ALL households across Oxfordshire are due to see their council tax bills go up as of April.
This is because the six different councils across the county have all agreed to increase the amount of tax they ask people to pay towards the public services they provide.
Because Oxfordshire has a ‘two-tier’ system of councils, people in some parts of the county, like Oxford, are more likely to pay a larger amount of tax than other areas, like South Oxfordshire.
Three different organisations take different portions of the monthly council tax bill.
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Most of it is given to Oxfordshire County Council, which provides social care for adults and children, libraries, and fixes the roads.
The average household, known as a band D home, will pay £1,573.11 for these services across the year from April.
A small portion of the tax will pay for the work of the elected Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner and their office.
From April 2021, the average home will pay £231.28 to the police and crime commissioner in council tax.
And another small portion is given to the district councils, including Oxford City Council, which are responsible for services like housing the homeless, leisure centres, and collecting the bins.
This part of the tax changes depending on the area, meaning different households will have to pay different amounts of tax depending on where they live.
Here is a guide to how much you will pay in council tax from April 2021, when the rates increase.
Oxford
Oxford Town Hall GV general scene setter exterior view.20/01/2021.Picture by Ed Nix.
The average band D household in Oxford will pay £313.92 for city council services over the year from April.
When totalled up with the amount paid to the police commissioner and the county council, an average home in Oxford is set to pay £2,127.25 over the year.
Some other parts of the city which have parish councils like Littlemore and Marston will pay slightly more on top.
Other tax bands for areas where there is no parish council are as follows:
Band A: £1,418.17
Band B: £1,654.53
Band C: £1,890.88
Band D: £2,127.25
Band E: £2,599.97
Band F: £3,072.70
Band G: £3,545.42
Band H: £4,254.50
West Oxfordshire
West Oxfordshire District Council
In West Oxfordshire, and all other areas of the county, an extra levy on council tax for parish councils means rates vary in different towns and villages.
In Witney for example, the average home will pay £2,072.81, with the tax hike from the district and parish council added onto other charges.
Other tax bands for Witney are as follows.
Band A: £1,381.88
Band B: £1,612.18
Band C: £1,842.50
Band D: £2,072.81
Band E: £2,533.44
Band F: £2,994.05
Band G: £3,454.69
Band H: £4,145.62
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Vale of White Horse
15-05-2015.GV.South Oxfordshire District Council and Vale of White Horse District Council offices at 135 Milton Park, nr Didcot...Catchline: Milton Park move.Length: lead.Copy: Andy Ffrench.Pic: Damian Halliwell.
In Abingdon, the average home will pay a total of £2,086.68. In smaller towns and villages in the Vale, the tax amounts are generally smaller.
Other tax bands for Abingdon are as follows:
Band A: £1,391.12
Band B: £1,662.97
Band C: £1,854.83
Band D: £2,086.68
Band E: £2,550.39
Band F: £3,014.09
Band G: £3,477.80
Band H: £4,173.36
South Oxfordshire
In Didcot, South Oxfordshire’s largest town, the average band D household will pay a total of £2,048.73 in council tax across the year.
Other towns and villages will pay variations on this, with rates in Wallingford slightly higher than in Didcot, and rates in Goring slightly lower, due to local parish and town councils.
Other tax bands in Didcot are as follows:
Band A: £1,365.82
Band B: £1,593.46
Band C: £1,829.01
Band D: £2,048.73
Band E: £2,504.00
Band F: £2,959.28
Band G: £3,141.95
Band H: £4,097.46
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Cherwell
Bodicote House in Banbury, Cherwell Council's headquarters
In north Oxfordshire, the average rate for homes in Bicester will be £2,074.83 over the course of a year, and in Banbury £2,065.01.
Other tax bands for Banbury are as follows:
Band A: £1,376.67
Band B: £1,606.11
Band C: £1,835.56
Band D: £2,065.01
Band E: £2,523.91
Band F: £2,982.80
Band G: £3,441.68
Band H: £4,130.02
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