Battle lines drawn as future council set-up debate begins
05/06/2025
There are differing views as to which would be the best arrangement for our area
Battle lines have been drawn with our local council’s trying to persuade us theirs is the best vision of how a new unitary authority for our area will look.
Currently local government services here are provided by both Cherwell District and Oxfordshire County councils. The government is about to change that, replacing the two councils with one unitary authority.
Cherwell and West Oxfordshire District Council have joined forces backing a proposal which would see them create “Oxford and Shires Council”. This would include all of the existing areas covered by Cherwell and West Oxfordshire districts, but also adding in Oxford City. They believe this would create a council which is large enough to meet the government’s size criteria and be financially viable, but small enough to be tailored to the needs of the area. A second authority would cover the southern side of the county and West Berkshire.
But Oxford City Council don’t agree. Instead they believe Oxford should have its own council, covering an expanded area including Kidlington and parts of the southern side of the existing Cherwell area. A Northern Oxfordshire Council would cover the rest of the existing Cherwell and West Oxfordshire districts. The city council says its solution would mean that Oxford would be able to deal with its own house building requirements, without neighbouring authorities having to pick-up the shortfall as they currently do.
Meanwhile Oxfordshire County Council feel they are best placed to continue overseeing matters, taking on the work of all the districts. They believe this would protect and enhance key services like social services for children and adults and public health, which are currently delivered at county level. It would also deliver greater cost-savings than having several smaller authorities.
Banbury’s MP Sean Woodcock has previously thrown his support behind the model proposed by Oxford City Council. In a joint statement with East Oxford MP Anneliese Dodds he said: “This approach would enable housing delivery to be accelerated, support the rapid expansion of world-leading economic sectors, and mean that key links between local communities are maintained and strengthened – not weakened – in different parts of the county, as would be the case with a single unitary covering all of Oxfordshire.
“The plan would be financially robust, while enabling a focus on shaping services like transport and education to better meet distinct local needs. It would enable a focus on service improvement and prevention and provide the right balance of voices for Oxfordshire on a new Strategic Authority Mayoral Board – which would better balance Berkshire’s.
“In conclusion, a three-unitary approach is the smartest way forward, delivering the biggest growth dividend and preserving peoples’ connections with their local communities.”
In support of Cherwell’s proposal the Leader of the Council, David Hingley, 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.”
In relation its single-authority model, Oxfordshire County Council Leader Liz Leffman said: “Approximately 85 per cent of services in Oxfordshire are already provided on a countywide basis by the county council. This includes adult and children’s social care, some education services, public health, fire and rescue, libraries and museums, roads and transport, trading standards, waste disposal and recycling, economic growth and climate adaptation.
“A single county unitary would provide Oxfordshire with the necessary scale and financial resilience that it needs, yet at the same time remain locally responsive through an enhanced role for town and parish councils. We recognise that issues are always most effectively dealt with at the earliest stage and closest to the communities that we serve.”
She added: “A single county unitary council offers clear accountability for all local government through a single group of elected councillors. There will be one chief executive, one senior management team and one workforce delivering on the priorities for all of Oxfordshire.”
Consultations and surveys to help fine tune each of the proposals are now underway. Cherwell are inviting local people to an event at Banbury Town Hall between 3pm and 7pm on Monday July 7. They have also set up a website with more information.
The City Council has events organised in Berinsfield, Botley, Kennington, Kidlington and Wheatley during the next two months. Oxfordshire County Council says it will be engaging on its proposal later this month.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
