Latest news with #LizLeffman
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
High-speed broadband brought to rural parts of Oxfordshire
A DIGITAL upgrade is bringing high-speed broadband to public services and rural communities across Oxfordshire. The GigaHubs project, led by Oxfordshire County Council, has introduced gigabit-capable broadband to 192 public service sites, including schools, GP surgeries, fire stations, libraries, leisure centres and community centres. Councillor Liz Leffman, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: "The GigaHubs project has transformed the digital landscape of Oxfordshire, enabling libraries, community centres, schools and GP practices to offer enhanced services to residents. "The successful collaboration with Neos Networks and other industry leaders has ensured that even the most remote areas now have access to reliable, high-speed internet. "This initiative supports our broader goals of reducing carbon emissions, promoting digital inclusion, and fostering community engagement." The project focused on rural areas where fibre connectivity has been difficult and costly to implement. It was jointly funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the county council, with the council's contribution drawn from revenue generated by its digital infrastructure programme. The project was managed by Neos Networks, with Openreach, Virgin Media Business, and Gigaclear serving as subcontractors. The upgraded connectivity is already making a difference, allowing village halls and community centres to livestream events, meetings, clubs and classes. In addition to broadband installation, the digital infrastructure programme is funding three years of internet access for the 55 community centres and village halls connected through the project. The council now hopes to develop these sites into broader community hubs, offering health and social care support and reducing the need for residents to travel long distances for essential services. The scheme has also enabled the migration of council buildings from leased lines to direct fibre connections, saving the council £70,000 annually in connectivity costs. David Bruce, chief revenue officer at Neos Networks, said: "The collaboration has allowed us to use our expertise and relationships to deliver real public good and support the council's vision for a smarter, more connected Oxfordshire. "This project should serve as a blueprint for other local authorities seeking to bridge the digital divide and support community development." The upgraded infrastructure is also expected to incentivise more investment from the commercial sector in rural areas now that the targeted hubs provide a way to connect homes and businesses nearby. As part of its agreement with Neos, the council secured a £20,000 social value contribution, which funded the purchase of 30 public computers now installed in libraries at Oxford Westgate, Cowley and Abingdon.
BBC News
12-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Woodeaton Manor School move from 'dilapidated' site to take years
Plans to move a school from a "dilapidated" site are at a "very initial stage" and will take years to come to fruition, a council leader has Manor School, near Oxford, was rated inadequate and found to be "chaotic" by Ofsted inspectors who visited in October 2023. Its governing body later resigned.A new head teacher and governors were appointed but - while inspectors found it had improved on a visit in March - it remains in special County Council leader Liz Leffman said what had happened at the school was a "very unfortunate episode". The authority said in June it had suffered "significant financial implications" after the school's former governing body did not "appropriately invest" in its Grade II* listed building and wider council said it had spent £1.6m improving it, including spending £900,000 on replacing fire doors as well as making other "fire safety improvements to meet the legislative standards"."None of us are proud of the fact that the school has failed in such a dreadful way and has had such a poor Ofsted report," Leffman told a council meeting on Tuesday."The whole question of what happens to the school is under review and we will be announcing in due course what that is going to look like." In a statement published ahead of the meeting, she said: "Our plans for the future relocation of the school are at a very initial stage and will take a number of years to develop. "I can understand that for parents and their children, the prospect of moving the school is disturbing. When these plans are firmer, we will involve parents and the school community on how we move forward."The school has about 80 pupils, all of whom have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).It previously offered residential placements but they were paused following Ofsted's inspection in 2023 and they have since been closed. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Council writes to Reeves over £130m SEND overspend
A council is writing to Rachel Reeves asking how the government intends to eliminate a £130m black hole in its local special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) councillors passed a motion asking the leader to urge the chancellor to "deliver a SEND system that works for children, families and councils alike".The difference between the funding the authority receives and the amount it needs to provide has been growing year on year since 2019. A Department for Education spokesperson said the government "inherited a SEND system left on its knees". Between 2023 and 2024 Oxfordshire saw a 27% increase in requests for education and health care plans, adding to the authority's financial upward trends are predicted to continue this year. 'This is a crisis' In the last financial year central government gave the council £89.5m through the high needs dedicated school grant, but spending in Oxfordshire amounted to £126m, an overspend of £ year the council received £109m, but its forecast spend is £154m, an overspend of £45m, increasing its overall high needs spending deficit to an estimated £130m by county council's deficit reflects the national picture, with the Local Government Association, the national membership body for local authorities in the UK, predicting the deficit will exceed £5bn nationally by next leader Liz Leffman said: "We need to make it clear to the Chancellor and the Secretary Of State for Education this is a crisis that needs to be resolved."The Department for Education spokesperson said the government was providing £740m "to encourage councils to create more specialist places in mainstream schools"."As part of our Plan for Change, we will restore the confidence of families up and down the country and deliver the improvement they are crying out for so every child can achieve and thrive," they added. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Oxfordshire County Council launches survey on its devolution plans
A council has launched a public survey into its proposals to create a single unitary authority covering the whole of Oxfordshire. Oxfordshire County Council says its plans to merge all of the county's authorities into one would save taxpayers £27m a leader, councillor Liz Leffman, said the plans would "create stronger, simpler services closer to the communities we serve".Four of the county's district councils have backed a separate plan for two new authorities covering Oxfordshire and West Berkshire. Meanwhile, Oxford City Council says it wants three authorities for the same area - including an expanded "Greater Oxford". 'Protect and enhance' Oxfordshire County Council said its plan to create a unitary authority for the county "offers the best value for money", saving millions of pounds each added that its proposals would "protect and enhance" key frontline services like social care and public health - for which the authority is already responsible."This one council will enable services to be delivered more equitably across Oxfordshire, with residents in every part of the county able to benefit," Ms Leffman said."A single countywide unitary council will provide both the scale and financial resilience that Oxfordshire needs and bring decision making closer to communities by partnering with town and parish councils."She urged people to share their thoughts on the plan through the council survey, which is open until 27 plans have been put forward after the government announced in December 2024 its intention to abolish district councils and introduce large mayoral combined authorities in in those two-tier authority areas can submit proposals for new unitary authorities to the government until the end of November. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Oxfordshire SEND post scrapping described as shocking'
Parents have said they are "dismayed" at a council decision to no longer have a dedicated special educational needs and disabilities cabinet County Council created a SEND post in 2023, after Ofsted found "widespread and systemic failings" in its leader Liz Leffman said: "Recent feedback from inspectors has been that we are very much on the right track."But Claire Brenner, from the Oxfordshire's SEND Parent Action Group, said: "On the ground things are still getting worse… I frankly find it shocking." The Liberal Democrats won an overall majority for the first time in the county council's history in the local elections on 2 the new cabinet, the SEND brief will come under the portfolio of the new cabinet member for children and young people, Sean Leffman said: "We believe it is now the right moment to have the cabinet member for children's services focusing on SEND directly alongside all of the other hugely important services provided for children and young people by the county council."But Ms Brenner said the SEND cabinet role was already "huge". "SEND cuts across education, health, social care, transport," she said."And poor Sean [Gaul] has been given, not only that, but responsibility for all education and all of children's services. "The size of the job, for me, is too big for one person… unless the end result is less intense scrutiny." Ms Brenner said the group really wanted to work with Mr Gaul, adding: "We used to meet every month with the cabinet member for SEND."My only hope is that Sean Gaul has got a lot of energy and passion and that he's willing to roll his sleeves up and really get stuck in." You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
