05/02/2026
Posted on behalf of Vale of White Horse District Council.
Residents urged to respond to government consultation on once-in-a-generation opportunity to change local councils
The government has launched a consultation on options to reorganise local councils across Oxfordshire and West Berkshire.
Local Government Reorganisation is a government-led reform to change how councils in two-tier areas are structured, replacing county and district councils with single unitary structures responsible for local services.
The upcoming consultation asks residents for their views on each of the three proposals put forward for Oxfordshire.
This consultation will inform the government’s decision later in the year on which proposal to implement. The change in council structures provides an opportunity to transform how councils work to deliver services, drive economic growth and support local communities.
In late 2025, a clear consensus emerged when five councils in Oxfordshire and West Berkshire formally supported a proposal for two new, innovative, responsive and locally accountable unitary authorities to address current inefficiencies, enhance services, and save millions.
These councils agreed that the two-unitary model offers the best outcomes for local residents and have urged the government to adopt it when making its decision later in the year.
The clear benefits of the two-unitary proposal put it ahead of the other options:
• Delivering better services: The proposal responds to what residents, businesses and public sector partners say needs improving, from highways and social care to planning.
• The best financial outcomes: Delivers significant potential savings (£59.8m annually) and carries the lowest financial risk of all three proposals, helping to protect key services, avoid cuts and ensure long-term stability across Oxfordshire and West Berkshire.
• Boosting both rural and urban economies: Drives fast-paced, sustainable growth across Oxford, market towns and rural areas, creating more jobs, better transport and the right homes in the right places.
• Creates councils more responsive to their communities: Keeps councils close to all local communities and tailored to their specific needs, ensuring strong local accountability and representation.
Forming two unitary councils has the potential to save money by re-imagining and redesigning services across a sensible geography, making use of scale and local delivery where it works best. The two-unitary approach would create authorities that are big enough to be efficient, stable, and reliable, but small enough to care for and be responsive to communities.
During decision-making last year, the councils raised concerns about the other proposals.
For the single-unitary proposal, they expressed concerns that it was too large and too remote from communities and that it did not show the ambition local communities and businesses deserved. Additional concerns have since been raised about whether services with a county-wide footprint, such as highways maintenance, are sustainable and can be funded at that scale, given cuts proposed in recent budgets.
For the three-unitary proposal, they expressed concerns that it would not create financially sustainable councils, would fail to meet the government criteria, and would negatively impact Oxford and damage the green belt.
The government intends to decide on which structure is implemented in Oxfordshire before the government’s summer recess in July. The preferred model is expected to be fully operational in 2028, replacing the current councils.
Residents can take part in the consultation by visiting https://consult.communities.gov.uk/local-government-reorganisation/
The consultation is open from 5 February to 26 March 2026. Respondents can either take part in an online survey or write directly to government with their views.
Residents can read the full two-unitary proposal or a shortened version on the website www.twocouncils.org. The proposal covers all the key points, including how services will be run, financial modelling, implementation plans, and the vision for the future.
The other two proposals can be found at:
• Single unitary proposal – www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/oneoxfordshire
• Three unitary proposal – www.oxford.gov.uk/three-councils
Cllr David Hingley, Leader of Cherwell District Council, said: “This consultation is a crucial moment for Oxfordshire’s future. Residents now have the chance to help shape how local services are run for decades to come.
“After carefully examining all three options, it is clear to me that the two-unitary model offers the best future for our communities. It delivers stronger services, long-term financial stability, real value for money, and the right balance between scale and local accountability. It creates councils that are big enough to be efficient but local enough to stay closely connected to the people and businesses they serve.
“I would urge everyone to take part in the government’s consultation and make their voices heard. This is your opportunity to help guide government toward a model that is ambitious, affordable and rooted in your needs and those of other local people.”
Cllr Andy Graham, Leader for West Oxfordshire District Council, said, “I believe the two-unitary option is the only one that provides a credible and positive option for the future of local government in Oxfordshire and West Berkshire.
“This is the most important consultation for the people of Oxfordshire in this generation that will have long-lasting implications for the future of our area. I would strongly urge people to give their views and take this opportunity to opt for change, better services and a better future.”
Cllr Maggie Filipova-Rivers, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said, "The two-councils proposal provides the best solutions for our area. From my district's point of view, the Ridgeway Council half of the proposal brings together councils with a proven record of delivering essential services. West Berkshire Council's roads are measured as Green on the government's local highways maintenance ratings, and their adults and children's services are rated good by the Care Quality Commission and Ofsted.
“South and Vale both have exceptional homelessness prevention rates, we all ensure housing developers provide high levels of Affordable Housing, we lead the way in Neighbourhood Planning support and have received national recognition for our public engagement activities. Together we can build, transform and develop even higher-performing service and infrastructure delivery for our communities”
Cllr Bethia Thomas, Leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “This is a once in a generation opportunity – and we need to think about what will truly deliver for our communities both now and in the future.
“The three-unitary option would be devastating for Oxford, the green belt and the surrounding area. The proposal isn’t viable – all of the growth is planned for a heavily constrained Green Belt and it won’t be long before all the developable land is used up and the city has to knock on its neighbouring councils’ doors asking for help to deliver housing. It’s also disappointing to see that there isn’t a credible model included in the three-unitary proposal for the south and north councils.”
Cllr Jeff Brooks, Leader of West Berkshire Council, said: “It’s important that through LGR we deliver the best option for our residents.
“The two-unitary option creates councils that are aligned to their communities, will deliver the sustainable growth we need and give us the platform to deliver better, more cost-effective services.
“It will help us proactively tackle the financial challenges facing West Berkshire as a small unitary authority whilst preserving the character and communities we hold dear.”
