Community Governance Review
As a district council we are responsible for reviewing parish arrangements and implementing any appropriate changes to benefit the decision making and community management in the local area. We undertake a community governance review approximately every four years.
Upcoming reviews
2025 – 2026
The Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committee (CGEIC) met on Tuesday 13 January 2026 to discuss proposals submitted for the 2025-26 South Oxfordshire Community Governance Review. The agenda and minutes of the meeting are available here.
The Terms of Reference for the review was initially published on 26 February 2026, with a revised version re-published on 4 June – updated document available here.
The initial consultation survey closed on 9 April 2026. The results of the initial consultation were discussed and the proposals were reviewed at the CGEIC meeting on 26 May 2026, where the committee decided which proposals to take forward to the second stage of the consultation. The agenda and minutes of the meeting are available here.
Further consultation on the revised/remaining proposals is due to commence in late May/June 2026. A link to the consultation survey will be added here in due course.
What can a Community Governance Review do?
- alter the existing boundary of a parish
- create, merge or abolish parishes
- change the name of existing parishes
- amend the electoral arrangements for parishes (e.g. how many parish councillors are required and parish warding)
- group parishes under a common parish council, or de-group parishes
- alter the “style” of a parish (enabling an area to be known as a town, community, neighbourhood or village rather than a parish)
Historic reviews
2021 – 2022
- The Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committee agreed final changes at the meeting on Tuesday 29 November 2022, with changes taking effect for the May 2023 elections.
Further Reading
- Department for Communities and Local Government: Guidance on Community Governance Reviews
- Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committee
Contact us - Electoral services
01235 422422
(Text phone users add 18001 before dialling)
South Oxfordshire District Council
Abbey House
Abbey Close
Abingdon
OX14 3JE
