Her comments came at the budget-setting meeting of the council on Tuesday, 10 February. The council has been able to deal with a budget shortfall of £5.4m while still investing extra in adult social care (£14m), children’s services (£19m), highways, libraries and other services.

However, the authority already knows that it will need to find further savings of at least £15.5m from 2027/28.

The government will cut grant funding by £27.2m by 2028/29 and assumed the council will make up most of the difference with maximum council tax rises. The effect of this is that the county council will have to put up council tax by 4.99% each year only to see a lot of this money immediately being subtracted by the government and sent elsewhere.

Cllr Leffman said in her speech at the meeting: “We recognise that there are areas of the country with higher levels of deprivation than our own, and it is right that the people in those places receive the support that they need, but this government has failed to recognise the pressures and challenges that we and other county councils face in delivering critical services across a wide rural area.

“In spite of the constraints, and because we have managed our finances very carefully over the past few years, we have not only been able to balance the budget for 2026/2027 but have included investments that will make a difference to the things which are of greatest importance to our residents.

“I am confident that with the investment that we are making in our highways network, with our surface dressing programme for example, along with the new Highways Asset Response Teams that have been out and about in Oxfordshire since the autumn, we will see a significant improvement in the forthcoming weeks and beyond.

“Flooding has become a regular event in many parts of the county thanks to climate change, and we have recognised the importance of tackling this. 

“The decision last year to clear all our gullies on an annual schedule has revealed that much of our drainage system is in urgent need of repair, following years of neglect.

“We therefore propose to allocate £2 million in our capital budget to repairing our drainage system, bringing the total to be spent on our drains and gullies in 2026/2027 to £3.2 million.

“Our library refurbishment programme will continue, with an investment of £550,000 in Didcot coming next, following successful refurbishments in Chinnor, Henley and most recently Witney, where 200 new registrations for library tickets were received in the week following its reopening.”

Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “We face great pressure because of funding cuts and demand pressures, and there is still lots of uncertainty in areas like SEND provision. Money is being redistributed away from Oxfordshire and other areas on a large scale by the government.

“However, we are confident not only that we are setting an ambitious balanced budget for next year, delivering services to residents, but also that we are ready to face the more difficult years ahead.”

Note to editors

By 2028/29 there is a reduction of £24.1m in funding from central government compared to 2025/26. Within that there is an increase of £3.1m in funding for the Families First Partnership that the government will expect the council to use to fund new investment and activity in preventative services for children’s social care. Excluding that, the underlying reduction in grant funding is £27.2m

The grants, ranging from £100 to £1,700, will be used by organisations across the county to fund measures including rainwater harvesting, allotment improvements and flood advice.

The community resilience small grants programme, administered by Community Action Groups Oxfordshire (CAG) and funded by £12,000 from Oxfordshire County Council, supports local events and activities which address or raise awareness of climate adaptation.

Katherine Chesson, Director of CAG Oxfordshire, said: “Community groups are at the heart of ensuring that Oxfordshire's residents are resilient to the impacts of climate change, such as extreme weather events.

“From rainwater harvesting at community gardens to raising awareness of local emergency plans, we're proud to support these fantastic groups to deliver locally led resilience work.”

Since 2007, Oxfordshire has experienced 20 significant flood events, 12 named storms, eight cold snaps, four major heatwaves and three periods of drought.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, said: “We know that one of the best ways to mitigate against the impact of these increased incidents of extreme weather is to support activities and events that empower local groups to act.

“We received a great field of applications and we are delighted to be able to fund an exciting range of projects. We hope these grants will help some amazing organisations create new connections and raise awareness in order to support new people, local businesses and organisations to take climate action.”

The recipients are:

• Banbury Community Action Group: It will hold a film night and workshop to raise awareness of the need for community resilience and climate adaptation measures.
• Bridge Street Community Garden, Banbury: Funds will be used to upgrade the rainwater harvesting system at the garden to make the site more resilient to climate change.
• Bioabundance, Wallingford: Recognising the potential impacts of food shortages, the group will improve two allotment sites, which were set up to create a citizen network that could rise to support residents in time of crisis.
• Greener Henley: It will deliver a local resilience briefing for the town, tailored to local risks and resilience.
• Hendreds Environment Group: Funding will support the design, printing and distribution of leaflets to communicate the local emergency plan to the community and to educate residents on how they can become more self-reliant and prepare in advance in the event of an emergency.
• Her Land, South Oxfordshire: The group will deliver a workshop on the impact of droughts and flooding and outlining solutions such as rainwater harvesting. It will also install a rainwater harvesting system to better protect its site against extreme weather events.
• One Planet Abingdon: The group will engage with the community to raise awareness of Abingdon’s emergency plan workshop sessions and help residents create personal emergency plans.
• Steventon Parish Council: As a flood response group, it wants to provide every home with a flood education booklet describing what help can be provided within the village and from outside agencies.
• Stonehill Community Garden, Vale of White Horse: Its grant will support expanded rainwater harvesting to better protect the garden against future droughts, thereby improving the biodiversity of the site.
• Sustainable Didcot: Funding will support a month of themed climate resilience events, focused predominantly on water, as drought and flood are the biggest risks Didcot faces due to climate change.
• Transition Lighthouse Empowerment Space, Oxford: The group will purchase and install a yurt for shade at the Wellbeing Community Garden in Sandy Lane, to serve communities who face barriers in accessing and connecting to nature rich spaces. 

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An early medieval treasure hoard is now in the hands of Oxfordshire County Council’s museum service to go on display following a successful fundraising campaign by residents in Stoke Row.

Dating back to the mid seventh to eight centuries, the hoard contains 21 complete and fragmentary silver pennies known as sceattas. It was discovered by a metal detector user back in 2018.

Upon its discovery Curator of Archaeology at the Oxfordshire Museum service, Angie Bolton, approached the local parish council with the idea of a community fundraiser.

Parish Councillor, Roger Clayson, who was heavily involved in the efforts, explained: “The museum service had expressed an interest to acquire the hoard through the Treasure Act and needed to raise hoard at £1,300, which is what it had been valued at.

“When the parish council was contacted about the find, and the funding shortfall, our clerk Gary Wilson got straight on it, publishing the news on our website and Facebook page to encourage people to get involved and donate. In tandem with that, I got my address book to work, contacting major village businesses.”

The campaign also benefited from the support of the Nettlebed Estate and a number of popular local businesses who, along with councillors and residents, embraced the challenge.

Roger, who has lived in Stoke Row for more than 30 years, continued: “Six businesses replied to our emails, including one very popular one, who is always getting great social media reconnection. The Nettlebed Estate committed to the majority funding, with our parishioners also responding to the Facebook posts.

“Stoke Row always responds to a call to action, when it’s for the benefit of our village, raising money for disadvantaged residents, restoring village assets, or in this case keeping a medieval coin find in Oxfordshire.”

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “These treasures are particularly special as they’re the very first hoard of sceattas in the museum’s collection. The size of the hoard, and the date, make it one of national and regional importance too.

“We’d like to thank the individual donors, businesses and Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum who supported this fundraising campaign to bring this magnificent hoard into public ownership for all to enjoy.

“Without their support we may not have been successful in our fundraising endeavours. The help and support of Stoke Row Parish Councillors is also very much valued and appreciated.”

 The collection will go on display later in 2026 following conservation works.

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People in Oxfordshire and beyond have helped Oxfordshire County Council’s museum service successfully acquire an exceptional Iron Age hoard.

A successful fundraising campaign was run by the Friends of Oxfordshire Museum and raised £11,725 to enable the purchase of the collection.

The pieces include a horse brooch believed to be over 2,000 years old and is currently undergoing conservation.

Discovered five years ago in Rotherfield Peppard, near Henley, the hoard will eventually go on display at the council-run museum, which is free to visit. The display will feature 3D-printed objects, allowing visitors to experience what it is like to hold one of these rare artefacts.

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “This hoard, buried nearly 2,000 years ago, really belongs to the people of Oxfordshire, so it’s fantastic to see the public rally around this campaign. Their support shows how important Oxfordshire’s heritage is to our residents and beyond the county.

“We look forward to seeing this very special hoard on display at the museum once it has been conserved. By acquiring the collection, it is safeguarded for the public forever.”

The treasures were found in a pottery urn, sealed by a quern stone. The contents included a stunning copper alloy and enamelled Iron Age horse brooch, an enamelled patera handle, a silver Roman coin, and a lead weight.

Such a hoard is classified as treasure under the Treasure Act for England and Wales. As the county’s repository for archaeological finds, the county council’s museum service was given the first opportunity to acquire it for Oxfordshire.

Chairman of the Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum, Edward Dowler, said: “The Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum are pleased to have hosted the museum’s first crowdfunder campaign. We are very grateful to the 244 people who donated. In exceeding the fundraising target, the museum team will be able to deliver enhanced conservation and create an engaging display. We are all looking forward to seeing the end result.”

The campaign was also supported by academics Dr Rena McGuire, Dr Sophia Adams, Professor Gary Locke, and Dr Wendy Morrison who shared their expertise to help explain the hoard’s importance.

Donors who gave £20 and over will be invited to a special private viewing of the treasure. Those who gave over £200 will be named in our archive as supporters.

The Oxfordshire Museum cares for, safeguards, and makes accessible the heritage of the county. Its collections can be accessed through displays, a loans programme, and a digital catalogue, and can be used for research.

The Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum is a registered charity that supports the museum through fundraising and financial support for special events, acquisitions, and educational programmes.

Residents can find out more about the museum, upcoming events and exhibitions by visiting its website. Learn more about the Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum and the benefits of becoming a Friend by visiting the Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum’s website.

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After quitting her forty year smoking habit, outdoors loving Angela Face is celebrating another achievement – climbing Snowdon for the first time!

Following her experiences of taking part in Oxfordshire County Council’s Allen Carr’s Easway (ACE) stop smoking pilot, the Henley resident is encouraging others to take advantage of other local stop smoking services and quit for good.

Angela, who is 53 years old, first started smoking aged just 13 following a family move to Scotland.

She explained: “It wasn't due to peer pressure as most people would assume. It was something that I did on my own and in secret. I started as a bit of a rebellion to my parents as they were quite strict. I would use my dinner money to buy them and hide them outside.

"It was a desire for some control, but little did I know of course that the cigarettes would end up controlling me!”

She admitted she’d previously tried to quit about six or seven times unsuccessfully, being motivated by her own children’s dislike of the habit.

“They would turn away from me if I gave them a hug, because of the smell – I hated that. And my kids being grown up now and the possibility of having grandchildren, I didn’t like the thought of smoking around them.

“I’d tried all sorts in the past – lozenges, patches, tablets but each time I went back to smoking.”

Not wanting to give up on giving up, Angela discovered the council’s pilot through a Facebook ad. After giving her details, she was contacted by a member of the team who booked her onto a seminar.

The method she undertook focuses on the mental element of the addiction and looks to change a person’s mindset to addiction.

It is just one of a range of stop smoking options that was on offer to Angela by the council’s local stop smoking service.

“It made me realise that smoking was controlling me, my life. While people think smoking can help with stress, it was in fact the total opposite, I was more stressed thinking about when I could have my next cigarette. It was as though I’d been brainwashed into thinking I needed a cigarette.

“Once I managed to change my mindset, and break out of the habit, it was easy. There’s been no cravings or anything. It’s just been crazily easy.”

Since quitting last September, Angela is already reaping the benefits, feeling fitter than ever before, and enjoying more freedom. She even noticed that she’s become more productive at work.

“I get much more done in my work day now. I'm being more productive rather than ducking out for a cigarette every half an hour. I was the only smoker in my  team and I probably lost quite a lot of hours, to be honest.

“I feel amazing too. The healthiest I’ve been in a long time.

“I climbed Snowdon for the first time this year. I work with young people, and they climb it every year. I’d avoided it until this year as I thought I’d be huffing and puffing at the back. But this year it was my goal to finally climb the mountain.”

For those thinking of quitting, Angela has this to say: “It’s worth doing, if you want to do it. Don't worry if you'll fail. Normally I would have felt so embarrassed but the support team during the pilot was amazing and just encouraged me to try do it again.”

Councillor Kate Gregory, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Inequalities, said: “Angela’s lovely story is just one of many that highlight the difference that quitting smoking can make not just on personal health, but on your day to day life.

