Council functions and responsibilities
Oxfordshire is administered by three levels of local authority (otherwise known as councils):
- County (Oxfordshire County Council)
- District/borough/city
- Parish/town
You can find out which councils cover your property by checking your Council Tax bill. You can also use the checker on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council/west-oxfordshire
The hundreds of local government functions and responsibilities are split between the different types of council. Which council does what is set out by Acts of Parliament - principally The Local Government Act 1972. The basic division of functions between county and districts is shown in the table below but this isn’t always set in stone. In some areas the responsibility is split and in some areas parish councils may have taken on functions of other councils. To find out about a specific service contact us, the county council or your town/parish council if it is not clear from the table.
Council function |
Council responsibility |
|
Leisure centres |
Districts |
|
Cemeteries and crematoria |
Districts |
|
Consumer protection |
Counties |
|
Education and schools |
Counties |
|
Environmental health |
Districts |
|
Fire and emergency management |
Counties |
|
Footpaths |
Counties and districts |
|
Housing |
Districts |
|
Licencing |
Districts |
|
Libraries |
Counties |
|
Local plans |
Districts |
|
Markets and fairs |
Districts |
|
Museums and galleries |
Counties and districts |
|
Planning applications |
Districts |
|
Public transport such as buses |
Counties |
|
Rate collection |
Districts |
|
Refuse collection |
Districts |
|
Adult social care |
Counties |
|
Childrens social care |
Counties |
|
Tourism |
Counties and districts |
|
Highways management |
Counties |
|
Transport planning |
Counties and districts |
Parish and town councils
Parish and town councils are responsible for a range of local issues. The role played by these councils varies. Smaller parish councils have only limited resources and generally play only a minor role, while some larger parish councils have a role similar to that of a small district council. Parish councils receive funding by levying a "precept" on the Council Tax paid by the residents of the parish. Their responsibilities can include those listed below but this will depend on the set up in each parish council :
- The provision and upkeep of certain local facilities such as allotments, bus shelters, parks, playgrounds, public seats, public toilets, public clocks, street lights, village or town halls, and various leisure and recreation facilities
- Maintenance of footpaths, cemeteries and village greens
- The opportunity to provide community transport (such as a minibus), crime prevention measures (such as CCTV) and to contribute money towards traffic calming schemes
- Parish councils act as a channel of local opinion to larger local government bodies, and as such have the right to be consulted on any planning decisions affecting the parish
- Giving of grants to local voluntary organisations, and sponsoring public events, including entering Britain in Bloom