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Counties to be split into three new unitary councils

Victoria WaltonOxfordshire political reporter
BBC It's a sunny day in Oxford. A big domed buiding is to the fromt with historic buildings around it. Bicycles are chained on the fence around the central building.BBC
Oxfordshire currently has a two-tier system of local government.

Oxfordshire - and a part of Berkshire - will be split into three new unitary authorities, the government has announced.

As part of local government reorganisation, plans have been revealed for a "Greater Oxford" authority, one "Northern" council, and a "Ridgeway" authority towards the south taking in West Berkshire.

It will scrap the existing two-tier system, where the county council looks after things like social care and potholes, and district and city councils are responsible for things like like bin collections and leisure centres.

From April 2028, the three unitary authorities will instead take care of everything in its local area.

Oxford City Council A map of Oxfordshire shows three coloured areas. A dark green patch to the north and west, a light green area to south and west and a dark blue bit - covering Oxford - in the middle.Oxford City Council
Governance in Oxfordshire will be split into three areas, including a "Greater Oxford" authority responsible for the city and green belt.

The idea is to save money and simplify local government by avoiding duplication.

Three options had been put forward by the existing local authorities:

  • One unitary authority - to cover the whole of the county,
  • Two unitary authorities - "Oxford and Shires Council" for the north and west including Oxford, and "Ridgeway Council" for the south and west Berkshire.
  • Three unitary authorities - creating a separate council for "Greater Oxford", Ridgeway stays largely the same but the Shires Council reduces in size without Oxford to become "Northern Oxfordshire Council"

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government chose option three.

Services should remain broadly the same. It's just that someone else will be responsible for them.

Greater Oxford

Backed by the current Labour administration at Oxford City Council, this makes the existing city council area even bigger - both in terms of geography and power.

Officially described as "Oxford and its green belt" it will absorb areas like Kidlington, Wheatley and Berinsfield, bringing the population up to 240 thousand people. That's the smallest of the new unitary authorities in Oxfordshire.

Northern Oxfordshire Council

With 265 thousand people, the Northern Oxfordshire Council covers most of the old Cherwell and West Oxfordshire patch, excluding the villages now in the Greater Oxford area.

Ridgeway Council

Ridgeway Council has about 430 thousand people living in the area at the moment. It covers most of the existing South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse districts, combined with West Berkshire Council.

Nothing changes yet. But all the existing local authorities in Oxfordshire - excluding the parish and town councils - will start to wind down.

This includes Oxfordshire County Council, Cherwell District Council, West Oxfrdshire District Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council and Oxford City Council.

Next May, people will be able to vote for councillors to sit on the unitary councils. These will be 'shadow authorities', running alongside the existing county, district and city councils until April 2028.

From then, the old councils will be dissolved and the shadow authorities on all three unitary councils will formally take charge.

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