“It’s great we were able to offer the pilot here in Oxfordshire. By reframing smoking, it empowers individuals to reclaim control, proving that the journey to quitting is as much about self-discovery as it is about breaking a habit.

“There’s so much to gain from quitting smoking. It’s clear that for Angela, climbing Snowdon wasn’t just a physical achievement, it was a symbol of newfound freedom and possibility that quitting unlocked.

“Her experience shows that with the right mindset, support and guidance, what once seemed daunting can become not only achievable, but surprisingly simple. I am so pleased for Angela, and I hope her story inspires others to quit.

“Stopping smoking with support means you are more likely to quit for good. There are plenty of other ways our stop smoking service can help you – free of charge.”

Oxfordshire County Council commissioned a two phase pilot of ACE and is currently evaluating the outcome of the programme. 

The council’s free stop smoking service, Smoke Free Oxon also provides a range of support services to help residents quit, including aids, coaching and more. Find out more by visiting Smoke Free Oxon’s website, by calling 0800 772 3673, or text QUITOXON to 66777.

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Time is running out to help Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum acquire an Iron Age hoard discovered by a metal detectorist near Henley five years ago.

The registered charity is around halfway towards raising the £10,500 needed to allow Oxfordshire County Council’s museum service to buy the hoard, which includes a stunning horse brooch that is more than 2,000 years old.

However, the fundraising campaign closes at noon on Monday 6 October, so donors are urged to visit the crowdfunder’s webpage as soon as possible.

Experts from the British Museum and the University of Oxford have added their support to the campaign, which was launched in July, by explaining the significance of the historic find.

Dr Sophia Adams, first millennium European and Roman conquest period collections curator for the British Museum, said: “This is an intriguing hoard of beguiling objects marking a personal and powerful moment of burial.

“The harness brooch is a magnificent example of a rare type of object that formed part of the harness for a pony pulling a chariot. It is unusual to find this buried with a dress brooch, a coin and the other items together in a pot.”

Emeritus Professor Gary Lock, from the University of Oxford’s School of Archaeology, said: “This is a very important collection of objects that throws light on life in the late Iron Age/early Roman periods in Oxfordshire.

“Each item is interesting in its own right but to be found together in this way gives them added significance and rarity, raising all sorts of questions about their original use and why they were buried in this way. This hoard needs to be displayed within the context of Oxfordshire’s past and a local museum is the best way of doing that.”

The hoard was discovered in the parish of Rotherfield Peppard in August 2020 and excavated by archaeologists.

The Iron Age of the British Isles started 800 years BC and it is believed that this hoard was buried in AD 50 to 150, shortly after the Roman invasion.

The hoard was found in a pottery urn, sealed by a quern stone. The contents of the urn included a stunning copper alloy Iron Age horse harness fitting, an enamelled patera handle, a brooch, one silver Roman coin and a lead weight.

Such a hoard is classified as treasure under the Treasure Act. As the county’s repository for archaeological finds, the county council’s museum service has the first chance to acquire it for Oxfordshire and ultimately save it from going into private hands.

Donors who give over £20 will also be invited to a special viewing of the hoard if the campaign is successful.

Donations made will be used only to support the acquisition and conservation of the hoard for the museum. People donating are urged to opt in for Gift Aid as this boosts the money received and will help reach the target more quickly.

Angie Bolton, curator of archaeology for the Oxfordshire museum service, said: “This Oxfordshire hoard, buried nearly 2,000 years ago, really belongs to all of Oxfordshire residents. Getting the hoard into the Oxfordshire museum service archaeology collection will enable all residents of Oxfordshire to come see it, enjoy it and be inspired by it for the next 2,000 years.

“If you can chip in and support us, no matter how small your donation, we will care for it on your behalf.”

So far, 94 people have donated to the crowdfunder and others have donated using the museum donation boxes at the Oxfordshire Museum Resource Centre.

The Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum is a registered charity that supports the Oxfordshire museum service through fundraising and financial support for special events, acquisitions and educational programmes.

The Oxfordshire museum service cares for, safeguards and makes accessible the heritage of the county. Its collections can be accessed through its displays, loans programme and digital catalogue and can be used for research.

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The Oxfordshire County Council library, scheduled to reopen at 9am on Tuesday 8 April, has undergone an extensive refurbishment. Changes include new heating systems, lighting, double glazing for improved environmental sustainability, new contemporary furniture, and dedicated work and study spaces with charging points.

The new furniture uses fabric made entirely from recycled plastics, including sea debris and landfill bound bottles.

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community and Corporate Services, said: “We are pleased to reopen Henley’s library after extensive works.

"Our refurbishment makes the library more energy efficient and environmentally friendly, while also being a welcoming and accessible space. We are confident that local people will love the changes; and they now have a library that is modern, warm and better able to meet their needs.”

To facilitate the reopening of the library, the temporary provision at the Old Fire Station Gallery will close on 1 April at 1pm.

The upgrades form part of an ongoing project to modernise Oxfordshire’s libraries, and improve accessibility, reflecting the changing needs of local communities.

The project has been made possible through a combination of central government decarbonisation funds, and developer funding also known as community infrastructure levy (CIL), provided by South Oxfordshire District Council. The work is being delivered by the county council’s libraries and minor works teams.

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An electric car club pilot scheme has proved so popular that 15 vehicles are set to remain in place at more than 10 new and existing locations around the county, following the end of the 18 month trial period.

Since the pilot scheme was launched in April 2023, it has attracted over new 1,200 members, seen over 5,200 individual hiring sessions and led to more than a quarter of a million electric miles being driven.

The scheme has been coordinated by Oxfordshire County Council and is supported by Oxford City Council and Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire district councils who have hosted the pilot vehicles in their car parks. The vehicles have been provided and operated by hire companies Co Wheels, Enterprise CarClub and Zimbl.

The success of the extended trial scheme means that car club vehicles are set to continue in the following locations:

• Abingdon – Cattle Market and West St Helen Street car parks (Co Wheels)
• Banbury – Calthorpe Street West and Windsor Street car parks (Zimbl)
• Bicester – Claremont car park (Zimbl)
• Eynsham – Back Lane car park (Co Wheels)
• Henley – Greys Road car park (Co Wheels)
• Oxford – Redbridge and Seacourt Park and Rides (Co Wheels and Zimbl)
• Wallingford – Cattlemarket car park (Co Wheels)
• Witney – Woodford Way car park (Enterprise CarClub).

New car club vehicles are also set to be introduced at these new locations:

• Chipping Norton – New Road car park (Zimbl)
• Woodstock – Hensington Road car park (Zimbl)
• Thame – Upper High Street (Co Wheels).

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, said: “The popularity of the EV car clubs has led to the continuation of the schemes in many places, meaning even more residents and businesses can try out these shared cars for themselves.

“Car clubs give people the chance to use an EV when they need one, without the expense of owning or leasing one outright. They can make it much more affordable for people who don’t drive every day and provide real-world experience of driving electric without a long-term commitment.”

It is estimated that a successful car club vehicle can take on average 20 individually owned cars – often petrol or diesel vehicles – off the road.

EVs in the scheme can be hired from £5.95 per hour, including insurance, plus 12p per electric mile.

If demand for car clubs continues and funding can be identified, then it’s likely more car club locations will be introduced within the next few years. Residents can submit locations where they would like to car clubs using Oxfordshire County Council’s EV charger and car club demand tracker.

Updated details about the EV car club pilot and where your nearest car club location is can be found on the Oxfordshire County Council website.

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The county council has been running the interest free loan scheme since July 2023 to help maintained schools reduce their overall energy usage, which in turn could help cut operational costs.

The school applied to the council for £22,000, out of an £800,000 fund, to finance the  installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, designed to convert sunlight into electrical energy.

Councillor John Howson, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services, said: “We’ve already carried out 50 energy efficiency audits on our council maintained schools. The latest round of the loan scheme was launched earlier this year, with Whitchurch Primary School being one of the first to make use of the fund.”

The school hopes to install the photovoltaic (PV) technology during the summer break in readiness for the new term in September.

Fiona Broadbent, School Business Manager at Whitchurch Primary, said:

"We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and have already made the switch to LED lighting, so installing solar PV panels was the next step to take to both reduce our carbon footprint and make financial savings for the school."

Dawn Chesters, Headteacher, said: We are looking forward to using this installation as an educational tool; to help the children understand about their carbon footprint and practical steps they can take to create a positive impact. We believe that nurturing an understanding of sustainability from a young age is essential for shaping responsible global citizens."

Other schools are applying for energy efficiency loans and details of their plans will be released in coming months.

Action on Carbon and Energy in Schools (ACES), an energy efficiency support service, funded by Oxfordshire County Council and delivered by Oxford Brookes University and Low Carbon Hub, has been supporting schools with applying for the loan.

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The county council has been running the interest free loan scheme since July 2023 to help maintained schools reduce their overall energy usage, which in turn could help cut operational costs.

The school applied to the council for around £48,000 out of an £800,000 fund to finance the classroom installation of LED lighting and/or rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, which is designed to convert sunlight into electrical energy.

Lisa Lyons, Oxfordshire County Council’s Director of Children Services, said: “We’ve already carried out 50 energy efficiency audits on our council maintained schools. The latest round of the loan scheme was launched earlier this year, with Nettlebed Community School being the first to make use of the fund.

“LED lighting makes classrooms brighter and more pleasant places to be for staff and students, so there will be practical as well as environmental benefits for pupils and teaching staff.”

The school hopes to install LED lighting during the summer break in readiness for the new term in September.

Bethany Greenwood, Headteacher at Nettlebed Community School, said: “We are delighted to be making such an impact on the school and the wider environment as part of our sustainability plan. The lighting upgrade will go a long way to reduce our carbon footprint. Our eco-council is delighted.”

Twelve other schools have applied for energy efficiency loans and details of their plans will be released in coming months.

Action on Carbon and Energy in Schools (ACES), an energy efficiency support service, funded by Oxfordshire County Council and delivered by Oxford Brookes University and Low Carbon Hub, has been supporting schools with applying for the loan.

Notes

The estimated energy saving from installing the LED lighting is c. 17,500 kWh per year and the estimated tonnes CO2 saved is 3.6 tCO2.

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The trial features electric vehicles (EVs), which can be hired on an hourly or daily basis from district and city council owned car parks around the county. They are currently in place in Bicester, Banbury, Kidlington, Eynsham, Henley, Wallingford, Abingdon, Witney and Oxford.

The pilot has been organised by Oxfordshire County Council and supported by Oxford City Council, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire district councils to assess the demand. The vehicles are provided by hire companies Co Wheels, Zimbl, and Enterprise CarClub.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council with responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, said: “I’m extremely pleased to see the positive response to EV car clubs in many of the towns and villages involved in the pilot. I welcome the extension to the scheme, which will mean even more residents and businesses can try out these shared cars for themselves.

“Car clubs can play a key role in reducing carbon emissions in Oxfordshire, as well as reducing the number of individual vehicles on our roads and helping people to reduce the cost of living. If you haven’t tried them out, now’s your chance.”

Since the start of the pilot, more than 500 new members have signed up to use the EV car clubs and the vehicles have been hired over 2,000 times.

It is estimated that a successful car club vehicle can take on average 20 individually owned cars – often petrol or diesel vehicles – off the road.

The continued success of the scheme is dependent on increasing use of the vehicles in the pilot, so residents are encouraged to make use of introductory offers available and try out their local vehicle while they can.  If the vehicles continue to be well used, some of the current sites could be considered as long term locations for car club EVs, and a wider rollout could also follow in other locations. 

Eynsham car club user, Lisa Hynes, said: “We have used the Co Wheels car in Eynsham and it’s been brilliant.

“It’s right in the centre of Eynsham and has meant that we haven’t needed to buy an additional car as we can use the Co Wheels car as and when we need it. We have really enjoyed driving an electric car too.”

EV car clubs give people the chance to use an EV when they need one, without the expense of owning or leasing one outright. Car clubs can make it much more affordable for people who don’t drive every day and provide real-world experience of driving electric without a long-term commitment.

EVs in the scheme can be hired from £5.95 per hour, including insurance, plus 12p per electric mile. Residents can make use of promotions, reduced membership and driving credit offers as part of the pilot scheme.

Updated details about where your nearest car club location is, and information about promotional offers, can be found on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

Lessons learned from the pilot will feed into a countywide car club strategy being developed by the county council later this year.

