Leader’s statement – Report to Council – 22 October 2025

Cllr Bethia Thomas, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, delivered her latest Report to Council at the meeting on 22 October 2025:

This evening, we have seen more members of the public come to a Vale full council meeting than ever before. They have joined us, because we all share one thing in common, and I don’t think I could be accused of predetermination if I suggested that our opposition to SESRO is universal.

Tonight’s motion, brought to us in a cross party proposal, voices our strong concerns  not just for the reservoir, the supposed need for it and the potential damage it will have on our district, but for the hugely inflated costs that we are now seeing come out of this proposal – costs that have escalated and are already spiralling out of control, with increases in capital construction costs from an estimated £2.2 billion to three times that amount, and this I am sure is not the last of it.

My colleagues tonight expressed what I am trying to articulate so much better than I ever could, arguing for the consideration of the alternative scheme, the Severn Trent Transfer, with passion and conviction.

It is our members who are so passionate about issues like SESRO that motivate us as a council – we want to thank everyone who came to speak tonight and for groups like GARD for your sustained vigilance and expertise in this field. I am sure that there is a long road ahead of us, but each time we act and speak up, we are sending a message to Thames Water and to the Secretary of State that this is not acceptable.

As you know, we will have several big issues to tackle over the coming months and years, but just like our argument against SESRO,  I think that we will meet those challenges with conviction and the belief that we will continue to be a strong force for our communities, even when we are being asked to radically change the structure of the councils in our area.

The next time we meet as a council we will be discussing our proposal for Local Government Reorganisation. The two unitary model we are proposing, made up of Ridgeway and Oxford & Shires Councils, has been informed by extensive community engagement and we are looking forward to being able to share more information with our residents soon. Looking at the emerging plan, we’re confident we have a strong, positive, cost-effective proposal that meets the government’s criteria and protects and enhances what’s great about our communities. 

With this change and further proposals of devolution across a wider geography, we are making sure we are making the best fit for our communities. This is also important when we consider other proposals that are affecting our residents, including the new 10 Year Plan for the NHS which may have dramatic effects on the way we see health care administered across the district; we have a stake in this and will make sure the health and wellbeing of our residents is at the forefront. I have been in meetings to discuss this already and they will continue over the coming weeks and months.

Work on our Joint Local Plan continues. There has been a lot of misunderstanding about the consequences of the recent request to withdraw the JLP from examination. We have a number of options for what we can do. Our plan has not yet been withdrawn, to do so we would have to discuss this fully with all members in a council meeting. While we have acknowledged the request to withdraw, we have also disputed the reasoning behind it; with a strong five-year land supply, and a local plan which is valid until 2031 we are in control of development in the Vale.

Recently the Minister responsible for the Planning Inspectorate wrote to the Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate to ask them to consider being more flexible in how they approach “Duty to Cooperate” issues, and we are actively investigating how this might apply to the Joint Local Plan and may lead to our own request to reconsider the Planning Inspectorate’s decision.

I am confident in our council’s ability to find its way; we have skilled members and officers, and we exceed even our own expectations. The JLP is an exceptional plan, and we are proud of the work that has gone into producing it, it’s full of innovative policies which will continue to shape our district.

We will continue to make a difference to our finances as well. When our council was set on a road to bankruptcy before our administration took the reins in 2019, we steered it in the right direction. We have had to make difficult decisions, and we will continue to do so, balancing common sense with consideration. Sadly, government funding of local councils remains unpredictable, and the idea of fairer funding is due to make things a little more unfair for some.  Rising prices that affect businesses nationally also affect our council and with predicted budget pressures already being considered, we intend, as always, to run a tight financial ship.

Our council is a lot of things: we are resilient, we are exceptional, we will fight for what we believe in, and we will be a strong and positive force for our communities, no matter what we face – bring it on.

Thank you.