Leader’s Report
Published Thursday 11 December 2025
Looking back, I think it is fair to say that it has been another challenging year – but like many previous years, I feel we have all shown great resilience and responded with determination to everything that has come our way, celebrating our achievements when they have presented themselves and taking on setbacks with dignity and consideration.
It is hard to believe a year has gone by since the government announced its Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation plans. After a huge amount of work – by a great many partners – we successfully submitted our Two Unitary Authority Proposal to the government at the end of November. I want to take the opportunity to express my immense appreciation to everyone who contributed to the proposal. We’re confident we have a strong, positive, cost-effective plan that meets the government’s criteria and protects and enhances what’s great about our communities.
It has certainly been a challenging year for our Joint Local Plan (JLP). The JLP is an exceptional plan, and we are proud of the work that has gone into producing it. Although we faced a huge set-back in the autumn with our Planning Inspectors’ initial conclusions about the Duty to Cooperate, recent developments have suggested there may be a positive way forward. We are pleased that the Minister’s recent correspondence confirms that the Duty will not be saved going forward, therefore asking the Inspectorate to engage in dialogue with councils like ours with plans at examination. We received a letter from our Inspectors to start that dialogue, and I would like to announce that our councils have now sent a reply setting out that our wish is to ask them to resume the hearings and progress the Joint Local Plan through examination and, all being well, to adoption.
Challenges aside, there is indeed much to celebrate. This was the year that our ambitions to take action on climate and nature came to fruition as we are close to completing work on a multi-million-pound decarbonisation project at our leisure centres in Abingdon and Wantage. Both sites have been fitted with air source heat pumps and hundreds of solar panels to provide clean, green energy, which will bring down Vale’s carbon emissions by a quarter, as well as their energy bills.
The Joint Nature and Climate Action Plan was also published this year. This set climate and biodiversity targets for the district and the councils themselves. Earlier this year Vale found national recognition for its work when it was rated among the top ten district councils in the country for its action on climate and nature by environmental organisation, Climate Emergency UK.
In autumn, the Climate Action Fund has once again proved incredibly popular with a wide range of local groups successfully applying for a total of £100,000 for projects which ranged from restoring a wetland area in Sunningwell to funding a free garden tree giveaway for residents across the district. As ever we were surprised and delighted by the ambition and enthusiasm of people looking to take action on nature and climate.
It’s been a busy year in our Community Hub, who have supported hundreds of residents with cost-of-living concerns, including providing financial support and sharing advice on health, wellbeing and affordable living. For organisations and charities experiencing financial strain, our White Horse Community Lottery is also a helping hand, which has so far generated over £27,000 for local good causes across our district this year.
Our new Joint Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy sets how we ensure support reaches people when they need it most. Over the last year our housing team prevented 264 households in the district who were at risk of becoming homeless, from becoming homeless. We’ve also enabled many low-income families to stay in the local area through our White Horse Lettings service which supports tenancies and landlords.
We continue to provide heartfelt support for people fleeing conflict and seeking sanctuary – including Ukrainian and Afghan households living in the Vale. In partnership with many others, we help ensure a warm welcome for everyone and embrace integration, supporting independent living for those staying in the county, and I think reflecting the sentiments of the motion Cllr Foulsham is bringing this evening.
Looking forward I welcome working with Adrianna Partridge as our new chief executive, she has served the council well over many years, and I am sure is well placed to see us through the complexities of local government reorganisation and devolution as we move forward.
Sadly I do have another change to mention though, and while Cllr David Roaune is not of this council, he will be someone I will sorely miss as he steps down as South Oxfordshire District Council Leader this week. I have worked in close partnership with him over the last few years, and he has offered me guidance and support, as a mentor and a friend, as we have steered each council through a few challenging years; I would like to wish him all the best as he retires to the back benches, and has a chance to put his feet up a little. I want to reassure him that I will be there to help his successor as much as I can as they find their feet, and as we enter another year full of challenges and opportunities, and hope we can work together for the good of our communities.
As we head into our holiday break, I would like to send my heart-felt thanks to all our local volunteers, community groups and charities that have been working tirelessly to help vulnerable individuals and families. I also couldn’t go without thanking all councillors, my cabinet, and everyone at the council in helping us to deliver our high-quality support and services to our residents.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Cllr Bethia Thomas
Leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council