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We have produced a flooding toolkit that provides advice and support for residents and businesses on preparing for and recovering from a flood.

Funding

If your property or business has been flooded or significantly impacted due to flooding by storm Henk between 2 to 12 January 2024, you may be eligible for grants under the Flood Recovery Framework. Read more about this on .gov.uk.

There are a number of schemes available, however certain eligibility criteria will need to be met to access the funding. For more information on what funding is available, eligibility criteria and how to claim please visit our Flood Toolkit website.

Sandbags

Most sandbags used for residential properties can be disposed of at one of our Household Waste and Recycling Centres. Use gloves when handling the sandbags, and speak to a member of site staff on arrival for further advice. Businesses should arrange their own collections.

A visit to the waste wizard provides further advice on the disposal of both contaminated and uncontaminated sandbags and other items in your area of Oxfordshire.

If you have unusued sandbags, it is recommended that you keep hold of these until the end of the flood season.

Cleaning and drying homes

When cleaning and drying a property affected by floods, it’s important to protect yourself from floodwater, which can be harmful to humans and animals. Wear rubber boots, protective overalls and waterproof gloves.

UKHSA has helpful information on staying safe while cleaning your home after a flood.

The National Flood Forum has produced a helpful leaflet to help those affected by flooding. It outlines what you can expect from your insurer over the comings weeks and months during recovery.

Protecting your health

Whilst all of us are familiar with a degree of adversity in life, flooding and its consequences is a particular difficult and stressful experience for everyone, and for some people it may be terrifying and even life-threatening. Whilst the waters may recede quite quickly, repairing the devastation left behind takes much longer. Practical problems, financial worries, red tape and uncertainty all need to be dealt with. 

Anyone caught up in this may feel upset, worried and exhausted. Such feelings can last a few days or weeks, depending on how long it takes for life to get back to some kind of normality.

If you are still experiencing significant distress 4-6 weeks after the floods, then you should seek a consultation with your family doctor for further advice and guidance. 

Flood warnings and flood alerts

You can keep up to date with flood warnings and alerts in Oxfordshire on the Environment Agency’s website or by following @EnvAgencySE on X. You can sign up to receive free flood warnings by email, text or both. 

For help and support you can also call the Environment Agency’s 24 hour flooding hotline on 0345 988 1188.

If the Environment Agency issues a flood alert this indicates that an area should prepare, including making defences and staying up to date with the latest information. When a flood warning is issued, this indicates a greater level of severity.

You can also monitor individual levels on the county's rivers, streams and brooks and rainfall statistics from rain gauges in your local area.

Information from other agencies

• Oxford City Council is sharing information on flooding in the city.
• News and information is also being shared by South Oxfordshire District Council and Vale of White Horse District Council .
• Information for north Oxfordshire is available from Cherwell District Council .
• West Oxfordshire District Council  also has a news page.
• GWR is updating information about travel difficulties linked to the weather
• The Oxford Bus Company is providing service updates on its websites relating to flooding impacts. Stagecoach Oxfordshire is providing updates on X/Twitter .
• Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks list power outages at any one moment.  You can zoom in and out of the map on this page or search by postcode.

Measures had already been proposed to address what had become an £11.2m shortfall after central government grant funding announcements failed to provide local government with the required finance to meet the pressures being experienced across the nation.

The proposals form part of the final budget being recommended to the council’s cabinet on 30 January, which will then be decided at the annual budget setting meeting of all 63 county councillors on 20 February.

Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “Councils throughout the country made clear to central government through the Local Government Association and other channels that more funding was needed this year and in following years due to the high levels of pressures in areas such as social care, special educational needs and other services.

“There has been deep disappointment at the failure of government to address these issues.

“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.

“This final batch of proposed measures means we are able to put forward a balanced budget but it has been a difficult process and we know this is mirrored in town and county halls throughout the land. We know that we, and local government as a whole, will continue to face difficult financial challenges in 2025/26 and beyond.

“It remains the case that our budgets for both adults and children’s social care will increase in real-terms after accounting for inflation in 2024, with investments to meet pressures outweighing savings proposals.”

What are the newly proposed measures?

• The county council has been notified that district councils have given a further improved forecast as to how much council tax will be collected in Oxfordshire. This amounts to £300,000.
• The council is able to reduce the amount it puts in contingency funding by £100,000.
• The council’s award-winning innovation hub (iHub) will move to becoming self-financing, which has created a saving of £300,000. It was launched in 2018 by the council to promote innovation in the county. This includes developing solutions on intelligent infrastructure, health, environment and mobility systems, as well as implementing projects to improve the local economy and environment for Oxfordshire’s citizens.
• A series of rises to charges for on-street parking and residents parking permits (helping cover the full costs of maintenance of controlled parking zones), This would raise £200,000 combined. 

Further detail

Detail as regards proposed on-street parking and residents parking changes:

• Abingdon: On-street parking pay and display would rise from £1.10 for one hour (8am to 6pm excluding Sundays and Bank Holidays) to £1.30. Two hours rises from £1.50 to £2.
• Oxford city centre central area (Zone 1): Street parking for one hour would rise from £6.60 to £7.60; two hours from £13.20 to £15.20. Evening parking would also rise from £6.60 to £7.60. Parking for an hour on Saturday rises from £6.60 to £7.60 and from £13.20 to £15.20 for two hours.
• Oxford city centre (Zone 2 including Jericho): Street parking for one hour would rise from £5.50 to £6.30 and for three hours from £16.50 to £19. Street parking for evenings and Sundays would rise from £5.50 to £6.30.
• Wallingford: Street parking for one and a half hours would rise from 70p to 80p.
• Residents parking permits: In Abingdon and Henley-on-Thames, a second batch of 25 visitor permits would rise from £27.50 to £31.50.
• In Oxford, business permits would rise from £44 to £50.50 for three months, £82.50 to £95 for six months and £126.50 to £145 for nine months. An annual permit would rise from £165 to £190. A change of vehicle charge will rise from £22 to £25.
• In Oxford, residents parking permits would rise from £70 to £80 for a first and second car and £140 to £161 for a third car In the Kassam Stadium area a permit would rise from £17.50 to £20.
• In Oxford a traders permit per week would rise from £27.50 to £31.50. A second batch of 25 visitor permits would rise from £27.50 to £31.50.
• In Banbury and Bicester a residents parking permit would rise from £66 to £76 with a second batch of 25 visitor permits rising from £27.50 to £31.50
• In Wantage and Wallingford a residents parking permit would rise from £100 to £110, and a second 25 visitor permits would rise from £25 to £31.50.
• Parking bay suspensions:  The charge for the suspension of a parking pay (both pay and display and non pay and display) would rise from £33 to £38.

The final EV charging hub in the Park and Charge Oxfordshire project went live this month at Claremont short stay car park in Bicester.

It marks the completion of the 20th hub successfully delivered in the project and means a total of 250 EV charging points have been delivered across the county since May 2021.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery and Environment, said: “The reaction from Oxfordshire residents has been overwhelmingly positive, from EV drivers and prospective EV drivers alike.

“Park and Charge is enabling local people who don’t have private off-street parking to have a convenient location to charge their EVs overnight, meaning more Oxfordshire residents have the opportunity to drive electric. It’s another great reason to make sure your next vehicle is an EV.”

The hubs have been seeing very promising usage level with over 3,300 individual EV charging sessions taking place across the Park and Charge network in October alone – a 23 per cent rise in the number of charging sessions since the previous month.

The EV chargers have been designed and produced by local Bicester-based company – EZ Charge – who will operate the chargers for the next 10 years.

Oxfordshire has the highest uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country, with 32 per cent of all new vehicles sold in August being fully battery electric EVs.

The 20 Park and Charge locations, each containing between 10 and 16 EV charging points, are:

• Cattle Market and Claremont car parks in Bicester
• Curtis Place car park, Kidlington
• Windsor Street and Calthorpe Street West car parks in Banbury
• Woodford Way car park in Witney
• Black Bourton car park in Carterton
• Hensington Road car park in Woodstock
• Back Lane car park in Eynsham
• New Street car park in Chipping Norton
• Cattlemarket and Goldsmith’s Lane car parks in Wallingford
• Kings Road and Greys Road car parks in Henley
• Southern Road car park in Thame
• West St Helens, Audlett Drive and Cattle Market car parks in Abingdon
• Portway car park in Wantage
• Southampton Road car park in Faringdon.

Councillor Sue Cooper, South Oxfordshire District Council Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Nature Recovery, said: “We’ve been pleased with the interest in the EV chargers in South Oxfordshire, with one car park in Henley alone having more than 1,000 sessions in its first three months. The uptake of charging bays has been higher than expected in some car parks but in others it will take longer as habits change.

“Having plenty of spaces to charge EVs will help those thinking of buying an EV but do not have a charging point at their property.”

Councillor Sally Povolotsky, Vale of White Horse District Council Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Environment, said: “We’ve been very pleased to bring EV chargers to the Vale-run car parks as part of our council goals to reduce carbon emissions. There has already been a high rate of EV ownership in Oxfordshire which is why we have undertaken this long-term project investing in the infrastructure to make it easier for those to make the switch to an EV whether or not they have access to easy charging at home.

“The scheme has been designed to encourage local residents without off-street parking to switch to an EV as they can park and charge in our car parks overnight. This has already proved popular in Abingdon with nearly 20 per cent of charging sessions at West St Helen car park being done overnight.”

Councillor Andrew Prosser, Cabinet Member for Climate Change at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Latest statistics suggest that a third of all new cars bought in Oxfordshire are now fully battery electric, which is well ahead of the rest of the UK. Projects such as Park and Charge are helping to build countywide EV infrastructure that supports this growth in EV ownership.

“We want to make it easier for EV drivers to charge up and give motorists the confidence to purchase their first electric vehicle. Maximising opportunities to grow this network will accelerate the shift to ultra-low emission transport and our pathway to net zero carbon emissions.”

Councillor Dan Sames, Cherwell District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Cleaner and Greener Communities, said: “The pioneering EV charging project has exceeded expectations and usage continues to grow. We are delighted to have been able to expand the project and create more charging hubs within Cherwell.”

The £5.4 million project was funded by grants from Innovate UK and the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles as well as private investment from local companies Zeta and Urban Integrated. It has provided the biggest ever single boost to public EV charging infrastructure in the county.

The network of ‘fast’ EV chargers have a power rating of 7kW to 22kW, which means EV drivers can get between 25 and 75 miles of charge for every hour they charge, depending on the rate at which their vehicle can charge. These innovative chargers are highly robust and reliable, and have multiple payment options including contactless ‘tap and go’, ensuring that EV drivers can always get a charge when they need one.

More details on how to use the chargers and the Park and Charge scheme are available at www.parkandchargeoxfordshire.co.uk.

The Park and Charge project is a key part of the Oxfordshire Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, which was named Public Sector Infrastructure Strategy of the Year at the 2022 Electric Vehicle Innovation & Excellence Awards (EVIEs).

Oxfordshire County Council is currently working with all other councils across Oxfordshire to roll out further residential EV charging hubs in car parks right across the county, pending securing appropriate funding.

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Following the installation of the first park and charge EV hub at Bicester’s Cattle Market car park in May, the locations of the remaining 19 sites have been announced. Work started earlier this month and is due to be completed by March 2022.

The park and charge scheme allows residents without off-street parking to park for free overnight and charge up using a ‘fast’ 7 - 22kw EV charging point. The chargers will also provide much needed battery top-ups to commuters and visitors during the daytime.

The project is being delivered by a consortium of partners including Oxfordshire County Council, University of Oxford, Urban Integrated UK, and Bicester firm Zeta Lighting which is running the EV charging service under the trading name EZ-Charge. Cherwell, West Oxfordshire, South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse District Councils are also supporting the scheme and hosting the EV charging hubs.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery and Environment, said: “Many councillors have already had residents who don't have off-street parking asking about charging EVs, and we at the county council know we need to accelerate different solutions to that problem. Park and charge is a key part of the Oxfordshire EV strategy, helping people to move away from using diesel and petrol vehicles.”

