases and masterplans to prove the environmental, economic and community case for rail.
• £300,000 towards working with other organisations collaboratively on planning regeneration in Banbury Town Centre
• £1.3m for active travel measures to encourage walking and cycling would be added to the £500,000 for active travel in rural areas already proposed.
• £400,000 is proposed to support holding the price of a joint ticket (parking and bus fare) at Park & Ride car parks unchanged from 2024/25

A public consultation on the substance of the 2025/26 budget proposals ran throughout December and ended on 2 January 2025.

This followed extensive engagement with residents over the summer on their priorities, including on the budget. This was through the council’s annual residents’ survey and participatory engagement opportunities using an online budget simulator, focus groups and sounding boards for children and young people.

The feedback from this engagement is included in the Cabinet report along with the consultation responses.

Councillor Levy added: “At this stage these remain proposals. Cabinet has now set out its proposed budget and full council will finally set the budget on 11 February. In finalising our proposals, we have taken account of feedback from our budget engagement activity in the summer, from scrutiny committees in December and January and the findings from our budget consultation.”

The building primarily comprises office accommodation and was completed in 1973.  Old County Hall dating from 1841 comprises the Council Chamber and Coroner’s Court and is listed Grade II*.

The sale offers the opportunity for the council to move into modern, net-zero accommodation enabling County Hall to be re-imagined by a new owner as part of the regeneration of the West End of the city centre of Oxford.

Receipts from the sale of County Hall will pay for the upgrading of Speedwell House with decisions to be taken on how any surplus would be deployed.

Councillor Liz Leffman, the leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “We took the momentous decision to move from County Hall in January and since then a lot of technical and professional work has been ongoing to progress the matter.

“We have now reached the milestone of marketing County Hall to potential buyers.

“County Hall is in a prime location in one of the world’s most famous cities and we anticipate a wide range of interest from the UK and across the world. 

“We believe that our decisions at County Hall and Speedwell House will improve the delivery of services and will help with the physical, social and economic regeneration of Oxford. We will use the move to stimulate this ambitious thinking for the city and the county as a whole.”

The marketing approach to County Hall will not dictate or pre-determine the future use of the buildings and will be designed to encourage as wide a range of interest as possible.

Old County Hall is included in the marketing of the site and allows the council to assess market interest and to make an informed decision about the future of the building.

All offers received will be reviewed in detail with a shortlist of potential purchasers to be selected and interviewed to determine the deliverability of proposals.

Decisions are expected to be made towards the end of 2024.

The move to Speedwell House

Under approved plans the county council will move its headquarters to Speedwell House on Speedwell Street. These offices had for many years provided city centre office accommodation for the council in addition to County Hall. Work is being completed to strip out the building.

This means work can commence in the middle of 2025, with the intention to create new net zero headquarters for the council, using sustainable technologies including air source heat pumps.

The Speedwell House offices will be designed to maximise natural light and make best use of technology. The building will be extended, and extra floors added to the current building.

Concept designs of Speedwell House include a new Council Chamber and Coroner’s Court in a building that is modern, fit for purpose and accessible.

There will only be minimal car parking at the site (for those with disabilities), with electric pool cars, secure bike storage and changing facilities provided for employees to support sustainable travel to and from work.

The building is close to the city centre with easy bus and train access and close to Thames Valley Police offices, the Magistrates Court and Crown Court with potential for shared use to save money for the taxpayer.

There will be an ambition for a 20 per cent biodiversity net gain.

Cllr Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, added: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us not only to create a modern carbon-neutral office and a welcoming and comfortable space for our employees, councillors and residents, but also to help transform this part of the city and better support those using the area. We’re looking forward to seeing the new offices take shape and to moving in during early 2027.”

Click Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates in our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

Since February 1970, the ‘Wittenham Rose’ has been presented as a peppercorn rent to landowners at Little Wittenham. It is a symbolic gesture which allows ongoing access for the general public to the woods, pastureland and round hills of the reserve.

When the agreement was drawn up in 1970 the area was still in Berkshire. Since 1974 Oxfordshire County Council has presented the rose.

Increasing access to the countryside

Councillor Alison Rooke, Chair of Oxfordshire County Council said: “This ceremony is a long standing tradition that the county council is delighted to honour. Public access to the countryside is an important issue for both the county council and the Earth Trust, so the rose ceremony is an important annual event in our calendars. It is a mid-summer Oxfordshire fixture and part of the fabric of our wonderful county.”

Cllr Rooke will return to the nature reserve on 11 July to plant the rose.

The Earth Trust and Wittenham Clumps

Since 1982 the Earth Trust has managed the area around Wittenham Clumps and the surrounding farmland, grassland and woodlands. The area is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation, because of its grassland and significant population of great crested newts.

Following an earlier motion, the council’s cabinet is now set to discuss rolling out a scheme to provide period products in 18 libraries and eight children and family centres across Oxfordshire on a trial basis.

Lorna Baxter, Executive Director of Resources said: “During the cost of living crisis, residents have been forced to make difficult decisions about which essentials they can buy.

“We know that in 2023, Action Aid found that 21 per cent were struggling to afford period products – an increase of nearly 10 per cent in just a year. This is a trend that is even higher among younger age groups.

“No doubt it is very distressing for those experiencing period poverty but it can also pose a real health risk. This is why it’s so important that we make it easier for everyone who needs them to access period products.

“Being able to access period products at school, work or in a public place free of charge could be the difference for some between staying at home or being able to go to school, work, exercise, socialise and more. This all can have wider implications for a person’s mental health, wellbeing and future.

“Since the period poverty motion went to the full council meeting of all county councillors back in September 2023, we’ve been working to look at how we can best implement any such scheme.

“We have been looking at a number of options to support residents, including disposable and reusable products. We hope that this trial will help us to determine the most effective way to support those experiencing period poverty in the county.” 

If approved, the scheme will provide period products to anyone who need them in larger libraries, libraries serving priority areas of deprivation, children and family centres, and for council employees in larger council offices.

Click Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates in our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

Cllr Rooke first became a councillor in 1999 and served on both Abingdon Town Council and the Vale of White Horse District Council. She has been a county councillor in Abingdon since 2013. She succeeds Cllr Felix Bloomfield in the post. Cllr Mark Lygo will be her vice-chair.

She had a career in computer programming and as a personal assistant before leaving full time employment to care for her father. She is a mother of two daughters and has been a member of Abingdon Operatic Society for more than 40 years.

Becoming Chair of the county council is the latest in a sequence of important roles she has held including being Mayor of Abingdon and Leader of Abingdon Town Council. She was also Chair of Vale of White Horse District Council.

As the ceremonial head of the council, the chair must be a serving county councillor but must remain politically impartial. A new chair is elected each May at the annual general meeting of the county council, which this year was on Tuesday 21 May.

Cllr Rooke said: “I am looking forward to getting around to many different parts of Oxfordshire and supporting as many events as I can by attending and representing the county council. We are keen to hear from organisations who have events over the next year.”

The new Chair will raise funds for three charities during her year in post: My Vision (who support Oxfordshire residents who have poor sight or sight loss); Parkinsons UK (who have three branches in Oxfordshire) and the Earth Trust in Little Wittenham.

Cllr Rooke added: “At first it may appear that these three charities are not linked but we hope there will be a sense of synergy. People who have sight loss or may have problems with moving and getting around may not automatically think that Earth Trust could help. They are very keen to educate and open the countryside to everyone.”

“We are certainly hoping for an event over the summer involving people being able to go for a walk and enjoy afternoon tea afterwards.

“As important as the fundraising is, raising the profile of these local charities is equally as important. I hope we can achieve both during the forthcoming year.”

 About the role of chair

Ceremonial duties performed by the chair include:

• being the politically impartial civic leader of Oxfordshire
• promoting the objectives and services of the county council and Oxfordshire 
• acting as an ambassador for the county council and Oxfordshire
• fostering community identity and pride.

Key responsibilities include:

• presiding over meetings of the full council
• accepting invitations on behalf of the county council to attend events
• inviting individuals and representatives of key organisations to events at County Hall and other venues.

Click Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates in our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

A notice of vacancy has been published at County Hall and on the Council’s website.  The requisite notice from two local government electors to hold the by-election have also been received.  

The notice of election will be published on Wednesday 15 May, by county council Chief Executive Martin Reeves in his role as Returning Officer, and the election will be held on Thursday, 20 June

 Councillor Felix Bloomfield is chair for 2023/4 and his annual event was held on Friday, 15 March at County Hall.

He was joined by the Chair of West Oxfordshire District Council, Mayor of Didcot, Chief Executive of Oxfordshire County Council, charity representatives from Parkinsons UK, Councillors, colleagues from Oxfordshire County Council and friends.

The evening raised £3,389 which is being shared equally between the chair’s chosen charities. Parkinson’s, Cancer Research, Thames Valley Air Ambulance, SSAFA Oxfordshire, Royal British Legion, Veterans Gateway, Veterans UK, Felix Fund, Sepsis UK and SeeSaw – grief support for children and young people in Oxfordshire.

The Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra string quartet played for the first part of the evening after which guests were given a tour in the tunnels that are underneath the court room at Old County Hall.  The evening concluded with a raffle and auction held by the Chair.

Councillor Bloomfield said: “I would like to say thanks to council staff for their hard work and dedication and to guests for attending and supporting me at the annual event that was held. I also offer a big thank you to the organisations and businesses that provided donations towards the raffle and auction.”

 Those who provide donations were as follows:

• The Malmaison Oxford
• The Chequers Inn, Berrick Salome
• Blenheim Palace
• Bodleian Library, Oxford
• Bygone Boating, Benson
• Oxford United
• Chiltern Railways
• Comptoir Libanais, Oxford
• Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra
• Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens
• Crocodile of the World
• Courtyard by Marriott, Didcot
• The Half Moon village pub and pizzeria, Coxham
• Hook Norton Brewery
• Home Sweet Home, Roke
• Oxford Preservation Trust
• The Three Horseshoes, Benson
•  Weston Manor Hotel, Oxford
• Millets Farm
• Rona Art Gallery
• The Oxford Artisan Distillery
• Hazel and Richard Jeffries
• Councillor John Howson
• The Bell at Crowmarsh

All three main political groups on the council presented their own budget proposals. The Liberal Democrat Green Alliance group forms the administration at the council and they first published a draft budget in late November.

This went through several changes as levels of government and other funding became clearer. A balanced budget was proposed by the council’s cabinet in early February, which later included additional money awarded to councils in England from central government.

The Conservative and Labour groups each independently proposed their own amendments to this budget. Each set of budget proposals was debated in the council chamber.

The Liberal Democrats accepted Labour group amendments and a budget was agreed.

What changes were made from the budget proposed by cabinet in January?

The cabinet’s original budget contained real terms increases for both adults and children’s social care. There is a ten per cent real terms increase for children’s services aimed at helping children stay at home where possible and in Oxfordshire when they need residential support and to support improvements in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

There is also extra money for highways, especially gulley maintenance.

Cabinet’s longstanding commitment to reductions in air pollution and congestion, and to support bus use and active travel are also important parts of the budget.

