Oxfordshire County Council is the county council (upper-tier local authority) for the non-metropolitan county of Oxfordshire in the South East of England. Established in 1889, it is an elected body responsible for most strategic local government services in the county.
Oxfordshire County Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Martin Reeves since March 2023[2] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 63 councillors |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 4 years |
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | 6 May 2021 |
Next election | 1 May 2025 |
| Motto | |
| Sapere aude (Dare to be wise)[3] | |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| County Hall, New Road, Oxford, OX1 1ND | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Oxfordshire County Council provides a wide range of services, including education (schools, libraries and youth services), social services, public health, highway maintenance, waste disposal, emergency planning, consumer protection and town and country planning for matters to do with minerals, waste, highways and education.[4] This makes it one of the largest employers in Oxfordshire, with a gross expenditure budget of £856.2 million in 2021–22.[5][6]
History
editCounty councils were first introduced in England and Wales in 1889 as a result of the Local Government Act 1888, taking over administrative functions until then carried out by the unelected quarter sessions.[7] The areas they covered were termed administrative counties and were not in all cases identical to the traditional shire counties. The first elections were held in January 1889. At the first meeting, several aldermen were elected. The council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1889.
The city of Oxford was initially included in the administrative county, but seven months later, on 9 November 1889, the city become a county borough, making it independent from the county council and removing it from the administrative county.[8]
Schools (both primary and secondary) were added to the County Council's responsibilities in 1902, and until the 1990s it was also responsible for operating Colleges of Further Education.
Oxfordshire County Council has seen a changing pattern of lower-tier authorities existing alongside it within its area, responsible for more local services, such as housing and waste collection. Until 1974, the county had a large number of urban district and rural district councils. In 1974, local government was reorganised in England and Wales generally under the Local Government Act 1972, and Oxfordshire was enlarged to take in areas previously in Berkshire, as well as regaining authority over Oxford. Within its new area, dozens of former urban and rural districts were amalgamated into five non-metropolitan districts: Oxford, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire.
Political control
editThe council has been under no overall control since the 2021 election.[9] Following that election a coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Greens formed to run the council, led by Liberal Democrat councillor Liz Leffman. Labour withdrew from the coalition in September 2023, since when a Liberal Democrat–Green Party alliance has been running the council as a minority administration.[10]
Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:[11][12]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 1974–1985 | |
| No overall control | 1985–2005 | |
| Conservative | 2005–2013 | |
| No overall control | 2013–present | |
Leadership
editThe leaders of the council since 2001 have been:[13]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Mitchell | Conservative | 2001 | 15 May 2012 | |
| Ian Hudspeth | Conservative | 15 May 2012 | 9 May 2021 | |
| Liz Leffman | Liberal Democrats | 18 May 2021 | ||
Composition
editFollowing the 2021 election and by-elections and changes of allegiance up to July 2024, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 20 | |
| Conservative | 19 | |
| Labour | 14 | |
| Independent | 6 | |
| Green | 3 | |
| Henley Residents | 1 | |
| Total: | 63 | |
One of the independent councillors sits in a group with the Conservatives. Two of the independents and the Henley Residents Group councillor sit together as the 'Independent Voice of Oxfordshire' group. The other three independents are not aligned to a group.[14][15] The next election is due in 2025.
Elections
editSince 1889, members have been elected for a term of office, with elections held all together (initially every three years, later every four years) by the "first past the post" system. Until the 1970s, the elected members chose aldermen, whose term of office was for six years, and who once appointed were also voting members of the council. This form of membership was ended by the Local Government Act 1972, so that after 1974 only honorary (that is, non-voting) aldermen could be appointed.[16]
Since the last boundary changes in 2013, the council has comprised 63 councillors representing 61 electoral divisions. Most divisions elect one councillor, but two (Thame & Chinnor and Grove & Wantage) elect two councillors. Elections are held every four years.[17]
Premises
edit
The council is based at County Hall on New Road in Oxford. The old part of the building was a courthouse built in 1841, which had served as the meeting place of the quarter sessions which preceded the county council. In 1912 a new building called County Offices was built at the corner of New Road and Tidmarsh Lane to provide the council's offices; meetings continued to be held at County Hall.[18][19]
The County Offices were replaced in 1973 when a large extension was added to the 1841 County Hall, bringing the council's main offices and meeting place onto the same site.[20]
Notable members
edit
- Sir Jervoise Athelstane Baines, member 1917–22, later Indian Civil Service administrator
- Jonathan Baume, member 1974–77, trade unionist
- Catherine Bearder MEP, member
- Angela Billingham, member 1993–94, later Baroness Billingham[21]
- William Bradshaw, Baron Bradshaw, member 1993–2008[22]
- Peter Butler, member 1985–89, later Member of Parliament for North East Milton Keynes[23]
