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.
West Oxfordshire District | |
|---|---|
 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 |
Area
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.
History
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]
- Chipping Norton Municipal Borough
- Chipping Norton Rural District
- Witney Rural District
- Witney Urban District
- Woodstock Municipal Borough
The new district was named West Oxfordshire, describing its location within the wider county.[5]
Governance
West Oxfordshire District Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Giles Hughes | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 49 |
 | |
Political groups | Administration (36)[8]
Opposition (13)
|
| Elections | |
Last election | 2 May 2024 |
Next election | 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| 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.[9] There is also a third tier of local government in West Oxfordshire of civil parishes.
Political control
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.[10] The same coalition is continuing following the 2023 election.
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 | |
Leadership
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 | ||
Composition
Following the 2024 election, the council's political make-up was:[18][8]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 21 | |
| Conservative | 13 | |
| Labour | 11 | |
| Green | 4 | |
| Total | 49 | |
Premises
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.[19][20][21] The building was acquired by Witney Rural District Council around 1966 and is now known as Council Offices, Woodgreen.
Elections
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. In the fourth year of the cycle when no district council elections are held, elections to Oxfordshire County Council.[22]