The Labour amendment that was accepted means that the following is also included in the budget:

• Increasing early intervention work in early years and primary school settings to respond to SEND needs and proactively support the transition into mainstream education (£500,000 in 2024/25 and £380,000 ongoing funding from 2025/26).
• Invest in the Family Help Team to reduce the future demand and cost of care. £375,000 in 2024/25 rising to £500,000 in 2025/26
• Introduce four new Controlled Parking Zones (£200,000 in 24/5)
• Investment in improved collection of fees, charges and penalties (£210,000)
• Restore cost of living funding to support local advice centres. (£300,000)
• £300,000 revenue funding for borrowing supporting £5m additional funding for scheduled highways maintenance added to the capital programme. Meanwhile other capital investments include £6m for additional new children’s homes and £12.65m for additional active travel work

Cllr Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “We have worked hard to balance our budget and find savings so we could provide the investment needed to meet demands and pressures in social care. The budget for both adults and children’s social care will rise in real terms in 2024/25.

“Other areas of focus for our extra spending include extra spending for children with special educational needs and disabilities to support improvements in this area. There are also investments in highway maintenance, especially gully cleaning.

“Our longstanding commitments to reductions in air pollution and congestion, and our support for bus use and active travel are also strong elements of the budget we have set.

“Although central government came up with extra cash for local councils in England, this was very late and not enough to resolve the financial challenges facing the sector as a whole. Councils continue to look towards the remainder of the 2020s with concern.

Other key information about the county council budget for 2024/25 and the vote:

• The net budget for 2024/25 will be: £611m
• Council tax will rise by 4.99 per cent.
• Spending on both adult and children’s social care will rise in real terms to meet rising demands and costs.
• A total of 37 councillors voted in favour of the budget and 18 abstained,

The political groups at the county council

• There are 63 county councillors however four were unable to attend.
• The Liberal Democrat Green Alliance group is made up of 23 county councillors (20 Liberal Democrat and three Green)
• The Conservative group is made up of 21 county councillors, with one independent councillor aligned with them in the Conservative Independent Alliance.
•  The Labour & Co-operative Party group is made up of 14 county councillors.
• There are four independent councillors including one member of the Henley Residents Group.

On 30 January, the cabinet agreed balanced budget proposals to be presented to the annual budget setting meeting of the county council on 20 February. This is when all 63 county councillors meet to agree a budget for the next financial year and a medium-term strategy for following years.

The council had been working since late November to close what had previously been a shortfall between what was needed to continue delivering services in the 2024/25 budget and the money available.

After the proposals for cabinet had been formulated, central government announced an additional £600m of funding for councils across the nation in recognition of the financial difficulties faced in the sector. It has since been confirmed that Oxfordshire County Council’s share of this will be £4.8m

Local government funding beyond 2024/25 is uncertain and so the cabinet has only been able to propose one-off spending that does not extend beyond the 2024/25 financial year. Central government has suggested that councils should use the social care element of the new funding to invest in areas that help place children’s social care services on a sustainable financial footing, while being mindful of the level of adult social care provision.

Meanwhile the council is also able to allocate £1.3m from its own budget reserves for new highway and flood recovery work.

Cllr Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “While this extra funding is welcome it has come very late in the day and there remains no longer term plan to deal with the future sustainability of local government across England. Funding is uncertain beyond 2024/25.

“We had already worked hard to balance our budget and find savings so we could provide the investment needed to meet demands and pressures in social care. The budget for both adults and children’s social care was already planned to rise in real terms in 2024/25.

“We have given careful thought as to how this new money should be spent bearing in mind the uncertainties beyond 2024/25 and the fact that most of it should be spent on social care. At £4.8m the new money represents less than one per cent of our overall budget for 2024/25.

“We have listened carefully to what residents have outlined as their priorities during our conversations and engagement with them on our budget over the past six months. A further factor behind our decisions is providing greater support for early help for families and young children to help prevent the need for further spending down the line, working where practical with the voluntary and community sector.

“Other areas of focus for our extra spending include travel for children with special educational needs, support for those affected by flooding, and maintenance of our footpaths and cyclepaths. On the latter, we had already proposed extra money as part of our original budget – although it remains a real disappointment that central government is not recognising the need for extra sustainable funding on roads and infrastructure.”

What are the new proposals?

• £1m for social care (both children and adults) to accelerate digital methods of helping service users find the right information and advice.
• A total of £774,000 to develop the already successful Oxfordshire Way approach (in both children’s and adults social care) to help people live well and independently in their communities, remaining fit and healthy for as long as possible.
• A £1m investment in home to school transport with half to improve data and systems and mitigate pressures by creating efficiencies in the current service. The other half would be for travel training and accessibility to increase independence among service users.
• A £1m investment to further embed the family safeguarding model in children’s social care. This seeks to reduce demand by resolving family issues at the earliest opportunity
• A £500,000 scheme to encourage more people to join the successful Shared Lives scheme.
• A £1.3m investment to undertake gully and ditch cleaning in areas recently affected by flooding, boost capacity with landowners and parishes for them to clear ditches and implement sustainable drainage schemes and a second cut of urban verges and vegetation clearance around footways and cycleways.

The annual budget setting meeting of the county council takes place at 10.30am on Tuesday 20 February.

Proposals to save more than £9.8m in 2024/25 were set out by the county council in November as it seeks to set a balanced budget in the face of continued inflationary pressures and growing demands.

Originally the council had a shortfall of £9.1m to reach a balanced budget but this increased to £11.2m in December after it became clear that grant funding support from central government was not as much as anticipated. The council has proposed measures to close that gap to the extent that there is now a remaining £900,000 shortfall that needs to be closed by the time the council sets its budget later in February.

Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “We did not receive any additional money from government to close what was a £9.1m gap when we first published our draft budget in late November. Quite the opposite.

“The government has spoken widely about a 6.5 per cent increase of funding to local government. As we’ve said previously, this was a case of smoke and mirrors. This increase assumed councils would take the maximum council tax rise and includes funding announced this time last year. There was nothing new in this sum at all.

“Local government as a whole continues to express deep disappointment having already been viewing the second half of the decade with great concern. The government’s dealings with the sector so far this winter did nothing to alleviate those concerns.

“Our track record of responsible financial management means that Oxfordshire County Council has been in a more resilient position than many other authorities. However, the overall position is extremely challenging. Even now we remain £900,000 short of what we need for a balanced budget.

“Over the coming weeks we will continue to work hard to review our costs and identify further potential measures so we can close the gap and balance the budget.”

It remains the case that budgets in both adults and children’s social care will increase in 2024 with investments to meet pressures outweighing savings proposals.

What are the new proposals?

The new proposals that have been made include:

• A further £3.4m can be added to the budget on a one-off basis for 2024/25 as a result of district councils collecting more in council tax than was originally estimated.
• On the basis of analysis of anticipated demand for adult social care services, £1.5m of demographic of funding that was originally proposed to be added to the budget is now judged not to be required. A total of £8.5m of extra funding for demographic/population growth was included in existing forward plans and this remains. The council has always been responsible in planning ahead over several years to deal with pressure on adult social care stemming from population growth/demographic increases.
• Consumer Price Index Inflation was 3.9 per cent in the year to November 2023, down from 4.6 per cent in October and 6.7 per cent in the 12 months to September 2023. As such, £2.3m that was originally thought to be needed to cover anticipated costs of care packages within adult social care is now assessed not to be needed. A total of £12.3m previously agreed funding remains available to support increases in the cost of care packages from 2024/25.
• When the budget was originally proposed, a £14m investment in children’s services was proposed. However, there were also some savings. These savings are focused on things such as reducing the reliance on expensive agency staff, focusing on keeping families together by preventing the need for children to become looked after by the council, and opening new children's homes/increasing foster capacity to reduce the need for expensive out of county placements. However, half of these savings were not built into overall budget assumptions due to the risk of them not being achieved. Further work has now been done on the achievability of savings and this risk adjustment can be reduced by £1.1m from £5.2m to £4.1m.
• Because of anticipated future reductions in funding there is a need to reduce the size of the organisation in future. A new saving of £1.5m relating to workforce restructuring has been added in 2024/25. Planning for this is underway.

The overall projected budget for 2024/25 is more than £614m. The draft budget is based on a 4.99 per cent council tax rise in 2024/25, with two per cent of this being ringfenced for adult social care. No final decision on council tax or any element of the budget will be taken until 20 February 2024 when all 63 county councillors meet at the annual budget setting meeting of the county council.

Proposals to save more than £9.8 million in 2024/25 were set out in November by the county council as it seeks to set a balanced budget in the face of continued inflationary pressures and growing demands.

The detail revealed by central government to each individual council on local government settlement day (18 December) means that this gap has increased to £11.2m. Grant funding support was not as much as anticipated.

Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “We did not receive any additional money to close what was a £9.1m gap when we first published our draft budget in late November.

“The government has spoken widely about a 6.5 per cent increase of funding to local government. Sadly, this is a case of smoke and mirrors. This increase assumes councils take the maximum council tax rise and includes funding announced this time last year. There is nothing new in this sum at all.

“Local government as a whole has expressed its deep disappointment. We are clearly now going to have to take some really tough decisions.”

“As has been known since late November our budget proposals for 2024/25 already include more than £9.8m of savings. The whole of local government was already looking at the second half of the decade with great concern and the government’s announcement on 18 December did nothing to alleviate those concerns.

“Our track record of responsible financial management means that Oxfordshire County Council has been in a more resilient position than many other authorities. However, the overall position is extremely challenging and additional savings will need to be found.”

All local authorities are having to deal with the continued impact of slower than forecast falls in inflation in the UK during 2023 and the consequent continued high levels of costs and prices for energy, fuel, materials and staff costs.

The council also continues to experience demand-led pressures and the effects of the growing nationwide costs of supporting children and young people; the rising cost of social care and care placements for both children and adults; and a national shortage of social care workers leading to a reliance on agency staff and higher costs. The overall projected budget for 2024/25 is more than £614m.

The council’s Performance Scrutiny Committee will be updated on the position at its meeting on 19 January before an updated draft of the budget is presented to the council’s cabinet on 30 January.

The draft budget is based on a 4.99 per cent council tax rise in 2024/25, with two per cent of this being ringfenced for adult social care. No final decision on council tax or any element of the budget will be taken until 20 February 2024 when all 63 county councillors meet at the annual budget setting meeting of the county council.

The gender pay gap is the difference between the average (mean or median) earnings of men and women across a workforce.

 A report to a meeting of full council (all 63 county councillors) in December reported that there had been a decrease in the mean gender pay gap from 2.3% in 2022 to 1.2% in 2023.

Cllr Liz Leffman, the leader of Oxfordshire County Council said: “We are committed to improving our approach to equalities, inclusion and diversity. While councillors were welcoming of news that the gender pay gap is so small and better than nationally there is still a small way to go to equalise the situation. We are keen that there should never be any barriers for women to progress into higher paid roles, or roles where they are under-represented.”

Since 2017, an employer that has a headcount of 250 or more employees on a ‘snapshot date’ has been required to comply with regulations on gender pay gap reporting. Gender pay gap calculations are based on employer payroll data drawn from a specific date each year.

