Following the publication of the Government’s English Devolution White Paper last December, it was proposed that areas in England with the current three tier system (Parish/Town, District and County) would be abolished in favour of a two tier Unitary governance structure.
Parish and Town Councils will remain the first tier of Local Government, but the upper District / County tiers will be amalgamated in some way.
Following this announcement the ‘key players’ of the Districts and County in the area have been asked by Central Government to put together proposals on how they would envisage running the new authority / authorities.
There are three proposals:
• Cherwell, West and City (City and Shires) and South and Vale and West Berkshire (Ridgeway) who are working together as Two Councils – https://twocouncils.org/
• Oxford (Greater Oxford) – https://greateroxford.org/
• County Council (Oxfordshire) – https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/council/local-government-reorganisation-and-devolution/interim-proposal
There are three public engagement dates for the Cherwell area about the Two Councils proposals on
• Monday 23 June at Exeter Hall in Kidlington
• Tuesday 24 June at the John Paul II Centre in Bicester
• Monday 7 July at Banbury Town Hall
All between 3pm and 7pm.
Please do go along and find out what it’s all about.