How city councillors used their ward cash

Each of the 48 city councillors gets £1,500 a year to spend in the communities they represent – a total of £72,000.

The city councillor to spend the most money was Ben Lloyd-Shogbesan, who represents Lye Valley. He paid £2,964 towards projects including Oxfordshire Equality and Human Rights Council, goal posts at Bullingdon Community Centre and a church toddler group.

He said: “I made the choice after requests from the local community.

“I had some meetings with people and groups and I chose the things that would make an impact and a difference.

“It is good to have this money if you consider the current austerity measures and the impact it is having on a lot of our voluntary and community services.

“I think it is very important to use the money effectively. It is quite a small amount of money so it is worth finding the most appropriate areas to spend it on.”

The ward budgets were introduced by Oxford City Council as part of its programme of cuts.

It decided to scrap the previous six area committees in 2011 despite concern from residents about the effect on local democracy.

In 2010/11 those committees were able to allocate £174,947 in grant money to projects in their areas: Cowley, Central South and West, East, North, North East and South East.

Instead the council introduced a new scheme in May 2011 where £72,000 was made available, divided between the city’s 48 councillors.

Other community projects or items that received funding included new line markings for a street in South Oxford, a new noticeboard in North Oxford and two grit bins in Headington.

Ed Turner, the city council’s executive board member for finance, who spent £400 on Christmas lights in his Rose Hill ward, said: “My experience has been that the ward funding has been really useful for people and really well received.”

Last year more than £30,000 carried was forward from 2011/12 and added to the councillors’ budget.

And in 2012/13 almost £8,000 was not earmarked so has been carried over for the current financial year.

City councillors decide how to allocated their budget in different ways. Some do it through public meetings while others wait for people to get in touch.

To contact your city councillor with a bid for their cash, see oxford.gov.uk/councillors