This specific date is called the ‘snapshot date’. The ‘snapshot date’ for Oxfordshire County Council (as with most other public authority employers) is 31 March every year.

The council must report and publish its gender pay gap information by 30 March of the following year.

Proposals to save more than £9.8 million in 2024/25 have been set out by Oxfordshire County Council as it seeks to set a balanced budget in the face of continued inflationary pressures and growing demands.

All local authorities are having to deal with the continued impact of slower than forecast falls in inflation in the UK and the consequent continued high levels of costs and prices for energy, fuel, materials and staff costs.

The council also continues to experience demand-led pressures and the effects of the growing nationwide costs of supporting children and young people; the rising cost of social care and care placements for both children and adults; and a national shortage of social care workers leading to a reliance on agency staff and higher costs.

The last Census confirms Oxfordshire has a growing and ageing population, which will continue to increase demand on services.

All of these pressures combined amount to approximately £29.8m. The council proposes to add to contingency funding for risks including inflation by £6.2m meaning an overall pressure of £36m.

After taking account of proposed savings, funding changes and other factors that help meet pressures, the county council currently has a £9.1 million funding gap.

It will work to close this and present a draft balanced budget in the new year after the government has confirmed its financial settlement for local government before Christmas and further financial information has been received from the city and district councils.

Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “Households continue to face huge financial challenges this autumn and we are still in a cost of living emergency. Many of the same factors that are causing those issues are affecting local government, including Oxfordshire County Council, and organisations and businesses up and down the land.

“At the county council, we are on the frontline of supporting the most vulnerable people in our communities. As always, we are committed to helping them and their families and they will always be prioritised when we make decisions on budget.  

“This is reflected in our budget, which contains large investments to meet new pressures in many areas, primarily in adult and children’s social care and services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). To invest in frontline services, we have needed to propose savings in other areas to balance this.

“We seek to manage the council’s finances responsibly and we carefully plan ahead to meet current and future financial challenges. Our budget proposals for 2024/25 include more than £9.8 million of savings. Beyond the budget for 2024/25, it is fair to say that the whole of local government is looking at the second half of the 2020s with great concern as funding issues and challenges look certain to continue.

“Our track record of responsible financial management means that Oxfordshire County Council is in a more resilient and robust position than some other authorities. However, the overall position is still challenging and means we will need to make tough choices.”

New for this year, residents can take part in the budget consultation (for 2024/25) until 10 January using an online budget simulator, which will be hosted on the council’s digital consultation and engagement platform Let’s talk Oxfordshire. The simulator allows residents to try to balance the council’s budget, weighing up tough choices and impacts. People will also be able to comment on the council’s proposed budget with feedback captured using an online form or in writing by Freepost. 

The council is also running three online Oxfordshire Conversations, which offer an opportunity for cabinet representatives to connect with residents on their priorities for local services and explore ideas for how we can make savings to balance our budget. Residents are asked to book.

The events are open to all and will run on the following dates:

• Monday 4 December 1pm to 230pm
•  Wednesday 6 December 7pm to 8:30pm
• Monday 11 December 4:30pm to 6pm.

The council’s budget proposals will be considered by the Performance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 8 December. Later in December, the government will announce council funding levels as part of its local government finance settlement.

This, alongside confirmation of wider financial resources available and the outcome of the public consultation and engagement, will lead to an updated draft of the budget being presented to the council’s cabinet on 30 January.

Currently, the council’s medium-term financial strategy – agreed in February 2023 – is based on a 4.99 per cent council tax rise in 2024/25, with two per cent of this being ringfenced for adult social care. This rise would be less than the current rate of inflation. No final decision on council tax or any element of the budget will be taken until 20 February 2024 when all 63 county councillors meet at the annual budget setting meeting of the county council.

The council’s cabinet will review a report that outlines the process for developing and agreeing the budget for 2024/25 and the assumptions on which the council’s existing medium-term financial strategy (MTFS), agreed in February 2023, is based.

It also provides an update on financial pressures continuing to impact on the county council and local government as a whole, set in the context of the national economy.

At this early stage in the budget process, the council is forecasting it will need to manage new pressures of around £30 - £40 million in 2024/25.

However, as is the case every year, this figure will be updated as the council moves through the budget process and will need to be considered alongside information on future funding received from central government and other sources.

What are the pressures on the council’s budget?

All local authorities continue to face significant increases in inflation that are driving up costs and price increases in energy, fuel and materials. These remain above those forecast by government.

Along with the rest of local government, the council is also continuing to experience high demand pressures from the growing nationwide costs of supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities; the rising cost of social care and care placements for both children and adults; and a national shortage of social care workers leading to a reliance on agency staff and higher costs.

There remains prolonged uncertainty about the government’s plans for the future relating to local government financing, including a new funding model for adult social care. Meanwhile, there have been substantial reductions in funding to local government over the last decade, which means the ability to make savings is reduced.

Oxfordshire County Council is not an outlier in facing these pressures – councils across the country are facing exactly the same issues.

Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “We know that people across our county are still facing huge financial challenges as we move into winter. Prices are continuing to rise and it is still legitimate to say we are in a cost of living crisis. The county council also continues to face major budget pressures.

“As a council, we are on the frontline of supporting the most vulnerable people in our communities. We are committed to them and their families. However, as the cost of doing this rises and our funding fails to keep pace, we are left facing tough choices.

“Each year the council goes through this initial process of identifying new pressures on budgets and the £30 - £40m figure is where we stand at the beginning of the process this year. We will manage the council’s finances responsibly and we are planning ahead carefully to meet current and future financial challenges.

“We will engage with residents about the big issues that matter most to them and their communities. We encourage residents to take part in budget engagement activities this winter. We will use this feedback to help us shape our budget proposals for next year.”

Currently, the council’s medium-term financial strategy – agreed in February 2023 – is based on a 4.99 per cent council tax rise in 2024/25 with two per cent of this being ringfenced for adult social care. This rise would be less than the rate of inflation.

What happens next?

In late November, the county council will publish the detail of its budget proposals for 2024/25.

The proposals will be considered by the Performance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee during December. The committee’s feedback, alongside the results from the 2023 residents’ survey and wider  budget engagement,  will be reported to the council’s cabinet in January before the budget is set at a meeting with all county councillors on 20 February 2024.

Councillor Kate Gregory will take on this role while Cllr John Howson is the new cabinet member for children, education and young people’s services.

Other new cabinet members are Cllr Neil Fawcett who will oversee community and corporate services, Cllr Nathan Ley who will look after public health, inequalities and community safety and Cllr Judy Roberts who will manage infrastructure and development strategy. Cllr Calum Miller has decided to step down from the role of cabinet member for finance and will be replaced by Cllr Dan Levy.

Last week, it was announced that Cllr Pete Sudbury had taken on the role of deputy leader of the county council. He will also retain his current role as the cabinet member for climate change delivery and environment.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “We have quickly filled vacant cabinet positions and we are now rapidly focusing on the issues that matter to Oxfordshire people. 

“At the top of our list of priorities is the subject of special educational needs and disabilities following the recent Ofsted and CQC local area partnership SEND inspection judgement. Cllr Kate Gregory will be focused solely on the urgent action needed to tackle the matters raised by inspectors.

“The creation of a new cabinet role dedicated to SEND will ensure that the whole council has a constant and permanent focus on turning the situation around at pace.

“Our priorities will be on rebuilding trust with parents and children, communicating better with them, listening to them and delivering better outcomes for the most vulnerable children in the county.

“Meanwhile the other new cabinet members will each bring fresh ideas and energy to their roles as we look to the future in terms of our overarching aim of creating a greener, healthier and fairer Oxfordshire.”

Click Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates in our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

The council’s cabinet today approved in principle the lease of land at the ‘Triangle’ to the football club for the development of a new stadium.

The leasehold comes with a number of conditions:

• The club must be given planning permission by Cherwell District Council.
• The club must produce a net-zero plan that is fully costed and comes with clear timescales and outcomes from design, construction and full operation of the stadium.
• The club must provide detail of how it will meet the commitments made in its submissions to the county council so far.
• Restrictive covenants will be put in place that will set aside the use of the land for football/community sports and leisure/sports stadia for the term of the lease, with limited commercial activities permitted only within the stadium footprint.

Officers had proposed the sale of the land but following their debate at the cabinet meeting, councillors decided to opt for the leasing of the land.

The county council cabinet’s decision follows extensive public and stakeholder engagement during 2022 and 2023. More than 5,000 people and organisations shared their views through a survey run during June and July 2023.

A previous survey in January and February 2022 resulted in over 3,700 responses. Feedback was also provided from the county council’s Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which met on 13 September.

Cllr Liz Leffman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Leader, said: “Cabinet members have individually and collectively thought long and hard about this decision. There has been a huge amount to weigh up in considering this matter and we recognise that there are very strong and diverse views.

“We would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to share their feedback with us, which we have studied in great detail.

“We know that many local residents have concerns about the stadium, particularly around transport and parking. Officers advised us that these had not yet been fully addressed in the information provided by the club. The conditional agreement to lease the land is only the first step in the process and the club must now provide much more detailed proposals alongside the planning process, including addressing transport and connectivity issues.

“Our officers will be scrutinising these plans in detail in our statutory role as local highways authority.

“A key factor for the cabinet in reaching this decision has been to bring long-term benefit to communities in Oxfordshire. We believe the new stadium has the potential to do this by providing local employment, education opportunities for our young people, much improved facilities for local sports groups, and securing the future of county’s only professional football league club, which has such a positive impact on many people’s lives.

“We have asked the club to spell these out as they now develop their plans through the planning process and we will insist on them through the conditions we place on a future contract. It is now for the club to demonstrate that they can develop the detailed proposals to meet the aspirations they set out in their statements to us and to the public. If they fail to do this, we will not sign.

“Once again, we would like to thank everyone who has taken part in this extensive and thorough process.

“The next step for the club is to submit a planning application, and residents will once again be able to share their views as part of this process.” 

Full detail on the club's proposals, results of the engagement exercises, and the seven strategic priorities that the county council set, can be found in the cabinet report.

A total of 5,441 people and organisations responded during June and July as the county council sought views on whether the club’s proposals address the council’s seven strategic priorities. The council owns the land in question.

Previous to this, a series of targeted, independently facilitated meetings with stakeholders were held in April and May to explore early views on the OUFC proposals. Public and stakeholder engagement had also taken place in 2022.

The report from the public engagement will be considered by a meeting of the council’s Place and Overview Scrutiny Committee on 13 September. Members of the public can apply to speak. It will then be considered by Cabinet on 19 September as part of its final decision on whether to lease or sell the land to the club.

Just over two thirds of those who responded were a resident of Oxfordshire (71 per cent). Overall a slim majority of Oxfordshire resident respondents felt the information provided by the club fully addressed the council’s seven strategies priorities, with percentages varying between 51 and 60 per cent depending on the priority.

There were, however, geographical variations, with respondents who live nearest to the proposed site holding the strongest reservations. The detailed report can be found in the report to the scrutiny committee.

Just over half (53 per cent) of those who responded were supporters of Oxford United, with 75 per cent of them living in Oxfordshire. A small number of responses came from business representatives, representatives of a group or organisation, and local councillors - but fewer than one per cent.

