Botley West Solar FarmEynsham HeritageEynsham Image ArchiveEynsham Venue Hire

OCC Updates News

County Councillor report December '24 18 Dec 2024 A40-Eynsham-Wolvercote, budget 2025-6, local government reorganisation and good news on footpaths at Oxford Road playing field

Cllr Dan Levy in Eynsham Square, December 2024A brief update on matters OCC related - with thanks to Cllr Dan Levy for putting us in the picture with this final report of 2024.

Consultations

There are consultations open on the A40 Eynsham to Wolvercote scheme (the survey closes on 1 January) and on the 2025/26 budget (responses by 2 January, please).

Budget

The budget numbers are based on a set of assumptions preceding the government settlement, which we expect this week. That will give (almost) the final bits of data which are required to finalise the budget, which has to be passed by the County Council on 11 February.

OCC budget consultation 2025-26

The draft budget includes, among many other things, the restoration of annual gulley cleaning, which was replaced by four-yearly cleans for most roads in February 2021.

Local Government reorganisation

The White Paper on Local Government reorganisation and devolution was published on Monday under the sub head “Power and partnership: Foundations for growth”.

As expected, it contains an obligation for there to be combined “strategic” authorities for certain functions, like economic strategy and public transport, with a strong preference for a mayor at the head. There will be a mandatory replacement of our current two-layer system of county and district councils with new unitary arrangements. Among other things, planning responsibilities will change, and the “strategic authority” will have the ability to pull in planning applications.

There is some discussion of the role of “communities” but not much emphasis on parish or town councils.

And there are mixed messages about whether there will be elections in May or not.

Watch this space!

Playing fields

I met with the property team at Corpus Christi College last week and took the opportunity to ask about the review of public footpaths on the playing field they own off Oxford Road (north), which is leased to the Parish Council. I was assured that the intention was just to “tidy up” some paperwork so that they had a full understanding of the position of all their property portfolio.

And finally, may I wish all the residents of Eynsham a Merry Christmas and a successful 2025.

Gallery

Click to enlarge