There’s only one Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire’s councils are to be combined – and there are competing visions for how to do this, and a Government consultation seeks your input. Oxfordshire County Council leader Liz Leffman writes for the Clarion on why she believes the right way forward is for one unitary council to manage the county.
There is now a very short time for people in Oxfordshire to influence what will be the long-term future of local government in the county. It is important for everyone to have their say before Whitehall’s 26 March deadline for responses.
Since 1974 our county has operated in a two-tier system of local government. Oxfordshire County Council provides the bulk of services: social care for adults and children, trading standards, highway maintenance, fire and rescue, public health, waste disposal, education, libraries and other cultural services. The district councils deal with waste collection, planning, environmental health and housing matters.
After operating this way for more than 50 years, we know that residents can find this tough to navigate. There are six councils in Oxfordshire – five districts and the county. It is therefore right that we look to simplify, while also looking to provide the most efficient and high quality services that we can to taxpayers.
At Oxfordshire County Council we firmly believe that having one council, through our One Oxfordshire proposal, will provide stronger, simpler services that are closer to communities, connected and cost effective. The other two proposals – one proposing two unitary councils and the other three councils, both including West Berkshire – do not match our proposal either for efficiency or simplicity.
One front door
We have a once in a generation opportunity to build a stronger, fairer and more ambitious future for the county. One Oxfordshire is the only proposal that fully meets Government criteria with the scale, efficiency and resilience to save the most money and withstand future financial shocks; the stability to protect and improve critical services; and the simplicity residents want.
It would bring together all council services across Oxfordshire with the strength and voice to activate exciting and enduring change. There will be one front door, meaning easier access to support for residents and businesses. There will be one set of officers and one set of councillors, instead of two or three under the other options.
This single council will protect, not separate, critical services like high-performing adult and children's social care, avoiding the duplication and disruption that two or three councils would create.
It will provide greater financial resilience and value for money saving £63m each year and total net savings of £163m by year five – more than two or three councils can achieve.
Working together
One Oxfordshire will ensure local voices are heard through stronger and simpler local governance, bringing decision-making closer to communities with clear accountability and a single set of councillors operating at the heart of their areas. We will do this through bringing local people together in neighbourhood committees.
It will strengthen and simplify partnership work with partners such as the NHS and voluntary and community sector; through countywide collaboration at scale and with one council, not several; and simplify and streamline planning to provide sustainable and equitable housing, transport and infrastructure for the whole county so people can move well wherever they live, work and play.
Crucially, it will give our county a powerful unified voice that can champion our people, our place and our economy with government and investors, unlocking Oxfordshire’s potential for greater inclusive growth regionally, nationally and globally.
The county council’s One Oxfordshire website provides up to date information on local government reorganisation as a whole; access to all three proposals; a breakdown of the strengths and benefits of One Oxfordshire; and a clear link to the Government's consultation.
The statutory consultation closes at 11.59pm on Thursday 26 March. The consultation is open for everyone to have their say. Please do so – these opportunities come around once in a generation. Now is the time to secure our future with stronger, simpler and cost effective services. We believe One Oxfordshire will deliver that.
Further reading
- Our primer on local government reorganisation
- Oxford City Council leader Susan Brown writes for the Clarion setting out a competing case for three councils as the solution for Oxfordshire.