Oxfordshire County Council Chief Executive Martin Reeves said: “Our engagement with the public and stakeholders during both 2022 and 2023 has been extensive and thorough and the county council would like to sincerely thank everyone who has taken part for sharing their views.

“Many people have attended meetings or responded online and the feedback has been collated for the Place and Overview Scrutiny Committee to consider and pass on their recommendations to cabinet. The feedback received from the engagement will be used alongside a range of other detailed information to help inform Cabinet when they come to make this important decision on 19 September.”

Should cabinet ultimately approve the use of the land for the football club to build a new stadium, Oxford United would still need to seek planning approval from Cherwell District Council as the local planning authority.

The proposal is for the stadium to be located on council-owned land, known as “the Triangle” located east of Frieze Way and south of the Kidlington roundabout.

Cllr Calum Miller, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “We are committed to taking decision on this proposal in an open and transparent way, with the help of comments and engagement from stakeholders and members of the public. I’d like to thank the organisations who have attended meetings with us and responded constructively to our engagement. This process has been separate to the engagement activities of the football club.

“We asked OUFC to supply us with information of a level of quality, detail and commitment that would allow us – and members of the public – to take a view on whether or not our strategic objectives for any use of OCC land had been met. We hope to receive such information in the next fortnight. If so, we will be undertaking further public and stakeholder engagement during June and July. This would include an online survey and public exhibitions.

“The feedback we receive from residents and stakeholders will help inform our decision making. That timetable would allow the cabinet to make a final decision in September on whether or not to lease or sell the land to the club for the development of a stadium.”

Details of what was discussed by cabinet at its May 23 meeting can be found in the report.

Detail can also be found on the themes that emerged during engagement that took place in May and April as well as how further engagement will happen during June and July.

If a decision were made by cabinet to make available the land to OUFC for development of a new stadium, formal consultation would be required to take place as part of a statutory planning process that would be conducted by Cherwell District Council as planning authority.

A dedicated page has been published on the county council’s website as regards the proposals: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/stadium

Cabinet heard that negotiations on heads of terms and due diligence are underway and that the likely timescale for a final decision remains September.

At the March cabinet meeting a memorandum of understanding governing timescales and engagement was agreed with the football club. More detail was set out for cabinet as to how this will work in coming months.

The council has recently been provided with further high-level information by OUFC as regards its long-term vision and intent. Officers will now await more detailed plans.

Councillor Calum Miller, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “We promised an open and transparent process and that is what we are delivering. This latest report gave us an update as to where we stand and what will happen in coming weeks and months.

“We want everyone to be able to share their views with us before we take a final decision. The club’s need to find a new home has been well publicised, but any decision we take has to be guided by the overarching aim of whether it brings benefit to our community in Oxfordshire.

“We noted that the club has very recently submitted more statements on its vision and long-term intent. Officers began reviewing this material immediately. We have stressed to the club that we look forward to seeing more detailed plans.”

Current work

Officers are currently undertaking stakeholder meetings to explore early views with regards to the OUFC proposals. The meetings are being run by an independent chair and are taking place in April and May.

Invitations have been sent to a range of stakeholders, including local parish councils, district and county councillors, MPs, local sports clubs, local interest groups, groups representing OUFC supporters, and representatives of Oxfordshire’s business community including tourism.

Meanwhile a meeting took place for all county councillors on 17 April at which councillors were able to ask questions of the club. A link to OUFC’s presentation is available on the council’s dedicated website: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/stadium. A set of frequently asked questions will be published on the site shortly.

OUFC is undertaking its own engagement activities. The county council welcomes these activities and recognises that it does not replace its own engagement and listening activities.

Next steps

• Independently facilitated stakeholder meetings will take place in April and May.
• Officers are planning the second phase of engagement, which will include a six-week engagement exercise open to everyone. This will commence when the football club publishes its detailed scheme proposals and after officers have been satisfied that they have sufficient information to assess to what extent the council’s seven strategic priorities will be addressed.

The council’s priorities

For Oxford United to receive in-principle agreement from the council to lease or buy the triangle site, their proposal must address the seven strategic priorities set out by the council for the use of the land. It must also meet objectives around mitigating long-term financial risk to the council and obtaining best value for the taxpayer from any transaction. These were agreed at the 24 January cabinet meeting.

The seven strategic priorities are:

• Maintain a green barrier between Oxford and Kidlington
• Improve access to nature and green spaces
• Enhance facilities for local sports groups and on-going financial support
• Significantly improve the infrastructure connectivity in this location, improving public transport to reduce the need for car travel in so far as possible, and to improve sustainable transport through increased walking, cycling and rail use
• Develop local employment opportunities in Oxfordshire
• Increase education and innovation through the provision of a sports centre of excellence and facilities linked to elite sport, community sport, health and wellbeing
• Support the county council’s net zero carbon emissions pledge through highly sustainable development.

The report to the 18 April meeting of the cabinet says that negotiations on heads of terms and due diligence are underway and that the likely timescale for a final decision remains September.

At the March cabinet meeting a memorandum of understanding governing timescales and engagement was agreed with the football club. More detail is set out in the 18 April report as to how this will work in coming months.

The council has recently been provided with further information by OUFC as regards its long-term vision and intent. Officers will now await more detailed plans.

Councillor Calum Miller, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “We promised an open and transparent process and that is what we are delivering. Cabinet members will be updated with the latest information on 18 April and all councillors will receive a briefing beforehand.

“We want everyone to be able to share their views with us before we take a final decision. The club’s need to find a new home has been well publicised, but any decision we take has to be guided by the overarching aim of whether it brings benefit to our community in Oxfordshire.

“We welcome the fact that the club has very recently submitted more detail on its vision and long-term intent. Officers began reviewing this material immediately and will look forward to seeing more detailed plans in due course.”

Current work

Officers are currently undertaking stakeholder meetings to explore early views with regards to the OUFC proposals. The meetings are being run by an independent chair and are taking place in April and May.

Invitations have been sent to a range of stakeholders including local parish councils, district and county councillors, MPs, local sports clubs, local interest groups, groups representing OUFC supporters, and representatives of Oxfordshire’s business community including tourism.

Meanwhile an update briefing will take place for county councillors on 17 April. A recording of OUFC’s presentation will be published on the council’s website together with a set of frequently asked questions. A dedicated page has been published on the county council website: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/stadium .

OUFC is undertaking its own engagement activities. The county council welcomes these activities and recognises that it does not replace its own engagement and listening activities.

Next proposed steps

• Independently facilitated stakeholder meetings will take place in April and May.
• Officers are planning the second phase of engagement, which will include a six-week engagement exercise open to everyone. This will commence when the football club publishes its scheme proposals and after officers have been satisfied that they have sufficient information to assess to what extent the council’s seven strategic priorities will be addressed.

The council’s priorities

For Oxford United to receive in-principle agreement from the council to lease or buy the triangle site, their proposal must address the seven strategic priorities set out by the council for the use of the land. It must also meet objectives around mitigating long-term financial risk to the council and obtaining best value for the taxpayer from any transaction. These were agreed at the 24 January cabinet meeting.

The seven strategic priorities are:

• Maintain a green barrier between Oxford and Kidlington
• Improve access to nature and green spaces
• Enhance facilities for local sports groups and on-going financial support
• Significantly improve the infrastructure connectivity in this location, improving public transport to reduce the need for car travel in so far as possible, and to improve sustainable transport through increased walking, cycling and rail use
• Develop local employment opportunities in Oxfordshire
• Increase education and innovation through the provision of a sports centre of excellence and facilities linked to elite sport, community sport, health and wellbeing
• Support the county council’s net zero carbon emissions pledge through highly sustainable development.

The start of initial negotiations about land known as “the triangle” near Kidlington were approved at January’s cabinet meeting and have already begun. A memorandum of understanding has now been agreed at the 21 March meeting of the council’s cabinet along with a plan for engaging with stakeholders and local communities over the coming weeks and months.

Councillor Calum Miller, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “Whether or not a stadium is built at the triangle site is a significant decision for local people in this area, residents across the county and fans of Oxford United. As such, the decision and the process leading up to it needs to be as open and transparent as possible.

“We know that it is an urgent project for the club, who have outlined their need to find an alternative home before 2026. We are committed to responding promptly to them and to taking decisions in a timely way. That’s why officers were in touch with the club the day after the January cabinet meeting and regular discussions have been taking place ever since.

“We have now approved a timetable for the next stages and a memorandum of understanding with the club on the process in the coming months. The first step is for the club to provide further detailed proposals. We know they are working to deliver these.

“We have built into the proposed timetable a period of public and stakeholder engagement that will commence as soon as the club’s proposals have been received. It will focus on whether the club’s proposals address the council’s seven strategic priorities for the use of the land. In the meantime, we are encouraging the club to undertake their own engagement with local residents as their plans develop. 

“We want everyone to be able to share their views with us before we take a final decision. The club’s need to find a new home is well understood, but any decision we take has to be guided by the overarching aim of whether it brings benefit to our community in Oxfordshire.”

What does the memorandum of understanding say?

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) requires Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford United FC to agree to:

• Work constructively to allow informed decision-making by the cabinet within an agreed timeframe (recognising that planning processes will inevitably have an impact on the timeframe).
• Recognise that the development and location of the stadium is not without contention, and both parties will seek to engage with stakeholders and promote debate and discussion that is constructive and respectful.
• Approach all discussions with a spirit of honesty, openness and transparency, sharing information freely to progress the decision-making.
• Attempt to resolve any disagreements or differences of opinion constructively, utilising an objective third party if required. 
• Note that the county council’s participation in these discussions is predicated on supporting and recognising the community role, legacy and heritage of the club. The council is not offering financial support to the club for the construction of the stadium or the running of the club. 
• Undertake engagement with stakeholders and local communities. For OUFC this will ensure community views are taken into account as part of the scheme development; for the county council this will help assess the extent to which the council’s seven objectives for the use of the land (set out below) have been met.
• Recognise the commercial viability and plans of the club are outside the scope of this working partnership and the county council is not inclined to support additional enabling development that is not aligned to the strategic priorities as set out above.
• Recognise the role of Cherwell District Council (CDC) as the planning authority and ensure that communications and engagement undertaken by the club or the county council do not impact on this process. Note that planning engagement with CDC will be undertaken by OUFC as the scheme developer and not Oxfordshire County Council as the landowner.
• Recognise that, in the event of the MOU being broken, either party has the right to walk away from these discussions.  

What conditions has the county council already set out?

For Oxford United to receive in-principle agreement from the council to lease or buy the triangle site, their proposal must address the seven strategic priorities set out by the council for the use of the land. It must also meet objectives around mitigating long-term financial risk to the council and obtaining best value for the taxpayer from any transaction. These were agreed at the 24 January cabinet meeting.

The seven strategic priorities are:

• Maintain a green barrier between Oxford and Kidlington
• Improve access to nature and green spaces
• Enhance facilities for local sports groups and on-going financial support
• Significantly improve the infrastructure connectivity in this location, improving public transport to reduce the need for car travel in so far as possible, and to improve sustainable transport through increased walking, cycling and rail use
• Develop local employment opportunities in Oxfordshire
• Increase education and innovation through the provision of a sports centre of excellence and facilities linked to elite sport, community sport, health and wellbeing
• Support the county council’s net zero carbon emissions pledge through highly sustainable development.

