Agenda item

The English Devolution White Paper published on the 16 December 2024, outlined the government’s plans to reset the relationship with local and regional government.  The government stated that rebuilding and reforming local government would be the foundation of devolution, with a focus on getting the basics right.

On the 5 February, the government wrote to the Leaders of all two-tier councils (the five district councils and the county council) in Oxfordshire.  This was a formal invitation to those Leaders to develop a proposal for local government reorganisation and to provide guidance on the development of proposals. The government invited the submission of Interim Plans by 21 March 2025, followed by Full Proposals by 28 November 2025.

On the 10 February, West Berkshire Council received a formal request on behalf of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse Councils to consider the option of a new unitary council covering the three areas.  That resulted in the development of an Interim Proposal, that was approved by West Berkshire Council’s Executive at a meeting on 19 March 2025.

The government invited the submission of full proposals by the 28 November, and this report proposes the approval by Executive of the Full Proposal, produced at Appendix A, for submission to Government.