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Independent. Not run by or affiliated with South Oxfordshire District Council or Oxfordshire County Council.
Where your council tax goes in South Oxfordshire
A Band D home pays £2,461.30 this year, up 4.9%. Most of it, £2,006.78, goes to Oxfordshire County Council, which spends most on schools and education, care for older and disabled adults, and children's services. Of the rest, £298.28 goes to the police and £156.24 to South Oxfordshire District Council, which spends most of its own budget on streets, waste and transport.
Your councils are changing
The government decided on 16 July 2026 to replace Oxfordshire's county and district councils with three unitary councils, each running every council service in its area. South Oxfordshire, apart from 25 parishes that go to Greater Oxford, would join the Vale of White Horse and West Berkshire in Ridgeway Council; Henley-on-Thames is not one of the 25. Elections to the new councils are planned for May 2027, in place of the district's scheduled elections, and the new councils would take over on 1 April 2028. It needs Parliament to approve an order first.
From Local government reorganisation: decision letter to Oxfordshire council leaders, 16 July 2026 and South Oxfordshire District Council: government confirms three new unitary councils for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire in 2028.
Your bill
Pick your band. The council keeps 6% of it; the rest goes to Oxfordshire County Council, which also runs fire and rescue, and Thames Valley Police.
Your £156.24 to the council pays for
Show your bill as a table
| Your bill | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Streets, waste and transport | £48.58 | 2.0% |
| Planning and the local economy | £28.39 | 1.2% |
| Running the council | £23.00 | 0.9% |
| Housing and homelessness | £18.53 | 0.8% |
| Debt costs and levies | £14.93 | 0.6% |
| Parks, libraries and leisure | £12.12 | 0.5% |
| Community safety and regulation | £10.68 | 0.4% |
| South Oxfordshire District Council, all services | £156.24 | 6.3% |
| Oxfordshire County Council | £2,006.78 | 81.5% |
| Police | £298.28 | 12.1% |
| County council and police, all | £2,305.06 | 93.7% |
| Your bill | £2,461.30 | 100% |
Homes in South Oxfordshire’s 81 parishes also pay their parish or town council: on average £136.62 at Band D, on top of the bill above.
Split in proportion to the £29m the council pays for itself, after the grants tied to particular services, which the budget return already takes off each one. Council tax pays about 65p of every £1 of that; government grants and other income pay the rest.
Henley-on-Thames
A Band D home in Henley-on-Thames pays £2,631.65 in 2026/27: the bill above, plus £170.35 for Henley Town Council.
| Band D | Share of the bill | |
|---|---|---|
| Oxfordshire County Council | £2,006.78 | 76.3% |
| Police | £298.28 | 11.3% |
| Henley Town Council | £170.35 | 6.5% |
| South Oxfordshire District Council | £156.24 | 5.9% |
| Whole bill | £2,631.65 | 100% |
Who represents Henley-on-Thames
- On South Oxfordshire District Council, Henley-on-Thames ward: Ken Arlett, Stefan Gawrysiak and Kellie Hinton (all Henley Residents' Group). How the ward voted.
- On Oxfordshire County Council, the town is split between two divisions: Henley, Stefan Gawrysiak (Henley Residents Group) and Sonning Common & Henley South, Leigh Rawlins (Liberal Democrat).
- Henley Town Council has councillors of its own, who set its part of the bill: £170.35 at Band D.
Oxfordshire County Council’s budget
The county council sets the biggest part of the bill, £2,006.78 at Band D, and runs schools, social care and roads across Oxfordshire. It sends no bills of its own: South Oxfordshire District Council collects its share with yours.
What the council spends on day-to-day services after fees and charges, and where the money comes from, including grants that can only be spent on schools or public health. It must balance by law.
Not drawn in the flow, because they are below zero: Put into council reserves (£10.1m). They are in the tables.
