Devolution and local government reorganisation: What you need to know
On 16 December 2024, the government published a white paper on a national programme of devolution and reform to local government. This would be the biggest change to local government since the creation of district and county councils in 1974.
It involves two key changes to the current system: Devolution (Mayoral Strategic Authorities) and Local Government Reorganisation.
Devolution involves the creation of new Mayoral Strategic Authorities. The new authorities would cover regional areas and give those areas new powers, devolved from government. In many cases, an elected mayor would run them. Some places, such as London, Manchester and the West Midlands, already have strategic authorities and an elected mayor. The government’s ambition is for the whole country to be covered by strategic authorities.
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) involves replacing the current two-tier arrangements where they still exist, such as in Oxfordshire. This would mean all council services are provided by a unitary council rather than being split across county and district councils. Unitary councils already serve many areas of the country.
The government's LGR decision
The government has confirmed that three new unitary councils will be created for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire from 1 April 2028.
The new councils will replace the existing county, district and city councils, bringing local services together under three new organisations. This change is designed to simplify how services are delivered and make it easier for residents to access support.
We are disappointed the government did not take forward the two unitary proposal, however, we respect their decision and ultimately what is important is a smooth transition, protecting local services and exploring options for improving services that currently don’t deliver as they could.
The new councils will be:
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Northern Oxfordshire Council – covering West Oxfordshire and most of the existing Cherwell districts.
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Ridgeway Council – covering the existing South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse districts together with West Berkshire.
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Greater Oxford Council – covering the existing Oxford City area.
Find out which new council will serve your community and what this means for your area: 3councils.org