OCC Report – February 2025
Oxfordshire County Council report to parish Council, February 2025, from Councillor David Bartholomew.
Published: 5 February 2025
OCC BUDGET 2025/26
The minority Liberal Democrat/Green administration at OCC has now published its Budget proposals for 2025/26. Details can be seen here. Despite receiving more Government funding than expected, the administration intends to keep the proposed Council Tax rise at 5%. The Conservative Opposition will be putting forward proposals that limit the rise to 4.5% but by sweeping away vanity projects would enable the council to spend over £6m more on roads and flood measures. Full Council will vote on the proposals at the Budget meeting on 11th February.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION AND DEVOLUTION
OCC’s response to the Government’s white paper on devolution was agreed at a meeting of the Cabinet last month. OCC has sent a letter to central government requesting that Oxfordshire is fast-tracked for local government reorganisation. The Conservative Opposition broadly supports the concept of Unitary government for Oxfordshire but has concerns about a Mayoral Strategic Authority. The decision on whether to postpone local elections in May is due to be announced by the Government on 3rd February. Current OCC Leader Liberal Democrat Liz Leffman has stated: “I have been holding constructive conversations with leaders in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire for several weeks. My preference is for us to be able to form a strategic mayoral authority with those councils, but we have not yet reached an agreement.”
MPS WHO HAVE RETAINED COUNCIL POSITIONS SINCE BEING ELECTED
Liberal Democrat County Councillors Calum Miller and Freddie van Mierlo have come under media scrutiny for failing to resign their positions since being elected as MPs. ITV News reported that Calum Miller attended 57% of county council meetings and Freddie van Mierlo just 25%. Freddie van Mierlo is also a District Councillor where he has attended 17% of meetings.
NETWORK RAIL TO DELAY REOPENING BOTLEY ROAD UNTIL AUGUST 2026
Network Rail has revealed that the redevelopment of Oxford Station, which has seen Botley Road closed to through traffic for 22 months, is further delayed. The new programme will see Botley Road reopen in August 2026, two years after it was due to be completed. OCC will now assess the impact of this on the timing of its own schemes, including the sectorisation plan.
JUST TWO 20MPH FINES EVERY WEEK ACROSS THREE COUNTIES
Thames Valley Police covers over 2,200 square miles and three counties: Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. The BBC reports that on average just two fines for exceeding 20mph are issued each week across this entire area, so perhaps less than one a week in Oxfordshire. This data adds weight to the views of opponents of the scheme who say it is a waste of money, and infuriates supporters who say the scheme is clearly not being enforced.
OCC COMMITS TO LONG-TERM MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING
OCC has committed to continuing to fund its share for mental health services in the region for the next decade. At a meeting of the Cabinet on Tuesday 21 January, councillors agreed to contribute £6.2 million each year, for the next ten years, into a pooled budget with health care partners, under plans to bring together existing mental health service contracts.