Oxford City Council
Oxford City Council | |
---|---|
Half of council elected every other year | |
Type | |
Type | Non-metropolitan district council of Oxford |
Houses | Unicameral |
Term limits | None |
History | |
Founded | 1 April 1974 |
Leadership | |
Leader | |
Lord Mayor | Mark Lygo since 30 Nov 2020[2] |
Structure | |
Seats | 48 |
34 / 48 | |
9 / 48 | |
3 / 48 | |
Independent | 2 / 48 |
Elections | |
First past the post | |
Last election | 2021 |
Next election | (half of councillors) |
Motto | |
Fortis Est Veritas | |
Meeting place | |
Oxford Town Hall, St Aldate's, Oxford | |
Website | |
http://www.oxford.gov.uk |
Oxford City Council is the lower-tier local government authority for the city of Oxford in England, providing such services as leisure centres and parking. Social Services, Education and Highways services (amongst others) are provided by Oxfordshire County Council.
Overview[]
Between the 2004 local elections, and 2010 the council was in minority administration, first by councillors from the Labour Party, with the Liberal Democrats being the official opposition. In 2006 these roles were reversed, although two years later the council returned to being run by a minority Labour administration.[3] before they took full control in 2010. Despite the stereotypical view of Oxford as a conservative city, there are no elected Conservatives on the city council. The Independent Working Class Association was represented for a decade between 2002 and 2012.
Since 2002, elections have been held for Oxford City Council in even years, with each councillor serving a term of four years. Each electoral ward within Oxford is represented by two councillors, thus all wards elect one councillor at each election. Prior to 2002, the City Council was elected by thirds.
In early 2003, the Oxford City Council submitted a bid to become a unitary authority.[4] This was received by the Department for Communities and Local Government[5] but subsequently rejected.[6][7][8]
Since 2008, Oxford City Council has been undergoing a programme of Business Transformation which has now been delivered in to the City Council.[9]
Oxford City Council contains all of the Oxford East parliamentary constituency, which was won by Labour in the 2010 General Election with an increased majority but was until then a highly marginal seat with the Liberal Democrats.[10] Labour massively increased its majority following the collapse of the Liberal Democrat vote at the 2015 general election. The Council also covers part of the Oxford West and Abingdon parliamentary constituency, which was won from the Conservatives by the Liberal Democrats at the 2017 General Election.
In 2016, Oxfordshire County Council put forward a 'One Oxfordshire' proposal which would see Oxford City Council and the four other district councils in Oxfordshire abolished and replaced with a single unitary county council for Oxfordshire.[11] In 2017, Oxford City Council voiced their opposition to the proposal[12] and it was subsequently dropped.
In 2018, the electoral ward boundaries were changed due to population shifts in the city. Therefore all 48 councillors will be elected in 2021 (delayed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), as opposed to half of them. The system of halves will return from 2022 onwards.
Statistics[]
- Partisan composition
Year | Labour | Liberal Democrat | Green | IWCA | Independent | Conservative | Source | Controlling party | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | 34 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | [13] | Labour | |||||||
2018 | 36 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | [14] | Labour | |||||||
2016 | 35 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | [15] | Labour | |||||||
2014 | 33 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | [16] | Labour | |||||||
2012 | 29 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | [17] | Labour | |||||||
2010 | 26 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | [18][19] | Labour | |||||||
2008 | 23 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | [3] | No overall control | |||||||
2006 | 17 | 19 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | [20] | No overall control | |||||||
2004 | 20 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | [21] | No overall control | |||||||
2002 | 29 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | [22] | Labour | |||||||
2000 | 21 | 21 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | [22] | No overall control |
- Partisan control
Years | Party | |
---|---|---|
2010–present | Labour | |
2004–2010 | No overall control | |
2002–2004 | Labour | |
2000–2002 | No overall control | |
1980–2000 | Labour | |
1976–1980 | Conservative | |
1973–1976 | Labour |
Councillors[]
Ward | Name | Party | Next Election | First Elected | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barton and Sandhills | Tangara Nala-Hartley | Labour | 2024 | 2021 | |
Barton and Sandhills | Mike Rowley | Labour | 2022 | 2010 (by election) | |
Blackbird Leys | Rae Humberstone | Labour | 2022 | 2005 | |
Blackbird Leys | Diko Blackings | Labour | 2024 | Nov 2014 | |
Carfax and Jericho | Lizzie Diggins | Labour | 2024 | 2021 | |
Carfax and Jericho | Alex Hollingsworth | Labour | 2022 | 2014 (by election) | |
Churchill | Susan Brown | Labour | 2022 | 2014 | |
Churchill | Mark Lygo | Labour | 2024 | 2008 | |
Cowley | Paula Dunne | Labour | 2024 | 2021 | |
Cowley | Mohammed Latif | Labour | 2022 | 2021 | |
Cuttleslowe and Sunnymead | Andrew Gant | Liberal Democrats | 2024 | 2021 | |
Cuttleslowe and Sunnymead | Laurence Fouweather | Liberal Democrats | 2022 | 2021 | |
Donnington | Evin Abrishami | Labour | 2022 | 2021 | |
Donnington | Lucy Pegg | Green | 2024 | 2021 | |
