IT’S great to see Oxford City Council has our health and well-being at heart. The powers that be at the Town Hall, in conjunction with NHS Oxfordshire, has launched a series of weekly walks across the city, each one instructor-led.

These health strolls will help us get fit and active – free of charge – and explore some of the city’s parks and open spaces.

But what, I here you say, of these terrible budget cutbacks, of the age of austerity we have all been promised.

How can the council and the health authority afford to be so generous?

Well, fear not, they have a cunning plan that should produce some efficiency savings.

Promise a series of free, weekly, outdoor events starting in late November... then slip in the disclaimer “Walks will not go ahead if there is heavy rainfall, snow or ice!”.

Bean counters somewhere will be rejoicing the Arctic blast we are promised tomorrow...

Is it the Insider, or are council gatekeepers getting a bit stand-offish of late? In recent weeks Horspath Parish Council refused to talk to Oxford Mail reporters and would only communicate through statements on its website.

In Kennington, the parish council has agreed an elaborate new media policy at its September meeting.

It reads: “The media should be informed that the first point of contact was the clerk and if she was not available then the chairman. The clerk would consult with the chairman and vice-chairman when contacted to decide how to express the parish council’s collective view on any matters.”

Surprising, as its chairman Peter Biggs is always more than helpful when called about the issues of the day.

But the most alarming case was at South Oxfordshire District Council where the Oxford Mail was informed that all inquiries to councillors must go through the press office or councillors “would just ignore your calls” – again most councillors seem happy to talk when we call.

So to council officers, let’s start over, ’tis (soon) the season of goodwill to all men, after all.

One rumbling game of council oneupmanship is warming the cockles of the Insider’s heart as winter sets in.

What fun it has been to watch our esteemed representatives steadily declare themselves more and more irrelevant, surplus to requirements, a bloated burden on the public purse.

South Oxfordshire District Council wants to cut its number of councillors from 48 to 30 – it can survive without so many apparently.

Oxfordshire County Council is set to follow suit, declaring some of its members could be jettisoned to save cash.

Didcot’s Labour stalwart Margaret Davies went one further and declared a whole tier of local government pointless – despite serving on a “pointless” district council for nine years.

Presumably, councillors think this self-deprecating behaviour will endear them to the public, based on the notion that no-one liked them in the first place.

Where will it end?

A vote to board up our town halls because democracy is “a bit too expensive”?

And, if councils don’t need as many members, why has it taken until now to propose a cull?