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Winter in The Vale  

A guide to services and advice from the council, as well as local and national organisations, to help during the winter months. 

Latest news

piece of Roman pottery up close

January 21, 2026

Pieces of town’s history discovered following car park work 

Pieces of Abingdon’s rich history have been unearthed following car park improvement works. 

An illustration of a taxi

January 20, 2026

From payments to emissions – tell us what you think about proposed taxi policy updates

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils are inviting residents, businesses and the taxi and private hire trade to share their views on proposed updates to their Joint Taxi Licensing Policy.   This is your chance to influence how taxi services operate across both districts – from payment options to environmental targets. The […]

image showing social media icons

January 16, 2026

Councils remove themselves from “unacceptable” X social media platform

Published 16 January 2026 Two councils are removing their profiles from the social media service X in light of recent events that saw the platform’s integrated AI tool Grok being used to for activities branded as “completely unacceptable”. South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse District Councils had already significantly reduced their use of […]

January 16, 2026

Good news for Marcham residents as air quality improves

Published Friday 16 January 2026 At a meeting of the Vale of White Horse District Council Licensing Committee on Thursday 15 January, councillors heard that officers have assessed air quality in the district and found that over five years Marcham Air Quality Management Area has seen consistent reductions in nitrogen dioxide, a key pollutant primarily […]

vale of white horse district council logo

January 14, 2026

Council supports £100,000 loan for Abingdon Abbey Buildings Enhancement project 

There is great news for heritage in Abingdon this month. The Vale of White Horse District Council has agreed to lend £100,000 to the Friends of Abingdon Abbey Buildings Trust to support the Abingdon Abbey Buildings Enhancement Project.  

January 14, 2026

New community repair hub opens in Abingdon

People in Abingdon and neighbouring villages will benefit from a new community repair hub, Shed Space, which offers a space to refurbish bikes and household items as well as opportunities to make new friends and share skills.

Light playing on water

January 13, 2026

Council submits response to Thames Water reservoir consultation

Vale of White Horse District Council has today (13 January 2026) submitted its consultation response on Thames Water’s proposed reservoir for the district.

Decorative montage of landscape images

January 8, 2026

Meeting with Inspectors will discuss ways forward for Joint Local Plan

Council officers will meet with government planning Inspectors with the hope the districts’ Joint Local Plan will continue its examination.

Photo shows representatives from Better alongside Cabinet members from South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils and GLL Sport Foundation athletes. 

January 6, 2026

Councils secure a high-quality and sustainable future for leisure facilities in uncertain times

Local residents can look forward to high-quality, sustainable leisure services for at least the next three years after their councils struck a deal for a contract extension.

Image showing a map of Oxfordshire and Berkshire as part of a mayoral strategic authority.

December 19, 2025

Thames Valley devolution expression of interest submitted to government

An expression of interest letter to create a mayoral strategic authority (MSA) within the Thames Valley has been submitted to government following discussions and agreement by 13 councils within the region.