Annual Report 2022-2023

Every year, we look to serve you better

This includes emptying your bins, managing your planning applications, handling housing benefit requests, keeping your communities clean and tidy, and delivering crucial day-to-day services. 

This report highlights some notable accomplishments from the past year that are on top of our regular work. 

We assess progress based on our four key business plan priorities, measured through 33 performance goals.

In 2022-2023, we achieved 32 goals, marking a 12 per cent improvement compared to the previous year.

Of the 33 measures, 32 (97 per cent) were achieved. One measure (3 per cent) was within the 10 per cent tolerance level.

We were close to hitting our waste recycling and composting goal and remained within an acceptable margin. Our objective was to achieve a 56 per cent recycling rate, and our actual rate was a commendable 53 per cent.

It's important to highlight that this figure is 9 per cent above the average recycling rate for councils in England and shows our commitment to environmental sustainability.

Housing that meets your needs

Here  are some of the past year's achievements for this strategic priority:

• Prevented 654 households from becoming homeless.
• Reduced the number of rough sleepers through effective intervention with partners.
• Increased our housing supply to 5.4 years through to 2027, up from 3.5 years, to ensure there is land to build the right homes in the right places to meet our residents' needs.
• Built 16 per cent more homes than last year (1,318). Of which 181 were affordable homes, a 4 per cent increase and above the national average.
• Adapted 666 homes to enable vulnerable residents to remain living independently.
• Improved 151 homes through enforcement to ensure homeowners and landlords provide safe places for people to live, a 9 per cent increase. 
• Processed new housing benefit claims in 8 days, quicker than England's average of 21 days.

Supporting environmental sustainability

Below are some of the past year's achievements for this strategic priority.

• Fitted air source heat pumps and batteries at our Thorpe Lane waste and recycling depot in Banbury to cut emissions and deliver an annual saving of £180,000.
• Saved 785 tonnes of carbon dioxide pollution annually through installing new sustainable measures at our outdoor and indoor swimming pools.
• Reduced our fuel use by 5 per cent through more efficient waste collection routes to over 73,000 homes.
• Collected 58,183 tonnes of waste, 12 per cent less than last year, as we help residents become more environmentally conscious.
• Recycled 53 per cent of waste collected, 9 per cent more than England’s average.
• Collected waste from 619 businesses, schools, and charities, 13 per cent more organisations than last year, with 91 per cent customer satisfaction.
• Dealt with 299 abandoned vehicles, 22 less than last year, as we helped reduce the number of offences.

An enterprising economy with strong and vibrant local centres

Below are some of the past year's achievements for this strategic priority:

• Committed to creating a Banbury Vision 2050 masterplan as the first step towards the future regeneration of the town.
• Allocated £4.25m of capital funding to an exciting regeneration project for Bicester Market Square.
• Awarded 30 grants from the Cherwell Business Adaptation Fund. This government COVID-19 funded scheme provided £450,000 in total to help our businesses recover post-COVID.
• Successfully bid for £1.8m from UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Rural England Prosperity Fund to support local schemes, infrastructure and community pride.
• Opened The Light entertainment complex at Castle Quay Waterfront, to attract more visitors to Banbury.
• Approved the new phase of development at Oxford Technology Park in Kidlington to attract new investment.

Healthy, resilient, and engaged communities

Some of the past year's achievements for this strategic priority:

• Developed a comprehensive support package to help residents struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. This included giving £100 food vouchers to those most in need before Christmas.
• Launched Warm Spaces with our partners for vulnerable residents to meet and connect with others in the winter.
• Welcomed 1,423,867 visitors to our leisure centres, 10 per cent more than last year.
• Encouraged 1,600 children to become more active through our Youth Activators program.
• Delivered 120 new bikes to 32 schools through our partnership with British Cycling.
• Attracted 1,815 residents to our You Move programme to enjoy free and reduced-price physical activities. This represented 37 per cent of the total referrals, making us leaders in the county.
• Supported 331 Ukrainian guests through the 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme.
• Backed 90 local causes through the Cherwell Lottery, with nearly £24,000 raised last year.