Agenda item
Questions by Members
The following questions have been submitted by Members of Council to Members of the Executive, in accordance with the Council Procedure Rules (Constitution Part 5A, Rule 12).
Written responses will be circulated to Members and published on the Council’s website at least one working day prior to the meeting. A Member submitting a question is entitled to ask one supplementary question at the meeting which must arise directly from the question or the response to it.
The supplementary questions and answers will be detailed in the minutes of the meeting.
Question 1: From Councillor Ruth Smith to Councillor Alaric Smith, Executive Member for Finance:
Residents on Madley Park are concerned about the algae and perceived overgrowth of reeds in the balancing ponds. People wonder who manages the ponds.
I have been in contact with a council ecologist via the Estates team, who was very helpful and will take the matter forward in due course. In the meantime, please can the Executive Member
a) confirm whether or not site visits are regular or merely responsive and;
b) work with the communications team to inform residents that WODC is responsible for the balancing ponds and acts to manage issues when ecologists deem necessary. That way residents will have peace of mind and will know who to contact when concerns arise.
Question 2: From Councillor Liam Walker to Councillor Andrew Prosser, Executive Member for Climate Action and Nature Recovery
Data from the House of Commons Library suggests that around 10,600 households in the Witney area are not connected to the gas grid and instead rely on heating oil or LPG, leaving many rural residents particularly exposed to rising global fuel prices. Given the scale of this issue in West Oxfordshire, what assessment has the administration made of the impact of rising off-grid heating costs on residents, and will the Council advocate for targeted support such as a rural heating support payment for affected households?
Question 3: From Councillor Liam Walker to Councillor Geoff Saul, Executive Member for Housing and Social Care
There is a growing issue across England of unadopted amenities on privately managed housing estates, where infrastructure such as roads, green spaces and drainage systems are maintained by private management companies rather than being adopted by local authorities. With a number of new developments being built across West Oxfordshire, this can leave residents facing ongoing estate management charges while still paying full council tax.
Did the District Council submit a response to the Government’s recent consultation on this issue, and if so, what position did West Oxfordshire District Council take in relation to protecting residents from unfair or excessive estate management fees on new housing estates?
Question 4: From Councillor Liam Walker to Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of the Council:
As Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council you also have the responsibility for emergency planning. Can the Leader therefore outline what role he personally played during the recent water outage which left thousands of homes across parts of West Oxfordshire without water for an extended period? In particular, when were you first informed of the situation and what actions did you take to coordinate the Council’s response and support affected residents?
Question 5: From Councillor Cllr Liam Walker to Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of the Council:
In circumstances where a councillor facing serious allegations related to domestic abuse is allowed to rejoin a political group at West Oxfordshire District Council, does the Leader accept that this could risk sending the wrong message to residents who have experienced domestic abuse? What guidance or standards does the Council expect political groups to follow in such situations to maintain public confidence and demonstrate support for victims?
Question 6: From Councillor Liam Walker to Councillor Lidia Arciszewska, Executive Member for Environment:
Can the Executive member confirm the recorded number of fly-tipping incidents for the months of November 2025, December 2025, then January, February, and March (recorded so far) of this year?
Question 7: From Councillor Liam Walker to Councillor Hugo Ashton, Executive Member for Planning
Given over 4000 residents have now signed a petition calling for Woodford Way car park in Witney to not be built, will he now listen to residents and accept that within the allocation of 18,000 homes planned for West Oxfordshire there will already be a large percentage of social housing, therefore this key car park should remain?
Question 8: From Councillor Liam Walker to Councillor Lidia Arciszewska, Executive Member for Environment
In the West Oxfordshire District Council parking strategy report the document only shows the average occupancy for the Woodford Way car park. Can the council publish the actual data that was collected in order to ascertain these averages?
Question 9: From Councillor Liam Walker to Councillor Duncan Enright - Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Economic Development
Many businesses in Witney are concerned about the impact of the District Council building on the Woodford Way car park. Are you concerned about the impact this could have on the local economy and visitors to Witney?
Question 10: From Councillor Michele Mead to Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of the Council
Please can you confirm how many times the Chamber and committee rooms have been hired out for 25/26?
Question 11: From Councillor Cllr Jane Doughty to Councillor Lidia Arciszewska, Executive Member for Environment
I would like to request data regarding parking enforcement outcomes within the Witney town boundary. There are ongoing concerns regarding persistent parking issues on Corn Street and Welch Way, which are expected to escalate following the impending closure of Woodford Way.
To assess the impact of the transition in enforcement authority from West Oxfordshire District Council to Oxfordshire County Council in 2021, please provide the annual number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued for the three years immediately preceding the transfer.
For a clear comparison of historical and current trends, please provide the data categorised by:
* On-street PCNs (Roadside enforcement)
* Off-street PCNs (Council-managed car parks)
This information is vital for understanding how the change in enforcement powers has influenced parking compliance in the town centre ahead of significant local infrastructure changes.
Question 12: From Councillor Thomas Ashby to Councillor Lidia Arciszewska, Executive Member for Environment
Over the last couple of years, you have been asked time and time again about when the Tree Management Policy is going to be reviewed. It should have been last year, and it didn’t happen….
We are now in the nesting season, which means any tree works will happen, few and far between.
Please can I be provided a clear breakdown of all the work / maintenance that is going to take place from April 2026 - April 2027 on the District Council owned green spaces in: Deer Park, Ducklington and Curbridge. A meeting with an Officer about such work would also be useful.
Question 13: From Councillor Thomas Ashby to Councillor Alaric Smith, Executive Member for Finance
Please can you state the plans for the over £300,000 in S106 money from the Spring Meadow development in Witney that is due to be spent by late this year? Witney Town Council sent some suggestions, so I would be keen to understand what options you are looking to explore.
Question 14: From Councillor Thomas Ashby to Councillor Lidia Arciszewska, Executive Member for Environment
Garden waste licenses - Please can you provide the figures for the number of licenses purchased in the 25/26 financial year?
Supporting documents:
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