Oxfordshire council tax to increase by 4.99% as budget approved

Oxfordshire County Council approved its budget at a meeting on Tuesday

Council tax will rise by 4.99% for Oxfordshire residents in April after county councillors approved proposals.

It is the first budget passed by the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance, made up of Lib Dem, Labour and Green members, since it was formed in May 2021.

The hike will mean residents living in Band D properties will pay £78.50 more in 2022/23, as part of a total county council tax bill of about £1,651.

The Conservatives opposed it, with its leader labelling it "old-fashioned".

Council leader Liz Leffman said the council would "target funding" where it was most needed, especially in areas including climate change and health and wellbeing.

A total of 3% of the council tax rise will be ringfenced to pay for adult social care.

The authority also voted to set aside £50m for potential future costs of major infrastructure across the county.

It agreed to place a further £27m into a £90m project to replace Kennington Bridge.

Up to £6m has been earmarked to build two new children's homes in the county, and £500,000 will be spent on plans to pedestrianise Broad Street in Oxford.

Conservative leader Eddie Reeves said the budget did not "reflect the values of hard-working people".

But he said the party would not propose an alternative budget after having previous ideas criticised.

"Pro-business, pro-environment measures like free park and rides for a period [in Oxford] have been traduced as gimmicks," he said.

"There's simply no reason to propose an opposition budget from these benches when the administration seems quite so cavalier about ignoring all of the suggestions put forward by these benches."