Local Government Reorganization

The government has decided to implement a three-unitary council model for local government reorganization in Oxfordshire. This means the existing county, city and district councils will be abolished and replaced from 1 April 2028 by three new unitary authorities: Greater Oxford Council, Northern/North Oxfordshire Council, and Ridgeway Council. The decision follows consultation on three options: a single Oxfordshire-wide council, a two-council model, and the three-council model originally proposed by Oxford City Council.

The practical effect is that three unitary authorities would replace Oxfordshire and West Berkshire’s seven existing councils. Each would run the full range of local council services in its area, including adult social care, children’s services, highways, planning, housing and homelessness, waste, environmental health, council tax and business rates, libraries, leisure, community safety, emergency planning, economic development, and regeneration. The recommended structure is:

• Greater Oxford Unitary Council — covering Oxford City and its immediate surroundings, including parishes transferred from Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, and Vale of White Horse. Its focus will be managing Oxford’s urban growth pressures, including housing, planning, transport, infrastructure, homelessness, economic development, and city-region services, while also taking on duties from the abolished County Council, such as adult social care, children’s services, and highways.
• Northern Oxfordshire Unitary Council — covering most of Cherwell and West Oxfordshire, with Cherwell reduced by the parishes moved to Greater Oxford. It will provide all local government services, including those from the county council, across a rural and market-town area, balancing growth around Banbury, Bicester, and Witney with the needs of smaller communities.
• Ridgeway Unitary Council — covering most of South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, plus West Berkshire, with some parishes moved into Greater Oxford. It will manage services (including those from the abolished county council) across southern Oxfordshire and West Berkshire, coordinating communities linked to Oxford, Reading, the Thames Valley and surrounding rural areas.

Although government has selected the three unitary council approach, the County Council is considering a judicial review to challenge the decision. OCS Executive Committee will keep members informed.

The Thames Valley Authority

The government’s wider intention is that the three unitary councils will sit within a Thames Valley Authority, covering Oxfordshire, the Berkshire authorities and possibly Swindon. This will be a strategic regional authority rather than a replacement for the new councils.

Its likely role will be to coordinate major cross-boundary issues, particularly: strategic housing growth across the wider Thames Valley; regional economic development, investment, skills, innovation, and business clusters; major transport and infrastructure planning across council boundaries; alignment of housing, jobs, utilities, schools, and health provision. Most importantly it will involve the devolution of powers, funding, and responsibilities from central government.

In short, the three unitary councils would run day-to-day local services, while the Thames Valley Authority would focus on regional strategy, growth, and infrastructure coordination. The timing of the Authority remains unclear because of disagreement amongst the existing councils about the process to establish it.