The locations set to benefit from park and charge hubs, each containing between 10 and 16 EV charging points, are:

• Claremont car park, Bicester
• Curtis Place car park, Kidlington
• Windsor Street and Calthorpe Street West car parks in Banbury
• Woodford Way car park in Witney
• Black Bourton car park in Carterton
• Hensington Road car park, Woodstock
• Back Lane car park, Eynsham
• New Street car park, Chipping Norton
• Cattlemarket and Goldsmiths Lane car parks in Wallingford
• Kings Road and Greys Road car parks in Henley
• Southern Road car park, Thame
• West St Helens, Audlett Drive and Cattle Market car parks in Abingdon
• Portway car park in Wantage
• Southampton Road car park in Faringdon.

Councillor Sue Cooper, South Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Nature Recovery, said: “This is great news for residents as they will have access to 62 new chargers across the district. This could be the difference to those living in Thame, Wallingford and Henley, to make the switch to EV ownership knowing they have easy access to charging points. Being part of this project also shows the council’s determination to take action to tackle the climate emergency, which we are prioritising as part of our corporate plan.”

Councillor Catherine Webber, Vale of White Horse District Council Cabinet member for the Environment and Climate Emergency, said: “We are delighted that we can accommodate so many EV charging points across the Vale in our car parks. It should really help those wishing to switch to EVs but who live in town centres such as Abingdon, Faringdon and Wantage and have on-street parking which can make it difficult to access charging. More chargers should mean more people can make the switch to cleaner travel.”

Councillor Dan Sames, Cherwell District Council’s Lead Member for Clean and Green, said: “The pioneering electric vehicle charging project has exceeded expectations and usage continues to grow. We are delighted to be able to expand the project and create more charging hubs within Cherwell. The added bonus is that we are using home grown technology developed by a Bicester-based company.”

Councillor David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Climate Change at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “With transport emissions being the largest contributor to greenhouse gases and air pollution in the district, moving to electric vehicles is a hugely important step in reaching our local and national net zero targets. The positive news is that recent statistics suggest that one in six cars now sold have a plug. We are delighted to be a partner in the park and charge Oxfordshire project, which will see more EV charging points installed across the county and here in West Oxfordshire, making it even easier for residents and business to make the switch to ultra-low emission vehicles.”

It is predicted that by 2030, one in five cars on Oxfordshire’s roads will be an EV, according to data modelling by the University of Oxford.

The £5.4 million programme is among the first of its kind in the UK and is being funded by the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles through Innovate UK and the government’s On-Street Residential Charging Scheme.

Transport Minister Trudy Harrison said: “Providing accessible and reliable charging infrastructure is fundamental in our mission to achieve net-zero. I am delighted Oxfordshire County Council has received funding through our £20m On-Street Residential Chargepoint scheme and I hope it gives the area a boost to go green and to make it easier for drivers to make the important switch to electric.”

More details about the scheme are available on the Park and Charge website.

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Oxfordshire’s park and charge team will be running live roadshow events in Abingdon, Witney and Henley in August. These free events will be an opportunity for residents to learn more about EVs and the different options for making the switch.

The test drive events will take place 10am - 4pm on:

• Saturday 14 August at Cattle Market car park, Abingdon
• Friday 20 August Kings Road car park, Henley
• Saturday 21 August at the Woolgate Centre, Witney.

The test drives form part of Oxfordshire’s £5.2 million park and charge project that has been awarded funding from Innovate UK as part of the government’s investment in British engineering to transform electric charging infrastructure. The project is being delivered by Oxfordshire County Council, with support from Cherwell District Council, West Oxfordshire District Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, the Vale of the White Horse District Council, Zeta Specialist Lighting, Urban Integrated UK and the University of Oxford.

Event organisers are working alongside local dealerships Go Green Autos, North Oxford MINI and Jaybee Motors. To book a test drive, residents can visit parkandchargeoxfordshire.co.uk choose their preferred day and venue and fill out a quick form. A member of the park and charge team will confirm all bookings.

Councillor Duncan Enright, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy, said: “Come and test drive an electric vehicle. We are in the twilight of petrol and diesel cars, as we must move to zero carbon transport in the next few years for the sake of our health and the planet.

“Our new park and charge hubs will be appearing in towns and villages across the county to be a safe place for overnight charging, particularly for those who don’t have off-street parking and can’t easily charge their vehicles at home. Be part of the future and come along for what promises to be a fun and informative experience.”

As well as test driving an EV, attendees will be able to chat to local experts and members of the park and charge team to find out more about driving electric and about the EV charging hubs that are coming to Oxfordshire later this year. 

Park and charge hubs can be found within 22 county and district council owned car parks around the county, offering overnight charging bays for residents to use. The first one opened in Bicester in May, enabling drivers to park for free overnight and charge up using one of the 12 new EV charging points, which also provide much needed battery top-ups to commuters and visitors during the daytime.

Councillor David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Climate Change at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Over a third of West Oxfordshire’s CO2 emissions can be attributed to transport, which is hugely significant when looking at how we can go about reducing the district’s carbon footprint. Creating a network of EV charging points across the county encourages people and businesses to make their next car purchase electric, confident in the knowledge that they will be able to charge their vehicle at a time and place convenient to them. This is a vital step in how we bring about change.”

Councillor Catherine Webber, Vale of White Horse District Council Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Environment, said: “One of the ways the council aims to achieve the district-wide target of becoming carbon neutral by 2045 is by working closely with partners wherever possible. This is why the council is working with Oxfordshire County Council to build on our commitment to active travel. It is also partnering with Oxfordshire councils on the Oxfordshire electric vehicle infrastructure strategy and the park and charge project.

“We are delighted that we can host a park and charge event at the council’s Cattle Market car park in Abingdon so people will have a chance to test drive some electric vehicles and find out more about this exciting project.”

Councillor Sue Cooper, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council and Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Nature Recovery, said: “The council is a partner in several innovative energy projects across the county, including the Oxfordshire energy strategy and local energy Oxfordshire project in addition to the park and charge scheme. This is just one of many ways we as a council are aiming to achieve our target of becoming a carbon neutral district by 2030.

“We are very pleased that we are able to use the council’s Kings Road car park in Henley to showcase the park and charge project and, if possible, we'd like people to walk or cycle to the event.”

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With a countywide 17% failure rate, the team is encouraging many more local people to take up the opportunity of a free electric blanket test over the next few weeks.

Oxfordshire County Council wants to ensure everyone is safe - as well as warm - this winter.

Emily James, from the County Council’s Trading Standards team, said:

"If the condition of the blanket is allowed to deteriorate, there is the possibility it could become faulty, risking injury and fire.

“We want to ensure that all electric blankets are still safe for use. That’s why, as an extra incentive, the tests are free.”

Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service has dealt with house blazes started by faulty electric blankets; so there is a real and current fire safety concern.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Trading Standards will not allow owners to visit the test venue this year.

Instead, the team will collect the blankets from residents’ houses, take them to be tested and then return them to each property (each owner will be posted a plastic bag and label prior to the collection).

To book an electric blanket test, call 01865 895999 Option 1

or email: communityengagement@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Further information from the website:

www.365alive.co.uk/cms/content/electric-blanket-testing

Work to repair roads across Oxfordshire is continuing under strict safety rules meaning that the county council’s promised £32m repair pledge is delivered.

The government has stated councils should carry on with work to improve and make roads safe as long as it can be done within Public Health England guidance.

County Councillor Liam Walker, Cabinet member for Highways Delivery and Operations, said: “The first priority is safety. That means safety for the workforce and the public, but we also have to keep the roads safe and that’s why this work is so important.

“Even during the current restrictions the roads are being used and that is why work to repair potholes and other safety related problems has not stopped.

“Providing we can work safely on the larger maintenance projects like road resurfacing, the fact that roads are far quieter in terms of vehicles and passers by is an advantage.

“We are working closely with our contractors to assess each site before making decisions on where we will be working.”

Repair programme still being rolled out across Oxfordshire

This means that Oxfordshire County Council’s £32m capital investment for this financial year into improving roads, bridges, drainage, pavements and streetlights is under way.

Big projects on the programme for the coming months year include Oxford Road in Banbury, Northcourt Road in Abingdon, Burwell Drive and West End in Witney, Worcester Street, Hythe Bridge Street and George Street in Oxford.

At the moment teams are out carrying out surface dressing work on local roads across the county. This technique extends the life of the road surface and provides a new waterproof layer and improved grip for vehicles.

Three structural patching projects are also planned to take place shortly, these will be at:

• Spring Lane, Watlington
• Manor Road, South Hinksey
• A417 Challow Road, Wantage

Transport improvement work progress

Work in Headley Way, Oxford to construct cycleways and side road entry treatments on the Access to Headington Scheme and also to construct cycleways and resurface the carriageway on the A361 Safety Scheme between Bloxham and Banbury continues.

Working in compliance with the Pblic Health England guidance and with Covid-19 Social Distancing means that the contractor will take longer to complete the work. We are ensuring that disruption is kept to a minimum on these roads.

Surveying, ground investigations and design continues for future work on the A34 Lodge Hill junction near Abingdon and for work on the A40 west of Wolvercote.

Respect for road crews

There have been recent reports of road crews receiving abuse and criticism from members of the public.

The Government has classified a number of roles within the transport industry as key to delivering essential service during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. This includes highways maintenance workers.

County Councillor Walker said: “I urge our local communities to observe social distancing and not to approach our highways maintenance crews. Many of them are delivering critical work and should be applauded for their service during these uncertain times.”

Transport and Infrastructure work is going to be key to our economic recovery and so making sure our workforce are protected and respected is important. If you see anyone working on the roads – whether it’s council teams or people working for utility companies - they are performing a vital service. Please observe social distancing rules.

Keep reporting problems

Although the use of the roads has fallen dramatically in recent weeks anyone who encounters safety-related problems like potholes can still report them direct to the council via https://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/

This year and last the county council invested millions of pounds over and above its usual budget so that it can do more repairs and resurfacing projects - and the strategy is paying off with 34,159 potholes repaired compared to 23,486 the year before.

Extra investment means better roads

The county council recently announced an extra £13m for road maintenance for this financial year on top of its existing £18.5m programme of work – this follows last year’s additional £12m boost.

Last year’s extra cash saw more than 37 extra miles of road being resurfaced through a range of methods which also included surface dressing and micro-asphalting – both of which make road surfaces waterproof and extend their life.

This year’s additional money will be spent across Oxfordshire’s towns and villages on resurfacing, drainage, bridge repairs and footways.

The council’s road repair crews have also been busy fixing other ‘defects’ on the roads, too – over 42,000 in total in 2018, an average of 3,500 a month.

Changing for the better

County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “In Oxfordshire we have taken steps to listen to residents’ concerns by increasing the numbers of workers on the roads, bringing in and additional Dragon Patcher, and our focusing on reports made by the public on FixMyStreet.

“We are now looking to the future and meticulously planning our improvement schemes over a longer period is vital to ensure we see real change in Oxfordshire.

“We appreciate the standards our residents expect and are serious about getting things right. The additional £12m we invested in 2018 is testament to that as is the extra £13m we will spend this year.

“It’s been great to see the fantastic work that has been done and credit must go to the staff working for the council and our contractors at Skanska.”

Summer work already begun

A £3.5m programme of surface dressing – a technique that seals and extends the life of road surfaces – is underway now across Oxfordshire. Around 50 miles of road will be improved this year through this technique alone. A further £676,000 is to be spent on micro-asphalting – a similar technique to surface dressing.

The county council also has a £5.375m programme of major resurfacing work planned across the county with sites in Oxford, Charlbury, Faringdon, Wantage, Benson, Eynsham, Wantage and Banbury lined up for the coming months.

A further £9.65m has been budgeted for patching work. This is small scale resurfacing which takes care of localised problems where full resurfacing is not necessary. This approach makes the most of the money available for road repairs and can help prepare the roads for surface dressing or micro-asphalting the following year.

Last year’s extra cash investment saw more than 37 extra miles of road being resurfaced through a range of methods which also included surface dressing and micro-asphalting – both of which make road surfaces waterproof and extend their life.

This year’s additional money will be spent across Oxfordshire on resurfacing, drainage, bridge repairs and footways.

Meet the team

Repairing roads in Oxfordshire’s thriving communities is a year-round activity. And while everyone knows the roads they use well, they probably don’t know much about the people who turn out in all weathers to carry out repairs and maintenance.

Take a look a this video to find out more about what a day in the life of a pothole repair team is like.

Help us to fix more faults

To fix more problems on the roads we need your help. The best way to tell us if you find a ‘defect’ is to report it directly to us via Fix My Street. But what exactly is a defect?

