Your Local Councils - Who Does What?

Local government has a 3-tier structure in Oxfordshire, with each area having a town or parish council, being part of a District and also under the overall umbrella of the County Council. Each type of council has a different range of responsibilities. In Brightwell-cum-Sotwell:

• Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Parish Council is responsible for the well-being of the village and its inhabitants. It is responsible for the recreation grounds and it is consulted and keeps local people informed of local developments and issues (for example, through the Village Notice Boards, The Villager and the Village Website) and co-ordinates responses to District or County Council initiatives. The Parish Council is consulted and comments on all planning applications in the parish.
• South Oxfordshire District Council is responsible for local services, including planning, allocating social housing, and rubbish collection, including recycling. Services such as environmental health are also run by SODC.
• Oxfordshire County Council is responsible for local services, including education, social services, transport, roads, public rights of way, and libraries.

If you are not sure which councillor to contact about any particular issue, the best idea is probably to pick the one you think might be right, and let them direct you to someone else if necessary. All the Councillors locally work together as a team, and all are happy to help or to find the right person if someone else is better able to deal with a problem.