- Sherman Stonor, 6th Baron Camoys, member[24]
- Julia Drown, member 1989–96, later Member of Parliament for South Swindon[25]
- Michael Patrick Fogarty, member 1981–89, academic
- Olive Gibbs, chairman 1974–1975 and 1981–1982
- Simon Hoare, member, later Member of Parliament for North Dorset
- John Howell, member 2004–09, later Member of Parliament for Henley[26]
- Caroline Lucas, member 1993–97, later Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion
- George Parker, 7th Earl of Macclesfield, chairman 1937–70[27]
- James Plaskitt, member 1985–97, later Member of Parliament for Warwick and Leamington
- Geoffrey Somerset, 6th Baron Raglan, member 1988–1993
- John Redwood, member 1973–77, later Member of Parliament for Wokingham
- Larry Sanders, member 2005–13, Green Party Spokesperson for Health and brother of US Senator Bernie Sanders
Meat and dairy ban controversy
editIn 2021, the Liberal Democrat/Green/Labour administration moved a motion at Full Council to serve only plant-based (vegan) meals at all council-catered events and meetings, and vegan school meals in primary schools two days a week as part of its climate change action policy.[28] The move was unsuccessfully fought by the Conservative opposition. This policy was controversial and drew protests from livestock farmers and TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson, who owns a farm in the county.[29][30] As a result of the controversy, when the motion came to the council's Cabinet for ratification in March 2022, the proposals were scaled back to cover just seven council meetings and school meals only one day a week.[31] In November 2022, the Conservatives unsuccessfully sought to cancel vegan meals at council-catered events, which cost £6,000 annually and are purchased from a Kidlington business which sources food from Woodstock.[32]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Manuschka, Jacob (21 May 2024). "Abingdon councillor named Oxfordshire County Council chair". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Martin Reeves". Centre for Cities. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
- ^ "Camelot International, Britain's heritage and history". Retrieved 9 November 2011.
- ^ "Council services". Oxfordshire County Council. Archived from the original on 27 November 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
- ^ Your Council Tax Explained page 6, published by Oxfordshire County County March 2021
- ^ https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/file/council-tax-and-finance-spending/CouncilTaxleaflet2021-22.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ Edwards, John, ed. (1955). "County". Chambers' Encyclopedia. London: George Newnes. pp. 189–191.
- ^ Annual Report of the Local Government Board. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1890. p. 324. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Councillor details - Councillor Ian Hudspeth". mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ Seaward, Tom (24 September 2023). "Labour quits coalition running Oxfordshire County Council". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- ^ "Oxfordshire County Council Election Results 1973-2009" (PDF). Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ "Council minutes". Oxfordshire County Council. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
- ^ "Oxfordshire". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Your councillors by party". Oxfordshire County Council. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ Padfield, Colin Frank (1975). British constitution made simple. London: W. H. Allen & Co. p. 291.
- ^ "The Oxfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2012", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2012/1812, retrieved 15 July 2024
- ^ "Oxfordshire County Council: County Offices". Oxford Journal. 11 January 1911. p. 2. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ Graham, Malcolm (2016). Oxford Heritage Walks Book 4 (PDF). Oxford: Oxford Preservation Trust. p. 29. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ Historic England. "County hall with the curving screen walls and turretts on either side (1047201)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
- ^ 'BILLINGHAM, Baroness', in Who's Who (London: A. & C. Black); online edition (subscription required) by Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 1 December 2011
- ^ 'BRADSHAW, Baron cr 1999 (Life Peer), of Wallingford in the county of Oxfordshire', in Who's Who (London: A. & C. Black); online edition (subscription required) by Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 30 November 2011
- ^ 'BUTLER, Peter', in Who's Who (London: A. & C. Black); online edition (subscription required) by Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 30 November 2011
- ^ 'CAMOYS, 6th Baron' in Who's Who (London: A. & C. Black); online edition (subscription required) by Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 1 December 2011
- ^ 'DROWN, Julia Kate' in Who's Who (London: A. & C. Black); online edition (subscription required) by Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 1 December 2011
- ^ 'HOWELL, John Michael' in Who's Who (London: A. & C. Black); online edition (subscription required) by Oxford University Press, accessed 1 December 2011
- ^ 'MACCLESFIELD, 7th Earl of', in Who Was Who (London: A. & C. Black); online edition (subscription required) by Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 30 November 2011
- ^ "Agenda item - Motion by Councillor Ian Middleton". 14 December 2021.
- ^ "Jeremy Clarkson fails to stop Oxfordshire council vegan switch". BBC News. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ "APPROVED: County council will now serve vegan food at meetings and school lunches". Oxford Mail. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ https://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/documents/s59862/CA_MAR1522R06%20Plant%20Based%20Food%20Cabinet%20Paper%20final%20002.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ Harland, Gee (3 November 2022). "'Plans to scrap vegan lunches at Oxfordshire Council fail'". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 4 November 2022.