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Have your say on proposed changes for parishes in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse

Residents are being asked to comment on changes put forward by parish councils in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse which could affect how their local area is run.

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils are carrying out a Community Governance Review.  This involves reviewing existing arrangements for parishes across the two districts, inviting requests for changes from parish councils and then adopting and implementing any changes which would benefit the local area. The councils carry out this type of review every four years.

The review could result in changes like: altering a parish boundary; creating or merging a parish; changing a parish name; changing the local electoral arrangements; or enabling an area to be known as a town, community, neighbourhood or village, rather than a parish.

Last year, all parishes across the two districts were invited to put forward their proposals and requests have now been taken forward for formal consultation:

In South Oxfordshire, there are proposed changes for:

  • Cuddesdon and Denton,
  • Henley-on-Thames/Bix,
  • Sonning Common,
  • Thame/Great Haseley,
  • Thame
  • Wallingford/Brightwell-cum-Sotwell
  • Didcot.

In the Vale of White Horse, there are proposed changes for:

  • Grove
  • Grove/East Challow,
  • Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor/Fyfield and Tubney,
  • North Hinksey,
  • South Hinksey/Kennington,
  • Sunningwell/Wootton and Cumnor,
  • Uffington
  • Wootton

To view the full proposed changes for each area and to find out how you can have your say, please visit southoxon.gov.uk/communitygovernance or whitehorsedc.gov.uk/communitygovernance.  

The consultation runs from Thursday 31 March to midday on Friday 29 April 2022.

Once this consultation has ended, the councils’ Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committees will consider the responses and then put forward draft proposals on the changes for further consultation later this year.  Subject to any amendments, the final changes will then be adopted so they apply from the May 2023 elections. 

Cllr Pieter-Paul Barker, Cabinet Member for Partnerships and Legal and Democratic, at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “This is an important opportunity for towns and parishes to consider whether the make-up and boundaries of their councils still properly represent their residents following changes to their local community and local area over time.”

Cllr Emily Smith, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “If you live in an area covered by the proposals for this review, the changes could affect how your views are represented when decisions are being made about your community and how your parish council tax contributions are best used. Please make sure you let us know what you think about the suggestions.”

Notes for editors:

Summary of the proposed changes for South Oxfordshire parishes:

  • Cuddesdon and Denton – remove current warding arrangements.
  • Henley-on-Thames/Bix – review of parish boundary at Swiss Farm Park Homes currently split between Henley parish and Bix parish
  • Sonning Common – increase the number of parish councillors from 12 to 15
  • Thame (Great Haseley) – amend the boundary of the parish to include land up to North Weston, currently in Great Haseley, within Thame parish.
  • Thame – review of the warding arrangements to provide electoral representational balance between the North and South wards.
  • Wallingford (Brightwell-cum-Sotwell) – amend the boundary of the parish to include land at Site A, currently in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, within Wallingford parish
  • Didcot – review of the number of councillors elected for each town council ward to reflect the number of electors they represent.

Summary of the proposed changes for Vale of White Horse parishes:

  • Grove – removal of current warding arrangements
  • Grove (East Challow) – amending the boundary of the parish to include Grove Technology Park, currently in East Challow parish
  • Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor (Fyfield and Tubney) – amending the parish boundary east of Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor to include land currently in Fyfield and Tubney parish
  • North Hinksey – a review of the parish name to include Botley and alter the status of the parish – change to community council
  • South Hinksey (Kennington) – amending the parish boundary south of South Hinksey to include the former Westwood Hotel site, currently in Kennington parish
  • Sunningwell (Wootton and Cumnor) – amending the parish boundary to include the area of Boars Hill currently in Wootton and Cumnor parishes and amending the parish name to reflect the change 
  • Uffington – increasing the number of parish councillors from six to seven 
  • Wootton – a review of the parish name to reflect the settlement of Boars Hill.