A report from the Oxfordshire Joint Leaders Committee of all six Oxfordshire council leaders, which was established in late 2024 to replace the Future Oxfordshire Partnership, was presented at Vale District Council’s full council meeting this evening (16 July). [1]
Reacting to the report, Green District Councillor Katherine Foxhall asked why council leaders had cancelled a March meeting just as vital proposals for unitary authorities were due to be submitted. Cllr Foxhall explained “The terms of reference establish this Committee as “a forum for discussion to generate a collective Oxfordshire voice on engaging with government on their devolution and growth agenda”… But the March meeting was cancelled and we now find ourselves in the embarrassing position of watching Liberal Democrat led District councils competing with Liberal Democrat led County Council to propose completely separate visions for Oxfordshire’s unitary future.”
Oxfordshire’s District councils are proposing a two-unitary solution: a northern “Oxford and Shires” council and a “Ridgeway” council. Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats at Oxfordshire County Council are proposing a single Oxfordshire-wide unitary. Labour-led Oxford City has proposed a “Greater Oxford” plan taking in the city and neighbouring greenbelt parishes.
Cllr Foxhall questioned how much officer time and resource was going into creating websites, engagement events and communication campaigns, when the councils needed to be focusing on data sharing to create a coherent and sound proposal that would best serve residents. Cllr Foxhall added: “Our residents are very confused, and I would like to ask on their behalf, what is the value of this leaders joint committee if, as this report shows, our leaders cannot use it to discuss the greatest challenge to local government since the 1970s.”