What does this mean for me?
| What stays the same? | What will change? |
|---|---|
| Your current councils remain responsible for local services Your bin collections continue Your council tax continues to be paid as normal Existing contact details remain the same | New councils will take over on 1 April 2028 Each new council will provide all local services in its area Contact details will change |
For now, nothing changes in the way you receive services.
All councils will continue to deliver services as usual.
Once the three new councils are created, they’ll gradually start to join up how they work and the systems they use. This will happen over months and years, not overnight, so any changes you notice will be introduced thoughtfully and carefully. As the new councils form, some services will be joined up behind the scenes to make things simpler and more efficient. Where changes affect how residents receive a service, those changes will be consulted in the usual way.
The councils will prioritise minimising any service disruption during the transition to the new councils. They will also prioritise minimising the cost of the transfer.
LGR provides opportunities for councils to rework how they deliver certain services to improve them for residents and this will be a focus for the new councils.
Carefully planned transition to the new councils
The new unitary councils will be created on 1 April 2028. On the same day, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire’s seven existing councils will end. View timeline.
The existing councils have been working together since the start of the year to plan for the transition to the new authorities.
This work is to ensure public services are delivered without disruption, while setting up the new unitary councils and keeping residents and businesses informed about the changes.
Elections for the new unitary councils will take place in May 2027, after which shadow authorities will be created to plan for the new councils, but they will not deliver services. They will focus on preparing for the future councils.
How to find out more
The existing councils will be communicating throughout the transition process to inform residents of what is happening and when. We will also communicate directly with parish councils, service providers and other organisations that may be impacted by the changes.
You can also subscribe to Oxford City Council’s Your Oxford newsletter and follow your existing councils’ social media platforms to keep up to date.
