Planning Departments
County council (strategic) plus 5 district planning authorities
Two-tier county: Oxfordshire County Council handles strategic planning (minerals, waste, major transport) and is the highway authority. District councils are the Local Planning Authorities for most planning applications. Oxfordshire is undergoing local plan reform - check with your district for the current development plan status.
Oxfordshire County Council
County Hall, New Road, Oxford OX1 1ND
01865 792 422oxfordshire.gov.uk - minerals & waste planning
OCC handles: minerals and waste planning, strategic transport infrastructure, education and most county-level development. District councils handle all other planning. Highways queries: 0345 310 1111.
Cherwell District Council
Banbury, Bicester, Kidlington
01295 227 001cherwell.gov.uk/planning
Oxford City Council
Oxford city
01865 249 811oxford.gov.uk/planning
Oxford's historic core, University buildings and conservation areas require careful pre-application advice. Heritage-led approach essential in central Oxford.
South Oxfordshire District Council
Henley-on-Thames, Didcot, Wallingford, Thame
01235 422 422southoxon.gov.uk/planning
Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers the SE of the district. Significant flood risk areas along the River Thames.
Vale of White Horse District Council
Abingdon, Wantage, Faringdon, Grove
01235 422 422whitehorsedc.gov.uk/planning
Shares offices and some services with South Oxfordshire DC. North Wessex Downs National Landscape covers much of the south of the district.
West Oxfordshire District Council
Witney, Chipping Norton, Carterton, Burford, Woodstock
01993 861 000westoxon.gov.uk/planning
Blenheim Palace (UNESCO World Heritage Site) is in this district. Cotswolds National Landscape covers large parts of the district. Pre-application advice strongly recommended for heritage-sensitive sites.
Building Control
BCO contacts for Building Regulations approval across Oxfordshire
LABC - Find Your Oxfordshire Building Control Team
All districts - postcode search
Each district council and the city council run their own building control service. You may also use a Registered Building Control Approver across all of Oxfordshire.
Heritage & Conservation
Oxford's historic core, Blenheim Palace, Cotswolds villages
Historic England - South East Region
Covers Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire
0370 333 0607southeast@historicengland.org.uk
Guildford office. Oxfordshire contains exceptional heritage: Oxford city centre (a near-complete medieval university city), Blenheim Palace (UNESCO World Heritage Site, Woodstock), and the Cotswold stone villages of West Oxfordshire. Pre-application discussions with the relevant district conservation officer are strongly recommended before any listed building or conservation area application.
Oxfordshire Historic Environment Record (HER)
County-wide archaeology and heritage records
Maintained by Oxfordshire County Council. Essential starting point for heritage impact assessments and archaeological evaluation requirements for planning applications.
Environment & Flood Risk
Thames and Cherwell floodplains, chalk rivers and Chilterns
Environment Agency - Thames Region
Flood risk, water quality - all of Oxfordshire
03708 506 506Check flood risk - GOV.UK
Flood Incident Line: 0345 988 1188 (24hr). Oxford city itself has significant historic flood risk along the Thames and Cherwell. The 2007 floods caused widespread damage. Flood Zones 2 and 3 cover extensive areas - always check the flood map early in any development project in low-lying parts of the county.
Utilities & Infrastructure
Thames Water, Cadent gas, SSEN electricity and county highways
Thames Water
Water and sewerage - all of Oxfordshire
0800 009 3921thameswater.co.uk/developers
Thames Water build-over agreement required before building over or near a public sewer. Contact early for connection applications.
Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN)
Electricity distribution - all of Oxfordshire
0345 070 7172ssen.co.uk/connections
Power cuts: 105. SSEN operates the electricity distribution network across all of Oxfordshire.
Cadent Gas
Gas distribution - all of Oxfordshire
0800 389 8000cadentgas.com/connections
Gas emergency: 0800 111 999. Use LSBUD to check pipe locations before excavating.
National Highways
M40, A34, A40, A44 - trunk roads and motorways
0300 123 5000nationalhighways.co.uk
Trade Bodies & Professional Registers
Find vetted tradespeople and professionals in Oxfordshire
Federation of Master Builders
Gas Safe Register
0800 408 5500gassaferegister.co.uk
NICEIC - Find a Registered Electrician
MCS - Find a Renewable Energy Installer
RICS - Find a Surveyor
Other Useful Contacts
Health & safety and consumer protection
Health & Safety Executive (HSE)
0300 003 1747hse.gov.uk
Notify HSE of notifiable construction projects under CDM Regulations at least 2 weeks before work begins.
Accuracy notice: Contact details and websites change. We update this directory periodically but always verify contacts directly. Last verified July 2026.