The county council’s engagement will focus on the extent to which stakeholders are satisfied that OUFC’s proposals address the council’s strategic priorities set out above. It will be divided into two phases.

1. Targeted stakeholder engagement, which is designed to capture early views on how OUFC’s emerging plans meet the council’s objectives. These views will feed into ongoing discussions with the club.
2. A small number of ‘listening’ events with invited groups of stakeholders, together with open engagement over a six-week period.

The results of these engagement exercises will be analysed and reported to the county council’s cabinet prior to its decision on whether to make the land at the triangle available to OUFC.

Further details can be found in the cabinet report. There is also information on the council’s website at  www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/stadium

Oxfordshire County Council is not the final decision-maker on whether or not the scheme receives planning consent. Any final proposal by the club would need to be put through the planning process at Cherwell District Council, which will include public consultation.

The start of negotiations about land known as “the triangle” near Kidlington were approved at January’s cabinet meeting and have already begun. A memorandum of understanding is proposed for agreement at the 21 March cabinet meeting along with a plan for engaging with stakeholders and local communities over the coming weeks and months.

Councillor Calum Miller, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “This is a significant decision for fans of Oxford United, local people in this area and residents across the county so the decision and the process leading up to it needs to be as open and transparent as possible.

“We also know that it is an urgent project for the club, who have outlined their need to find an alternative home before 2026. We are committed to responding promptly to them and to taking decisions in a timely way. That’s why officers were in touch with the club the day after the January cabinet meeting and regular discussions have been taking place ever since.

“At our cabinet meeting on 21 March, we will be asked to approve a timetable for the next stages and a memorandum of understanding with the club on the process in the coming months.

“The first step is for the club to provide further detailed proposals. We know they are working to deliver these.

“We are building into the proposed timetable a period of public and stakeholder engagement that will commence as soon as the club’s proposals have been received. It will focus on whether the club’s proposals address the council’s seven strategic priorities for the use of the land. We are also encouraging the club to continue to undertake their own engagement with local residents and fans as their plans develop. 

“We want everyone to be able to share their views with us before we take a final decision. The club’s need to find a new home is well understood, but any decision we take has to be guided by the overarching aim of whether it brings benefit to our community in Oxfordshire.”

What would the memorandum of understanding say?

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) would require Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford United FC to agree to:

• Work constructively to allow informed decision-making by the cabinet within an agreed timeframe (recognising that planning processes will inevitably have an impact on the timeframe).
• Recognise that the development and location of the stadium is not without contention, and both parties will seek to engage with stakeholders and promote debate and discussion that is constructive and respectful.
• Approach all discussions with a spirit of honesty, openness and transparency, sharing information freely to progress the decision-making.
• Attempt to resolve any disagreements or differences of opinion constructively, utilising an objective third party if required. 
• Note that the county council’s participation in these discussions is predicated on supporting and recognising the community role, legacy and heritage of the club. The council is not offering financial support to the club for the construction of the stadium or the running of the club. 
• Undertake engagement with stakeholders and local communities. For OUFC this will ensure community views are taken into account as part of the scheme development; for the county council this will help assess the extent to which the council’s seven objectives for the use of the land (set out below) have been met.
• Recognise the commercial viability and plans of the club are outside the scope of this working partnership and the county council is not inclined to support additional enabling development that is not aligned to the strategic priorities as set out above.
• Recognise the role of Cherwell District Council (CDC) as the planning authority and ensure that communications and engagement undertaken by the club or the county council do not impact on this process. Note that planning engagement with CDC will be undertaken by OUFC as the scheme developer and not Oxfordshire County Council as the landowner.
• Recognise that, in the event of the MOU being broken, either party has the right to walk away from these discussions.  

What conditions has the county council already set out?

For Oxford United to receive in-principle agreement from the council to lease or buy the triangle site, their proposal must address the seven strategic priorities set out by the council for the use of the land. It must also meet objectives around mitigating long-term financial risk to the council and obtaining best value for the taxpayer from any transaction. These were agreed at the 24 January cabinet meeting.

The seven strategic priorities are:

• Maintain a green barrier between Oxford and Kidlington
• Improve access to nature and green spaces
• Enhance facilities for local sports groups and on-going financial support
• Significantly improve the infrastructure connectivity in this location, improving public transport to reduce the need for car travel in so far as possible, and to improve sustainable transport through increased walking, cycling and rail use
• Develop local employment opportunities in Oxfordshire
• Increase education and innovation through the provision of a sports centre of excellence and facilities linked to elite sport, community sport, health and wellbeing
• Support the county council’s net zero carbon emissions pledge through highly sustainable development.

The county council’s engagement will focus on the extent to which stakeholders are satisfied that OUFC’s proposals address the council’s strategic priorities set out above. It will be divided into two phases.

1. Targeted stakeholder engagement, which is designed to capture early views on how OUFC’s emerging plans meet the council’s objectives. These views will feed into ongoing discussions with the club.
2. A small number of ‘listening’ events with invited groups of stakeholders, together with open engagement over a six-week period where anyone can share feedback using an online response form.

Oxfordshire County Council is not the final decision-maker on whether or not the scheme receives planning consent. Any final proposal by the club would need to be put through the planning process at Cherwell District Council, which will include public consultation.

Discussions to secure information and undertakings that meet the county council’s objectives will continue. Any final decision regarding the leasing of the land will be taken in public by a future cabinet meeting, based on whether the council’s objectives have been met.

The land in question is east of Frieze Way/south of Kidlington roundabout. It is known as “the triangle”. OUFC has provided the council with information consistent with the first stage of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) pathway for developing proposals (stage 0). This means there is still considerable detail to be developed by the club.

The site has the advantage of being close to Oxford Parkway railway station and park and ride at Water Eaton, which would enable greater walking, cycling, bus and rail use among fans. However, the council remains mindful that – as with the previously proposed site at Stratfield Brake – it is in the green belt.

Cllr Calum Miller, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “The cabinet has today agreed that the council should open legal negotiations with OUFC on its request for land for a new stadium at ‘the triangle’ site. These will take place alongside the ongoing discussions with the club to get to the point where a firm proposal can be published for consideration.

“Many people have questions about what the new stadium will look like and how matches will be managed for fans and local residents. There will be regular opportunities for the club to engage with the public about their plans as they develop. As the plans on which any final cabinet decision would be based are published, sufficient time will be allowed to seek the views of a wide-range of stakeholders. The cabinet will take into consideration the results of this engagement as part of its decision-making.

“Oxford United is close to the hearts of thousands of people across this county. We understand how strongly supporters wish to see the club secure a new and enduring home. We will work constructively and openly with the club to help them achieve a long-term home in the county and a sustainable future.

“When it comes to this proposal, it is important to stress that the county council has not today given the club a green light to develop a new stadium. We have agreed to start detailed negotiations on the terms on which Oxfordshire County Council land could be offered.

“The club should be clear from today that the county council has clearly set-out objectives that this development must meet. To receive agreement from the council, the proposal must have a positive impact on the lives of people in Oxfordshire - it needs to bring improvements that will benefit residents in years to come.”

Oxford United will now be required to provide further information and undertakings before any final agreement is entered into. The decision taken by cabinet requires that any legal agreement with OUFC should be consistent with the county council’s strategic priorities, by achieving the following seven objectives for the use of the council’s land. These are:

• Maintain a green barrier between Oxford and Kidlington
• Improve access to nature and green spaces
• Enhance facilities for local sports groups and on-going financial support
• Significantly improve the infrastructure connectivity in this location, improving public transport to reduce the need for car travel in so far as possible, and to improve sustainable transport through increased walking, cycling and rail use
• Develop local employment opportunities in Oxfordshire
• Increase education and innovation through the provision of a sports centre of excellence and facilities linked to elite sport, community sport, health and wellbeing
• Support the county council’s net zero carbon emissions pledge through highly sustainable development

Meanwhile the report to cabinet also sets out objectives around managing financial risk and obtaining best value for the taxpayer from any transaction.

Taking account of the recommendations around consultation, cabinet has asked officers to identify further opportunities for meaningful engagement with stakeholders as proposals are developed and impacts clearly identified.

Were cabinet to be satisfied that these objectives had been met and secured through a draft legal agreement, planning permission would be required from Cherwell District Council as the local planning authority.

In early 2022 the council ran a public engagement exercise to better understand the opportunities and concerns relating to the stadium proposal. More than 3,700 people responded from across the county and beyond. Overall, a strong majority expressed support for us to begin discussions with the club. However, a majority of local residents expressed reservations.

Cllr Calum Miller added: “Discussions have been taking place between the council and the club since late 2021. We are now adding negotiations on the potential legal and commercial terms to those discussions, but there are still critical pieces of information that we require from the club before any agreement could proceed.

“We have already taken the results of the engagement exercise conducted in early 2022 into account. These highlighted concerns and challenges associated with the Stratfield Brake site and the scale of OUFC’s proposals to lease 18 hectares of land for the development of a football stadium alongside hotel, retail and conference facilities, and training/community grounds. 

“In response officers recommended a smaller site of approximately 5 hectares for the provision of a stadium only, which is separated from Kidlington and Gosford by two major roads. Use of this site would not impact community sports facilities or access to Stratfield Brake and the land owned by the Woodland Trust as a community amenity. We are, however, very mindful that this site is also in the green belt.

“In summary, this is the continuation of a process, not the end of one. There remain clear objectives that the club must prove it will meet before the county council would consider agreeing to provide the land at the Triangle.  The county council will seek the views of a wide range of stakeholders before reaching any final decision.”

Discussions have been taking place between the council and the club since late 2021 about leasing council-owned land for the development of an 18,000-capacity football stadium. In March 2022, the cabinet asked officers to seek further information from the club on their proposals. This information was provided in November 2022.

A site at Stratfield Brake in Kidlington had initially been proposed by the club, but it was recognised there were considerable challenges associated with it. Officers have now identified another potential location between Oxford and Kidlington and are discussing its suitability with the club.

The alternative site is located south of Kidlington roundabout, west of Banbury Road and east of Frieze Way.

The decision about whether or not to enter into formal negotiations with OUFC about the lease of land will be taken in public at a cabinet meeting on 24 January. It is important to recognise that a decision by cabinet would not give a green light to go ahead with the development of the stadium. This would be subject to the full democratic planning process, led by the local planning authority Cherwell District Council.

Cllr Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Earlier this year we ran a public engagement exercise to better understand the opportunities and concerns relating to the stadium proposal. More than 3,700 people responded from across the county and beyond. Overall, a strong majority expressed support for us to begin discussions with the club. However, a majority of local residents expressed reservations.

“We listened to the many points raised during our engagement exercise and began exploratory discussions with the club with clear principles in mind. These include maintaining a green barrier between Oxford and Kidlington, improving public access to high-quality green spaces, enhancing facilities for local sports groups, developing local employment opportunities and increasing education opportunities for our young people.