Any problem you find on the roads including potholes, blocked drains, damaged signs, missing or worn lines or broken street lights all count.

When your report is received our team take a look at what you’ve highlighted and include it on a list for inspection when a decision can be made as to the best course of action. Why not take a look at Fix My Street now to see what’s been reported and repaired in your area?

The famous South Oxfordshire town will host a Big Bike Breakfast on the morning of the race, Wednesday 12 June. Crowds will line the streets, cheering off participants on the 145 kilometre-leg that will finish outside Blenheim Palace in West Oxfordshire.

Elite cyclist Sophie Wright announced that Oxfordshire’s race section will start from Market Place in the centre of Henley.

Oxfordshire’s county, city and district councils announced last month that a stage of the OVO Energy Women’s Tour, the UK’s most prestigious women’s cycle race, had been agreed to race through the county for the next three years, in partnership with event organisers SweetSpot Group.

From Henley, stage three will traverse the Chilterns via Pishill to Watlington, before returning via the climb of Britwell Hill to Sonning Common and Goring.

Crossing the River Thames at Wallingford, the route will pass through Didcot, Harwell and Wantage, crossing the Vale of White Horse to Faringdon, before looping through the West Oxfordshire towns of Burford, Charlbury and finally Woodstock in the closing kilometres.

Oxfordshire is expecting economic and health benefits from hosting the prestigious event, with cycling fans expected to visit the county to watch the race, generating additional business for restaurants, bars, hotels, B&Bs and shops.

In a comparable stage in last year’s race in Warwickshire, additional local expenditure linked directly to the event totalled £2m by around 100,000 spectators. Nearly two-thirds (63%) came from outside the county and 67% of spectators said they were inspired to cycle more often.

Starting in Henley, about 100 professional riders will weave their way through towns, villages and rural areas, inspiring local schools to organise themed sport and fitness lessons. Highlights of the race will also be screened on ITV4.

Families are expected to line the route to cheer on competitors, turning the event into an exciting community spectacle. Spectators will be encouraged to use healthy and environmentally-friendly transport to reach vantage points to watch the race.

Yvonne Rees, CEO of Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council said: “We are delighted to welcome the Women’s Tour to Oxfordshire, with a start in Henley, a tour of our fantastic countryside and the finish at Blenheim Palace – this will be a fantastic stage.

“From past experience, this event will bring economic benefits to our communities, but for me, I am really excited about inspiring more of us to get on our bikes and be active. Let’s take this opportunity to take that step – get out and about – get healthy. Come rain or shine, let’s use 12 June to kick start our ambitions – plus show the world the county at its best.”

Mark Stone, Chief Executive of South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse District Councils said: “This is wonderful news for residents and businesses in Henley and across our two districts – the economic benefits will be significant. It will hopefully inspire lots of people to take part in healthy activities like cycling, but just as importantly it is going to be a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to watching it.”

Janet Wheeler, Henley Town Council’s Town Clerk, said: “On behalf of the Mayor of Henley – and the Henley Town Councillors – we are delighted to host the start of this prestigious event. Henley loves a good party; and this looks like an event to inspire us all to leave the car behind and travel on two wheels!”

The OVO Energy Women’s Tour is Britain’s longest-running professional women’s race and part of the prestigious UCI Women’s World Tour series.

Thanks to title sponsor OVO Energy, the award-winning independent energy supplier, the event will once again back a prize fund equal to that of the men’s Tour of Britain for the second year running.

Commenting on the announcement, OVO Energy Women’s Tour Race Director Mick Bennett, said: “Oxfordshire is a historic and world-famous county; therefore, I am looking forward to the Tour visiting there over the coming years. To have our 2019 stage – the first ever to take place in Oxfordshire – start in Henley will provide the most incredible backdrop; and leave our world-class field with a truly unforgettable memory and reinforce the prestige of the event."

The 2019 OVO Energy Women’s Tour will begin in Suffolk with Stage One from Beccles to Stowmarket on Monday 10 June. Further details of this year’s OVO Energy Women’s Tour, including the full race route and competing teams, will be released in the coming weeks.

Read more, including FAQs

Watch That’s Oxfordshire TV’s coverage of the Henley launch event

With almost 3,000 miles of road (and the rest) to look after across the county, we need your help – tell us how we can help you fix your street at https://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/.

With almost 3,000 miles of road to look after across the county, we need your help – tell us how we can help you fix your street at https://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/.

With almost 3,000 miles of road to look after across the county, we need your help – tell us how we can help you fix your street at https://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/.

With almost 3,000 miles of road to look after across the county, we need your help – tell us how we can via https://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/

Organising a fireworks display? Let us know and we’ll list it here. Keep checking back for more great suggestions for bonfire night!

Saturday 27th October
 

• Family Fireworks Spectacular at Edward Feild Primary School (Kidlington)

• Weston On The Green Village Fireworks (Weston On The Green)

• Nettlebed Halloween Spooktacular Fireworks at Sue Ryder (Nettlebed)

Friday 2nd November

• South Stoke Bonfire & Firework Night (South Stoke)

• Bonfire & Firework night at Far Peak Campsite (North Leach)

• Deddington CofE School PTA’s Firework Night (Deddington)

• Hanborough musical fireworks (Long Hanborough)

• Grove RFC Fireworks (Grove)

• Checkendon School Association Fireworks (Checkendon)

• Mill Lane School Fireworks, Chinnor

Saturday 3rd November

• Oxford Fireworks South Park – The Oxford Round Table charity firework display (Oxford)

• Halloween Fireworks Display at Blenheim Palace (Woodstock)

• Thame Fireworks (Thame)

• 2nd Abingdon Scouts Fireworks Display (Abingdon)

• Charlbury Cricket Club Bonfire Night (Charlbury)

• Bicester Round Table Fireworks Display (Bicester)

• RAL Rec-soc fireworks display & disco (Harwell)

• Wallingford 1155 Fireworks & Bonfire (Wallingford)

• Dorchester on Thames village fireworks (Dorchester on Thames)

• Faringdon Fireworks and Bonfire (Faringdon)

• Kingham Village Fireworks and Bonfire (Kingham)

• Thame Fireworks @ Lord William’s Lower School (Thame)

• Standlake Village Hall (Standlake) Bonfire & Fireworks

Sunday 4th November

• Fireworks Night at Phyllis Court (Henley)

• Witney RFC Bonfire and Fireworks Spectacular (Witney)

• Didcot Pyromusical Fireworks Display (Didcot)

• Fireworks Night at Bicester hotel and golf & spa (Chesterton, nr Bicester)

• Bicester Round Table Fireworks (Bicester)

Monday 5th November

• The Plough’s free firework night (Wolvercote)

• UPDATED! Bodicote Fireworks Display: Gates open 5.45, display 7.30 £4 entry, under 5's free!

Saturday 10th November

• Abingdon Festival of Fireworks (Dalton Barracks, Abingdon)

• Kirtlington Fireworks Display (Kirtlington)

A 20mph speed limit is to be put in place of the existing 30mph limit in Henley town centre and a 40mph limit north of the existing 30mph speed limit on the A4130 The Fairmile.

The proposals were put forward by Henley Town Council and the local county councillor in response to concerns over road safety and the wider impact of traffic on residents.

The decision was made following a local consultation and funding for the new speed limits has been provided by Henley Town Council.

As you can see from the pictures, the resurfaced area looks good and will also be better to drive, ride or walk over.

The Oxfordshire County Council-run library service at HMP Huntercombe, a Category C men's prison near Henley, has teamed up with the National Literacy Trust and Soha Housing association to create a more inclusive book club.

The Breaking Barriers Book Club has seen a group of Soha Housing staff and residents join the prison library reading group to discuss Pigeon English, a novel by the 2011 Man Booker prize shortlisted author Stephen Kelman.

Twenty prisoners and 10 Soha staff and residents have been taking part in the project, meeting at the prison to share thoughts on the book with one another in an effort to build bridges between the different groups.

Oxfordshire County Council provides library facilities at HMP Huntercombe and HMP Bullingdon under service level agreements with Her Majesty's Prison Service. This is a costed service so is not delivered to the detriment of public library service budgets.

Neelam Rutti, Oxfordshire County Council Library Manager at HMP Huntercombe, said: “I see it as my role as Library Manager to help promote literacy and support the rehabilitative culture in the prison.

"When prisoners voiced concerns about not feeling part of the community, I was able to facilitate links with the local housing association and set up this reading group. The interaction between the groups has helped dispel some of the myths around prison life and enabled the prisoners to feel more comfortable with the wider community’s views. This has been extremely well received as a very worthwhile initiative that highlights the similarities between people rather than the differences.”

Pigeon English is one of the books given to prisoners throughout England and Wales for free as part of the National Literacy Trust’s Books Unlocked programme. Funded by the Booker Prize Foundation, Books Unlocked helps prisoners discover a new world of literature by giving them free copies of Man Booker Prize-shortlisted books, serialising audiobooks of the titles on National Prison Radio and facilitating author visits to prison reading groups.

On July 25, the group will hold its last reading session, when Mr Kelman, is expected to read from Pigeon English and answer questions about the book and his work as an author.

Stephen Kelman said: “Working with the Books Unlocked programme has been a huge privilege for me, allowing me to witness first-hand the restorative role literature can play in the prison environment. 

"The Breaking Barriers Book Club is another innovative project of which I’m proud to be a part, and I’m really looking forward to meeting all the participants and discussing their reactions to my book.”

Paul Crossey, Deputy Governor at HMP Huntercombe, said: “As all of our men here will be released at some point, it is important that we do everything we can to help them avoid reoffending. When members of the community, prison staff and prisoners come together in the library to talk about books and our common characteristics, it breaks down barriers and gives the men hope that they can turn away from a life of crime.”

Jude McCaffrey, Head of Housing at Soha said: “Soha’s purpose is to ensure that people in need can access affordable housing. We often work with people who feel socially excluded such as prison leavers. The Breaking Barriers Book Club has helped Soha staff see the people behind the label and that there is more that unites us than divides us.”

Crews completed their work on June 19.

The county and Oxford city councils are currently looking at ambitious proposals to create a zero emission zone (ZEZ) in the city. This would be a long-term project to enable road users and transport operators to plan for the necessary changes, including the use of zero emission vehicles.

Despite a 37% per cent reduction in levels of toxic nitrogen dioxide across Oxford in the last decade, parts of the city centre are still failing to meet the legal limit on the pollutant.

The proposals also assume the technology and take up of zero emission electrical vehicles will continue to accelerate. The first steps in creating a zero-emission zone in Oxford could be in place as early as 2020.

Public consultation in 2017 showed strong support for the ZEZ but also emphasised the need for the two councils to support businesses, transport operators and the public in making the transition. The ambition is to ensure that Oxfordshire becomes a leader in tackling transport challenges linked to air pollution.

Oxfordshire County Council's Director for Planning and Place Sue Halliwell said:

“Oxford has been identified as a city with a major air quality problem and we are looking at a range of long-term measures to tackle congestion and reduce pollution, including a zero emission zone.

“We are delighted that the environment secretary is making this issue a national priority and believe Oxfordshire has an opportunity to become a national leader in tackling air pollution through bold transport initiatives.”

The ZEZ is part of a strategy to reduce congestion and pollution in Oxford by rolling out segregated cycle routes, bus priority, electric charging points, and other measures.

The city and county councils have agreed in principle to progress the plans to the next stage, following discussions with transport operators and other stakeholders. Detailed proposals are now being developed for further consultation with stakeholders, including residents and local businesses.

There are several air quality hotspots outside Oxford, including Henley, Wallingford, Watlington, Abingdon, Botley and Marcham. Options for tackling air quality in those areas are actively being developed by South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils and the county council. In November 2017, South Oxfordshire District Council adopted a Low Emission Strategy.

Now in its fourth year, the competition showcases talented new writers in the county by making their stories available for any library user to read for free, on the library Overdrive eBook service.

Young Adult category

The winner of the young adult category was Burford resident Phoebe Haywood with her story The Glass is Never Half Full. Based on an idea she got in a hotel bar while on holiday, the story examines different approaches to life’s difficulties. Sixteen-year-old Phoebe is an active blogger who is closely involved with the Chiplit Fest - Chipping Norton's annual literary event.

