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Oxford Clarion

Which Oxfordshire councils have an equal gender balance?

Which Oxfordshire councils have an equal gender balance?

Is local government dominated by men? Research suggests it is. A 2023 study found that just 36% of local councillors are women. Of the 382 county, district and unitary councils in Britain, only 18 have as many women as men. But the picture varies from area to area – and some

City centre mobile reception: EE says a fix is on the way

City centre mobile reception: EE says a fix is on the way

Mobile network EE says it is working to restore full coverage to Oxford city centre, following several weeks of degraded service. The Oxford Clarion has been contacted by several readers who noticed a sharp drop-off in EE reception in the city centre, saying that they are no longer able to

Oxfordshire’s road safety crisis

Oxfordshire’s road safety crisis

It is a mark of the road safety crisis in Oxfordshire that, while we were writing this piece, news came in of another cycling death on a county road. David Brain, 54, died on Saturday while cycling on Frieze Way, near Kidlington. It was one month, to the day, after

The rural picture: looking through South Oxfordshire’s budget

The rural picture: looking through South Oxfordshire’s budget

Like us, you may be a bit budget-blind by now. No fewer than four of Oxfordshire’s councils set their budgets this week: Oxfordshire County Council on Tuesday, Oxford City Council and Vale of White Horse on Wednesday, South Oxfordshire tonight. West Oxfordshire and Cherwell will follow next week. Can

Eynsham’s garden village can be net zero after all

Eynsham’s garden village can be net zero after all

West Oxfordshire District Council and local Liberal Democrat councillors are celebrating victory over the Government in the High Court this week. The dispute concerns Salt Cross, the new ‘garden village’ development near Eynsham, which WODC had specified needed to be built to net zero standards. WODC had planned a fossil

Budgets in the city

Budgets in the city

This is quite a week in Oxford! A two budget week. Let joy, and spreadsheets, be unconfined. One at Oxfordshire County Council and now, today, it is Oxford City Council’s turn. The County Council looks after roads, education, social care (and much more) while the City Council is housing,

Oxfordshire County Council’s budget: what the parties are proposing

Oxfordshire County Council’s budget: what the parties are proposing

…in which we read all 53 documents so you don’t have to. Tomorrow is budget-setting day at Oxfordshire County Council, and it promises to be a more fraught day than usual. When a council has a stable majority administration, agreeing the budget is a formality. The Cabinet draws up