“Any development must have a positive impact on the lives of people in Oxfordshire both in this specific locality and beyond – it needs to bring improvements that will benefit residents in years to come.

“We listened carefully to feedback from local residents and have taken account of the concerns they raised. The alternative site is separated from Kidlington and Gosford by two major roads, while the current leasing arrangement means its use would not impact community sports facilities or access to Stratfield Brake as a community amenity.

“The new site also has the advantage of being close to Oxford Parkway railway station and the Park and Ride, which would enable greater walking, cycling, bus and rail use among fans. We are, however, very mindful that – like Stratfield Brake − the site is in the green belt.

“As the county‘s only professional football league club, we know that Oxford United is close to the hearts of thousands of people across this county. The club has a long and distinguished history and is an integral part of the county’s heritage and presence.

“We fully recognise the challenges facing OUFC and we are doing everything we can to help them achieve a long-term home in the county and a sustainable future.

“Our officers are reviewing all the information and the responses received and will be making a clear recommendation to cabinet about whether or not to enter into formal negotiations with the club about the potential use of land for the development of a stadium.

“The cabinet will now debate this on 24 January and decide whether they agree with the recommendation from officers. If the cabinet decides to enter formal negotiations with OUFC, any final proposal by the club would then need to be put through the planning process at Cherwell District Council, which provides further opportunities for the public to provide their views before elected members take a decision.”

In January 2022 officers were asked to conduct a public engagement exercise to understand better the opportunities and concerns relating to the stadium proposal. A total of 3,740 responses were received. Further details can be found here.

The football club has asked the county council to transfer 18 hectares/44.48 acres of land that it owns at Stratfield Brake in Kidlington for 250 years. In addition to the stadium, the club’s proposal includes facilities such as a hotel, retail, conferencing and training and community grounds.

At its 18 January meeting the council’s Cabinet concluded it did not have sufficient information to give its approval for officers to enter into negotiations with both the club and the council’s current tenants on the land.

The Cabinet decided that there should first be a period of engagement with the public and local organisations on the principle of entering negotiations and on the council’s objectives for the use of the land. This will run from 25 January at 5pm to 22 February.

It also instructed officers to move forward with exploratory discussions with OUFC and with its existing tenants and sub-tenants at Stratfield Brake. It requested that a recommendation on whether to proceed with negotiations be made to its meeting on 15 March.

Cllr Calum Miller, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “This is a very significant proposal. There are implications for the people of Oxfordshire in general and residents in this area in particular as well as for the environment, the wider economy and job creation and the future of the county’s only professional football club.

“Very careful consideration was given at our Cabinet meeting as to whether we had sufficient information to authorise officers to start negotiations with the club.

“In the last week, it has been clear that many local residents and interested individuals and organisations want more time to consider the idea and to share their views with the County Council. The Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance is committed to participatory, open and transparent decision-making.

 “These initial exchanges of view have highlighted a number of important issues. Rather than rushing into a decision today, we have asked officers to run a four-week public engagement exercise so that we can hear the views of those who care about this proposal. We hope that this will help us understand the views of the public on whether to proceed and, if so, which principles to apply to the negotiation.

 “We appreciate that Oxford United face a tight timeline as they seek to secure a new home for their matches from 2026. We have asked officers to continue exploratory conversations with the club to address some of the issues that have been raised already and to take account of what we hear during the engagement exercise.

 “When the Cabinet meets in March, we will then have more information on which to base a decision on whether to enter into formal negotiations.”

How is the land currently used?

Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) purchased part of the land at Stratfield Brake in 1937 to provide a strategic gap between north Oxford and Kidlington – the site is in the green belt. It is currently leased by OCC to Cherwell District Council.

Part of the site is already sports ground. OUFC has proposed that the football club will take responsibility for the cost to replace or mitigate the loss of any community sports facilities at Stratfield Brake. 

 The county council is not prepared to relinquish its current lease to the Woodland Trust which has land at Stratfield Brake. It is therefore not part of any proposal being considered.

 Part of the site is currently let on a short-term basis to Foxcotte Fencing Limited, with the council having the ability to break the lease on 12 months’ notice.

How will the public engagement exercise be run?

This public engagement will run from 25 January at 5pm to 22 February on the council’s digital consultation and engagement platform https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/stratfield-brake-land-use-proposal-2022

Local people and organisations will be able share their views on whether the County Council should start negotiations and, if so, which principles should guide any negotiations.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Highways Management, made the decision today during a formal council meeting after considering feedback from the non-statutory consultation held in June.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “I’d like to thank all those who have taken part in the debate on the east Oxford LTNs both in the consultation and at this session. No-one doubts our collective aim to address climate change and traffic as an administration. But we have to make the transport system you are using work for you. This needs a holistic, planned, comprehensive approach that results in planned change that gives it every chance of success.”

Residents, the emergency services, visitors and local businesses across Oxford were consulted on proposals for the introduction of a trial of LTNs in the Divinity Road, St Mary’s and St Clements areas 8 - 29 June 2021. Over 2,000 responses were submitted.

The consultation found that residents living in the proposed LTN neighbourhoods particularly in the Divinity Road area (62 per cent strongly in favour) show support for the proposals. Meanwhile, residents in both St Mary’s, and St Clement’s were largely supportive (with 42 per cent each strongly in favour). Feedback from businesses and those outside the proposed LTN areas was generally against the proposals. 

The decision means that council officers will now examine the specific issues and concerns raised in the consultation responses and those who made them. The new consultation that follows will be targeted more specifically to those who identified the key concerns to propose a revised scheme that works for the communities involved.

The decision now means that revisions to the proposed LTNs based on the new consultation planned will return for a Cabinet member decision session later this year.

Click Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates thanks to our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

The decision by the county council as Oxfordshire’s transport authority now means the scheme can proceed after it was approved by Oxford City Council’s Cabinet last week as the joint partner in the scheme.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Tackling air pollution and climate change is a huge priority for Oxfordshire County Council. Not only will the Zero Emission Zone make a difference to the quality of life and health of people living and working in the city centre, we are showing that change is possible as we start to respond seriously with climate action. We can now look forward to a city that will be a healthier and cleaner place for all.”

Councillor Tom Hayes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Green Transport and Zero Carbon Oxford, said: “Air pollution weakens our lungs and makes it harder to breathe. Dirty air cuts short life and our quality of life, and it's just not on. Giving Britain's first Zero Emission Zone the green light is a game-changer, a way of improving public health but also social justice because it is the poorest citizens who are most affected by toxic air. As the UK's first council to set an air quality target which is tougher and tighter than the government's own, the Zero Emission Zone will help us to provide the cleanest air that Oxford residents will have ever known."

Oxford will be one of the first places in Britain to introduce a ZEZ. The scheme aims to reduce toxic air pollution levels, help tackle the climate emergency and improve the health of residents, workers and visitors in Oxford and beyond.

The ZEZ pilot will restrict polluting vehicles from key city centre streets during the day. Those who drive polluting vehicles into the zone will be charged a fee, with the level of the charge dependent on how polluting the vehicle is.

The pilot is the first phase of the ZEZ. It will allow both councils to gain useful experience and information before introducing a larger ZEZ covering most of Oxford city centre in 2022, subject to further public consultation. It is intended that the restrictions and exemptions applied within the pilot will be the same in the expanded ZEZ. 

If Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council’s Cabinets agree to the latest version of the zone at this month’s Cabinet meetings, it will be due to be introduced in August 2021.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Tackling air pollution and climate change is a huge priority for Oxfordshire County Council. Not only will the Zero Emission Zone make a difference to the quality of life and health of people living and working in the city centre, we are showing that change is possible as we start to respond seriously with climate action. We can look forward to a city that will be a healthier and cleaner place for all.”

Councillor Tom Hayes, Oxford City Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Green Transport and Zero Carbon Oxford, said: “Now, more than ever, we are alive to the importance of good health and well-being. Everyone has the right to breathe the cleanest air possible and both councils are moving forward with the introduction of Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone this year. Years of extensive consultation with businesses and citizens have got us to this pivotal point, and this plan reflects their views. Years ago, we began to imagine a better Oxford with cleaner air and this Zero Emission Zone is a pragmatic yet visionary route to cleaner air and better health.” 

Oxford will be one of the first places in Britain to introduce a ZEZ.

The city and county councils have held three formal rounds of public consultation since the ZEZ was first proposed in 2015. They held a final round of consultation on the pilot between November and January 2021.

More than 900 people took part and the results show that residents and businesses are broadly in favour of the proposals.

The ZEZ pilot will restrict polluting vehicles from key city centre streets during the day. Those who drive polluting vehicles into the zone will be charged a fee, with the level of the charge dependent on how polluting the vehicle is.

The scheme aims to reduce toxic air pollution levels, help tackle the climate emergency and improve the health of residents, workers and visitors in Oxford and beyond.

The city council’s Cabinet will consider the proposals on 10 March with the county council’s Cabinet making its decision as the highway authority on 16 March.

November 2020 consultation

In 2015, Oxfordshire County Council’s Local Transport Plan set an ambition to start a ZEZ in Oxford from 2020 with the aim of reducing air pollution. Over the subsequent years, the proposals have been developed through extensive public and stakeholder consultation.

The final formal consultation on the ZEZ pilot proposals took place between 20 November 2020 and 17 January 2021, after having been delayed from March 2020 due to the pandemic.

In total, 885 responses were received through an online survey, with a further 34 responses by letter and email. The majority of respondents said they are Oxford residents, with 5 per cent saying they live inside the ZEZ pilot area, 73 per cent living in Oxford but outside the area, and 14 per cent living outside Oxford.

The new, temporary bus gates are set to be installed as part of plans by Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council, working in close partnership, for the recovery of sustainable transport services as lockdown is eased. The aim is to implement the two gates in August.

A bus gate is a form of access restriction that allows only buses, cyclists, emergency vehicles and other limited exempt users to access to certain key roads between particular times of day (often 7am-7pm).

Bus gates do not prevent access to areas of the city. They aim to redirect traffic through a different route and reduce the use of the city centre as a through-route.

The new experimental bus gates do not require prior consultation or modeling before being installed, however they will be monitored and a consultation will be launched to assess their impact.

The city centre already operates a number of bus gates at High Street, George Street, and Castle Street which have helped reduce congestion and allow passengers to enjoy faster journeys.

As the transport authority, Oxfordshire County Council will be implementing the two temporary bus gates, however the project has been funded by Oxford City Council. The two councils have been working closely together on measures to support social distancing and to protect public health across the city.

Oxfordshire County Council has committed to invest almost £3m of Government funding to support projects to encourage safe pedestrian and cycle movement in cities. Additionally, the City Council has committed £234,000 to start the work to allow pedestrians and cyclists to maintain social distancing.

Oxfordshire County Council will implement two temporary bus gates in the city centre initially located at:

1. On Hythe Bridge Street or Worcester Street, between Frideswide Square and Beaumont Street
2. On St Cross Road or South Parks Road, between Parks Road and Manor Road.

The exact location of the bus gates is to be decided, and due to their temporary nature they might even be moved slightly after installation in response to feedback. A third bus gate is also being considered on Thames Street or Oxpens Road and may be introduced if monitoring of the two initial bus gates suggests this is necessary and desirable.