She said: "I think I've been writing stories since I was about five or six, but I've had loads of encouragement over the years from my parents, teachers and librarians. My school library also runs a Creative Writing club that I have been attending.

"When I'm writing, I can make people and build worlds, and the best feeling is when I've constructed it all really well so that I can look back on my work and feel proud of it."

Phoebe, who is eyeing up a future career as a writer, said it was a big surprise to win, adding: "I know that loads of young writers must have submitted stories of an amazing quality, so I'm very honoured that my story won with all that competition."

Adult category

Winner of the adult category was Louise Brakspear with her story ‘A Passing Place’ - a moving, very human tale set in the aftermath of World War One. A long-time customer of Henley Library, it was third-time lucky for Louise, having entered the competition twice previously. Writing since her early twenties, winning in 2018 could prove to be a springboard to further success.

She said: “I’m absolutely delighted – really thrilled. It’s nice to think that others have enjoyed the story.”

Adult category winner Louise Brakspear, whose story A Passing Place won over the judges

"Worthy winners"

Lead Librarian for Digital Info and Learning Katharine Spackman said: “As always the standard of entries was very high and our judges certainly had a difficult job on their hands. In the end Louise’s and Phoebe’s stories just had something special about them that stood out from the pack, and they are very worthy winners. I’m sure their stories will very popular with our customers.”

If you want to see what made them this year’s outstanding authors you can read their stories through the Oxfordshire Library eBook webpage or the Overdrive and Libby apps today! Go to www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ebooks and select 'Overdrive'.

Last year’s winners were some of the most-read eBooks available from Oxfordshire Libraries, with adult category winner Jez Fernandez’s story receiving the most downloads ever for a competition-winning title.

Banbury Christmas Light Switch On

26 November, 17:00, FreeSwitch on 5pm around the tree outside the Town Hall. Launching Banbury into the festive season. Music, food, entertainment, and of course Santa!

'Christmas at Blenheim'

24th November-1st January

Witney Christmas Light Switch On

24 Nov 5pm-7pm Witney

Henley Christmas MarketFriday 17 November 12pm – 7pm, Saturday 18 November 9am-7pm, Sunday 19 November 10am-5pm, Free

Featuring a wide range of stalls this popular Christmas Market is the ideal place to find those perfect Christmas gifts, stocking fillers and delicious goodies for Christmas hampers

Oxford’s Christmas Light Festival17-19 November

A highlight that’s not to be missed, Oxford’s festive season has a dazzling start with the annual Christmas Light Festival weekend, one of the most exciting events held in the city centre. There are lots of fun events for everyone, as well as a festive market and food stalls.

Night of 1000 Candles, Woodstock

Saturday 25th November 2017

Town Square, Woodstock

Faringdon Nativity Lantern-Making Workshop 

28 November, 6-9pm, Free (Adults only)Your chance to make a lantern to be used in Faringdon’s Live Nativity with artist Emily Cooling. Adults only 20 places on a first come first served basis. Your Lantern will be used as part of the performance but will be available for collection after the event. All materials provided

Bicester Christmas Lights

November 30, Sheep Street, 4pm to 8pm

Didcot Christmas Street Fair

30 November 4pm – 9 pmBroadway and Orchard Centre

Kidlington Christmas Lights Switch onThursday 30^th November 5:30pm

December

Carterton Christmas Lights Switch-on

01 December 2017 16:30, Alvesdon Road 

Wantage Library Dickensian Evening

Dickensian Evening - A dizzying dickensian delight - Mill Street 1 Dec 16:00 - 23:00

Get into the Christmas spirit with some mince pies and hot chocolate at Wantage Library

Festive stories for the children between 6.30pm and 7pm! No need to book, just pop in

Thame’s Christmas Light Switch On

1 Dec - 12:00-22:00 High Street Thame

On Friday 1 December 2017, Thame will host its annual community Christmas event which typically attracts thousands of local residents and families all looking to spoil themselves or their loved ones with good food and great gifts, not to mention the lantern parade and fantastic selection of entertainment and attractions on offer, including the return of our popular Santa’s Grotto and Go-Karts! We will also be hosting a human-sized snow globe, for you and your family to take photos in and play in the snow!

Cogges Christmas Market

Saturday, 2 December 2017 to Sunday, 3 December 2017

10:00 - 16:00 (£2)

The Christmas market in the Wheat barn and Barley Barn will have over 60 stalls from local businesses, crafters and makers offering hand-made gifts, rural crafts, festive decor, and local produce, cakes, pies, speciality local beers and ciders, gift bags and hampers.

Meet Father Christmas in the manor house with a story.

Ramsden Christmas Market (Chipping Norton)

Saturday 2 December, £2 Adults, under 16’s free

The biggest and most magical Christmas market in West Oxfordshire, with over 50 stalls selling hand-made, ethically sourced or local crafts and gifts, locally produced and organic food items. The entire market is under cover and there will be musical entertainment throughout the afternoon. Santa Claus for the children, hot mulled wine and a bar for the grown-ups, cakes, teas - come and enjoy.

£2 Adults, under 16’s free

Abingdon Christmas Extravaganza

2 December, Market Place

Lights switched on at 6pm, as well as fireworks

Wallingford

Christmas Festival - Dec 3 2017

As well as the Christmas Festival in the Town Centre there’s also the Wallingford Santa Dash at Wallingford School, Join hundreds of Santas and run, walk or sleigh ride your way on this 3km run from Wallingford School to the Market Place.

Faringdon Town Nativity

8 December, 6pm, Free

This Christmas, for one night only, the centre of Faringdon will be transformed into Bethlehem! Faringdon Town Council has partnered with Faringdon Dramatic Society, Faringdon All Saints’, Faringdon Baptist Church and many other local organisations and community members in order to create a spectacular nativity for everyone to come and see. The Faringdon Town Nativity will take place on Friday 8th December, in the market square at 6pm and will include live acting, live singing, spectacular lightning and sound, beautiful lanterns, a donkey and three real camels!

Christmas in Chippy
Friday 8th of December

Dorchester Christmas Festival
Sunday 10 December 11am – 16:00pm

Eynsham Library Children’s Christmas Craft Event
21 December 2:30-4pm

There will be lots of fun things to do in the Library this afternoon between 2.30pm and 4.00pm. Festive makes, wordsearches, songs and stories. Suggested age 4-9 years, although younger or older siblings are more than welcome if they want to come along.

What have we missed?

There are so many brilliant events across the county that no doubt a few have fallen off our list! If you know of an event that’s somehow slipped us by, let us know the details in the comments below!

Not long to go before Christmas Markets start to appear across the county, and festive lights brighten up the night. We've scoured the interwebs for details of events across Oxfordshire to look forward to!

Traffic restrictions and road closures ahead of Remembrance Day parades and events this weekend.

11 November

Remembrance Day Witney
11 November 08-13:00
Church Green
Welch Way

Didcot Armistice Day Ceremony
11 November 10:55 - 11:05
B4493 High Street, Didcot

12 November

Abingdon
12 November 10:30 - 11:45
Ock Street

Chipping Norton
12 November 10:25-12:15
High Street

Burford
12 November 10:40 - 11:20
High Street

Carterton
12 November 10:15 - 11:30
Burford Road

Faringdon
12 November 09:00 - 12:30
Gloucester Street Gravel Walk

And11 November - Exhibition on A4095 Market Place

Marcham Remembrance Parade
12 November 10:30 - 12:30
New Road

Kennington
12 November 10:30 - 11:30
Kennington Road

Goring
12 November 10:50-11:15
Section of B471

Woodstock
10:00-12:30 Remembrance parade
Unknown road

Wantage
12 November 10:30 - 13:00
Market Place

Wallingford
12 November 10:00 - 12:00
St Martins Street

Benson Remembrance Parade
12 November 10:15 - 11:45

Remembrance Day - Chinnor
12 November 10:25 - 11:10

Henley Remembrance Sunday
12 November 10:15 - 12:00
Station Road

Charlbury
12:00-13:30
School Road

Didcot
12 November 10:20 - 11:30
Broadway

Harwell
12 November 10:20 - 11:30
B4493 Drewitts Corner

Grove
12 November 09:35 - 09:45
Main street

Godstow
12 November 10:20-11:45
Godstow road

Oxford: St Giles Remembrance Sunday Parade
12 November 07:00-14:00
St Giles

Thame
12 November 13:00
High Street

Have we missed any? Let us know in the comments.

Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse staff have been attending events every day to promote recycling, reducing and re-using and generally answering queries from residents.

At Charlton Park Garden Centre in Wantage Jude Owen a Master Composter gave useful advice on how to make good compost and some very particular advice on how to re-use McDonalds paper cups in the garden as, sadly, they cannot be recycled.

On another day, Linda Brawn, a LFHW (Love Food Hate Waste) champion, joined officers Asda Wheatley. Linda was encouraging residents to produce less food waste and a top tip from the day was using the tops of leeks and potato peelings to make leek and potato soup.

Venues attended are listed below

Charlton Park Garden Centre, Wantage

Waitrose in Faringdon

Tesco in Henley

Asda in Wheatley

Waitrose in Wallingford

Market Place, Abingdon (Abingdon Local excellence market)

The four to have been rated as “outstanding” during the last month are – The Brandon Trust, Oxford; Godswell Park, Banbury; Rush Court, Wallingford and Rosebank Care Home, Bampton.

Other care settings already rated “outstanding are based in Oxford, Wallingford, Faringdon, Bloxham, Abingdon, Goring, Sonning Common, Witney and Nettlebed near Henley.

A total of five per cent of all providers in Oxfordshire are outstanding compared to three per cent nationally and 89% are good or outstanding compared to 83% nationally.

The CQC awards four ratings following inspections –

1. Outstanding
2. Good
3. Requires Improvement
4. Inadequate

The full list of Oxfordshire “outstanding” ratings is below.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Councillor Lawrie Stratford, said: “The trend is unmistakeable. Oxfordshire is well ahead of the national average and that position is improving month by month.

“Our congratulations go to the organisations recently rated outstanding. The CQC does not make this award lightly – as can be seen by the fact that only three per cent of organisations nationally have such a status.

“The county council doesn’t run care homes directly but it has a monitoring and safeguarding role to help care homes reach their potential along with the CQC.

“As a council our over-arching aim is to enable older and disabled people to live independently and care for those in greatest need, working in partnership with private and voluntary sector providers. These new statistics show that the county is being well served compared to other areas. We hope to see more improvement in coming months.”

Due to development on the east side of King James Way double yellow lines will be put in place and paid for by the developers.

The decision to approve the restrictions was made by County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment, today.

Oxfordshire County Council is to carry out essential repair work after the embankment was found to be slipping, causing the road surface to crack and become unsafe in places.

Stabilising embankment improving drainage

Around £1m will be spent stabilising the failing embankment along the westbound lane with a sheet pile retaining wall, installing a vehicle restraint system, making improvements to the road drainage system and renewing the carriageway surfacing.

The work starting on 21 August will be carried out under the traffic signal control that is in place at the moment. However, from 29 August the road will need to be fully closed for engineering and safety reasons.

It is anticipated that the full closure will be in place for 10 weeks. The public footpath between the A4155 and Dunsden Green will also be closed during this time.

A signed vehicle diversion route will be in place via A4155 to Caversham, A4074 to Crowmarsh Gifford, A4130 to Henley and A4155 towards Spring Lane.

Businesses open and accessible

Businesses will be open and accessible during the work with road signs clearly stating this.

Access gates will be provided for local residents and will be maintained throughout the works.

Highly challenging work

County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for the environment, said: “There is no question that this work is complex, highly challenging and essential.

“We know that there will be disruption for people while the work is done, and we appreciate everyone’s patience while we have been carrying out the necessary investigations and working out exactly what needs doing to make sure the road is made safe again.“While we need to get on with the work we are also doing what we can to ensure everyone is able to get around and live as comfortably as possible.

“It almost goes without saying that we only do work like this when it is absolutely essential. In this case it is almost an emergency due to the state of the road and by acting now we will ensure that normal traffic and travel through the area will be restored soon.”

Oxfordshire County Council proposes to add double yellow lines on King James Way on each side of the as yet unnamed access road into a new development.

The new access  means changes nearby are needed to ensure the safety of pedestrians and all road users and that obstruction to through traffic is minimised. The proposal is to add double yellow lines on King James Way on each side of the as yet unnamed access road.