Show the budget as a table
| £m | Share of the net budget | |
|---|---|---|
| Council tax | £567.4m | 48.1% |
| Revenue Support Grant | £97.0m | 8.2% |
| Business rates kept locally | £56.0m | 4.7% |
| Schools grants (ring-fenced) | £354.5m | 30.0% |
| Public health grant (ring-fenced) | £42.0m | 3.6% |
| Other government grants | £65.6m | 5.6% |
| Council tax surplus and other | £8.3m | 0.7% |
| Drawn from council reserves (one-off) | −£10.1m | −0.9% |
| Net budget | £1,180.6m | 100% |
| £m | Share of the net budget | |
|---|---|---|
| Schools and education | £433.6m | 36.7% |
| Care for older and disabled adults | £321.7m | 27.3% |
| Children's services | £199.4m | 16.9% |
| Streets, waste and transport | £86.6m | 7.3% |
| Public health | £42.4m | 3.6% |
| Fire and rescue | £33.5m | 2.8% |
| Debt costs and levies | £24.2m | 2.1% |
| Parks, libraries and leisure | £14.4m | 1.2% |
| Running the council | £14.2m | 1.2% |
| Planning and the local economy | £4.9m | 0.4% |
| Housing and homelessness | £3.6m | 0.3% |
| Community safety and regulation | £2.0m | 0.2% |
| Net budget | £1,180.6m | 100% |
Where the money comes from
What it pays for
South Oxfordshire District Council’s budget
What the council spends on day-to-day services after fees and charges, and where the money comes from; grants tied to a particular service are already taken off it. It must balance by law.
Not drawn in the flow, because they are below zero: Put into council reserves (£0.5m). They are in the tables.
Show the budget as a table
| £m | Share of the net budget | |
|---|---|---|
| Council tax | £18.7m | 64.9% |
| Revenue Support Grant | £4.5m | 15.6% |
| Other government grants | £5.5m | 19.1% |
| Council tax surplus and other | £0.6m | 2.2% |
| Drawn from council reserves (one-off) | −£0.5m | −1.8% |
| Net budget | £28.9m | 100% |
| £m | Share of the net budget | |
|---|---|---|
| Streets, waste and transport | £9.0m | 31.1% |
| Planning and the local economy | £5.2m | 18.2% |
| Running the council | £4.3m | 14.7% |
| Housing and homelessness | £3.4m | 11.9% |
| Debt costs and levies | £2.8m | 9.6% |
| Parks, libraries and leisure | £2.2m | 7.8% |
| Community safety and regulation | £2.0m | 6.8% |
| Net budget | £28.9m | 100% |
Where the money comes from
What it pays for
Nothing here for schools and education, care for older and disabled adults, children's services, and public health: Oxfordshire County Council runs them (see its budget above).
The council’s budget return keeps no business rates for 2026/27 (it shows nothing on that line), so there is none in the flow.
What care for adults costs
In 2024/25, the latest year the government has published, Oxfordshire County Council spent £361.8m on care for older people and for adults with a disability or a mental illness, before what people pay towards their own care and money from the NHS. What some of it costs:
Where the £361.8m went
Show adult care spending as a table
| Spending | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Care homes and nursing homes | £126.8m | 35% |
| Assessments, social workers and other care | £77.5m | 21% |
| Supported living | £63.2m | 17% |
| Care at home | £41.7m | 12% |
| Money people arrange their own care with (direct payments) | £31.4m | 9% |
| Short-term care to help people recover | £9.3m | 3% |
| Other long-term care | £7.7m | 2% |
| Supported accommodation | £4.0m | 1% |
| All care for adults | £361.8m | 100% |
From the council’s own return to government, published in the adult social care finance report. Spending is before income, and for 2024/25, so it differs from this year’s budget above. The weekly and hourly costs are the government’s own averages for the council, not spending divided by people.
What care for children costs
In 2024/25, Oxfordshire County Council spent £107.4m on children in its care, out of £178.8m on all its services for children and young people. On 31 Mar 2025 it was looking after 800 children:
Also 29 in supported accommodation and 12 in residential schools. Some small numbers are withheld by the Department to protect children's identities.
Where the £107.4m went
Show spending on children in care as a table
| Spending | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Children's homes and other residential care | £52.7m | 49% |
| Foster care | £19.0m | 18% |
| Other care, such as supported accommodation | £16.9m | 16% |
| Adoption | £7.8m | 7% |
| Young people leaving care | £3.9m | 4% |
| Support for special guardians | £3.7m | 3% |
| Living with family or friends (kinship care) | £2.0m | 2% |
| Education of children in care | £1.0m | 1% |
| Children seeking asylum on their own | £0.4m | 0% |
| Short breaks for disabled children in care | £0.0m | 0% |
| All spending on children in care | £107.4m | 100% |
Across England, a year in a children’s home costs councils about £387,000 a child: our own sum, done the National Audit Office’s way, dividing what councils spend on children’s homes by the children living in them. Councils record this spending in different ways, so we do not work it out for each council. Spending is before income, for 2024/25; the counts are for one day. From the Department for Education’s Section 251 outturn and children looked after statistics.
