About the Vale of White Horse District Council
The Vale of White Horse District Council is one of five district councils in Oxfordshire. It covers an area which includes Faringdon, Abingdon, Wantage and Botley.
There are 38 elected members of the council, which is Liberal Democrat controlled. Councillors are elected every four years and are democratically accountable to the residents of the ward they represent.
The council normal opening hours are Monday to Thursday from 8.30 am to 5:00 pm and Friday from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. The offices are closed on weekends and during bank holidays.
What does the district council do?
The district council is responsible for:
Environmental services
- Collecting and recycling domestic waste
- Cleaning streets and public places
- Monitoring atmospheric pollution, noise and contaminated land and investigating complaints
- Monitoring the safety of bathing waters and private water supplies
- Enforcing legislation concerning food safety, including food complaints and food poisoning
- Enforcing legislation concerning health and safety at work, including accidents at work and complaints about working conditions
- Dealing with a wide range of public health issues eg defective drainage, deposits of rubbish on private land, animal welfare, stray dogs, infectious disease control
- Carrying out a range of licensing activities eg entertainment licensing, street trading consents, licences for ear piercing, acupuncture, tattooing and electrolysis
Housing Services
- Providing housing advice
- Managing the housing register
- Arranging for temporary accommodation for homeless clients
- Processing grant and loan applications including grants for disable adaptations to homes
- Promoting and providing advice on improving home efficiency
- Monitoring, advising and enforcing housing standards across the private sector (including park homes)
- Administering housing benefit and Council Tax benefit
- Identifying and taking steps to strive to meet the current and future housing needs of local residents
- Providing Closed Circuit Television Camera services
- Working in partnership on community safety issues
Planning Services
- Preparing and consulting on statutory plans for land use and development in the district
- Giving expert advice to developers and the general public to help ensure developments take place in accordance with the Local Development Framework and Government policy
- Scrutinising and determining planning applications
- Investigating contraventions of planning approvals and regulation and taking appropriate action
Cultural and Recreational Services
- Supporting community arts development and public art commissioning
- Managing contracts for sports and leisure facilities
- Working to increase participation in sport by developing a programme of activities which matches the needs and aspirations of all sections of the community
- Providing grant aid to local voluntary groups
- Managing parks and open spaces – including playing fields, nature reserves and woodland
Transport Services
- Providing assisted travel schemes for travelling around the Vale area for people with certain disabilities and those aged 60 or over
- Licencing taxis and private hire vehicles
- Providing and managing off-street car parking, including collecting charges
- Working in partnership to develop integrated transport systems in Abingdon, Wantage and Didcot
The district council also provide the following services:
- Council Tax collection
- Elections and electoral registration
- Economic development
- Emergency planning
- Abandoned vehicles
