West Oxfordshire District | |
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![]() Witney, the largest settlement and administrative centre of the district. | |
![]() West Oxfordshire shown within Oxfordshire | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Constituent country | England |
Region | South East England |
Non-metropolitan county | Oxfordshire |
Status | Non-metropolitan district |
Admin HQ | Witney |
Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
Government | |
• Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
• Body | West Oxfordshire District Council |
• Leadership | Leader & Cabinet |
• MPs | |
Area | |
• Total | 275.83 sq mi (714.40 km2) |
• Rank | 46th (of 296) |
Population (2022) | |
• Total | 116,928 |
• Rank | 207th (of 296) |
• Density | 420/sq mi (160/km2) |
Ethnicity (2021) | |
• Ethnic groups | |
Religion (2021) | |
• Religion | List
|
Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
ONS code | 38UF (ONS) E07000181 (GSS) |
OS grid reference | SP3591610698 |
West Oxfordshire is a local government district in northwest Oxfordshire, England, including towns such as Woodstock, Burford, Chipping Norton, Charlbury, Carterton and Witney, where the council is based.
The area is mainly rural downland and forest, with the main economic activities being farming and associated trades. West Oxfordshire lies within the River Thames catchment area, with the Thames itself and its tributaries including the River Evenlode and River Windrush running through the area. [2] Parts of the district suffered severe flooding during the 2007 floods in the UK. [3] Some areas of the district lie within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
West Oxfordshire district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of five former districts, which were all abolished at the same time: [4]
The new district was named West Oxfordshire, describing its location within the wider county. [5]
West Oxfordshire District Council | |
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Type | |
Type | |
Leadership | |
Giles Hughes | |
Structure | |
Seats | 49 councillors |
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Political groups |
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Elections | |
Last election | 2 May 2024 |
Next election | 7 May 2026 |
Meeting place | |
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Council Offices, Woodgreen, Witney, OX28 1NB | |
Website | |
www |
Oxfordshire has a two-tier structure of local government, with the five district councils (including West Oxfordshire District Council) providing district-level services, and Oxfordshire County Council providing county-level services. [8] There is also a third tier of local government in West Oxfordshire of civil parishes.
The council has been under no overall control since the 2022 election. The Liberal Democrats subsequently formed an administration with Labour and the Greens, with Liberal Democrat Andy Graham becoming the leader of the council. [9] The same coalition continued following both the 2023 and 2024 elections. [10]
The first election to the district council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: [11] [12]
Party in control | Years | |
---|---|---|
Independent | 1974–1976 | |
No overall control | 1976–1983 | |
Conservative | 1983–1984 | |
No overall control | 1984–1987 | |
Conservative | 1987–1990 | |
Independent | 1990–1992 | |
No overall control | 1992–2000 | |
Conservative | 2000–2022 | |
No overall control | 2022–present |
The leaders of the council since 2001 have been: [13]
Councillor | Party | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Barry Norton [14] | Conservative | 2001 | 8 May 2016 | |
James Mills [15] | Conservative | 18 May 2016 | 28 Oct 2020 | |
Michele Mead [16] | Conservative | 28 Oct 2020 | 18 May 2022 | |
Andy Graham [17] | Liberal Democrats | 18 May 2022 |
Following the 2024 election, the council's political make-up was: [18] [10]
Party | Councillors | |
---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | 21 | |
Conservative | 13 | |
Labour | 11 | |
Green | 4 | |
Total | 49 |
The next election is due in 2026. [19]
Since the last full review of boundaries in 2002, the council has comprised 49 councillors representing 27 wards. Elections are held in three out of every four years, with one third of the seats on the council being elected at each election. Oxfordshire County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no district council elections. [20]
The council is based at the former Witney Rural District Council offices on Woodgreen in Witney. The building was built as a large house in 1887 for one of the town's blanket manufacturers, and was originally known as Springfield, 39 Woodgreen. [21] [22] [23] The building was acquired by Witney Rural District Council around 1966 and is now known as Council Offices, Woodgreen.
The whole district is covered by civil parishes. The parishes of Burford, Carterton, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Witney, and Woodstock have been declared towns and their parish councils therefore take the style 'town council'. [24] Bampton is a post town, but has a parish council rather than a town council. [25]
Witney is a market town on the River Windrush in West Oxfordshire in the county of Oxfordshire, England. It is 12 miles (19 km) west of Oxford.
Cotswold is a local government district in Gloucestershire, England. It is named after the wider Cotswolds region and range of hills. The council is based in the district's largest town of Cirencester. The district also includes the towns of Chipping Campden, Fairford, Lechlade, Moreton-in-Marsh, Northleach, Stow-on-the-Wold and Tetbury, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.
Charlbury is a town and civil parish in the Evenlode valley, about 6 miles (10 km) north of Witney in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England. It is on the edge of Wychwood Forest and the Cotswolds. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 2,830.
Carterton is a town in West Oxfordshire district in the county of Oxfordshire, England and is 4 miles (6.4 km) south-west of Witney. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 15,769.
Chipping Norton is a market town and civil parish in the Cotswold Hills in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England, about 12 miles (19 km) south-west of Banbury and 18 miles (29 km) north-west of Oxford. The 2011 Census recorded the civil parish population as 5,719. It was estimated at 6,254 in 2019.
Stagecoach in Oxfordshire is the trading name of Thames Transit Ltd. It is a bus operator serving the county of Oxfordshire, England. Since 1997 has been a subsidiary of Stagecoach Group, and since February 2021 it has been part of Stagecoach West, managed from the latter's headquarters in Gloucester.
Banbury is a constituency in Oxfordshire created in 1553 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.
Witney is a county constituency in Oxfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 2024 by Charles Maynard of the Liberal Democrats. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election, and was created for the 1983 general election.
Brize Norton is a village and civil parish 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Carterton in West Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 938. The original part of RAF Brize Norton is in the parish.
Finstock is a village and civil parish about 2 miles (3 km) south of Charlbury in Oxfordshire, England. The parish is bounded to the northeast by the River Evenlode, to the southeast partly by the course of Akeman Street Roman road, and on other sides by field boundaries. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 797. For most of its history Finstock was a township of the ancient parish of Charlbury. Finstock became a separate civil parish in the late 19th century.
An election to Oxfordshire County Council took place on 2 May 2013 as part of the 2013 United Kingdom local elections. 63 councillors were elected from 61 electoral divisions, which returned either one or two county councillors each by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office. Following a boundary review, the electoral divisions were not the same as those used at the previous election in 2009. The election saw the Conservative Party lose overall control of the council as the party found itself one seat short of an overall majority.
The 2007 West Oxfordshire District Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of West Oxfordshire District Council in Oxfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2011 West Oxfordshire District Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of West Oxfordshire District Council in Oxfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2012 West Oxfordshire District Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of West Oxfordshire District Council in Oxfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2015 West Oxfordshire District Council election took place on 22 May 2015 to elect members of West Oxfordshire District Council in Oxfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
Chipping Norton Rural District was a rural district in Oxfordshire, England from 1894 to 1974. It surrounded but did not include the town of Chipping Norton.
Witney Rural District was a rural district in Oxfordshire, England from 1894 to 1974. It surrounded but did not include the town of Witney.
F17/1/P1/20: 2 postcards of Springfield, Witney, c. 1920, an Early family home, later used by Witney Rural District Council.