Headington | Mohammed Altaf-Khan | Liberal Democrats | 2024 | 2006 (in HH&N) | |
Headington | Christopher Smowton | Liberal Democrats | 2022 | 2021 | |
Headington Hill and Northway | Barbara Coyne | Labour | 2022 | 2021 | |
Headington Hill and Northway | Nigel Chapman | Labour | 2024 | 2016 | |
Hinksey Park | Naomi Waite | Labour | 2022 | 2021 | |
Hinksey Park | Marie Tidball | Labour | 2024 | 2016 | |
Holywell | Imogen Thomas | Labour | 2024 | 2021 | |
Holywell | Edward Mundy | Labour | 2022 | 2021 | |
Littlemore | Nadine Bely-Summers | Labour | 2024 | 2018 | |
Littlemore | Tiago Jorge de Assis Caldeira Cruz Corais | Labour | 2022 | 2021 | |
Lye Valley | Linda Smith | Labour | 2024 | 2021 | |
Lye Valley | Ajaz Rehman | Labour | 2022 | 2021 | |
Marston | Mary Clarkson | Labour | 2024 | c. 1998 | |
Marston | Mick Haines | Independent | 2022 | 2012 | |
Northfield Brook | Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini | Labour | 2022 | 2018 | |
Northfield Brook | Duncan Hall | Labour | 2024 | 2021 | |
Osney and St Thomas | Susanna Pressel | Labour | 2024 | 1996 | |
Osney and St Thomas | Colin Cook | Labour | 2022 | 2005 (by election) | |
Quarry and Risinghurst | Roz Smith | Liberal Democrats | 2024 | 2018 | |
Quarry and Risinghurst | Chewe Munkonge | Labour | 2022 | 2014 (by election) | |
Rose Hill and Iffley | Shaista Aziz | Labour | 2024 | 2018 | |
Rose Hill and Iffley | Edward Turner | Labour | 2022 | 2002 | |
St Clement's | Tom Hayes | Labour | 2024 | 2014 | |
St Clement's | Jemima Hunt | Labour | 2022 | 2021 | |
St Mary's | Dick Wolff | Green | 2022 | 2010 | |
St Mary's | Chris Jarvis | Green | 2024 | 2021 | |
Summertown | Tom Landell Mills | Liberal Democrats | 2024 | 2016 | |
Summertown | Katherine Miles | Liberal Democrats | 2022 | 2021 | |
Temple Cowley | Lubna Arshad | Labour | 2024 | 2018 | |
Temple Cowley | Sajjad Malik | Independent[23] | 2022 | 2004 (as a Lib Dem, later Labour) | |
Walton Manor | Louise Upton | Labour | 2022 | 2013 (by election) | |
Walton Manor | James Fry | Labour | 2024 | 2012 | |
Wolvercote | Steve Goddard | Liberal Democrats | 2024 | 1996 | |
Wolvercote | Liz Wade | Liberal Democrats | 2022 | 2018 |
Climate change[]
Oxford City Council became the first UK authority to divest from fossil fuel companies in September 2014.[24]
In 2011, Oxford City Council had reduced their carbon footprint by 25% (against a baseline of 2005/6) and continues to reduce carbon emissions from its own estate by 5% year on year.
In 2014, Oxford City Council was named 'Most Sustainable Local Authority' in the Public Sector Sustainability Awards.
Oxford City Council leads the Low Carbon Oxford network – a collaboration of over 40 organisations working together to reduce emissions in the city by 40% by 2020.
Oxford City Council also leads on delivering the annual Low Carbon Oxford Week festival, which uses culture, creativity and community to inspire local people to take action on climate change. In 2015, the festival saw over 60 local organisations partner to deliver over 100 events across the city and attract over 40,000 visitors.
Energy Superhub Oxford[]
Energy Superhub Oxford is a power optimisation project. It will include a lithium-ion battery of 48/50MWh, a flow battery of 2/5MWh, 20 ultra-rapid electric vehicle chargers for public use and ground-source heat pumps for residential properties.[25]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Oxford City Council elects Councillor Susan Brown as new Leader". Oxford City Council. 30 January 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
- ^ "Oxford's first ever virtual mayor making will take place on Monday". Oxford Mail. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Election 2008: Oxford council, BBC, 2008
- ^ Oxford City Council: the case for unitary status, draft version, 18 January 2007.
- ^ Communities and Local Government press release: Kelly welcomes proposals to improve local services: 26 local authorities bid to move to single tier local Government, 26 January 2007.
- ^ Communities and Local Government: rejection letter to Oxford City Council’s unitary authority bid.
- ^ Communities and Local Government press release: Woolas announces sixteen successful bids for unitary status to improve local services, 27 March 2007.
- ^ Oxford City Council press release: Government backs off Oxfordshire reorganisation, 27 March 2007.
- ^ Oxford City Council website: Business Transformation Strategy, October 2008.
- ^ Bookies: Oxford East a two-horse race[permanent dead link], Steve Goddard website Archived 3 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine, January 2009
- ^ One Oxfordshire, February 2017.
- ^ Oxford City Council website: Hands off Oxford City, February 2017.
- ^ "Election results - 6 May 2021". Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ "Election results - 3 May 2018". Oxford City Council. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ [1], Oxford City Council, 2016
- ^ Election results, Oxford City Council, 2014
- ^ Election results, Oxford City Council, 2012.
- ^ Election results, Oxford City Council, 2010.
- ^ "Labour win Lib Dem seat at by-election". The Oxford Times. 22 October 2010.
- ^ Article, BBC, 2006.
- ^ Article, BBC, 2004.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Article, BBC, 2002.
- ^ https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/17483434.deputy-lord-mayor-sajjad-malik-suspended-happens-now/
- ^ Climate change: how to make the big polluters really pay Naomi Klein The Guardian 17 October 2014
- ^ https://www.oxford.gov.uk/news/article/1049/41m_project_to_support_oxford_on_journey_to_zero_carbon
External links[]
- Local government in Oxford
- Organisations based in Oxford
- Non-metropolitan district councils of England
- Billing authorities in England