Council tax over the years
The council’s own share of a Band D bill went from £141.24 in 2023/24 to £156.24 in 2026/27, up 11%.
| Year | The council’s share | Whole bill, with the county council and police |
|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | £141.24 | £2,131.55 |
| 2024/25 | £146.24 | £2,236.08 |
| 2025/26 | £151.24 | £2,345.92 |
| 2026/27 | £156.24 | £2,461.30 |
Councillors and how each ward voted
Liberal Democrats 21, Green 8, Labour 3, Henley Residents' Group 3 and Conservative 1 of the 36 councillors on the council’s list. Liberal Democrats has more than half the seats, so runs the council. These are the results of the May 2023 election; the next is in May 2027. Where a ward has held a by-election since, a winner no longer on the council’s list is shown but not named. Only the councillors elected are named here; everyone else stood as their party’s candidate.
Benson and Crowmarsh
- Sue CooperLiberal DemocratsCabinet member for Environment
- Andrea PowellGreenChair of Council
How Benson and Crowmarsh voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 1,589 | Sue Cooper |
| Green Party | 1,534 | Andrea Powell |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 799 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 719 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Berinsfield
- Robin BennettGreenLeader of the Green Group
How Berinsfield voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Green Party | 761 | Robin Bennett |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 190 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Chalgrove
- David TurnerLiberal Democrats
How Chalgrove voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 929 | David Turner |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 147 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Chinnor
- Ali Gordon-CreedGreen
- Ed SadlerLiberal Democrats
How Chinnor voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 1,354 | Ed Sadler |
| Green Party | 1,334 | Ali Gordon-Creed |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,082 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 919 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Cholsey
- Anne-Marie SimpsonLiberal DemocratsCabinet member for Planning Policy (including Garden Communities) and Climate Action
- Crispin ToppingLiberal Democrats
How Cholsey voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 1,624 | Anne-Marie Simpson |
| Liberal Democrats | 1,387 | No longer on the council’s list |
| Independent | 912 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 808 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 697 | |
| Social Democratic Party | 188 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Didcot North East
- Zia MohammedLiberal Democrats
- David RouaneLiberal DemocratsVice-Chair of Council
- Andrew TinsleyLiberal Democrats
How Didcot North East voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 1,471 | David Rouane |
| Liberal Democrats | 1,237 | Andrew Tinsley |
| Liberal Democrats | 1,213 | Zia Mohammed |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 739 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 731 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 665 | |
| Labour Party | 548 | |
| Labour Party | 493 | |
| Labour Party | 425 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Didcot South
- Mocky KhanLabourLeader of the Labour and Co-operative Group
- Axel MacdonaldLabour
- Denise MacdonaldLabour
How Didcot South voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Labour and Co-operative Party | 1,237 | Mocky Khan |
| Labour and Co-operative Party | 1,056 | Denise Macdonald |
| Labour and Co-operative Party | 926 | Axel Macdonald |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 765 | |
| Green Party | 702 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 635 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 611 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 590 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 500 | |
| Social Democratic Party | 327 | |
| Reform UK | 106 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Didcot West
- Ian SnowdonConservative
- Tony WorganLiberal DemocratsDeputy Leader, plus Housing
How Didcot West voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 791 | Ian Snowdon |
| Liberal Democrats | 630 | Tony Worgan |
| Green Party | 577 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 574 | |
| Labour Party | 566 | |
| Labour Party | 509 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Forest Hill and Holton
- Tim BearderLiberal Democrats
How Forest Hill and Holton voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 837 | Tim Bearder |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 327 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Garsington and Horspath
- Sam James-LawrieLiberal Democrats
How Garsington and Horspath voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 414 | Sam James-Lawrie |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 257 | |
| Independent | 242 | |
| Labour Party | 109 | |
| Green Party | 43 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Goring
- Maggie Filipova-RiversLiberal DemocratsLeader
How Goring voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 1,098 | Maggie Filipova-Rivers |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 400 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Haseley Brook
- Georgina HeritageLiberal DemocratsCabinet member for Communities (including Community Hub and Migration
How Haseley Brook voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 741 | Georgina Heritage |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 501 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Henley-on-Thames
- Ken ArlettHenley Residents' GroupLeader of the Henley Residents' Group
- Stefan GawrysiakHenley Residents' Group
- Kellie HintonHenley Residents' Group
How Henley-on-Thames voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Henley Residents Group | 1,934 | Stefan Gawrysiak |
| Henley Residents Group | 1,652 | Ken Arlett |
| Henley Residents Group | 1,557 | Kellie Hinton |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,014 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 793 | |
| Green Party | 730 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 664 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 612 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kidmore End and Whitchurch
- Peter DragonettiGreen
