Joint statement from Cherwell and West Oxfordshire District Councils on recent devolution discussions.
Published: Thursday, 18th June 2026
Joint statement from the Leader of Cherwell District Council, Cllr Lesley McLean, and the Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, Cllr Andy Graham, on the discussions regarding a strategic authority for the Thames Valley:
"A consensus could not be reached at the recent Devolution meeting, however, both Cherwell and West Oxfordshire remain supportive of the benefits a Foundation Strategic Authority could hold for our districts. It would bring increased investment and provide that strategic scale to proactively tackle key issues like economic growth, transport, net zero and skills, and would support the ambitions we jointly hold as councils to improve our districts.
"With other significant change coming imminently through Local Government Reorganisation, we will be focusing on making sure that process delivers for our residents and we can revisit the strategic authority conversation in future when it is right for our area."