WODC - Budget consultation 2022 to 2023

We are consulting on our budget plans for the 2022 to 2023 financial year and we want your views. Being open and transparent about how we spend taxpayers money is important to us so thank you for taking the time to read about our plans and giving your thoughts.
Over the past decade we have experienced a large drop in the funding we receive, meaning we now have less money then we used to to provide services and also the cost of services is increasing each year. This means we need to manage our finances very carefully to continue to provide the services you rely on and also spend money to make improvements to the District.
This page shows what we are proposing and there is a link at the bottom for you to feed back to us.
What we deliver and our budget proposalsWest Oxfordshire District Council receives only 7p in every £1 of your Council Tax to provide the services it is responsible for, including:

• waste collection and recycling
• street cleaning
• Parking and public toilets
• planning and building control
• promoting economic growth and regeneration
• leisure services
• environmental health and licensing services
• housing and council tax support
• election administration
• social housing and support for homeless people

Alongside funding these essential services to the high standards you expect, as part of our budget plans for next year some of our suggested proposals include:

• Improving some of our local play parks 
• Updating our plans for improving air quality in Chipping Norton and Witney
• Reviewing the local plan for West Oxfordshire with the aim of better tackling climate change and helping biodiversity

We also plan to continue funding to maintain services that are important to the district including:

• Free parking in district council owned car parks 
• Financial grants local communities and voluntary groups can apply for to help fund local projects
• Work to tackle the climate emergency in West Oxfordshire
• Our waste collection service that currently runs at a 99% success rate, one of the highest in the country
• Bringing in more affordable homes across the district
• Officers and projects to help support local communities and individuals 
• Supporting our local economy, especially in the recovery of the pandemic

How we propose to pay for our plansMaking our services more efficientWe are constantly working to do things more efficiently and effectively so that our services work better and cost less to provide. This includes improving digital services for the majority of people who now want them. We’ve successfully delivered efficiency savings year on year.
Increasing Council Tax by 10p a weekIn order to deliver against our priorities and invest in services, the Council needs to generate more revenue. We are therefore proposing a modest 10p a week increase in Council Tax for Band D properties (7p a week for Band A, rising to 20p a week for Band G properties). 
For residents on low incomes, there is a generous Local Council Tax Support Scheme available to provide financial support with Council Tax payments. 
Income from services we charge forSome services we provide such as building control and garden waste come at a cost, allowing those services to cover their own costs.
How you can take part The consultation is open until 12 January 2022 and we are asking residents to give views on our plans. You can do so by completing the survey linked below. All findings will be shared with councillors before they make decisions on the budget at a meeting of the Council in February 2022.
You can access the survey here:
Consultation feedback