Oxford City Council

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.

Oxford City Council
Half of council elected every other year
Type
Type
HousesUnicameral
Term limits
None
History
Founded1 April 1974
Leadership
Leader
Susan Brown, Labour
since 29 January 2018[1]
Lord Mayor
Colin Cook
since 15 May 2018[2]
Structure
Seats48
35 / 48
9 / 48
2 / 48
2 / 48
Elections
First past the post
Last election
2018 (half of councillors)
Next election
2021
Motto
Fortis Est Veritas
Meeting place
Oxford Town Hall, St Aldate's, Oxford
Website
http://www.oxford.gov.uk

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 2020, as opposed to half of them. The system of halves will return from 2022 onwards.

Statistics
Political group leaders and senior politicians for the Oxford City Council (outgoing council at the election in 2010). From left to right: Jonathan Gittos candidate for the Conservatives, Councillor Stephen Brown leader of the political group of Liberal Democrats, Councillor John Tanner senior member of the Labour group, Councillor Craig Simmons leader of the Green group.
Partisan composition
Year Labour Liberal Democrat Green IWCA Independent Conservative Source Controlling party
2018 36 9 2 0 1 0 [13] Labour
2016 35 8 4 0 1 0 [14] Labour
2014 33 8 6 0 1 0 [15] Labour
2012 29 13 5 0 1 0 [16] Labour
2010 26 16 5 1 0 0 [17][18] Labour
2008 23 16 7 2 0 0 [3] No overall control
2006 17 19 8 4 0 0 [19] No overall control
2004 20 18 7 3 0 0 [20] No overall control
2002 29 15 3 1 0 0 [21] Labour
2000 21 21 7 1 0 1 [21] No overall control
Partisan control
Majority control of Oxford City Council
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 Martyn Rush Labour 2021 2018
Barton and Sandhills Mike Rowley Labour 2021 2010 (by election)
Blackbird Leys Rae Humberstone Labour 2021 2005
Blackbird Leys Linda Smith Labour 2021 Nov 2014
Carfax Richard Howlett Labour 2021 2018
Carfax Alex Hollingsworth Labour 2021 2014 (by election)
Churchill Susan Brown Labour 2021 2014
Churchill Mark Lygo Labour 2021 2008
Cowley David Henwood Labour 2021 2014 (by election)
Cowley Christine Simm Labour 2021 2014
Cowley Marsh Lubna Arshad Labour 2021 2018
Cowley Marsh Sajjad Malik Labour 2021 2004 (as a Lib Dem)
Headington Mohammed Altaf-Khan Liberal Democrats 2021 2006 (in HH&N)
Headington Stef Garden Liberal Democrats 2021 2018 (by election)
Headington Hill and Northway Joe McManners Labour 2021 2018
Headington Hill and Northway Nigel Chapman Labour 2021 2016
Hinksey Park Alex Donnelly Labour 2021 2018
Hinksey Park Marie Tidball Labour 2021 2016
Holywell Nadine Bely-Summers Labour 2021 2018
Holywell Dan Iley-Williamson Labour 2021 2016
Iffley Fields Richard Tarver Labour 2021 2014
Iffley Fields Stephen John Curran Labour 2021 2016
Jericho and Osney Susanna Pressel Labour 2021 1996
Jericho and Osney Colin Cook Labour 2021 2005 (by election)
Littlemore Tiago Corais Labour 2021 2018
Littlemore John Tanner Labour 2021 2002
Lye Valley Ben Lloyd-Shogbesan Independent 2021 2010
Lye Valley Pat Kennedy Labour 2021 2012
Marston Mary Clarkson Labour 2021 c. 1998
Marston Mick Haines Independent 2021 2012
North Louise Upton Labour 2021 2013 (by election)
North James Fry Labour 2021 2012
Northfield Brook Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini Labour 2021 2018
Northfield Brook Sian Taylor Labour 2021 Nov 2014
Quarry and Risinghurst Roz Smith Liberal Democrats 2021 2018
Quarry and Risinghurst Chewe Munkonge Labour 2021 2014 (by election)
Rose Hill and Iffley Shaista Aziz Labour 2021 2018
Rose Hill and Iffley Edward Turner Labour 2021 2002
St Clement's Tom Hayes Labour 2021 2014
St Clement's Jamila Begum Azad Labour 2021 2016
St Margaret's Paul Harris Liberal Democrats 2021 2018
St Margaret's Tom Landell Mills Liberal Democrats 2021 2016
St Mary's Dick Wolff Green 2021 2010
St Mary's Craig Simmons Green 2021 2012
Summertown Michael Gotch Liberal Democrats 2021 2018
Summertown Andrew Gant Liberal Democrats 2021 2014
Wolvercote Steve Goddard Liberal Democrats 2021 1996
Wolvercote Liz Wade Liberal Democrats 2021 2018

Climate change

Oxford City Council became the first UK authority to divest from fossil fuel companies in September 2014.[22]

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.[23]

See also

References
  1. "Oxford City Council elects Councillor Susan Brown as new Leader". Oxford City Council. 30 January 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  2. Williams, Tom (15 May 2018). "Oxford welcomes new Lord Mayor Colin Cook with traditional ceremony". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  3. Election 2008: Oxford council, BBC, 2008
  4. Oxford City Council: the case for unitary status, draft version, 18 January 2007.
  5. 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.
  6. Communities and Local Government: rejection letter to Oxford City Council’s unitary authority bid.
  7. Communities and Local Government press release: Woolas announces sixteen successful bids for unitary status to improve local services, 27 March 2007.
  8. Oxford City Council press release: Government backs off Oxfordshire reorganisation, 27 March 2007.
  9. Oxford City Council website: Business Transformation Strategy, October 2008.
  10. Bookies: Oxford East a two-horse race, Steve Goddard website Archived 3 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine, January 2009
  11. One Oxfordshire, February 2017.
  12. Oxford City Council website: Hands off Oxford City, February 2017.
  13. "Election results - 3 May 2018". Oxford City Council. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  14. , Oxford City Council, 2016
  15. Election results, Oxford City Council, 2014
  16. Election results, Oxford City Council, 2012.
  17. Election results, Oxford City Council, 2010.
  18. "Labour win Lib Dem seat at by-election". The Oxford Times. 22 October 2010.
  19. Article, BBC, 2006.
  20. Article, BBC, 2004.
  21. Article, BBC, 2002.
  22. Climate change: how to make the big polluters really pay Naomi Klein The Guardian 17 October 2014
  23. https://www.oxford.gov.uk/news/article/1049/41m_project_to_support_oxford_on_journey_to_zero_carbon
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