It is proposed that the gates will be open to all buses and coaches, bikes, electric bikes, taxis and private hire vehicles, blue badge holders and disabled tax class vehicles and the councils also plan to allow city centre residents (through one nominated bus gate only, between 10am and 4pm). Some of these exemptions will require systems to be set up at very short notice so they may not all be in full operation from the outset. More details on the exemptions and how they will work in practice will be shared shortly.

Why bus gates?

Oxford Bus Company has confirmed bus speeds in Oxford are 13% slower than in 2006. Bus gates will reduce this congestion by removing the ability for most private vehicles to go through the city centre.

A further benefit is that bus gates will also allow for safer journeys by cyclists as the roads at the allotted times will only be shared with buses rather than traffic as a whole.

Oxford City Council surveyed members of its residents’ panel last month on the impact of coronavirus and their plans to visit the city centre. When asked how they planned to travel into the city centre on their next visit, 47% of panel members said they intended to cycle, 7% planned to use the bus, 19% planned to walk, and 4% were planning on using a car.

Air pollution will also be cut in the city centre as traffic will not then become stuck in congestion. Oxford city centre has seen a historic 64% drop in air pollution as a direct result of the Coronavirus lockdown. 

In recent weeks, Oxford campaigners have been vocal in support of bus gates for Oxford as a means of addressing economic recovery for the city as it is unlocked. The University of Oxford has also expressed its support for the measure.

The temporary measure will act as one of a series to allow local bus companies to recover and support sustainable means of transport for residents, including cycling. In addition, reduced traffic will also offer all residents the prospect of cleaner air and a goal to continue it into the future.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment, Oxfordshire County Council, said:

“The temporary bus gates will form a very important part of the recovery of the transport network in Oxford and offer a series of benefits to residents. Bus journeys across the city have been slowed by increases in motor traffic over many years along with increasing air pollution.

“Bus gates give us a chance to build Oxford back better as we recover; they will help sustain the recovery of the bus operators, reduce congestion where they are located and help offer safer roads for cyclists. Residents have indicated that they want safer streets with less traffic as part of the recovery and this will be one of the steps forward to achieving this goal.”

Councillor Tom Hayes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Green Transport and Zero Carbon Oxford, Oxford City Council, said:

“Oxford City Council is funding the introduction of two new bus gates to cut car traffic, allow public transport to run efficiently, and free up safe space for cyclists and pedestrians. This City Council is committed to the fullest and fastest economic recovery to protect jobs—the new bus gates are key to getting Oxford moving again in a clean, green and safe way. We are closely listening to residents and acting on their desires for urgent transport changes which work for the good of every individual and Oxford itself.”

Chris Coleman, Stagecoach Oxfordshire Managing Director said:

"The introduction of these two temporary bus gates is a positive step towards more sustainable active travel patterns. Covid-19 has given us a window on what could be a positive future - one with dramatically fewer cars on our roads, safer streets, cleaner air and less damage to our environment. With less congestion slowing journey times, bus travel is an attractive mode of transport for reaching the city centre and we look forward to seeing the positive effects the two new gates will have on our services."

The gates will be implemented during temporary traffic regulation orders (TTROs), and using the additional powers and guidance issued to local authorities by the Department for Transport to assist in the delivery of emergency active travel measures and other coronavirus recovery schemes.

The Connecting Oxford transport plan between the County and City councils also includes various options for a series of new bus gates in the city centre and eastern area of the city.

The short-term implementation of these two bus gates in the city centre will be outside of this process. This means the bus gates put forward for short term implementation may differ in a number of ways from the bus gates being developed as part of Connecting Oxford.

Differences could include the number of gates, locations, times of operation, exemptions and physical layout. At the same time, these temporary bus gates will yield vital data on the impact of reduced traffic including that on air quality, cycle mobility, increased bus patronage and increased levels of walking.

“Given the inadequate response from the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government to the concern of this Council regarding the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway, this Council asks the Leader to write to the Minister of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Highways England in the following terms:

Oxfordshire County Council will work with Highways England on the development of the vision for the English Economic Heartland and the Oxford to Cambridge Arc on the understanding that they will expedite the realisation of the East West Rail Link.

The development of the railway line will ensure the delivery of the growth and housing required, without the environmental impact of a road cutting across the centre of rural England.

Building the Expressway flies in the face of Oxfordshire’s commitment to reduce the use of the car. An action which is necessary to tackle the Climate Change Emergency, which Local Government, including Oxfordshire, has signed up to.

Oxfordshire does not support the building of the Expressway irrespective of which route is chosen.”

The motion was carried with 36 in favour, 11 against and eight abstentions.

Background on the motion

The proposed routes for the new expressway have not yet been decided by Highways England and public consultation is still to be held on the proposals. The consultation was due to be held in Autumn 2019. This will now take place after the General Election.

Further information about the Highways England proposals are here.

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said:

“We are keen to work with Cherwell to ensure its residents continue to receive good services. The county council also believes a joint arrangement would help to secure investment in the infrastructure needed to support increases in jobs and homes.

“The problems in Northamptonshire have created this unique opportunity for a county-district shared service arrangement. I am confident that if we can reach an agreement that would be good for Cherwell and good for the rest of Oxfordshire.

The local government review in Northamptonshire has required the Leader and the administration of Cherwell District Council to reflect upon its future and to consider what is best for its residents. As a result, they are minded to formally end their successful partnership with South Northamptonshire, and are looking at future options that will best suit the interests of its residents.

Bodicote House - Cherwell District Council's HQ

Councillor Barry Wood, Leader of Cherwell District Council, said:

“This is a great opportunity to explore closer joint working with Oxfordshire County Council, putting our residents at the heart of service delivery. In Cherwell we already have a very successful track record of partnership working and welcome the possibility of a strong and innovative relationship with colleagues at the County.

"In line with our ethos we will consider all partnerships that fit with our culture. In short, we do not and will not, operate a ‘one size fits all policy’ – but take individual decisions based on customer need and evidence."

Joint working arrangements were formally agreed under what is known as a Section 113 agreement by the Cabinet of Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council on 4 June.

The exact arrangements for sharing services and joining up functions will need to be worked out in detail and then agreed separately by each council. The shared service arrangements would be implemented incrementally so that day-to-day services are not affected and new ways of working identified.

It is a statutory requirement that the Chief Executive, as head of paid service, is appointed by the full councils of each council and formal appointment processes will be followed. Peter Clark, chief executive of Oxfordshire County Council, has said he would step down if and when the joint working arrangement was agreed.

The proposed partnership is not connected to unitary reorganisation proposals, and would offer an innovative opportunity to make two tier local government more effective.

You can read the Cabinet paper on the joint working proposal here.

Local roads are also set to benefit from Oxfordshire County Council being given a share from a national roads fund but details of the exact proportion of money to be allocated to Oxfordshire and other councils in England have yet to be confirmed as well as the type of road which would eligible for funding.

Bev Hindle, Strategic Director for Communities at Oxfordshire County Council said: “We welcome today’s announcement from the Government, confirming their support and commitment to invest in the A34 (M4-M40), East West Rail and the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway. We will continue to talk to Government and partners about the county’s transport infrastructure strategy to ensure the needs of future generations who live, work or travel through Oxfordshire can be met and planned for.

He continued:  “As the Transport Secretary said, getting transport spending right is absolutely crucial which is why the county council and members of the Oxfordshire Growth Board are working on a the development of an Oxfordshire Infrastructure Strategy which will identify, prioritise and cost Oxfordshire’s future infrastructure to 2040. We already know that existing funding will not deliver the scale of infrastructure investment required which is why we will work together to explore alternative sources of funding.

He concluded by saying:  “I am delighted the Government has highlighted England’s Economic Heartland as one of a number of partnerships in England that have been created between local authorities with the aim of becoming a Strategic Transport Authority. As a co-founder of England’s Economic Heartland, the county council is working hard with eight local authorities (Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough) to improve physical connectivity between larger urban centres, with a particular emphasis on east-west connectivity, and improved access into and within larger urban centres.”

“We have submitted proposals for a single council for Oxfordshire to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government today.

Visit the Better Oxfordshire website to read the full proposal

“Our three councils have listened to the views of residents, businesses and other organisations across Oxfordshire and worked hard to address any concerns in the final bid - and with seventy percent of those surveyed showing support for a single unitary, we know we are on the right track.

“This is a significant moment for us and for the communities of Oxfordshire, who under a new single council will receive better, simpler joined up services, saving taxpayers millions of pounds each year and ensuring good quality services for generations to come.

“We believe local government reorganisation is vital to protect council services as central government funding is reduced, and to secure the investment in infrastructure needed to support sustainable economic growth in Oxfordshire.

“It is expected that the government will make a final decision on our proposal later this year, but work is already underway to ensure all six councils work together effectively on delivering a new council for Oxfordshire in 2019.”

A research report into residents’ views on local government reform has been published ahead of Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet committee meeting on Tuesday 14 March. Cabinet members will decide whether to submit the unitary proposal to the government for approval.

The revised proposal called “A new council for a Better Oxfordshire” responds to issues raised by residents during the public engagement exercise. It sets out how residents would benefit from joining up services such as housing and social services. The £20m saved on running six councils could be invested in improving community services and keeping council tax down.

The independent research was led by Opinion Research Services (ORS), which carried out a resident survey and resident workshops. Key findings include:

• 70% of Oxfordshire residents showed support for one unitary council, according to a face-to-face survey of a representative sample of residents – with majority support in every district and city council area

• Once residents have an opportunity to ask questions about the proposal, they are more likely to support them

• An engagement questionnaire – available to everyone with an interest - showed strongest opposition in district areas that had mounted costly campaigns against the proposals.

The ORS report concludes that:

“Overall then, the engagement exercise reached a broad range of residents and stakeholders. In answering the question of whether there is support for the draft reconfiguration proposal, it would be fair to say that each engagement strand demonstrates some support - and indeed majority support in the representative residents' survey (which is the best guide to overall public opinion), and majority support in most of the deliberative workshops.”

The research report has been published alongside the Better Oxfordshire proposal, which has been revised to respond to feedback from an extensive public and stakeholder engagement exercise.

The original proposal of five ‘executive area boards’ has been revised to propose an increase to 15-20 area boards to make them more locally accountable and deal with far more local issues such as anti-social behaviour, parking and management of green spaces.

The revised proposals also recognise that the city of Oxford is central to Oxfordshire’s economic and cultural success. The Better Oxfordshire proposal includes an autonomous local council for Oxford, with area boards representing different parts of the city with responsibility for community and environmental services.

Most significantly, the local Oxford council will be able to raise a separate city-wide council tax (or ‘precept’), with funding going directly to community based services such as community centres.

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said:

“We have heard the message loud and clear from residents that they would support changes to the way local government is run, as long as services improved and local communities had a stronger voice.

I would like to thank everyone who has taken part – their feedback has really helped us improve the unitary proposal, which I believe addresses many of the concerns raised.

There is clearly a silent majority who want local government to change. I am confident that the Better Oxfordshire proposal will be welcomed by residents who want to see more money spent on improving services, and less on running six councils.