WHO SPENT WHAT

• Mohammed Abbasi, Labour, Cowley Marsh – Unspent from last year: £1,400. Total spent: £2,900 on fencing for a cricket practice area.
• Mohammed Altaf-Khan, Lib Dem, Headington Hill and Northway – Unspent 2012: £1,450. Total spent: £2,950; £150 on a trip for elderly people and young people, £2,500 for the Northway Community Association and £300 to Oxford Sri Guru.
• Alan Armitage, Lib Dem, North – Unspent 2012: £1,150. Total spent: £2,000; £100 to Southmoor street party, £250 to canal boats for hire by Waterways Trust, £500 to FOAR, £500 to St Giles church and £1,150 towards a notice board for the Waterside estate (£500 pending).
• Antonia Bance, Labour, Rose Hill and Iffley – Unspent 2012: £800. Total spent: £600; £400 on the Rose Hill Christmas lights and £200 on Positive Futures Residential Programme.
• Laurence Baxter, Labour, Headington and Quarry – Unspent 2012: £350. Total spent: £250 on the Risinghurst Fete.
• Elise Benjamin, Green, Iffley Fields – Unspent 2012: £1,500. Total spent: £2,800; £500 towards Cowley Road Works Carnival, £200 on ACKHI, £300 towards bridging Donnington’s over 50s, £200 towards Shotover Girlguiding, £400 towards Cowley Road Carnival, £200 to Enactus, £200 to Fairacres Allotments, £200 to Full Circle, £500 to Larkrise School and £300 to Young Women’s Music Project (£200 pending).
• Tony Brett, Lib Dem, Carfax – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £1,500; £400 to Oxford Homeless Pathways, £300 to Oxford Hub and OUSU, £400 to Oxford Street Pastors and £400 to Crisis Oxford.
• Jim Campbell, Lib Dem, St Margaret's – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £0.
• Anne-Marie Canning, Labour, Carfax – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £400 for OUSU and Oxford Hub.
• Bev Clack, Labour, St Clement’s: Unspent 2012: £1,500. Total spent: £1,100; £500 to Cowley Road Works Carnival, £400 to Age Concern, £200 to Jacari and £200 to Enactus (£200 pending).
• Mary Clarkson, Labour, Marston – Unspent 2012: £1,500. Total spent: £1,870; £800 to a community noticeboard in Old Marston, £350 to a grit bin in William Street, £360 for two trees in Marston Road and Nicholson Road and £360 to New Marston Pre School.
• Colin Cook, Labour, Jericho and Osney – Unspent 2012: £1,287 Total spent: £900; £400 to the Osney, St Thomas and New Botley Allotment Association and £500 to the Jericho Street Fair.
• Van Coulter, Labour, Barton and Sandhills – Unspent 2012: £512.50. Total spent £1,300; £1,000 to Oxfordshire Mind and £300 to Barton Village recreation ground for telegraph poles to form a barrier to prevent parking.
• Steven Curran, Labour, Northfield Brook – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £1,400; £500 to Leys Fun Day, £500 to Blitz computer hub, £100 to Positive Futures Youth Programme and £300 to Catalyst community day.
• Roy Darke, Labour, Headington Hill and Northway – Unspent 2012: £1,250. Total spent: £475; £395 to school governors software at New Marston School and £80 to a publicity video for New Marston Primary School.
• Jean Fooks, Lib Dem, Summertown – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £1,499.75; £233.75 for a new road sign, £600 to Summertown Christmas lights, £500 to Cutteslowe Primary School and £166 to St Andrews Church to purchase equipment and fund a young persons trip from Cuttleslowe.
• James Fry, Labour, North – Unspent 2012: £1,500. Total spent: £1,510; £250 towards publicity for the launch of a farmers market, £500 towards new playground equipment for Aristotle Lane, £30 towards publicity for Christmas farmers market, £500 towards the farmers market, £100 to The Park Town Trust and £130 towards publicity for the farmers market.
• John Goddard, Lib Dem, Wolvercote – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £1,500, £350 for a grit bin in the Templars Road area and £1150 to Wolvercote Primary School.
• Michael Gotch, Lib Dem, Wolvercote – Unspent 2012: £50. Total spent: £1,000; £500 towards neighbourhood partnership and £500 to Wolvercote Young People's Club.
• Mick Haines, Independent, Marston – Unspent 2012: £1,392.Total spent: £2,218; £208 towards war memorial plaque, £150 installation costs for plaque, £1,500 for the installation of a memorial bench to be located alongside the plaque and £360 to St Michael's School.
• Sam Hollick, Green, Holywell – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £900; £400 contribution to Oxford University Student Union and Oxford Hub and £500 to Jacari.
• Rae Humberstone, Labour, Blackbird Leys – Unspent 2012: £1,400. Total spent: £1,500; £500 to Leys Fun Day, £500 to the Blitz computer hub, £200 to Positive Futures Youth Programme and £300 to Catalyst.
• Graham Jones, Lib Dem, St Clement’s – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £1,500 to Rotary Club.
• Pat Kennedy, Labour, Lye Valley – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £1,500; £200 to goal posts for the sports area at Bullingdon Community Centre, £100 to Citizens Advice Bureau, £200 to St Francis School-Home/School Links, £75 to Cowley News, £200 to St Francis church, £135 to Bullingdon Community, Association, £100 to Age UK Bullingdon, £100 to Age UK St Francis, £100 to food bank, £100 to Wood Farm Youth Club and £190 to Mencap.
