Your views will help shape proposals for a new local council for our area

The proposal represents one half of a response by five Oxfordshire and Berkshire councils to the government’s plan to replace the current two-tier system of local government, which consists of district and county councils, with a single tier of unitary authorities.

The plan would see Oxfordshire and West Berkshire served by two strong, future-ready unitary councils able to get going from day one.

Final council names will be agreed as plans progress, but to aid engagement, the councils are currently referring to the new council as Oxford and Shires, reflecting the diverse component areas. Ridgeway Council is the proposed name that would cover West Berkshire, South Oxfordshire, and Vale of White Horse.

Community engagement to gather essential feedback has launched and will run until 16 July. This is an opportunity to help shape the final proposal for local government reorganisation, which will be submitted to government in November 2025.

A series of drop-in events will be held across the proposed new council area. These sessions will provide people with the opportunity to ask questions, speak with councillors and project officers, and offer feedback on what matters most to them. A list of events is included below.

Councillor David Hingley, Leader of Cherwell District Council, said: “The government’s push to reorganise local councils is an opportunity to reshape local government here in a way that reflects the unique character of our market towns, the cherished heritage of our rural villages, and the exciting innovation and influence of the city of Oxford.

“This new unitary authority would bring all local council services together, providing strong connections to the people it will serve while providing a robust financial basis to meet the challenges ahead. But to get this right, we need to understand what our communities think. That’s why I’m encouraging everyone to get involved by attending a drop-in event or sharing their views online, helping us build the right form of local government to best serve our part of the country in the years to come.”

Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, said, “We are clear that residents need to come first in any discussions around future options for local government. We want residents, businesses and other organisations to help us shape this proposal so it truly reflects our communities, both now and in the future.

“This engagement will give people a direct route to influence this proposal and the shape of local government in future. We want to build on the obvious benefits of a two-unitary option to create something that is new, forward thinking and makes the most of this change in approach to deliver more for local people while protecting the services they currently value.” 

Further information about the two-unitary proposal is available at www.twocouncils.org. Here, people can also share their views by completing a joint survey for the councils.