Local elections are happening on May 2 and here is a run-down of what's likely to be at stake in the north Oxfordshire area.
Cherwell District Council is currently run by the Conservative minority administration after the party was reduced to having no overall control following May 2023 elections.
Its leader is Barry Wood and the composition of the council is currently 20 Conservative, 12 Labour, 10 Liberal Democrat, three Independent and three Green councillors.
READ MORE: Bicester warning sign near fatal crash more than decade old
Elections for the district council are held in three out of every four years, with one third of the council being chosen at each one.
Below is a graph which indicates what the likely swing seats are for the upcoming elections:
As you'll see, these seats lie in the Cropredy, Sibfords and Roxton, Banbury Hardwick, Barnbury Calthorpe and Easington, Deddington, Fringford and Heyfords, Bicester North and Caversfield, Bicester West, Bicester East and Launton and Otmoor areas.
We have calculated swing seats by areas where there was a 20 per cent difference in vote between the top two parties in the last local election.
Three councillors are elected to each ward meaning the Conservatives only had a majority in three wards but were able to win 20 seats in total due to coming second or third in other wards.
A majority of the 48 seats up for grabs would be needed for the Conservatives to win back control but this could be unlikely due to the party not polling brilliantly at a national level.
Prior to the 2023 election, the Conservatives had held a majority of the seats on the council since 2000.
There are no other districts in the Oxfordshire region which currently have overall Conservative control and it would be a mighty feat for the Conservatives to gain this in Cherwell.
We have previously done an article outlining the full list of Cherwell ward candidates which you can read here.
Below is also an infographic to show you what the current political makeup of the council looks like:
Some of the big issues that have cropped up during the year in the Cherwell district include planning applications such as for a new Oxford United stadium in the Kidlington area, ongoing issues around the cost of living, housing developments and transport.
Kidlington wards near where the new stadium is planned on a piece of land called 'The Triangle' do not seem to be swing seats but time will tell whether residents are swayed by the issue when it comes to casting their votes.
National issues still seem to have an impact on local elections and some Conservative county councillors made damning comments about the former prime minister Liz Truss as she publicised her new book.
It seems some Tories are trying to distance themselves from Ms Truss' views, perhaps with one eye on the upcoming elections.
The Cherwell district was created in 1974 and was named after the River Cherwell which drains south through the region to flow into the River Thames at Oxford.
Have a read here for more information on everything you need to know about voting in local elections.
Help support trusted local news
Sign up for a digital subscription now: oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe
As a digital subscriber you will get:
- Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website
- Advert-light access
- Reader rewards
- Full access to our app
- Subscriptions from Oxford Mail Subscribe to the Oxford Mail
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel