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 published on 26 February 2026 – document available here.

The initial consultation survey closed on 9 April 2026, with further consultation due to commence in late May 2026.

The next step of the review is to analyse the results of the initial consultation and review the proposals to be taken forward to the second consultation stage. This will be discussed in the upcoming meeting of the CGEIC on 26 May 2026. The agenda and minutes of the meeting will be available here, once published.

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.

Contact us - Electoral services

01235 422422
(Text phone users add 18001 before dialling)

elections@southandvale.gov.uk

South Oxfordshire District Council
Abbey House
Abbey Close
Abingdon
OX14 3JE