West Oxfordshire District Council

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Business

West Oxfordshire is a great place to do business because of its:

Strong economy
Central location with good rail links to London and Birmingham and business air-travel from Oxford Airport
Skilled Workforce
Comprehensive Business Support network
A good choice of business sites
Hospitality and Conference facilities

West Oxfordshire District Council support the established business community and welcome new firms into the District. Working with a range of support agencies, the Economic Development Team can provide many services to help your business. Please email the Economic Development Team or call us on 01993 861485 if the advice you require is not covered below.

Finding a premises
The Council provides an up to date Commercial Property Register which lists the vacant Commercial Properties in West Oxfordshire. For more information go to Land and Premises.

Business Mentors
The Council sponsors a FREE mentoring service for people starting new businesses. You are entitled to as many free one-to-one meetings as you wish and you will be able to develop a relationship with your advisor that will be very supportive and confidence-boosting. You can discuss anything that concerns you and ask for advice on any aspect of starting and running a new business.

Some people use the advisor as a sounding board for their ideas while others want to discuss specific aspects such as finding premises, pricing or whether to set up as a sole trader, partnership or a limited company. The meetings can be used to:

talk through your initial ideas and check their viability
help you construct or review your business plan
discuss market research and marketing
advise on areas specific to your business
establish an action plan

For further information please visit Oxfordshire Business Enterprises website or call them on 01295 227082.

Finance and Funding
For information on a range of ways of financing both start up and existing businesses, go to Finance and Funding.

Business Rates
For any enquiries relating to Non Domestic Rates (Business Rates) then email the Local Taxation Service at WODC or telephone 01993 861070. Further information is available at Business Rates.

Health & Safety and Food Hygiene
For information on Health & Safety or Food Hygiene please email the Council's Environmental Health Team or telephone 01993 861343. The team will advise you on Health and Safety and Food Hygiene issues. For further information visit Environmental Health.

Planning
For planning enquires please call 01993 861420 or email the Planning Service. Please note that the planning reception is now based at the Council's Elmfield Offices. The opening hours are:

Monday - Thursday 9.00 am to 5.30 pm
Friday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm

For further information visit Planning.

Licensing
Many businesses require a licence e.g. skin piercers, pet shops and places which hold entertainment or sell alcohol.
For further information on Skin Piercing or Animal Welfare licensing visit Skin Piercing or Animal Welfare, email the Environmental Health Team or telephone 01993 861343.
For further information on entertainment and alcohol licensing visit the Licensing and Regulation pages, email the Licensing Team or telephone 01993 861633.

Market Towns
West Oxfordshire is characterised by a series of unique and picturesque market towns that serve the rural areas around them. Further local information can be found on the Carterton, Chipping Norton and Woodstock websites and more information about the work the District Council undertakes with the towns at Market Towns.