Two councils. One better future

What is happening?

In December 2024 the government announced they would be replacing the current two-tier council system of district and county councils with unitary councils. Under unitary councils an area has one council that delivers all council services. We were asked by the Government to put forward options for how these unitary councils should be structured. Three proposals have been developed for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire – a single county unitary, two unitaries and three unitaries.

Which option are we backing?

142 out of 158 councillors in attendance at Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, West Berkshire and West Oxfordshire agreed to submit the two unitary option to government. The councillors at West Oxfordshire considered all three proposals and 35 out of 36 councillors felt the two unitary should be supported as the best option for our area, showing overwhelming cross-party support. The councillors also expressed concerns about the other proposals. They felt the single unitary proposal would be too big and too distant - not delivering the services and improvements people want. They were worried the three unitary proposals may create councils that are too small, would damage Oxford and have no clear plans for the north and west of the county.

What does the two unitary propose?

The two unitary proposal is for two councils covering Oxfordshire and West Berkshire. One council would include the current district areas of Cherwell, Oxford City and West Oxfordshire. The other would include the districts of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse plus West Berkshire Council (which is already a unitary).

The benefits of the two unitary proposal would be:

• Will focus on improving services you told us needed to be better
• Will be big enough to be efficient but small enough to care
• Is estimated to save over £59m year on year and have the lowest financial risk for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire
• Deliverable plans to boost the economy – protecting the character of Oxford and our rural areas while delivering the homes, jobs and infrastructure improvements you told us we need to deliver
• Built around communities, making sure residents don’t lose their voice and democratic representation.

Where can I find out more? 

• You can read the full draft two unitary proposal on the website here
• You can find out about the other proposals by visiting the Oxfordshire County Council website or the Oxford City Council website

What happens next?

We have also written to the Government to ensure that a full and proper public consultation is carried out. All proposals will be submitted to Government by 28 November, with a national consultation expected early next year. Ministers are due to make a decision before the summer on which structure will be taken forward, and we will make sure to communicate any updates as soon as they are available.