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Major council changes

The decision about how the West Oxfordshire area will be run after the switch to a unitary council is scheduled to be made before the parliamentary recess on 16th July. To recap, the government has been consulting with local authorities across the country to get views on how district and county councils might be merged to created larger unitary authorities. Three options have been proposed:

  1. One Unitary Authority – “One Oxfordshire” – combining the current County Council & and six District Councils
  2. Two Unitary Authorities – “Oxford & Shires” – combining Cherwell, Oxford City & West Oxon DCs and the current County Council and the “Ridgeway Council” – combining South Oxon, Vale of White Horse District Councils and the existing Unitary Council of West Berkshire.
  3. Three Unitary Authorities – “Greater Oxford Council” – combining Oxford and its green belt; “Northern Oxfordshire Council” – combining the existing Cherwell & West Oxfordshire DCs. and the “Ridgeway Council” – combining South Oxfordshire & Vale of White Horse Districts with the West Berkshire Unitary Council.

West Oxfordshire has voted to support the two authorities’ option. Enstone Parish councillors voted equally between the two and three authorities’ options. The key concern for the parish council, and for residents, is that larger authorities will lack knowledge of the specifics of our local area. There is already concern that the merging of the Uplands (our area) and Lowlands Planning Committees will reduce local awareness. Enstone Parish Council is committed to the creation of a Local Neighbourhood Plan after the reorganisation decision has been made.