West Oxfordshire District Council has updated its four year plan which sets out how the Council will deliver for residents and what it will be focussing on to improve West Oxfordshire.

Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of the Council, said; “We are clear that this council is your council as the residents of West Oxfordshire.

“We have set some ambitious goals for the Council to tackle the challenges we face, improve our district and support our communities and businesses through our new Council Plan.

“As part of our commitment to putting residents first we asked people last year what mattered most to them. We received very useful feedback and this plan is shaped around the responses we got so that residents are guiding our work.

“This plan will guide us over the coming years to make sure we are focussed on the key issues for the area whether that be supporting individuals and communities, building our local economy, tackling the climate and ecological emergency or improving the services you rely on. 

“We are already working on these goals and as part of our push to be open and transparent we will regularly report back on our progress to residents. 

“We live in a fantastic area with so many opportunities and as your local council we believe we can continue to work with residents and other partners to make it even better. This plan sets the foundations for us to build on as a community in West Oxfordshire”

The Council approved the new Council Plan at their meeting on 18 January and it has been published on the Council’s website for residents to view. 

The plan focuses on five priorities of equal importance which will guide the Council’s work over the coming years:

1. Putting Residents First 
2. Enabling a Good Quality of Life for All 
3. Creating a Better Environment for People and Wildlife 
4. Responding to the Climate and Ecological Emergency 
5. Working Together for West Oxfordshire

Under each priority is a set of actions which are based on the feedback from residents gathered in a consultation during Summer 2022. The quotes from the feedback are included throughout the document, showing where residents have influenced the Council’s plans for the future. 

The Council will be setting an action plan to deliver on the ambitious goals and will report back on progress at regular intervals to the public.

The waste team at West Oxfordshire District Council recently ran a campaign to support residents to recycle more of the their food waste over the festive period. North Leigh Library will continue to give these out while stocks last. Please do help yourselves!

Sustainable Warmth

West Oxfordshire District Council has been allocated £1,067,000 funding to support the new Government-backed Sustainable Warmth scheme, which will be used to upgrade local homes with modifications that will boost energy performance, increase their comfort and lessen the impact of rising household energy bills. Low-income households can now apply for free funding to install a range of energy-saving improvements to reduce energy usage, make their homes warmer and healthier, and keep energy costs under control.

Eligible households must meet the following criteria:

·         The house must be privately owned or privately rented with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E, F or G. Some D rated properties may also be considered.

And

·         The household must have an annual household income – including any benefits of under £30,000 (before tax and deductions) or under £20,000 (after rent or mortgage costs have been deducted.

The number of children in the household will also be considered and any recent loss of income.

The Sustainable Warmth funding is available for homes on or off mains gas. The level of grants available are:

Owner occupied properties

For eligible households on mains gas, grants are available of up to £10,000.

For homes not connected to mains gas, the grant is on a sliding scale from £10,000 to £25,000.

Privately rented sector

To qualify, tenants must meet the income eligibility and the landlord will need to contribute a minimum of one third towards the cost of the upgrades

For privately rented properties connected to mains gas, the grant is up to £5,000. For properties not connected to mains gas, the grant is on a sliding scale, from £10,000 to £16,666. If costs exceed the maximum grant available, additional investment by the landlord is required.

The Sustainable Warmth grants will fund the following energy efficiency improvements:

·         Improvements to insulation (loft, cavity and wall) and ventilation

·         Upgrades to a low-carbon heating system, for example replacing a gas or oil boiler with an air source heat pump (the new heating system cannot include a gas or oil boiler)

·         Heating controls

·         Solar PV to generate electricity

·         Energy efficient lighting

Approved installers are used. Homeowners do not have to contribute to any costs or pay back the grant afterwards.

City Energy is administering the scheme on behalf of WODC. Grants are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications are made online via City Energy’s website www.oxfordshire-applications.co.uk or by calling 02921 680951. Please also see the Sustainable Warmth webpage on the West Oxfordshire District Council website.