• Shah Khan, Labour, Cowley – Unspent 2012: £1,250. Total spent: £375; £300 towards Cowley Time Bank and £75 to Cowley News.
• Ben Lloyd-Shogbesan, Labour, Lye Valley – Unspent 2012: £1,464. Total spent: £2,964; £200 to goal posts for the sports area at Bullingdon Community Centre, £100 to Citizens Advice Bureau, £75 to Cowley News, £200 to St Francis Church toddler group and £2,389 to OEHRC.
• Mark Lygo, Labour, Churchill – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £0.
• Saj Malik, Labour, Cowley Marsh – Unspent 2012: £700. Total spent: £2,200 on fencing for a cricket practice area in Cowley Marsh Recreation Ground.
• Stuart McCready, Lib Dem, Summertown – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £1,464; £26 to room hire for neighbourhood partnership, £30 to room hire for neighbourhood partnership, £315 to Cutteslowe Community Association, £454.70 to Cutteslowe Primary School, £619.30 to Cutteslowe Community Association and £19 to St Margaret's Institute.
• Joe McManners, Labour, Churchill – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £1,500; £250 to Friends of Magdalen Wood, £250 to Wood Farm Forum, £500 for a Girdlestone Road noticeboard and £500 to Wood Farm Forum Youth.
• Mark Mills, Lib Dem, Holywell – Unspent 2012: £1,500. Total spent: £2,000; £1,500 to Oxford Poverty Action Trust, £100 to Oxford International Festival and £400 to OUSU.
• Helen O’Hara, Labour, Cowley – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £225; £75 to Cowley News and £150 to Oxford Irish Society (£150 pending).
• Susanna Pressel, Labour, Jericho and Osney – Unspent 2012: £100. Total spent: £200 to St Frideswide’s Church.
• Bob Price, Labour, Hinksey Park – Unspent 2012: £200. Total spent: £1,670; £300 towards St Lukes Youth Group’s residential trip, £100 towards St Matthew’s PCC for a street party, £420 for line markings and signage at Salters Close car park, £350 towards grit bin on Marlborough Road and £500 to South Oxfordshire Community Association.
• Mike Rowley, Labour, Barton and Sandhills – Unspent 2012: £63. Total spent: £500 to Innovista.
• Gwynneth Royce, Lib Dem, St Margarets – Unspent 2012: £1,400. Total spent: £1,000 to Oxford Playhouse Trust.
• David Rundle, Lib Dem, Headington – Unspent 2012: £1,050. Total spent: £700; £125 for a grit bin in St Andrew’s Lane, £125 for a grit bin in Kennett Road and £450 for the relining of Kennett Road.
• Gill Sanders, Labour, Littlemore – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £1,500; £400 to Positive Futures, £1,000 to Littlemore Youth Club and £100 to Littlemore Community Association.
• Scott Seamons, Labour, Northfield Brook – Unspent 2012: £1,400. Total spent: £1,400; £500 to Leys Fun Day, £500 to the Blitz computer hub, £100 to Positive Futures Youth Programme and £300 to Catalyst Community Day.
• Craig Simmons, Green, St Mary’s – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £1,200; £500 towards the Cowley Road Works Carnival, £300 to Enactus Oxford, £350 to a grit bin in Bannister Close and £350 to Oxfordshire Community Foundation (£300 pending).
• Dee Sinclair, Labour, Quarry and Risinghurst – Unspent 2012: £350. Total spent: £650; £350 for sessions of youth activities at Risinghurst Community Centre, £50 to venue hire for a drop in session regarding flooding and £250 to Risinghurst Fete.
• Val Smith, Labour, Blackbird Leys – Unspent 2012: £1,400. Total spent: £1,500; £500 to Leys Fun Day, £500 to the Blitz computer hub, £200 to Positive Futures Youth Programme and £300 to Catalyst Community Day.
• John Tanner, Labour, Littlemore – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £1,500; £1,000 to Littlemore Youth Club and £500 to Littlemore Health Bus.
• Ed Turner, Labour, Rose Hill and Iffley – Unspent 2012: £350. Total spent: £600; £400 to the Rose Hill Christmas lights and £200 to Positive Futures Residential Programme.
• Oscar Van Nooijen, Labour, Hinksey Park – Unspent 2012: £0. Total spent: £1,500; £250 towards South Oxford Farmers Market, £29.88 to Lake Street Playgroup’s firework event, £590 to bollards in Whitehouse Road and £630.12 to South Oxfordshire Adventure Playground.
• Ruth Wilkinson, Lib Dem, Headington – Unspent 2012: £975. Total spent: £950; £125 for a grit bin in St Andrew’s Lane, £250 to BCHA Charity, £125 for a grit bin in Kennett Road and £450 to the relining of Kennett Road.
• David Williams, Green, Iffley Fields – Unspent 2012: £500. Total spent: £2,000; £500 to Donnington Doorstep, £500 to the Cowley Road Works Carnival, £500 to Donnington Doorstep and £500 to Larkrise School.
• Dick Wolff, Green, St Mary’s – Unspent 2012: £750. Total spent: £2,100; £500 to the Cowley Road Works Carnival, £850 to Oxfordshire Community Foundation, £150 contribution to Enactus and £750 to Oxfordshire Community Foundation (£150 pending).