Residents are being encouraged to have their say on the largest change to local government in 50 years.
The government has launched a consultation on the future shape of local government across Oxfordshire and West Berkshire.
The change will see Oxfordshire’s six councils – including Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council – abolished and replaced with three, two or one councils.
The new councils or council will be established in 2028.
Oxford City Council is supporting the three-council proposal – known as 3Councils – as the model that we believe gives local communities the biggest voice and better supports Oxfordshire and West Berkshire’s diverse economies.
Residents can have their say over the next seven weeks by completing the Government’s consultation. There is a link to this at the 3councils.org website.
Comment
“Blackbird Leys, Woodstock, Newbury and Henley-on-Thames are very different places, and they need different approaches to support residents and businesses.
“With 3Councils, local services would be better tailored to meet local needs, residents would have a stronger voice, and local businesses would have more focused support – whether that’s medical research in Oxford or farming in rural Oxfordshire.
“3Councils is the only proposal that would deliver much-needed affordable homes where they are wanted, in Greater Oxford. This would enable people to afford to live near their friends, family and workplace, while also protecting rural Oxfordshire from overdevelopment.
“This is the biggest change to local government in a generation. It will have a profound impact on how local services are provided, where homes are built, and the future of our local economy. I would encourage everyone to take part in the consultation.”
Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council
Three proposals
In December 2024, the government asked councils across England for proposals on simplifying the structure of local government in their regions.
There are three proposals for how local government in Oxfordshire and West Berkshire could be reorganised. They would see Oxfordshire’s six existing councils abolished and replaced with either:
- Three councils:
- Greater Oxford Council – covering Oxford and its surrounding area
- Northern Oxfordshire Council – covering most of the existing Cherwell and West Oxfordshire districts
- Ridgeway Council – covering most of the existing South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse districts combined with the existing West Berkshire unitary
- Two councils:
- Oxford and Shires Council – covering all of the existing district areas of Cherwell, West Oxfordshire and Oxford City
- Ridgeway Council – covering all of the existing district areas of South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse, and the whole of West Berkshire Council’s area
- One council: covering Oxfordshire County Council’s current boundaries
Each of the new councils would be responsible for all council services in their area, including those currently provided by city/district and county councils.
3Councils proposal
Meeting local needs
Oxford city and rural Oxfordshire are very different, with different demographics, cultures, needs and challenges. The 3Councils proposal will give residents a stronger say over how their local council is run, compared to the larger two-council and one-council proposals. 3Councils is the only proposal that separates urban Oxford from rural Oxfordshire, meaning each council can better tailor services to meet local needs.
Northern Oxfordshire would have its own council to take decisions that affect people in Banbury, Witney and surrounding areas. The new Ridgeway council would reunite the historically linked areas of southern Oxfordshire and west Berkshire, ensuring decision-making to meet their distinct needs.
Supporting local economies
Oxford has a highly specialised local economy – with world-leading medical research, education, and health – while the rest of Oxfordshire’s and West Berkshire’s economy is more diverse – with important clusters of manufacturing, motorsport, hospitality, farming and other sectors.
3Councils is the only proposal that separates urban Oxford from rural Oxfordshire, meaning each council can better focus on supporting the needs of its local economies.
More affordable housing
3Councils is the only proposal that aims to tackle Oxfordshire’s housing crisis.
It will do this by concentrating 40,000 new homes – including 16,000 social and affordable homes – within the boundaries of Greater Oxford by 2040.
This would be achieved by using 2.6% of Oxford’s 35,000-hectare Green Belt.
This would enable local people to afford to live near their friends, family and workplace, while also protecting rural Oxfordshire from overdevelopment and sprawling towns and villages.
This also means Northern Oxfordshire and Ridgeway will be able to focus on housing delivery for their local communities, rather than meeting Oxford’s housing need.
Sustainable public services
Abolishing Oxfordshire and West Berkshire’s seven existing councils and replacing them with three will generate significant savings.
By year five of the transition, the 3Councils proposal is expected to save £47m every year across Oxfordshire and West Berkshire. The additional growth that 3Councils unlocks will boost council tax and business rates revenues on top of these cost savings.
This will create three councils that will be efficient and able to withstand financial shocks, while also tailoring services to meet the needs of local residents and businesses.
Supporting devolution
The government is looking to create devolved strategic authorities across all regions of England to coordinate strategic issues like housing, transport and economic growth.
3Councils is the only proposal that would give Greater Oxford, Northern Oxfordshire and Ridgeway separate seats at the strategic authority table to represent their areas’ distinct interests, alongside places like Reading, Slough and Swindon.
Informed by local views
Oxford City Council held an online survey for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire residents to give their initial views on local government reorganisation in July and August last year.
More than 1,500 people took part, with 69% agreeing that councils are most effective when they are smaller and closer to the people they serve, and 80% agreeing that urban and rural areas often require different approaches to housing, transport, and other services.
Engagement with businesses in Oxford found that 68% of companies supported going beyond Government targets for the delivery of new affordable housing around Oxford.
Next steps
The government’s consultation launched today (Thursday 5 February) and will run for seven weeks until 26 March.
The consultation results are expected in the spring, with the government then deciding on the structure of local government in Oxfordshire and West Berkshire in July.
‘Shadow councils’ are expected to be elected in May 2027. The shadow councils will be responsible for establishing the new unitary councils, including deciding on the new policies and strategies, and hiring and transferring employees.
Oxfordshire’s existing six councils will be abolished on 1 April 2028, with the new unitary councils or council established on the same day.
The last major change to local government was in April 1974, when county councils and city/district councils were established across England and Wales.
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