Cllr Lois Muddiman has been elected as the Green Party’s new leader on Oxford City Council amid ongoing negotiations regarding administration at the local authority.

The Green group have stated that it is in continued talks about whether to go into coalition administration at the hung council following the May 7 elections, which saw no overall control for any party.

Muddiman has been a Green councillor for Osney & St Thomas ward since 2022.

She was re-elected in this year’s elections, winning over 50 per cent of the vote. 

Green city councillor Lois Muddiman in Botley Road (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Cllr Chris Jarvis, who took the party into the elections, has stood down from his role, but was re-elected as deputy leader of the party.

The leadership election took place at the first Green group meeting following the local elections.

Mr Jarvis said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as the leader of the Green Group on Oxford City Council for the past five years.

“Over that time, the Green Party has gone from strength to strength. We now have a record number of councillors elected, and our membership has quadrupled in the last year alone. 

“I’m incredibly proud to serve alongside a dynamic, diverse, dedicated group of Green councillors, all of whom are powerful campaigners and committed champions of their communities.

(Image: Oxford City Council.)

“Over the last five years, we’ve secured major achievements for the people of Oxford and our natural world – from rolling out free period products in community centres across the city, to ensuring that all council environmental policies are subject to cross-party scrutiny. 

“After much reflection, I decided that now is the right time to allow for somebody else to take the party forward in the next step in its journey.

“I’m incredibly glad to be handing over to Lois Muddiman who will be a brilliant leader and will ensure the Green Party continues to deliver progressive change for the people of Oxford, and I look forward to supporting her in that role in every way that I can.”

Ms Muddiman called her predecessor an “excellent leader for the past five years“.

She said: “It’s a great privilege to have been re-elected as the Green Party Councillor for Osney and St. Thomas last week and I’m very grateful to my community for placing their trust in me once again.

“I will work hard to represent you and to make Oxford a greener, fairer and more equal city.

“Yesterday, I was further honoured, when the new Green Group of 13 Councillors, the largest we have ever had in Oxford, elected me as their new Group Leader. ”

The former prime minister and his wife Samantha wants to replace a ‘dilapidated’ greenhouse and build a new vegetable patch to grow their own spuds and carrots.

Documents say the 59-year-old has “become more green-fingered” in recent years having stepped back from politics.

His latest planning battle comes just weeks after they won a six year fight for a swimming pool where neighbours accused him of creating a ‘tacky Benidorm’ resort in his garden.

The application to West Oxfordshire District Council outlined how ‘greener’ former Witney MP Mr Cameron has got since stepping back from front-line politics.

The former PM wants to grow his own potatoes (Image: Pexels)

His representatives wrote: “The applicants have become more green-fingered and would like a dedicated area for greenhouse, garden tools, and garden machinery.”

The vegetable garden would be made up of oak beams and brick to form a total of ten raised beds.

The statement added: “The proposals create a coherent and discreet arrangement of new outbuildings, a relocated greenhouse, and a vegetable garden that together enhance the practical use and enjoyment of the applicants’ property.

“The outbuildings are modest in scale, constructed from sympathetic materials, and carefully sited behind existing structures and woodland to ensure minimal visual impact on the wider village and conservation setting.

“Overall, the scheme makes sensitive and efficient use of an under-utilised part of the garden while strengthening the property’s character and amenity.”

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Their representatives said the existing storage space at their home in Dean, near Chipping Norton, “does not fully allow for garden machinery, tools, potting shed and workshop to co-exist.”

They added: “The proposed siting for the greenhouse and outbuildings makes use of an under-utilised area of the garden, with better orientation to the sun and more privately placed.

“The existing greenhouse would be demolished, and a new greenhouse proposed on the east of the site.

“The vegetable garden connects both the above elements and is the main rationale of this application. It would comprise of 10 raised beds, formed from a combination of oak boards or beams, and brick edging, to contain the soil. A grassed path between the beds would serve access throughout the new planting beds.”

No public comments have so far been submitted for the plans that were registered with the council this week.

In a plea for the plans to be approved quickly, the Cameron’s representative added: “The proposals are tucked discreetly into the north-east corner of the site, and are largely obscured from view by the wooded area to the north.

“There are no major public viewpoints of the site either from the Conservation Area or wider public footpaths, therefore visual impact is likely to be negligible.

“The applicants wish to enhance an under-utilised area of the garden for the purposes of gardening and growing vegetables, all as part of a wider enjoyment of their house and garden.

“The proposed development has been carefully considered and designed to respect the constraints of the site. It would provide enhanced facilities for the applicant to maintain their land and grow their own food and plants whilst preserving the historic value of the site and not harming the National Landscape or amenity of neighbours.”

A decision on the application will be made at a later date.

Marilyn Kennedy, aged 33, of Griffiths Road, Banbury, was sentenced to one year in prison at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, May 8.

At around 9.55pm on June 8, 2024, Kennedy called 999, reporting that she had been punched in the face by a named individual who she claimed had kidnapped two children.

Three people were arrested in connection with the report, but following a protracted and complex investigation, it became clear that Kennedy’s account was false.

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Marilyn Kennedy (Image: TVP)

Kennedy was subsequently arrested on October 22, 2024 and was charged on September 26 last year.

Investigating officer detective constable Bryn Smith said: “Kennedy’s actions were deliberate and sustained. She not only made a false report of a serious offence, but went as far as threatening the children involved to lie to police.

“This report prompted a large-scale response, involving more than 20 officers, and caused significant strain on policing resources and partner agencies. It also led to widespread fear and anxiety in the community, which required ongoing reassurance patrols.

“Even when presented with clear and overwhelming evidence, she continued to maintain this account for over 18 months, wrongly accusing innocent people and significantly hindering the investigation.

“Because of her actions, three individuals spent many hours in custody and remained under suspicion for weeks, despite having done nothing wrong.

“The impact of Kennedy’s behaviour has been far-reaching, affecting those falsely accused, the wider public and partner agencies.

“It is right that she now faces a custodial sentence for the serious harm caused.”