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County Council’s devolution response agreed
09/01/2025
Councillors want to move ahead at pace
A meeting of Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet has agreed its response to the government’s devolution plans.
A White Paper was launched in December outlining structures which could see a new mayor for Oxfordshire and a single tier of local authority taking on the work of both Oxfordshire County and Cherwell District councils.
The Cabinet agreed it is in favour of having a mayoral strategic authority covering the Thames Valley but is not yet in a position to have an arrangement over this with neighbouring areas. Other areas of the country (such as Greater Manchester and the West and East Midlands) already operate as strategic authorities with elected mayors.
Conversations between council leaders and officers at the county, city and district councils in Oxfordshire have already taken place, although there is – as yet – no suggested makeup of what a new unitary authority or unitary authorities for the county would look like. However, the government will be requested to ‘fast track’ Oxfordshire to progress local government reorganisation while devolution conversations continue.
Cabinet members did express their reservations about proposals to postpone scheduled elections for this May, but all agreed that councillors at all levels should work to achieve the best outcomes and improved service delivery for local people.
Speaking at the end of today’s meeting Council Leader Liz Leffman said: “I’ve heard from leaders this morning and from others that they want to move forward at pace.
“There isn’t yet a consensus as to as to what local government reorganisation would look like, but we will get more guidance from government over that over the next few weeks.
“There will obviously be continued discussions with our local partners as well as with partners outside the county about how to take this forward and I’m hearing a general consensus that we need to do this at pace.”
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam