Come join us in Appleton Village Hall on the 29th March for App Rock 3!! Tickets are £15 and can be purchased in the Village Shop.

The budget was the focus at the first full Vale of White Horse District Council meeting of 2025, alongside investment in housing and approval of a new council plan.

The district council met on Wednesday 12 February and approved its 2025-2026 budget.

The budget maintains investment in key areas including community support, housing and leisure facilities, while ensuring that residents will continue to receive excellent value for money for services provided by the district council.  

Highlights include securing funding to ensure the council’s Community Hub will remain available through to April 2027. This important service provides practical support and advice for those with cost-of-living concerns or who are finding life difficult. More information is available on the budget on the council’s website and the budget news release.

Housing also featured significantly at the meeting, with a proposed change to the long-term empty property premium approved, as part of a longer-term strategy to tackle the issue of empty homes. The investment in the purchase of one/two-bedroom homes for use as temporary accommodation was also approved.  

Other key items considered at the busy meeting included the council’s new council plan. Councillors reviewed At the Heart of the Vale, the Council Plan 2025-2029.

One motion was debated on the subject of devolution, which wasn’t passed.

Topics covered by questions included the council’s proposed new headquarters, Didcot Gateway.

View all the questions and answers here.

The Vale of White Horse District Council has published draft recommendations for new wards, ward boundaries, and ward names for Vale of White Horse.

They are inviting comments on those recommendations.

The consultation closes on16 September2024.

For the draft recommendation report, click here: vowh_dr_report_launch_copy.pdf (lgbce.org.uk)

For the summary of the draft recommendations, click here: dr_-_summary_-_vale.pdf (lgbce.org.uk)

To go to the consultation, click here: consultation.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/vale-white-horse

To participate in the consultation, click here: Vale of White Horse | LGBCE

The District Council’s Active Communities Team work across the district to help residents with their physical health and wellbeing. School Holiday Activities – Vale of White Horse District Council (whitehorsedc.gov.uk)

Every school holiday they have an array of free and low-cost activities planned, including activities for families that are signed up to YouMove. You can find out more about YouMove on our YouMove webpage.

Also check out The Beacon Wantage for details of their free summer activities with the Active Communities team.

Hello from your newly elected District Councillor.

I aim to hold regular surgeries in the village to discuss any Council issues you may have. .  If you wish to contact me directly, please email me at mark.coleman@whitehorsedc.gov.uk.  

I look forward to working on your behalf. 

Yours, Mark Coleman

Cllr Mark Coleman 

Thames Ward – Vale of White Horse DC

Elections are coming up in May and those eligible to vote will be required to show a form of photo id.

Accepted forms of photo ID

You can use any of the following accepted forms of photo ID when voting at a polling station.

International travel

• Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country

Driving and Parking

• Driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (this includes a provisional driving licence)
• A Blue Badge

Local travel

• Older Person’s Bus Pass funded by the Government of the United Kingdom
• Disabled Person’s Bus Pass funded by the Government of the United Kingdom
• Oyster 60+ Card funded by the Government of the United Kingdom
• Freedom Pass
• Scottish National Entitlement Card
• 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
• Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
• Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland

Proof of age

• Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)

Other government issued documents

• Biometric immigration document
• Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
• National identity card issued by an EEA state
• Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland
• Voter Authority Certificate
• Anonymous Elector’s Document

You will only need to show one form of photo ID. It needs to be the original version and not a photocopy.

If you do not have one of the above, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. For more information on this, click here: Apply for photo ID to vote (called a ‘Voter Authority Certificate’) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If you have any questions on how to obtain a photo id or any other election-related questions, please feel free to contact the Clerk either on parishclerk.appletonwitheaton@gmail.com or by phone on 01865 865 876.

Appleton with Eaton Parish Council has had an uncontested election. The new councillors take office on the 9th May 2023.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Clerk on either parishclerk.appletonwitheaton@gmail.com or 01865 865 876.

Would you like to earn money, meet lots of people and play a key role in our local democracy?  

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils are looking for people to work as poll clerks at the local elections on Thursday 4 May.   

If you sign up, you’ll receive £168 for the day, working from 6am until the finish around 10.30pm. 

If you or someone you know is interested, please get in touch as soon as possible by emailing: electionstaff@southandvale.gov.uk.   

For more information, visit: whitehorsedc.gov.uk/electionjobs

Please note, the councils cannot offer these roles to people that work for or are connected with a political party.