I also recognise there are residents we have not managed to convince of the benefits of this proposal. I will be continuing to make the case for a new council and try to dispel some of the myths that have been put about by people who want to block change at all costs.”

Detailed findings

In a face-to-face survey of a representative sample of 500 Oxfordshire residents, 70% were in favour of abolishing the existing county, district and city councils and creating a new unitary for the whole of Oxfordshire.

The majority agreed with abolishing the six councils and setting up a unitary council in all district and city council areas, including those districts which are actively campaigning who disagreed.

• 78% in West Oxfordshire
• 75% in South Oxfordshire
• 69% in Oxford
• 67% in Vale of White Horse
• 63% in Cherwell.

Even allowing for the margin of error (see notes below), there was clear majority support in every district area, including Oxford city.

The engagement questionnaire – available to everyone with an interest - told a different story – two-thirds (66%) said they opposed the proposal for a single unitary, while 30% supported the idea.

Opposition to the proposal was strongest in areas where the district and city councils had campaigned against the proposal – i.e. Oxford, Cherwell and West Oxfordshire.

ORS, the independent research company, point out that engagement questionnaires are not representative of overall public opinion and can be influenced by local campaigns. The residents’ survey is therefore regarded as truer picture of public opinion.

In a series of in-depth workshops in each district area, representative groups of residents tended to become more supportive of the proposal once they had understood it. Out of 88 participants, 17 became more supportive of the proposal after they had taken part in the workshop, while six became less positive.

Across all public engagement activities, desire for ‘better services’ came through clearly as the strongest message along with the need to ensure that a single unitary council was able to respond to local priorities.

About the resident survey

• Over 500 face-to-face doorstep interviews were carried out between 5–19 February 2017 by an independent social research practice, Opinion Research Services, which also designed the research methodology to achieve findings representative of the county’s residents. 

• Face-to-face personal interviews are considered to be the best approach for surveys (the ‘gold standard’) as this is the most inclusive method and does not suffer from the same problems as telephone or online surveys, where some residents will inevitably be excluded from the sample. This method is particularly suited to issues where respondents need to be provided with detailed information before being asked questions.

• Before being asked about the draft proposal, survey respondents were informed about the current two-tier system of local government in Oxfordshire and given details about the draft proposal. Respondents were then asked a straightforward question about the extent to which they agreed or disagreed that the six councils should be abolished and replaced with one new unitary council.

• To correct for response bias, statistical weighting has been applied to the completed data-set at both a district and county level to ensure that the survey is representative of the entire population aged 16+.

• Overall, the results are statistically reliable to around +/- 5% at the 95% level of confidence.This means that 19 times out of 20 the survey findings will be within 5% points of the result that would have been achieved had everyone in the population been interviewed.On this basis, whilst the survey identified that overall support in the county is 70%, the actual level of support could be as high as 75% or at the lower end, 65%.

• The survey results for individual districts are subject to wider confidence intervals (10-12%), but even when taking these into account there remains absolute majority support (with more than 50% agreement) across all districts.

More than £3million could be invested in work to design major improvements to the A40.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet is being asked to agree to invest a total of £3.191m of development funding towards progressing design to make the 1,000 space Eynsham Park and Ride and 4 mile eastbound bus lane into Oxford a reality.

County Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “The kind of improvements we are proposing will be another step change for improving journeys following the completion of the A40 Wolvercote and Cutteslowe roundabouts.

“The funding will be used to draw up the detailed designs as the next stage of the project with the comments we received during the consultation helping to shape the plans.

”The Department for Transport has identified £35m funding for the A40 bus lane and Eynsham Park and Ride project which will be supplemented by £1.2m from funds held by Oxfordshire County Council, providing a combined scheme budget of £36.2m."

The money being considered by Cabinet would be repaid as part of the DfT funding.

Benefits for A40 users

The benefits of the project are:

· To provide a congestion free route for public transport on the A40 eastbound approach to Oxford reducing journey times for passengers.

· To encourage a shift from private cars to public transport reducing the demand for car trips on the A40.

· To stimulate economic growth within Oxford, West Oxfordshire and the Oxfordshire Knowledge Spine.

Long-term strategy for the A40

This project is the first phase of a long-term strategy which will later focus on new dual carriageway from Witney to a new Park and Ride at Eynsham as well as further bus priority lanes connecting the Eynsham Park and Ride toward Oxford.

Council transport planners are working on detailed plans to help secure more than £50m in funding for the future stages of the long-term strategy.

Future proposals to pay for infrastructure

The One Oxfordshire proposals for a new unitary council include plans for a new £1bn investment fund that could use public and private sector money to pay for the vital infrastructure the county needs.

The recent county council consultation into the park and ride and bus lane received over 600 responses from members of the public and showed 77% of respondents are supportive of public transport improvements along the A40.

Councillor Hudspeth said: “We received many comments through the consultation, particularly about the single 3m wide pedestrian cycleway on the northern side of the A40and the need to future proof the designs to accommodate the proposed housing development sites coming forward in the area.

“People also said that the proposed westbound bus lane, short sections of which will be delivered by the A40 project, should be delivered in full and that further work should focus on removing the Duke’s Cut Canal bridge pinch point.

“We will look closely at all the comments before we commence the detailed design.”

The detailed design is scheduled to be completed in April 2018, following which the construction contractor will be appointed and construction works forecasted to start in September 2018.

How the work is going

The team has now returned to the site after the Christmas break and have been hard at work putting up the boundary fence and the cabins, which will be used for the offices, are being delivered .

Work on the southern roundabout will begin on 19 January and this will include traffic management in the form of temporary traffic lights on the A417. These will be in place 24 hours a day with a temporary speed restriction of 30mph.This may have an effect on your journeys so plan your journeys to take this into account, especially if your journey involves leaving the village and heading towards Hagbourne Hill.

The site team will be monitoring the traffic management to try to keep any delays to a minimum.

People will have a chance to have their say on detailed plans for major transport improvements planned for the A40 between Witney and Oxford in the coming weeks.

Oxfordshire County Council is proposing to build a new park and ride facility in Eynsham as well as an eastbound bus lane between Eynsham park and ride and the Duke’s Cut canal bridge near Wolvercote.

The project also includes Westbound bus priority on the approaches to Cassington traffic signals and Eynsham roundabout, junction improvements between Eynsham park and ride and the Duke’s Cut canal bridge near Wolvercote along with a two way cycle path located on the northern verge .

Public exhibitions

Three public exhibitions are planned as part of a public consultation exercise which will run from 1 December 2016 until 12 January 2017.

Investing in improvements

County Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of the county council, said: “The county council is investing in this infrastructure as part of a long-term strategy to improve public transport journeys on the A40 eastbound approach to Oxford and encourage a shift from private cars to public transport.

“By making public transport a viable option for more people we will hopefully see bus use rise. And the more people we get out of cars, the better the A40 will be for everyone that uses it.

“We had a great turn out the last time we held exhibitions about the A40 and I would urge anyone with an interest in the road to come along to one of the sessions to get an update and ask any questions that they have.”

This scheme is largely funded through the Local Growth Fund and the council has provisionally secured £35m toward the cost. Construction is currently programmed to take place from 2018-2020. It is expected that Eynsham park and ride will be subject to a planning application in 2017.

How to have your say

The feasibility design and plans for the Eynsham Park and Ride and A40 Bus Lane scheme will be on display at a series of exhibitions. The dates are:

Anyone unable to attend the consultation exhibitions can view the plans and have their say online by visiting our webpages and filling out the online questionnaire. This will be available online between the 1 December and the 12 January.www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/A40EynshamParkandRide

Around 40 young people aged between 12 and 17 ‘took over’ the council chamber at County Hall to debate and cast votes on issues such as ‘Brexit’, votes for 16-year-olds and whether to bring back grammar schools. They met council Leader Ian Hudspeth and other councillors, and got the chance to quiz them about their role.

New youth forum

Group discussions also took place about the formation of a new youth forum to advise on future decisions made by local councils, NHS and voluntary organisations. Its aim will be to reach out to more children and young people in the county than ever before, and to identify the issues that matter most.

The young people took part in brainstorming exercises and were invited to come up with a name for the new forum in a Dragons Den-style exercise.

The young people worked in groups on plans for a new Oxfordshire youth forum - and had some fun with post-it notes.

Find your voice

Takeover Day also showcased some of the work of around 400 young people on a project called Find Your Voice, held by the council’s Library Service throughout 2015. The participants produced videos, plays, soundscapes and written poems expressing their views about life today, and what they wanted to change. Some of those who took part discussed their views further with councillors.

The council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services Melinda Tilley said: “It is so important to encourage young people to find out about local parliament and democracy, and even more important for councillors to hear what young people think about local and national issues.”

Cabinet Member for Cultural Services Lorraine Lindsay-Gale added: “The Find Your Voice project showed that children and young people in Oxfordshire are very engaged and care passionately about the issues affecting them and their communities. It was great to meet them and hear some strong views and lively debate.”

Frideswide Square in Oxford has been handed a top prize from the Oxford Preservation Trust at their annual awards.

The £6.7m project took first place in the Environment and Landscape category in recognition of the transformation of the major gateway into the city from being dominated by standing traffic and traffic lights to a pleasant open space with a free-flowing lane for traffic.

Positive local contribution

County Councillor David Nimmo Smith, Cabinet member for transport, said: “I am delighted that all the hard work put in by everyone connected with the Frideswide Square project has been recognised.

“Frideswide Square is a clear example of how the county council is delivering high quality strategic infrastructure that also contributes to places in a positive way and really adds value above and beyond simply dealing with traffic.

“Traffic flows have also improved as we had hoped with queue lengths into the square reducing by up to 93%. Since its launch people have got used to the new shared-space layout and we are pleased with how it has been working.

“The fact that it is a prestigious organisation based in the city like the Oxford Preservation Trust making the award makes it extra-special as these are people with real local knowledge and pride in the area.”

Debbie Dance, Director of the Oxford Preservation Trust, said: “We are all so lucky to live in this great city and this is our favourite OPT event. It is our way of being able to recognise the projects that are making such a positive contribution to Oxford, and the people behind them”

Paul Durham, Business Director at Skanska, commented: “We are delighted that this project has scooped such a prestigious award. It is recognition of the hard work that everybody involved has put into delivering the improvements to this busy gateway into the city.”

Central boulevard design

Work on the main part of the square, which was carried out for the county council by its contractors Skanska, started in February 2015 and was finished in December 2015.

Pedestrians now have vast areas of space while cyclists can now choose to take on or off road routes. All traffic now travels along one central boulevard carriageway with courtesy pedestrian crossings replacing the old signal controlled crossings.

The old traffic lights were replaced by three roundabouts and there are now more than 37,000 cars, vans and light goods vehicle movements and around 5,000 lorries and bus movements going through the new “free flow” arrangements in a normal day.

The design of the square is based on “shared space” which largely removes the segregation of pedestrians and vehicles. This is done by removing features such as multiple lanes of traffic, traffic lights, and introducing low kerbs and courtesy crossing points.

Photo shows (left to right): Bev Hindle (Oxfordshire County Council Acting Director for Environment Economy), Paul Durham (Skanska), County Councillor David Nimmo Smith.