South Oxfordshire Cabinet approves bold proposal for Local Government Reorganisation
Published Friday 14 November 2025
“We have been listening to our residents. They tell us that they want to cut costs, they want better services, and they want a council that will respond to their needs. This proposal creates a council which is large enough to be efficient, but small enough to care.”
Cllr David Rouane, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council.
A radical shake-up of local councils is on the cards after South Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet approved the submission of a proposal for two new unitary councils to the government.
The proposal, made in response to an invitation by the government to reshape local government in the area, has been crafted to deliver more efficient services, stronger financial resilience, and councils that are truly responsive to local communities.
Developed in partnership with four other councils, the proposal outlines the creation of two new unitary authorities: Ridgeway Council, covering South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, and West Berkshire; and Oxford & Shires Council, covering Cherwell, the city of Oxford, and West Oxfordshire.
It is one of three proposals being put forward for the area – the others being a large unitary council that covers the whole of Oxfordshire developed by the county council, and a proposal for three smaller unitary councils based around an expanded Oxford city area being submitted by the city council.
Financial modelling shows the proposal approved by South Oxfordshire councillors could save up to £59.8 million annually, making it the most cost-effective of the three options being considered for the region.
Cllr David Rouane, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Our communities have told us clearly that Oxfordshire’s services need improving and you cannot change how things are done by trying to persist with the old ways.”
“Extensive feedback and research have shown the county is too big to operate effectively or efficiently on its own, but too small to be divided into two. Bringing our friends in West Berkshire into the fold, with their high-quality and cost-effective social care services, good roads and education services, means we can provide two unitary councils that are the right size to provide the best financial outcomes, protect and improve vital services, and create councils that are big enough to be efficient but local enough to care.”
With Cabinet approval secured, the proposal will now be submitted to the government ahead of the 28 November deadline. A decision is expected in mid-2026, with new councils potentially launching in April 2028.
