British administrative authority
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 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
County councils were first introduced in England and Wales with full powers from 1 April 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 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]
The first elections to the new county council were held in January 1889. At the first meeting, several aldermen were elected.
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
The 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]
Leadership
The leaders of the council since 2001 have been:[13]
Composition
Following the 2021 election and by-elections and changes of allegiance up to December 2023, the composition of the council was:
One of the independent councillors sits in a group with the Conservatives. The other three independents and the Henley Residents Group councillor do not sit in any groups.[14] The next election is due in 2025.
Elections
Since 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.[15]
Premises
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. A large extension was added in 1973 to serve as the council's main offices.[16]
Meat and dairy ban controversy
In 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.[24] 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.[25][26] 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.[27] 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.[28]
