How Henley-on-Thames Town Council works
In England, local government has a three tier system (please see diagram below). Henley-on-Thames Town Council is a town council that is in the parish level of local government. The Town Council works in partnership with South Oxfordshire District Council and Oxfordshire County Council. These three local government bodies look after different aspects of Henley-on-Thames and the town community infrastructure.
Henley on Thames Town Council is committed to assisting residents with local issues and the officers aim to help, advise or point anyone with a problem in the right direction. We will be able to deal immediately with any issues relating to Council land or property or any of the Council’s services or functions (for a full list of the services we provide look under Council Services). This page provides further information about the different responsibilities of each Council body.
In 2025, Henley Town Council was award Gold under the Local Council Award Scheme, administered by the National Association of Local Councils.
To read our Annual Report for 2025 click here: HTC Annual Report 24-25
If you need to contact the Town Council about anything that is our responsibility, please get in touch by clicking here or scroll down to use our interactive guide.
All councils are led by democratically elected Councillors who, working together, set the council’s vision, direction and budget. Like most Town Councils, Henley-on-Thames Town Council works with a ‘committee system’, where decisions are made across a range of committees.
Decisions from these committees are then acted upon by an employed Council Team under the leadership of the Town Clerk who is also the Responsible Financial Officer (R.F.O). The Town Clerk is under a statutory duty to carry out all the functions of the Council, and in particular to serve or issue all the notifications required by law. The Town Clerk and the Council Team are responsible for ensuring that the instructions of the Council in its functions as a Local Authority are carried out. In addition, the Town Clerk is expected to advise the Council on the formation of policies to be followed in respect of the Authority’s activities. This work involves producing information required for the Council to make effective decisions and to implement constructively all decisions. The Town Clerk is accountable to the Council for the effective management of all its resources and will report to them as and when required. The Town Clerk is also involved in the Strategic Planning Process of the Council.
Henley-on-Thames location helper…
Henley is a thriving market town. We are home to a fantastic array of shops and business with plenty of places to stop and soak up the atmosphere. For queries relating to our shops and businesses please visit Vist-Henley.com or contact our Town Centre Manager Paul Carey
As a general rule, all dark green street furniture falls under the remit of Henley Town Council. Black Street furniture is managed by SODC. If in doubt, please contact us and we will be happy to help you.
You can report an issue with cycle racks here
Racks are in the following locations
Corner of Greys Road car park, next to the Henley Group International building (four-hoop rack)
Greys Road car park, next to the clothes donation points (two)
Reading Road, in front of ET Sheppard and next to Asiana Spice (four)
Corner of Hart Street, outside Harris + Hoole (four)
Bell Street, outside Davis Tate (two two-hoop racks)
Duke Street, opposite Franco Belge (three)
Bottom of New Street, next to the slipway (three)
Bottom of Friday Street (unspecified).
To report issues with trees on Henley Town Council land (as pictured and at Mill and Marsh Meadows) please contact us. Please note that the trees in King’s Road Car Park fall under the remit of South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC).
For information about Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) please visit here
The Town Council supplies both summer and winter hanging baskets to residents and businesses. Contact bookings@henleytowncouncil.gov.uk or call 01491 576982 for more information.
Although street cleaning generally falls to SODC, periodic cleans are arranged by Henley Town Council. If you have any queries relating to this, please contact Nicci Taylor.
You will need the number on the light in order to report. You can report issues relating to street lighting here.
You can also telephone Oxfordshire County Council’s free 24 hour fault line on 0800 317802
South Oxfordshire District Council responsibilities
VISIT SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL WEBSITE
South Oxfordshire District Council is responsible for the following services:
Oxfordshire County Council responsibilities
VISIT OXFORDSHIRE COUNCIL WEBSITE
Oxfordshire County Council is responsible for the following services:
Here to help…
Should your enquiry or complaint relate to a function of another tier of authority, such as highways, rubbish collection, or housing-related queries, then it may be possible for Council officers to assist or they may need to refer you to somebody else.
Henley-on-Thames Town Council prides itself in having a strong working relationship with the other tiers of authority and as a result residents problems are much more easily dealt with.
If you have any issues to report on the state of the street you live in, you should report them here. Your report will be passed on to Oxfordshire County Council who will acknowledge your communication and keep you posted as to progress being made.
