Five councils launch two-unitary proposal for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire

Change is coming to local government across England, and five councils are working together to propose two strong and locally accountable unitary authorities for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire.

The government will replace the current two-tier system of local government, which consists of district and county councils, with new unitary authorities. It also wants smaller existing unitary councils, like West Berkshire, to reorganise so they cover areas of around 500,000 people.  

The government wishes for councils to work together on plans for how these new unitary councils will work. As a result, the majority of the Oxfordshire authorities have teamed up with West Berkshire to work together positively and constructively on a proposal that meets the government’s criteria and also provides an option for a better future for both Oxfordshire and West Berkshire. This proposal would deliver better services while retaining a close link to local communities.

The proposal – which is one of three being put forward for the area – is for two new unitary councils with the working titles of Oxford and Shires Council and Ridgeway Council. It aims to create strong, financially stable councils that provide high-quality, cost-effective, and locally driven services.

• Oxford and Shires Council would comprise all of the existing district areas of Cherwell, Oxford City and West Oxfordshire.
• Ridgeway Council would be made up of the whole of West Berkshire Council’s area and all of the existing district areas of South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse.

Have your say

While the councils would be new, there would be strong continuity of services for residents, with the existing social care provision at West Berkshire Council and Oxfordshire County Council continuing as part of the new councils. This would ensure that those in need continue to receive their support without costly disaggregation of their services, which the government wants to avoid.

Having two councils in Oxfordshire would mean the councils are large enough to meet the government’s size criteria and be financially viable, but small enough to be tailored to the needs of the individual areas they cover.

The proposal will also focus on how the new councils can bring real economic benefits to the communities they serve, strengthening existing business partnerships and forging new ones in both urban and rural settings. The two-council model will also provide a suitable platform to address local priorities such as building the right homes in the right places, protecting the environment, improving roads and other infrastructure, and tackling issues like flooding and sewage pollution.

The new unitary councils will be forward-looking, innovative and modern. They will have historical community connections at their heart and build on a strong sense of local identity that runs throughout the area.

The councils will launch a comprehensive public engagement exercise from 4 June to 16 July to gather views that will help ensure the final proposals reflect the needs and aspirations of residents.

Residents can share their thoughts by taking part in the online survey by visiting twocouncils.org

They can also attend one of the engagement events held throughout Oxfordshire and West Berkshire. Details of these events are below. The councils will also start meeting with local stakeholders to let them feed into the proposal.

Councillor David Hingley, Leader of Cherwell District Council, said: “As partner councils, we’re determined to seize this opportunity to shape the future of local government for the benefit of our communities. Our proposal for two new unitary councils will create authorities that are locally responsive and designed around what our places truly need. They will be answerable to their residents and underpinned by sound finances, positioning them to serve and empower future generations.

“For Cherwell, this means building on our past successes and strong community relations to create a council that reflects local identities and priorities for the years ahead. To get this right, we want as many people in our district as possible to take part in this initial engagement exercise so they can influence our final proposals for the future of local government.”

Councillor David Rouane, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “When change is happening, it’s important for everyone to have a voice, which is why we’re inviting everyone to get in touch and let us know what’s important to them – this will help us develop our proposal based on real people’s experiences.

“We’ve led the way in South Oxfordshire at providing innovative, high-performing and cost-effective services and we feel strongly that we should put that experience towards creating new councils that that really work for their communities, are local enough to be accountable and remain financially stable”

Councillor Bethia Thomas, Leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “This is a once in a generation opportunity – change is coming to the way councils work and so we can’t let it pass without doing everything we can to make sure those changes work for our communities. The two councils we’re proposing aim to build councils that deliver high-quality services that are based on the needs of local people.

“We believe that means basing the councils on existing communities and a shared history and sense of identity while also being forward-thinking and innovative. Residents, businesses and organisations in the Vale now have a chance to let us know what’s most important so we can develop a proposal that works for them.”

Councillor Jeff Brooks, Leader of West Berkshire Council, said: “It’s important that we deliver the best option for our residents and there is a compelling case to be made for joining with our neighbours to the north. Whilst we think the argument for a new Ridgeway Council is a strong one - a council which is big enough to cope but small enough to care. It’s important to us that we understand what our communities think and I hope residents will look at what we are proposing and have their say.”

Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, said, “We are clear that residents need to come first in any discussions around future options for local government. We want residents, businesses and other organisations to help us shape this proposal so it truly reflects our communities, both now and in the future.

“This engagement will give people a direct route to influence this proposal and the shape of local government in future. We want to build on the obvious benefits of a two-unitary option to create something that is new, forward thinking and makes the most of this change in approach to deliver more for local people while protecting the services they currently value.” 

To find out more about the two-unitary proposal, visit www.twocouncils.org

Details of the engagement events:

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