Open Council Network - Vale of White Horse - Council - 16/09/2025

Special, Council - Tuesday, 16 September 2025 5.00 pm

September 16, 2025 View on council website

AI Generated

Summary

This special meeting of the Council of Vale of White Horse was scheduled to address a staffing matter, and to consider excluding the public from the discussion. Councillor Oliver Forder, Chair of the Council, was expected to preside over the meeting held at Abbey House, Abingdon[^2].

Abingdon is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England.

Exclusion of the Public

Councillors were asked to consider excluding the press and public from the meeting. The reason cited was that the discussion was expected to involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972¹. It was stated that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

Staffing Matter

The agenda for the meeting included consideration of a report from Nick Bennett, Head of Legal and Democratic. The report itself is marked as restricted due to the likely disclosure of exempt information under the Local Government Act 1972.

The Local Government Act 1972 is a UK Act of Parliament that concerns the structure and functions of local government. Schedule 12A defines categories of information that can be exempt from public access. ↩

Attendees

Councillor Ben Potter Liberal Democrat • Botley and Sunningwell

Councillor Peter Stevens Liberal Democrat • Sutton Courtenay

Councillor Sally Whiteman (nee Povolotsky) Leader of the Independent Voice for Vale Group • Independent Voice for Vale • Steventon and the Hanneys

Councillor Kiera Bentley Liberal Democrat • Grove North

Councillor Paul Barrow Liberal Democrat • Ridgeway

Councillor Ron Batstone Liberal Democrat • Grove North

Councillor Cheryl Briggs Green • Abingdon Abbey Northcourt

Councillor Sue Caul Liberal Democrat • Stanford

Councillor Robert Clegg Liberal Democrat • Marcham

Councillor Mark Coleman Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance • Liberal Democrat • Thames

Councillor Andy Cooke Liberal Democrat • Drayton

Councillor James Cox Liberal Democrat • Kennington and Radley

Councillor Andy Crawford Cabinet Member for Property and Housing • Liberal Democrat • Wantage Charlton

Councillor Eric de la Harpe Liberal Democrat • Abingdon Fitzharris

Councillor Debra Dewhurst Independent Voice for Vale • Blewbury and Harwell

Councillor Amos Duveen Liberal Democrat • Wantage and Grove Brook

Councillor Lucy Edwards Liberal Democrat • Faringdon

Councillor Neil Fawcett Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Legal and Democratic • Liberal Democrat • Abingdon Caldecott

Councillor Oliver Forder Chair of the Council • Liberal Democrat • Abingdon Dunmore

Councillor Andy Foulsham Cabinet member for policy, programmes and IT • Liberal Democrat • Abingdon Dunmore

Councillor Katherine Foxhall Green • Watchfield and Shrivenham

Councillor Hayleigh Gascoigne Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, Climate Action and Nature Recovery • Liberal Democrat • Blewbury and Harwell

Councillor Jenny Hannaby Liberal Democrat • Wantage and Grove Brook

Councillor Scott Houghton Liberal Democrat • Cumnor

Councillor Sarah James Leader of the Green Group • Green • Hendreds

Councillor Diana Lugova Liberal Democrat • Kennington and Radley

Councillor Robert Maddison Liberal Democrat • Abingdon Fitzharris

Councillor Patrick O'Leary Liberal Democrat • Wantage Charlton

Councillor Viral Patel Acting Deputy Leader of the Green Group • Green • Watchfield and Shrivenham

Councillor Helen Pighills Cabinet Member for Community Health and Wellbeing • Liberal Democrat • Abingdon Abbey Northcourt

Councillor Mike Pighills Liberal Democrat • Abingdon Peachcroft

Councillor Jill Rayner Vice-Chair of the Council • Liberal Democrat • Kingston Bagpuize

Councillor Judy Roberts Liberal Democrat • Cumnor

Councillor Val Shaw Liberal Democrat • Wootton

Councillor Andrew Skinner Liberal Democrat • Abingdon Caldecott

Councillor Emily Smith Cabinet Member for Planning Development (Major/Minor Applications, Building Control and Enforcement) • Liberal Democrat • Botley and Sunningwell

Councillor Bethia Thomas Council Leader and local government reorganisation and strategic partnerships • Liberal Democrat • Faringdon

Councillor Max Thompson Liberal Democrat • Abingdon Peachcroft

Steven Corrigan

Vivien Williams

Topics

No topics have been identified for this meeting yet.

Meeting Documents

Agenda

Reports Pack