Your council
South Oxfordshire: what’s happening where you live
What the council itself has published on the five things it most shapes for a household: homes, getting about, the bill, the local environment and schools. Each line is quoted from the council’s own document, with the link. This page says what was decided or proposed; it never says whether it was right.
South Oxfordshire District Council: Non-metropolitan district (lower tier), England, South East; within the county of OXF. GOV.UK lists it as a district council, within Oxfordshire County Council.
Do it online
- Household waste collection: Providing information
- Household waste collection: Reporting
- Bulky household waste collections: Applications for service
- Household garden waste: Providing information
- Recycling bags and containers: Providing information
- Flytipping: Reporting
- Noise pollution: Reporting
- Council tax annual notification: Providing information
- Council tax annual notification: Collecting revenue
- Council tax discount: Applications for service
- Council tax benefit new claim: Applications for service
- Housing benefit new claim: Providing information
- Electoral register: Providing information
- Electoral register: Applications for service
- Parking permits: Providing information
- Planning decision notices: Providing information
- Councillors directory: Providing information
- Complaints procedure: Providing information
Housing
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Transport
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Council tax
Band D set by South Oxfordshire for 2026–27: £156.24 of a £2,597.57 total bill in the area.
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Environment
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Education
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Changes to schools in this area recorded by the Department for Education Updated automatically
No school here is currently recorded as proposed to open or close.
In the last twelve months: 2 opened (1 academy converter, 1 new provision), 2 closed (1 academy converter, 1 for academy)
- John Watson School — closed; reason recorded: academy converter, 31 March 2026
- Woodeaton Manor School — closed; reason recorded: for academy, 30 September 2025
- John Watson School — open; reason recorded: academy converter, 1 April 2026
- Woodeaton Manor School — open; reason recorded: new provision, 1 October 2025
What the council plans to spend, 2026–27
| Service | Budget |
|---|---|
| Education services | none budgeted |
| Highways and transport services | −£853,000 |
| Children's social care | none budgeted |
| Adult social care | none budgeted |
| Public health | none budgeted |
| Housing services (general fund only) | £3.8 million |
| Cultural and related services | £2.2 million |
| Environmental and regulatory services | £11.8 million |
| Planning and development services | £5.2 million |
| Police services | none budgeted |
| Fire and rescue services | none budgeted |
| Central services | £4.8 million |
| Other services | none budgeted |
| Total service expenditure | £27.1 million |
South Oxfordshire in numbers
- Total population
- 156,470 people
- Median age
- 43 years
- Gross disposable household income per head
- £35,652
- Gross median weekly pay
- £819
- Children in relative poverty after housing costs
- 13.7%
- Claimant Count
- 1.9%
- Average house price
- £476,026
- Housing affordability ratio (residence-based)
- 9.3 affordability ratio
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- 5.3 tCO2e per capita
- Gigabit capable broadband
- 82.8%
- Public electric vehicle chargers
- 120.8 per 100,000 population
- Active businesses
- 8,135 number of enterprises
Who runs the council
36 seats in 2026. Run by: Liberal Democrats, with a majority.
Councillors by party: Liberal Democrats 20, Green Party (E&W) 8, Labour Party 3, Henley Residents Group 3, Conservative and Unionist 1, Independent / Other 1.
Next scheduled council election: 6 May 2027.
All 36 councillors, by ward
- Andrea Powell (Green Party (E&W)) — Benson & Crowmarsh
- Sue Cooper (Liberal Democrats) — Benson & Crowmarsh
- Robin Bennett (Green Party (E&W)) — Berinsfield
- David Turner (Liberal Democrats) — Chalgrove
- Ali Gordon-Creed (Green Party (E&W)) — Chinnor
- Ed Sadler (Liberal Democrats) — Chinnor
- Anne-Marie Simpson (Liberal Democrats) — Cholsey
- Crispin Topping (Liberal Democrats) — Cholsey
- Andrew Tinsley (Liberal Democrats) — Didcot North East
- David Rouane (Liberal Democrats) — Didcot North East
- Zia Mohammed (Liberal Democrats) — Didcot North East
- Axel Macdonald (Labour Party) — Didcot South
- Denise Macdonald (Labour Party) — Didcot South
- Mocky Khan (Labour Party) — Didcot South
- Ian Snowdon (Conservative and Unionist) — Didcot West
- Tony Worgan (Liberal Democrats) — Didcot West
- Tim Bearder (Liberal Democrats) — Forest Hill & Holton
- Sam James-Lawrie (Liberal Democrats) — Garsington & Horspath
- Maggie Filipova-Rivers (Liberal Democrats) — Goring
- Georgina Heritage (Liberal Democrats) — Haseley Brook
- Kellie Hinton (Henley Residents Group) — Henley-on-Thames
- Ken Arlett (Henley Residents Group) — Henley-on-Thames
- Stefan Gawrysiak (Henley Residents Group) — Henley-on-Thames
- Peter Dragonetti (Green Party (E&W)) — Kidmore End & Whitchurch
- Sam Casey-Rerhaye (Green Party (E&W)) — Sandford & the Wittenhams
- Leigh Rawlins (Liberal Democrats) — Sonning Common
- Mike Giles (Liberal Democrats) — Sonning Common
- David Bretherton (Liberal Democrats) — Thame
- Kate Gregory (Liberal Democrats) — Thame
- Pieter-Paul Barker (Liberal Democrats) — Thame
- James Barlow (Green Party (E&W)) — Wallingford
- Katharine Keats-Rohan (Liberal Democrats) — Wallingford
- Ben Higgins (Independent / Other) — Watlington
- Peter Ramsdale (Liberal Democrats) — Wheatley
- James Norman (Green Party (E&W)) — Woodcote & Rotherfield
- Jo Robb (Green Party (E&W)) — Woodcote & Rotherfield