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WODC May 2024 Update 23 May 2024 Thoughts on the recent and coming elections, plus the latest on Salt Cross Garden Village and the local plan review

Elections

The District Council election in May saw Andy Goodwin returned for his second term as councillor for Eynsham and Cassington. Andy is grateful to everyone who voted, whoever they voted for.

West Oxfordshire now has Lib Dems with 21 seats, Conservatives with 13, Labour on 11 and Greens 4. We are pleased that the Lib Dem, Green, Labour alliance was renewed for a period up to the next set of WODC elections in 24 months.

Andy’s success as a Liberal Democrat candidate was replicated in most of the seats in West Oxfordshire, and in the other wards in the new Bicester and Woodstock parliamentary constituency. There is now a new Lib Dem administration at Cherwell DC, and no Labour-held seats at all in the new constituency in district or county councils.

The elections team at WODC did a brilliant job of running the election. Tasks included making sure the poll could go ahead after a car demolished part of a polling station. Unfortunately, they haven’t been given the chance to take a rest.

The next election will of course be on 4 July, for the new MP for Bicester and Woodstock. Our new constituency promises to be interesting. It comprises a string of villages and towns in an arc around the north of Oxford, including Woodstock and Kidlington, sharing many of the issues and features that Eynsham has.

Salt Cross

The Planning Inspectorate has appointed an inspector to review the elements of the inspection of the Salt Cross Area Action Plan that were found to have been inspected unlawfully. She will review only that area, policy 2, which addressed carbon neutrality.

All the documents can be found at Salt Cross Garden Village - West Oxfordshire District Council. The time scale for consultation and inspection should be announced soon.

Local Plan review

The new Local Plan, to replace the existing one, continues to be developed, and will, among other things, address those areas that the current one omitted, including the location of solar farms and agriculture, and where new housing should be.


You can contact any of us with any questions, comments or issues:

andy.goodwin@westoxon.gov.uk

dan.levy@westoxon.gov.uk

carl.rylett@westoxon.gov.uk

Gallery

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