Oxford council news

Business Oxford Living Wage rises to £14.68 an hour from April 2027 The Oxford Living Wage goes up 62p to £14.68 an hour, due by 6 April 2027. Today's £14.06 is now below the new UK real Living Wage. What changes for workers. 22 October 2026 · 3 min read Housing 474 Cowley Road: 48 Flats for Homeless Adults Approved Cabinet has approved buying 48 flats for single homeless adults on the former Cowley Road timber yard for about £13.2m. A planning application comes next. 19 October 2026 · 5 min read Housing Oxford Council Housing £1.7m Over on Fire Watch and Mould Oxford's council housing account is forecast £1.7m over budget: £1.4m for a waking watch in tower blocks and £700,000 more on damp and mould repairs. 19 October 2026 · 4 min read Council Oxfordshire County Council Moves Towards Judicial Review The county has sent ministers a pre-action letter seeking the evidence behind the three-council plan. Oxford's leader objects to spending public money on it. 15 October 2026 · 4 min read Housing Oxford Housing Register Hits 4,068 as Lets Fall to 401 4,068 households are now waiting for social housing in Oxford, up from 3,961 in April. Only 401 homes were let last year, 49 fewer than the year before. 15 October 2026 · 5 min read Travel Oxford congestion charge fines for 27 September cancelled Some permit holders were fined in error on the charge's last day, 27 September. The council says it is cancelling those fines. Who was affected and what to do. 14 October 2026 · 5 min read Council Museum of Oxford Free for Residents from 4 January: Approved Oxford residents get into the Museum of Oxford free from 4 January, instead of paying £4. Cabinet approved the pilot on 21 October; Art Pass holders will pay £2. 12 October 2026 · 5 min read Travel Swan Street Footbridge Shut: Osney Detour Adds 10 Minutes The Swan Street footbridge on Osney Island closed on 24 September, adding about 10 minutes to walks. It is Oxford's second shut on safety grounds since May. 24 September 2026 · 9 min read Council Townsend House Headington Closure: Consultation Ends 21 Oct Oxfordshire County Council wants to close Townsend House, a 45-place care home in Headington rated Good by the CQC. The consultation closes on 21 October. 24 September 2026 · 6 min read Crime Oxford Not Among First Grooming Gangs Inquiry Areas Oxford is not one of the three areas the national grooming gangs inquiry picked first. Further areas are due this year, and survivors can send evidence now. 23 September 2026 · 10 min read Council Oxford tourist tax: why the city still cannot charge one Mayors get the power to tax hotel stays, but Oxford has no mayor and no strategic authority. The rules also bar a city-only rate. What has to happen first. 17 September 2026 · 7 min read Council Oxford council reorganisation paused: work ordered to stop Ministers told Oxfordshire's councils to stop work on the three-council plan while it is reviewed. Oxford City is 'disappointed'. The county leader welcomed it. 14 September 2026 · 8 min read Travel Oxford traffic filters: three permits expire on 28 September Three central area permits will not transfer when the filters start on 28 September, and unused visitor day passes die with them. What to do before then. 7 September 2026 · 7 min read Council Oxford barbecue ban starts Friday: 42 parks, £100 fine Barbecues, fires, fireworks and sky lanterns are banned in 42 Oxford parks from Friday 4 September, on pain of a £100 fine. Here is the full list. 3 September 2026 · 8 min read Council Oxford City Council: £3.5m to fix a housing budget error A CPI rate left unchanged over-estimated council rent income by £3.848m. Councillors vote on 3 September to draw £3.5m from reserves. Rents were set correctly. 31 August 2026 · 5 min read Council Oxford's extra £410,000: streets, toilets, free swimming Councillors vote on 3 September on eight one-off investments, from £115,000 on streets to £40,000 of free swimming lessons. Every pound comes out of reserves. 31 August 2026 · 4 min read Planning Oxford Burial Meadow: builder hired, work starts this autumn Oxford's £2.4m burial meadow near Horspath has its contractor. Work runs autumn 2026 to spring 2027, and the parish council's pollution objection still stands. 27 August 2026 · 6 min read Council Oxford fridge and freezer disposal: both routes restricted Oxford City Council has paused fridge and freezer collections until late September, and county recycling centres now take one booking every three months. 20 August 2026 · 5 min read Music Oxford music fund: £20,000 open, deadline 12 October Two £5,000 grants for venues and around ten £1,000 grants for musicians and promoters. Applications close at 9am on 12 October, with decisions on 4 November. 20 August 2026 · 5 min read Council Greater Oxford Council: 50% of Replies Opposed It Government analysis of 4,676 replies scores the approved three-council plan 37% positive, 50% negative. Named consultees ranked it last of three. 17 August 2026 · 9 min read