South Oxfordshire and the Vale are exceptionally beautiful districts, rich in architecture of different periods, styles and materials and rich in landscape quality, with a large proportion of the districts being designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). As well as respecting and enhancing the existing natural and built environment of South Oxfordshire and the Vale, the councils expect the design of new development to be similarly outstanding for the benefit of local residents, visitors and future generations. In the AONB’s any proposed development must demonstrate that it conserves and enhances the special qualities of that AONB.

The district of South Oxfordshire covers nearly 670km² and the Vale covers an area of some 580km². The district boundaries of South Oxfordshire reach from the edge of the city of Oxford to the north-west, along the borders of Buckinghamshire and Berkshire to the outskirts of Reading to the south. The Vale of White Horse district falls between the larger centres of Oxford to the north-east and Swindon to the south-west. South Oxfordshire has four main towns: Didcot, Henley, Thame and Wallingford. Larger villages within South Oxfordshire provide a range of services and facilities. The main settlements within the Vale are the three historic market towns of Abingdon-on-Thames, Faringdon and Wantage, which provide essential services for the surrounding rural areas. There are also two local service centres at Botley and Grove. The districts also have significant employment areas of national note, including Harwell Campus and Milton Science Parks in the Vale and Culham Science Centre in South Oxfordshire.

The districts are predominantly rural in nature, with most of the land being agricultural. For South Oxfordshire, the main exception to this is within the south-east where the wooded Chiltern Hills rise sharply from the Thames Valley. Most of the southern end of the district sits in either the Chilterns or North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The north-east of South Oxfordshire district forms part of the Oxford Green Belt. A large proportion of the districts have a Green Belt or AONB designation. For Vale, the southern end of the district is within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the north-west of the district forms part of the Oxford Green Belt.