West Oxfordshire is being identified nationally as one to watch when the local elections are held on Thursday (May 4).

At last year's local elections the Conservatives lost control of the council for the first time in 22 years.

The council is currently run by a coalition called the West Oxfordshire Alliance, made up of 15 Lib Dems, nine Labour and two Greens.

There are also 20 Conservative seats - the current largest party - and three Independents within the council.

Both the Lib Dems and Tories are fighting for a majority within West Oxfordshire.

Thursday's elections will determine who is your district councillor and if you live in Witney or Carterton who is your town councillor.

Local elections typically reflect how well voters feel the council is providing services, such as bin collections, parks and planning, and the level of council tax they are being charged.

But these are likely to be the last local elections before the next general election and can also be a verdict on the main political parties.

New housing and sewage pollution are high on the agenda for all parties locally.

West Oxfordshire Conservatives say they want ‘a common sense’ council that 'will not waste taxpayers’ money on pet projects'.

Their mission is to improve community and leisure facilities, protect local rivers, champion rural transport and to stop development without upgrades to local roads, schools, surgeries and transport.

Lib Dems are proposing more realistic housing targets in the new Local Plan, putting pressure on Thames Water to stop dumping raw sewage in rivers, and supporting struggling residents with the cost of living crisis.

Lib Dem leader Andy Graham said their priorities are "putting residents first, preserving our green environment and putting infrastructure first before housing".

Labour support 20mph speed limits, regenerating Witney with priorities being youth, sport, music, Corn Exchange and environment, providing local support during the ongoing cost of living crisis, sewage, keeping parking free, improving paths to promote walking and cycling, tackling potholes and litter and building Shores Green junction on the A40 now.

Leader of the Labour group Duncan Enright, and deputy leader of the council, said: "We will take the district forward not back, reversing the decline under the Conservatives. For example, we will continue to insist water companies clean up our rivers, and for a government that passes laws to make it happen instead of just posing.

"We have begun to bring our towns and villages back to life by working with local businesses to create jobs. We will fight to get proper funding to fix our roads, make them safer, and secure new bus services including in rural areas. We want houses in the right places that people can afford."

Green Party councillor Andrew Prosser said: "The Green Party is fighting for a fairer, greener future - in our communities and worldwide."

Their priorities are addressing climate change, natural habitat and loss of bio-diversity, building houses to much higher energy efficiency standards plus a much greater emphasis on retrofitting the existing housing stock, promoting active travel and addressing environmental pollution.

Greens want the Environment Agency to prosecute pollution offences and they are looking at local solutions for flood prevention and mitigation in Witney plus protecting agricultural and green spaces from new housing developers.