Issue - decisions
Witney Community Insight Profile
25/04/2025 - Witney Community Insight Profile
Councillor Rachel Crouch, Executive Member for Stronger, Healthy Communities, introduced the item and summarised the detailed report as follows:
- In September 2024 Community First Oxfordshire was commissioned by West Oxfordshire District Council and Oxfordshire County Council Public Health to undertake a community insight research project with the aim of capturing the opinions of the community in relation to local strengths and challenges to health and wellbeing.
- The collection of views gave a better understanding of how improvements could be made.
- The report was published and should be read alongside the Witney Central Data Report.
- These documents had led to the Witney Central Community Insight Report.
- In 2019 ten wards were identified by Oxfordshire Public Health as having the greatest number of areas listed in the 20% most deprived in England. Following this, a further group fell within the 30-40% most deprived nationally. Witney Central Ward was amongst these.
- The public engagement had focused on housing, transport, social and community infrastructure, anti-social behaviour, keeping healthy and challenges such as the cost of living.
- The report helped the Council understand the experiences of the people in this ward.
- The report had no financial implications. Oxfordshire County Council had provided funding, including a one-off payment of £25,000, to support taking the recommendations of the report. The grant disbursement programme for these finds would commence in May 2025.
- An Action Plan was being created to take forward the recommendations.
- The report could also be used to help other areas of deprivation in West Oxfordshire.
Councillor Crouch thanked the Officers for the report and proposed accepting the recommendations.
Councillor Andrew Prosser, Executive Member for Climate Action and Nature Recovery, seconded the recommendations.
This was voted on and approved unanimously.
RESOLVED:
That the Executive:
1. Noted the content of the Witney Central Community Insight Profile, its three reports and appendices