Why is local government reorganisation happening?
In December 2024, the government asked councils across England to put forward proposals to simplify local government structures in their regions.
In areas where there are multiple layers of councils which look after different public services (for example, a county council and a district council), the plan is to abolish the current councils and replace them with a single council – known as a unitary council.
The unitary council would then be responsible for all council services in the area.
Making services clearer for residents
This move from multiple councils to one council per area aims to make services clearer for residents – no more wondering which council to contact for what.
The government says unitary councils can also lead to better outcomes for residents, save significant money, and improve accountability through fewer politicians.
There are different ideas about how this should be done in Oxfordshire and West Berkshire and, in November 2025, three proposals for how local government could be reorganised were submitted to Government.
Each of these would see Oxfordshire’s six existing district, city and county councils abolished and replaced with either one, two or three councils.
Current structure in Oxfordshire and West Berkshire
Oxfordshire currently has a two-tier form of local government, with six city, district and county councils.
The five city and district councils are responsible for services in their areas, including:
- Planning
- Housing
- Bin collections
- Community centres
- Community centres
- Parks
The county council is responsible for services across the whole county, including:
- Social care
- Transport
- Education
- Public health
- Fire service
- Libraries
This leads to issues including:
- Confusion over which council provides which service
- Duplication of back-office services (e.g., IT, HR and finance)
- Related services split between different councils (e.g., housing and social care)
- Confusion caused by each area being represented by two or three councillors
On top of this, Oxford has built up to its boundaries and has largely run out of space. As a result, neighbouring areas have had to build homes to meet the city’s housing need.
The last time local government was reorganised in Oxfordshire was in 1974.
West Berkshire is already a unitary authority.