Budget consultation 2023 to 2024

This consultation is now closed.

We held a consultation on our budget plans for the 2023/24 financial year from Thursday 1 December 2022 to Thursday 12 January 2023.

All findings will be shared with councillors before they make decisions on the budget at a meeting of the Council in February 2023.

Physical copies of the budget survey are also available in the Council Offices at Woodgreen in Witney and the Town Centre Offices, 3 Welch Way, Witney. 

The outlook for 2023/24

Along with many other Councils, we are facing a difficult financial period because, as you know from your own finances, costs have risen by unexpected amounts this year. We’re also facing expected cuts in our Government funding at the same time, which makes the rising costs challenging to deal with and this situation is expected to worsen over the next few years.

However, while we have challenges, we are confident that through sensible management of our limited funding we can continue to deliver good local services and also have opportunities to invest in the things we know matter to local residents. 

In this budget for the next financial year we are directing our funding at maintaining the services you use and continuing to look at how we tackle the climate emergency, how we support communities and the other priorities you fed back to us during our recent consultation on our Council Plan.

We have announced this year, £750,000 of one-off money to invest in local projects that we know matter, including £200,000 to support communities through the cost of living crisis, £100,000 for Youth Initiatives, £100,000 for Environment and Community Projects and £75,000 additional funding to replace two street sweepers with electric vehicles instead of diesel.

We are committed as a Council to providing core services to you, our residents, and because we have saved some money in the past we are able to fund next year’s shortfall from our reserves while we identify and implement additional cost savings and income increases in order to bring our expenditure back within budget the following year.

Where does your Council Tax go?

West Oxfordshire District Council receives only 7 pence in every £1 of your Council Tax to provide the services we are responsible for, including:

• waste collection and recycling
• street cleaning
• parking and public toilets
• planning and building control
• promoting economic growth and regeneration
• leisure services
• environmental health and licensing services
• housing and Council Tax support
• election administration
• social housing and support for homeless people

You can read our press release with more information here.

Related Pages

• Consultations and engagement