Oxfordshire County Council reduces savings after £4m boost

Oxfordshire County Council has reduced its proposed cuts after learning it has an extra £4m to allocate.

The money has come from a better-than-expected government grant and an improved forecast in collecting business rates.

It means the authority has reduced planned savings over the next four years by £1.3m to £64m.

The remaining £2.7m will be invested, with £800,000 set to go to ending a 15-minute limit for personal care visits.

But a housing support fund, which helps an Oxford homeless charity, will still be cut alongside adult social care.

Age UK Oxfordshire welcomed the news personal care visits could no longer be limited to 15 minutes.

Paul Cann, chief executive, said: "It will help older people keep their dignity."

Council leader, Ian Hudspeth, said: "The proposal is to put this extra money in to areas we see as priorities.

"It's welcome that we're able to put more money in to budgets, but we're still having to save a huge amount of money before 2018."

Full council will meet to debate the plans at its annual budget meeting on 18 February.