Full details of the proposals along with details on how to have your say are online at: https://consultations.oxfordshire.gov.uk/consult.ti/KingJamesWayHenleyParking/consultationHome

People have until 11 August 2017 to take part.

There may still be places available, so anyone interested should call 01865 815278.

The sessions are free and run from 9.30am to 11am. Booking is essential.

Library PCs are available or participants can bring along their own tablets or phones.

The driving surface had deteriorated and was in need of renewal - a job that would ordinarily be done over two or three daytime closures. However, following discussion with our highway team, it was agreed that doing the work in one go overnight would mean less disruption overall.

So now Kings Road is back to normal and the road surface as good as new.

Community services will complement the council’s new service for 0-19 year-olds, which will meet the needs and aspirations of children at risk of abuse and neglect in Oxfordshire, and ensure that families who need extra help are identified at an early stage.

Total adds up

When added to previously considered applications, the approval of these latest proposals would give a total of 25 funded community schemes for services such as ‘stay and play’ to continue at children’s centres across the county.

On top of this, open access sessions are continuing at the Children and Family Centres and satellite centres at the heart of the council’s new Children’s Service.

Fantastic response

Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Local Communities Councillor Mark Gray said: “Over the last year we have seen a tremendous response from local communities who have taken up the baton for the delivery of open access children’s services across the county.

“In many cases what parents will see when they come into these centres will be little different from when they were fully funded by the council, and that’s testament to the commitment and hard work of local people who have made this happen.”

He added: “It has never been the council’s desire to see children’s centres close, and through the transition fund we have worked alongside a large number of community groups to help them bring their plans to fruition.”

List of applicants / children’s centres recommended to receive third-round transition funding:

• Ambrosden 4 Children (Ambrosden Children’s Centre): £5,964

• Donnington Doorstep (Florence Park Children’s Centre): £32,239

• St Johns Church – Grove PCC (Grove & Wantage Children’s Centres): £40,000

• HBC Superdads (Marston Northway Children’s Centre): £5,940

• Henley Baptist Church and D:two (Rainbow Children’s Centre): £8,000 (Received £21,900 in previous funding round)

• Abingdon Baby Café (North Abingdon Children’s Centre): £5,000

• Abingdon Carousel (South Abingdon Children’s Centre): £35,500

• Sunshine Centre (Sunshine Children’s Centre): £18,585

• Witney Churches (Witney Children’s Centre): £30,000

• Friends of Brittania Road (Brittania Road Children’s Centre, Banbury): £6,414

• The Kings Church (South Didcot): £20,000

  List of proposals approved in second round transition funding:

• Ace Centre Charity (Ace Centre, Chipping Norton): £29.983
• Barton Community Association (Barton EI Satellite, Oxford): £14,000
• Employment Action Group (Berinsfield Children’s Centre): £35,000
• Chalgrove Primary School (Chalgrove and Watlington Children’s Centres) £30,000
• Faringdon Town Council (Faringdon Children’s Centre): £30,000
• Kidlington with Hampton Poyle PCC (Kaleidoscope Children’s Centre, Kidlington): £35,000
• Friends of Maple Tree (Maple Tree Children’s Centre, Wheatley): £30,000
• Cutteslowe Community Association (North Oxford Children’s Centre): £30,000
• Wallingford Town Council (Wallingford Children’s Centre): £30,000

List of proposals approved in first round:

• Bloxham Primary School (Butterfly Meadows, Children’s Centre): £29,384
• Carterton Town Council (Carterton Children’s Centre): £30,000
• Botley Bridges (Elms Road Children’s Centre, Oxford): £30,000
• Grandpont Nursery (Grandpont Children’s Centre, Oxford): £35,600
• St Nicholas Primary School (Marston Northway Children’s Centre): £8,000
• Sharing Life Trust (Red Kite Children’s Centre, Thame): £30,000

List of Children and Family Centres and satellite centres:

• Banbury
• Bicester
• Witney
• Abingdon
• Didcot
• Barton
• Rose Hill
• Blackbird Leys
• East Oxford (satellite centre)
• Banbury (satellite centre).

Some of the paths on Blandy Road had deteriorated leaving them looking shabby and potentially dangerous for pedestrians.

Following an inspection the county council decided to resurface a number of stretches in the area to join them up with places where the surface was still in good condition.

Around £18,800 was spent on the work which will hopefully mean that more extensive and expensive repairs will not be needed for years to come.

The Registration Service has a strong track record of promoting Oxfordshire as “the place to marry” and each year launches a new brochure in a bid to choose the county as a wedding venue and to residents to hold their ceremony in their home county.

Alicja Gilroy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Superintendent Registrar, said: “The strong increase in the number of weddings is a real boost to the local economy. By putting effort in to attracting people from elsewhere to hold their ceremony in Oxfordshire we bring trade for hoteliers, restaurants and a whole host of other tourism related ventures. All of that helps Oxfordshire thrive and we’re very proud of the statistics for the lasts 12 months.

“We’re clearly lucky to have so many spectacular places that attract people to Oxfordshire for weddings, such as Blenheim Palace, the Ashmolean and University related venues. However we do make the most of that advantage by promoting those places and others quite heavily. That is clearly reaping dividends.

“We’ve just recently launched our new wedding brochure and we will continue to do whatever we can to market Oxfordshire as the place to get married. Hopefully we will be able to build further on the 9.5 per cent increase in weddings we have seen in the last 12 months”.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service operates out of Registration Offices in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Henley, Oxford and Witney.

On-call firefighters are people that will go about their daily everyday life until they are alerted to an emergency incident in their area; then they have five minutes to get to their local fire station and respond as a professional firefighter.

Those who attend a two-hour taster session will have the chance to talk to on-call firefighters, try out practical assessments such as ladder climbing, hose running and putting on breathing apparatus and find out more about the recruitment process. 

Firefighting is open to people from all backgrounds

Group manager Paul Bremble said: “Our on-call firefighters are the backbone of Oxfordshire’s Fire and Rescue Service and the taster sessions are a great way for anyone who is considering applying to find out more about the role. Firefighting is a career that is open to people from all backgrounds and we are keen for women and people from ethnic minority communities to consider how it might suit them. These sessions are designed to help people decide as you get to experience some of the drills and tasks firefighters get involved with and ask any questions you have about the role.”

Book onto a two-hour taster session

Anyone interested in finding out more about becoming an on-call firefighter in Oxfordshire and is over the age of 18 is welcome to book onto a session.  Participants are advised to wear trainers and clothes suitable for exercising when attending the session.

Sunday April 23 - Have A Go Day at Henley Fire Station

• Session 1: 10am to midday
• Session 2: Midday to 2pm
• Session 3: 2pm to 4pm

For more information or to book your place at one of the sessions please contact:

• Nick Windsor, Tel: 07775 827256, Email: nick.windsor@Oxfordshire.gov.uk

Saturday April 29 - Have A Go Day at Chipping Norton Fire Station

• Session 1: 9am to 11am
• Session 2: 11am to 1pm
• Session 3: 1pm to 3pm

For more information or to book your place at one of the sessions please contact:

• Simon Piper, Tel: 07775 827277, Email: simon.piper@oxfordshire.gov.uk

In total there are around 200 voluntary sector daytime support providers for older people and people with disabilities in Oxfordshire. In excess of 150 of these operate without any financial support from the county council. More than 40 currently receive funding that covers some or all of their costs.

The council wants to support as many of these services as possible to continue, but recognises this is a decision for those organisations. The vast majority have applied for transition funding from the £300,000 budget set aside by council in February. Only six have not bid for funding, two of them because they decided they are ready to continue without support from the council.

All but one were assessed by the cross-party panel as meeting the criteria to receive funding, and a final decision will be taken by the county council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Councillor Judith Heathcoat, on April 19.

The transition funding will support these voluntary sector providers from September to March, as they action their plans to become more self-sustaining. Later in 2017 they will once again be able to bid for £250,000 of transitional funding in 2018/19, as well as funding from two further grants pots – a Sustainability Fund and an Innovation Fund.

Which services are proposed for transition funding

Age UK run day centres are proposed for a combined £98,000 of funding:

• Bluebells, Henley

• Burford Lunch Club

• Kidlington Area Day Centre

• Kingsmoor Day Centre, Hinton Waldrist

• Oakwood Centre, Faringdon

• Share Care Day Centre, Holton

• St Francis Court, Headington/Anchor Court, Oxford – two services which are merging.

Daybreak Oxford run day centres are proposed for a combined £50,000 of funding:

• The Lilacs, Kidlington

• The Limes, Oxford

• Rosewood, Oxford

Other providers:

• Berinsfield Voluntary Day Centre £10,106

• Bromsgrove Day Centre, Faringdon £6,800

• Carterton Day Centre £9,500

• Chalgrove Day Centre £8,000

• Charlbury Day Centre £3,742

• Chinnor Day Centre £8,000

• Cluster Care Group, Banbury £4,500

• Eynsham Day Centre £2,625

• Goring and District Community Centre Lunch Club £2,900

• Grove Day Centre for the Elderly £7,000

• Hanborough and District Day Centre £6,378

• Highlands Day Centre, Chipping Norton £5,000

• Hook Norton Day Centre, £2,625

• The October Club, Wantage £14,000

• Chinese Community Day Centre, Oxford £7978

• Happy Place Day Centre, Oxford £3,300

• Cornhill, Banbury £2,625

• West Way Day Centre, Botley £5,466

• St Mary’s Thursday Club, Bloxham £4,786

• Stonesfield Lunch Club £2,906

• Thame and District Day Centre £12,500

• The Thursday Social Club, Watlington £2,500

• Watlington and District Age Concern Drop In £1,500

• Windmill Thursday Club/Deddington Day Centre £5,000

• Wychwoods Day Centre £3,390

• Volunteer Link Up £14,625

The services who have decided they do not need to bid to continue to operate

• Bampton Bush Day Centre

• Fielding Lunch Club, Sibford Gower

The services who have not made a bid

• Leonard Cheshire Disability (open access self-help group)

• Leonard Cheshire Disability (Tryard Disability Group)

• Order of St John, Lake House, Adderbury

• The Alzheimers Society, Abingdon service

Cholsey Day Centre does not quality for funding as it has reserves of £340,000.

The information provided in the application for Marston Court, provided by Order of St John Care Trust, was not sufficient to evaluate the bid. Further information has been requested.

How will the council’s own service be configured?

• The county council is continuing to provide a core service for people who are eligible for social care support, which makes sure they have the care and support they need. This is planned to be a countywide service with an annual budget of £4.5m and a wide range of flexible, costed support options. The council will replace its current Health and Wellbeing Centres and Learning Disability Daytime Support services (22 building-based services) with eight new bases at the Abbey Centre, Abingdon; Redlands in Banbury; Bicester Health and Wellbeing Centre; The Meadows in Didcot; Oxford Options; High Street, Wallingford; Witney Resource Centre and the Charlton Centre in Wantage.

• These bases will run from October and would be subject to ongoing review in terms of locations. People with different needs will be supported in the same buildings but there would be a range of different spaces and facilities to meet different needs and interests.

• The plans include transport to and from services for everybody who is eligible for it or who chooses to purchase it.

• The council-funded Dementia Support Service provides support to people with dementia and their families across Oxfordshire through Dementia Advisors. It provides face-to-face support to an average of 120 people per week. This service will continue to be funded.

• The council-funded Wellbeing and Employment Service, “OxForward” provides support to people over the age of 18 with learning disabilities, autism and physical disabilities. It supports 700 people each year providing opportunities such as moving in to and maintaining volunteering roles and employment. This will continue with its existing budget.

• The council will continue to work with the Age UK provided Community Information Network service. The Community Information Network is working with people affected by the changes, to help manage a personalised transition from current daytime support services for those people who do not have eligible needs/ who choose not to use the new service.

• In addition the council will be permanently investing £25,000 a year in training for services around dementia and autism and £100,000 a year in enabling people to make choices about the use of their personal budgets.

Trained firefighters from the Specialist Rescue Team are now turning out to remove dangerous fallen trees from the highway.

Until now the county councils contractors deal with all fallen trees on the road but it is thought that in many circumstances a “blue light” response could restore safety and traffic flows more quickly. The county council’s regular contractors will remain available to do this work if the fire service has more pressing priorities.

