Council's Annual Report - "Could Do Better"

3.53.43pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 22nd May 2008

Liberal Democrats have expressed their disappointment at the draft Annual Report which was presented to this week's Cabinet meeting, and in particular the apparent bias it showed towards the north and west of the county.

This document aims to set out what has been achieved at the County Council over the past year to tell residents and partners. Alas, if the report is anything to go by, the County Council did little or nothing in the southern half of the county last year!

Zoé Patrick, Liberal Democrat Group Leader, described it as "40 odd pages of what is pretty much happening in the north of the County with little emphasis on incorporating many of our market towns". She said, "I would like to have seen some real evidence of where the lives of Oxfordshire's residents have been improved. All we have is words but little real action."

In particular, she criticised the report for not mentioning Abingdon at all and for mentioning Didcot and Wantage/Grove only for being part of a 'hub' for the Quadrant.

Zoé said: "I hope that the final report that goes to Council for approval has been rewritten to show some work and achievements in the other areas of Oxfordshire and to include other market towns like Abingdon. Or is the Cabinet really admitting that they have spent all the past year concentrating money and effort on their own areas in the north and west of the county?"