Oxenhope Village Council consists of eight elected members and a salaried Clerk. Members are elected, unpaid, for a four year term. The next election will be in May 2027. Casual vacancies are filled by election, if requested, or by co-option.
Formerly known as Oxenhope Parish Council, in 2019, the Council decided to change its name to Oxenhope Village Council, as allowed for by the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, in order to make a distinction from an ecclesiastical parish. The Village Council has no connection with the Churches in Oxenhope.
The Clerk to the Council can be contacted on 07972 717058 or by email to clerk@oxenhopevillagecouncil.gov.uk
The Village Council meets monthly, normally on the second Wednesday of each month at the Methodist Church on West Drive Oxenhope, starting at 7.30 p.m.
It is open to all and members of the public are normally invited to speak on any item if they wish to do so, and ‘Public Questions’ are always a specific item on the agenda.
Representation is non-political and matters discussed rarely have a party political slant. Members who find they have a disclosable pecuniary interest (usually financial) in a matter under discussion must declare it and withdraw from the discussion.
The Village Council is funded by a local tax on residents which is collected with the Council Tax. In Oxenhope for a typical home in band D, the local precept will add £52.74 per year, or £4.40 per month, to the Council Tax bill in 2024/25. The average parish precept per band D property in England for 2024/25 is £85.88.
The Oxenhope precept will collect a sum of £55,360 which will support the Village Council’s budgeted expenditure of £67,947 in the year. The precept, combined with planned use of our modest reserves, will enable the Village Council to fund forecast increases in running costs and to continue to invest in projects, maintenance and improvements across the village.
In addition to the precept the Village Council has a strong track record of accessing external grant and other funding to support project work.