15 Most Recent Stories From Oxford City Liberal Democrats News Stories

Wed 24th Feb 2010:

City Council Tax increase reduced to 2%.

Oxford City Council has one of the highest council tax levels in England, and it has been the ambition of Liberal Democrat councillors for several years to reduce the level of increase, and bring the Council Tax level more into line with other authorities. Until this year, the Labour group, which holds the largest number of seats on the council, has rejected Lib Dem proposals for reductions. Usually they have had the support of Green group councillors in imposing 4% or higher increases on the citizens of Oxford.

Fri 15th Jan 2010:

City Council's programme for cutting carbon emissions wins national award.

With a combination of initiatives including voltage optimisation, chemical "covers" on swimming pools, cycle-to-work days for the staff, "power-down" events, and plans for wind turbines in the city, Oxford City Council has won the Carbon Trust's "Innovative use of technology" award in the public sector category. The programme has enthusiastic support from the three main parties represented on the city council.

Find out if you're entitled to the Cold Weather Payment.

Charity Age Concern Oxfordshire has joined forces with Oxfordshire County Council to urge those who think they may be entitled to the central government Cold Weather Payment to find out more and claim money that is available to them. The £25 payments are automatically distributed when the average temperature is, or is forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below, for a period of seven consecutive days where a recipient lives to those who fulfil certain criteria.

Thu 14th Jan 2010:

Anglers on the Oxford canal should ignore signs saying that angling has been banned.

Liberal Democrat councillors on Oxfordshire County Council have obtained formal confirmation from the council, supported by the Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) and British Waterways, that there is no good reason why anglers should not continue to use the Kidlington to Oxford stretch of the canal. Recently, small laminated signs have appeared on posts and trees alongside the canal stating that "due to recent cases of Weil's disease ... angling is currently not permitted ..."

Lib Dems lead on providing new homes for people on council waiting lists.

Lib Dem councillors in Oxford have welcomed the formal decision by the City's Executive Board to go ahead with building new council houses in the Rose Hill area of the city. The cost of the project is £12.2 million, including £4.6 from a special government grant. This will provide 38 new homes and an additional 20 sheltered housing flats.

Thu 5th Nov 2009:

Lib Dem spokesman calls for head of Student Loans Company to resign.

Dr Steve Goddard, a university lecturer and Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesman for Oxford East constituency has called for the head of the Student Loans Company (SLC) to resign as figures reveal that only 20% of Disabled Students' Allowances for the current academic year have been processed.

Wed 4th Nov 2009:

Lib Dem controlled cities sign up to 10:10 energy saving programme, but Oxfordshire's Conservatives refuse to.

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg MP yesterday announced at the Core Cities conference in Liverpool that every city in the group under Liberal Democrat control has signed up to the 10:10 campaign. Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield make up half the Core Cities group of England's major regional cities. But on the same day, the Conservative group on Oxfordshire County Council voted out a Lib Dem motion which would have committed the council to achieve the same 10% reduction in carbon emissions during 2010.

Fri 30th Oct 2009:

Congestion in St Aldate's should have been tackled sooner .

As warned by the Lib Dems at the time, the moving of the bus stops from Queen Street has caused extra congestion on St Aldate's in central Oxford. Cllr Alan Armitage, who will be putting a motion to the County Council meeting next week, said that cyclists were having a hard time overtaking stationary buses and that pedestrians were having to step into the road to pass long queues of people at bus stops. Pembroke Square is a particular hazardous point.

Sun 25th Oct 2009:

Closing Oxford's public conveniences is discriminatory and will stop tourists coming here.

The decision by Oxford City's Labour administration to close public toilets across the city, to save a small amount of money, has been condemned by a Lib Dem spokesman. Despite feedback from a brief period of consultations which showed unanimous hostility to the proposals, seven public conveniences will be closed as early as this week. This flies in the face of recent recommendations from the House of Commons select committee against such moves.

Tue 20th Oct 2009:

Anti-Trafficking Day celebrated in Oxford.

On Sunday, Lib Dem Euro MP for Oxford Catherine Bearder met local residents and students to celebrate EU Anti-Trafficking Day. The Royal Blenheim pub in central Oxford was selling the locally brewed William Wilberforce Freedom Ale to commemorate the day, and 10% of the brewery's profits on this beer are donated to Stop The Traffik.

Thu 8th Oct 2009:

Oxford Lib Dems say Labour is letting dodgy landlords off the hook.

Oxford Lib Dems have attacked Labour's voluntary scheme for landlord accreditation. Cllr Patrick Murray, Oxford Lib Dems Housing Spokesman said: "There is a huge problem with rented housing in Oxford. Dodgy landlords let out poor quality housing and, in some cases, mistreat tenants. Vulnerable tenants, in particular, are at risk, but anyone who's tried to rent a house in Oxford will have seen some shockers along the way."

Sat 3rd Oct 2009:

Reform in management of student finance needed urgently.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary spokesman for Oxford East, Dr Steve Goddard, has called for reforms in the management of student finance as thousands of students await the arrival of their loans - with just days to go before term starts. The Student Finance Company, which handles applications, is reported still to be processing forms from August. Oxford Brookes University is allowing students to defer rent payments until funding is reserved.

Wed 16th Sep 2009:

County Council idea of academy at Oxford School not supported by Lib Dems.

Speaking at yesterday's meeting of Oxfordshire county council cabinet, Lib Dem councillor Mohammed Altaf-Khan condemned the way the proposal to create an academy at Oxford School has been handled so far, pointing out that even the local councillors only found out about it via the newspapers. He also raised a number of concerns about the proposal to carry out a feasibility study.

Sat 5th Sep 2009:

Change of heart cheers West Oxford probation centre campaigners.

A meeting of West Oxford residents has enthusiastically welcomed a statement by the owners and developers of Trajan House in Mill St that they have broken off negotiations with Thames Valley Probation Service (TVPS) about the possibility of a new mega-probation centre being established in this residential street of small terraced houses. This follows a very effective campaign, actively supported by the local Lib Dem MP Dr Evan Harris and Labour and Lib Dem councillors.

Thu 3rd Sep 2009:

Lib Dem councillor gets community library going in Rose Hill.

As reported in the Oxford Mail, a community library, designed to offer a warm welcome and encourage people to pick up a book, is opening on an Oxford estate. The Rose Hill Read/Swap Library is set to open its doors twice a week at the community centre in The Oval. The project has already secured £5,000 from housing developers' contributions to Oxfordshire County Council, and donations of books are piling up.

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