How Kidmore End and Whitchurch voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Green Party | 717 | Peter Dragonetti |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 430 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Sandford and the Wittenhams
- Sam Casey-RerhayeGreen
How Sandford and the Wittenhams voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Green Party | 895 | Sam Casey-Rerhaye |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 315 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Sonning Common
- Mike GilesLiberal DemocratsCabinet member for Corporate Services and Policy
- Leigh RawlinsLiberal DemocratsCabinet member for Economic Development
How Sonning Common voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 1,250 | Leigh Rawlins |
| Liberal Democrats | 1,135 | Mike Giles |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 979 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 902 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Thame
- Pieter-Paul BarkerLiberal DemocratsCabinet member for Finance and Property Assets
- David BrethertonLiberal Democrats
- Kate GregoryLiberal Democrats
How Thame voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 1,943 | Kate Gregory |
| Liberal Democrats | 1,939 | David Bretherton |
| Liberal Democrats | 1,862 | Pieter-Paul Barker |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,093 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 793 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 765 | |
| Labour Party | 728 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Wallingford
- James BarlowGreen
- Katharine Keats-RohanLiberal Democrats
How Wallingford voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Green Party | 2,032 | James Barlow |
| Liberal Democrats | 1,762 | Katharine Keats-Rohan |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 609 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 363 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Watlington
- Ben HigginsLiberal DemocratsCabinet member for Planning Enforcement, Development Management, Legal and Democratic Services
How Watlington voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 916 | No longer on the council’s list |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 400 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Wheatley
- Peter RamsdaleLiberal Democrats
How Wheatley voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 774 | No longer on the council’s list |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 389 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Woodcote and Rotherfield
- James NormanGreen
- Jo RobbGreenDeputy Leader of the Green Group
How Woodcote and Rotherfield voted
| Party | Votes | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Green Party | 1,529 | Jo Robb |
| Green Party | 1,387 | James Norman |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,028 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 902 | |
| Reform UK | 151 |
The declaration gave no turnout. From the council’s declaration, via Democracy Club (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Still to come for South Oxfordshire
For Hammersmith & Fulham, Borough Book also tracks every party’s manifesto pledges, every council payment over £500, Cabinet and Full Council decisions, how this year’s budget gap was closed and a tool to balance next year. Those need the council’s own papers, read by hand, and come here next. See Hammersmith & Fulham.
Where every figure on this page comes from
- Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027, Table 10: council tax requirement data for billing authorities
- Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027, Table 9: area council tax by band
- Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2026 to 2027 budget, revenue account (RA) data by local authority
- Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2026 to 2027 budget, specific and special grants (SG) by local authority
- Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England, Table 9: area council tax by band 2025 to 2026
- Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England, Table 10: council tax requirement data for billing authorities, 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026
- Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England, Table 9 (revised): council tax requirement data for billing authorities, 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025
- Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England, Table 8: area council tax by band 2024 to 2025
- Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England, Table 9 (revised): council tax requirement data for billing authorities, 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
- Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England, Table 8 (revised): area council tax by band 2023 to 2024
- Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2025 to 2026 budget, revenue account (RA) data by local authority
- Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2024 to 2025 budget, revenue account (RA) data by local authority
- Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2024 to 2025 outturn, revenue summary (RS) by local authority
- Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2024 to 2025 outturn, cultural, environmental and planning services (RO5) by local authority
- South Oxfordshire District Council, notice of council tax for 2026/27 (every parish, Bands A to H)
- Henley Town Council, 2026/7 budget (version 0.4, 3 December 2025), page 1: precept and tax base
- Oxfordshire County Council, councillors by division (ModernGov web service)
- Local government reorganisation: decision letter to Oxfordshire council leaders, 16 July 2026
- South Oxfordshire District Council: government confirms three new unitary councils for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire in 2028
- South Oxfordshire District Council, councillors by ward (ModernGov web service)
- Democracy Club, South Oxfordshire local election 4 May 2023
- Democracy Club, by-elections to South Oxfordshire District Council since 4 May 2023
- Office for National Statistics, Wards (December 2024) Boundaries UK BGC
- Adult social care finance report, England: 2024 to 2025, data tables (corrected 13 November 2025)
- LA and school expenditure, financial year 2024-25: children's and young people's services by local authority (Section 251 outturn)
- Children looked after in England including adoptions, reporting year 2025: number and rate per 10,000 children
- Children looked after in England including adoptions, reporting year 2025: children looked after on 31 March by characteristics