So far the team has been to incidents at:

Chazey Close, Chazey Heath

Woodstock Road, Oxford

Bourne Lane, Hook Norton

Devils Hill, Harpsden

Only trees that fall onto roads are dealt with by the fire service - trees falling on private land remain the responsibility of the owners and emergency call outs will remain the fire service’s top priority.

Community services will complement the council’s new service for 0-19 year-olds, which will meet the needs and aspirations of children at risk of abuse and neglect in Oxfordshire, and ensure that families who need extra help are identified at an early stage.

Total adds up – and more to come

When added to previously considered applications, the approval of these 12 schemes would mean funded plans are now in place for services such as ‘stay and play’ to continue at 18 children’s centres, with business cases at a further six centres supported in principle but deferred to the final round of the Transition Fund for more work.

Added to this, open access sessions will also continue at the eight Children and Family Centres and two satellite centres at the heart of the council’s new Children’s Service.

In total, it means a combination of council-funded and community-led solutions for open access services are now confirmed, recommended for approval or supported in principle at 34 buildings across the county – with more to come when applications for the final round of transition funding are considered in June.

Fantastic response

Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Children and Family Services Melinda Tilley said: “The response of local communities has been fantastic, and we are well on the way to seeing solutions in place at the vast majority of children’s centre locations. It has never been the council’s intention to close children’s centres – quite the opposite in fact.

“I suspect many people didn’t think this was possible, but we now have the makings of a truly countywide distribution of locations where ‘drop-in’ children’s services will continue to operate. I look forward to these schemes getting up and running as soon as possible, as I’m sure do many families across Oxfordshire.”

List of applicants / children’s centres recommended for second round transition funding:

• Ace Centre Charity (Ace Centre, Chipping Norton): £29.983

• Barton Community Association (Barton EI Satellite, Oxford): £14,000
• Employment Action Group (Berinsfield Children’s Centre): £35,000
• Friends of Britannia Road (Britannia Road Children’s Centre, Banbury): £10,000 (*interim award pending submission to final round)
• Chalgrove Primary School (Chalgrove and Watlington Children’s Centres) £30,000
• Faringdon Town Council (Faringdon Children’s Centre): £30,000
• Grove PCC (Grove and Wantage Children’s Centres): £10,000 (*interim award pending submission to final round)
• Kidlington with Hampton Poyle PCC (Kaleidoscope Children’s Centre, Kidlington): £35,000
• Friends of Maple Tree (Maple Tree Children’s Centre, Wheatley): £30,000
• Cutteslowe Community Association (North Oxford Children’s Centre): £30,000
• D:two (Rainbow Children’s Centre, Henley): £21,900
• Wallingford Town Council (Wallingford Children’s Centre): £30,000

List of proposals approved in first round:

• Bloxham Primary School (Butterfly Meadows, Children’s Centre): £29,384
• Carterton Town Council (Carterton Children’s Centre): £30,000
• Botley Bridges (Elms Road Children’s Centre, Oxford): £30,000
• Grandpont Nursery (Grandpont Children’s Centre, Oxford): £35,600
• St Nicholas Primary School (Marston Northway Children’s Centre): £8,000
• Sharing Life Trust (Red Kite Children’s Centre, Thame): £30,000

List of bids deferred to final round for more work but supported in principle:

• Aflah Nursery (Florence Park Children’s Centre, Oxford)
• The Nature Effect (Florence Park Children’s Centre, Oxford)
• Mortimer Hall (Marston Northway Children’s Centre)
• The Kings Church Didcot (South Didcot Children’s Centre)
• Sunshine Centre (Sunshine Centre, Banbury)
• Witney Methodist Church (Witney Children’s Centre)

List of Children and Family Centres and satellite centres providing council-funded open access services:

• Banbury
• Bicester
• Witney
• Abingdon
• Didcot
• Barton
• Rose Hill
• Blackbird Leys
• East Oxford (satellite centre at the current Early Intervention Hub)
• Banbury (satellite centre at the current East Street Children’s Centre).

Total locations set to continue open access services: 34

For girls, Amelia dropped to second place behind Lily while Ava, Sophia, Evie and Sophie entered the top ten in 2016.

For boys Jack leapt straight in to the top ten at number one with Joshua, Thomas and Samuel entering the top ten in 2016.

Alicja Gilroy, Superintendant Registrar at Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service, said: “It’s always interesting to gather the figures together and look at the most popular Christian names in Oxfordshire.

“This year we can see a continued trend toward very traditional Christian names – names that have stood the test of time and that our Grandparents or Great Grandparents may have been christened with in the first half of the 20^th century.

“There’s a temptation to refer to these names as ‘old-fashioned’, but given how popular they are in the here and now they are quite clearly the reverse.”

Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service provides a caring and efficient service for registering births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships and other celebratory ceremonies.

The service operates out of Registration Offices in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Henley, Oxford and Witney.

The 2016 Oxfordshire Christian name league table (with 2015 for comparison)

Girls

Boys

Thursday 24 November - 6pm-9pm

Come along for all the fun of the fair; with side shows, rides, parades and food stalls, the Didcot Christmas Street Fair is an entertaining evening for all.

The Broadway and Orchard Centre, Didcot OX11 7LL

Website

Christmas Market at Waterperry Gardens

Saturday 26 - Sunday 27 November & Saturday 10 - Sunday 11 December

Get Christmas off to a flying start with our Christmas Market Weekend. Local artists and craftspeople will provide beautiful and unique gift ideas and there are inspirational presents-a-plenty in the Gift Barn and Gallery. Watch our staff making beautiful wreaths and decorations and pick up…

Waterperry Gardens, Waterperry, Oxford, OX33 1JZ

01844 339254  Website

Father Christmas at Cogges Christmas Market

Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th December 2016

Come along to the annual Cogges Christmas Market on Saturday and Sunday 3rd & 4th December 2016 10.30am - 4pm. The Christmas market in the Wheat barn and Barley Barn will have over 30 stalls from local businesses, crafters and makers offering hand-made gifts, rural crafts from textiles to wood, festive decor, garlands made to order as well as local produce, cakes, pies, speciality local beers and ciders, gift bags and hampers from local breweries. Meet Father Christmas in the cosy back kitchen with an open fire and take home a present.

Witney OX28 3LA

01993 772602 Website

Henley Christmas Festival

Friday 2 December

This is an annual magical event with a Christmas Market, Fairground rides, Carol singing around the tree, Santa’s Grotto and the Switching-on of the lights on the large Christmas tree. All local retailers are encouraged to stay open late. 

Market Square, Market Place, Henley-on-thames RG9 2AA

 Website

Wallingford Christmas Festival

Sunday 4th December

Featuring live entertainment throughout the day, with Christmas activities and fun for all the family, and many market stalls selling festive treats in the Market Place. There will be plenty of opportunities to buy gifts in the town's independent shops and businesses. The ‘Christmas Countdown’ is at 17.00, and the annual switching on of the Christmas tree lights will be followed by a spectacular firework display. A great way to finish what we know will be a very happy and enjoyable day!

Market Place, Wallingford, OX10 0AD

Website

Abingdon Christmas Extravaganza 2016

26 November 2016

Our Christmas Market will be located in Bath Street, from 9am – 4pm. There will be entertainment throughout the day with various local charities, community groups and traders. Island Farm donkey sanctuary join us here as well.

The parade will leave Queen Street at 12 noon, then travel along Stert Street, East St Helen Street, Lombard Street, West St Helen Street and back along High Street. It will then turn onto the Market Place in front of NatWest bank. After the parade, you can meet Father Christmas on the Market Place while enjoying the musical entertainment throughout the afternoon.

Guild Hall, Abbey Close, Abingdon OX14 3HL

Website

Christmas in Chippy

December 2 at 4.00pm

New for 2016. Christmas in Chippy is an exciting event with something for everyone: Children’s Christmas lantern procession Christmas Market – selling arts, crafts, food and drink, giant snow globe – for the ultimate Christmas selfie! Live music and carol singing

High Street Chipping Norton OX7 5AD

 Website

Christmas Cracker at Blue Cross

3 December

Festive fun for all the family including the four legged ones. Come along to our Christmas market and find stocking fillers and gifts for pets and people alike. Superb local pet portrait artist Heather Moulding, fab pet accessory store Cooler Bandanas, preloved Pandora jewellery store Pandomania (what a fab idea) and funky Oxford designer Joseph Wilson will all be there as well as loads of fabulous Blue Cross stalls. Shop till you drop and then get into the festive spirit with our seasonal refreshments, try your luck in the raffle and on the tombolas. You might even catch a glimpse of Santa...Doggy friends/family members are most encouraged to join the fun :)

The Blue Cross, London Road, Lewknor, Watlington OX49 5RY

Website

Thanks to Visit Henley and Oliver Woods for use of the photo above.

This information has been collected from third party providers and Oxfordshire County Council cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of the information nor does inclusion represent a recommendation or an endorsement. Parents, carers, young people and professionals are recommended to check that organisations and services are appropriate and safe before they attend.See: Help on how to choose services safely

Which markets are you looking forward to? 

Have we missed any? Let us know and we'll add them to the list!

The roll-out, which is part of the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme, is led by Oxfordshire County Council and BT, supported by South Oxfordshire District Council and OxLEP (Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership).

Cuxham residents, businesses and community groups were today (2 September) joined by John Howell, MP for the Henley constituency, to celebrate the village getting access to faster fibre broadband for the first time.

John Howell MP welcomes progress

John Howell MP said: “The provision of faster broadband connections is a key issue in our communities. I am regularly contacted by constituents frustrated at the speeds they can access - including residents of Cuxham. Broadband is important for everyday living; for education, for banking; for access to Government Departments and much more. I am delighted that Cuxham is now benefitting in this second phase of the roll-out and look forward to seeing many more communities connected.”

Landlord of historic pub is ‘over the moon’ with new technology

It was a case of out with the old and in with the new for Vaska Battley, owner of the village’s sixteenth century Half Moon pub, one of the first customers to opt for an upgrade.

Vaska said: “My customers expect to be able to access the internet when they come in for a meal or drinks. Since we upgraded to high-speed fibre broadband we’ve noticed a huge difference - now it doesn’t matter how many people want to go online at the same time because the new fibre broadband service is stronger and more reliable.”

Around 75 homes and businesses in Cuxham are now able to access high-speed fibre broadband as a result of the Better Broadband for Oxfordshire programme.

Councillor Nick Carter, Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for Local Government, Business & Customer Services said: “This is yet another step forward for high quality broadband in Oxfordshire. I’m sure residents and businesses in Cuxham will welcome these positive changes in the same way that others elsewhere in the county already have.

“The Better Broadband for Oxfordshire programme has significant further coverage planned in this location over the next twelve months including additional work in Brightwell Baldwin and Brightwell Upperton currently served from this new Cuxham cabinet. Meanwhile Britwell Salome and Christmas Common to the south east have also just been enabled, initiating a sequence of further coverage for Pyrton, Northend, Pishill, Russells Water and a number of rural villages in the area.”

Since the roll-out began more than two years ago, Better Broadband for Oxfordshire has made superfast fibre broadband available to 67,500 county premises.

Paul Bimson, BT’s regional partnership director, said: “More than 275,000 households and businesses across Oxfordshire are now able to access faster fibre broadband as a result of BT’s own investment and the Better Broadband for Oxfordshire roll-out. Increasingly, we’re seeing how fibre broadband is changing people’s lives for the better, which is why we’re working hard to reach more remote areas of the county, as quickly as possible.

“Whether people are working from home, using the internet for leisure or learning, or simply wanting to get online whilst relaxing at their local pub, like here in Cuxham, everything is easier, faster and better with fibre broadband.”

Residents and businesses choosing to upgrade will be able to get download speeds of up to 80 megabits per second (80Mbps) and upload speeds of up to 20Mbps*. Because the Openreach network is ‘open,’ local people can choose from a wide range of fibre broadband providers.

Residents and businesses can follow the progress of the roll-out via the project website: www.betterbroadbandoxfordshire.org.uk

-ends-

Notes to Editors

* These are the top wholesale speeds available from Openreach, BT’s local network business, to all service providers; speeds offered by service providers may vary.

About Better Broadband for Oxfordshire

Better Broadband for Oxfordshire is a partnership between Oxfordshire County Council, BT and BDUK. For further details to go: www.betterbroadbandoxfordshire.org.uk