Districts call for abolition of county council and creation of four new unitaries

The five district councils in Oxfordshire have called for the abolition of the county council and the transfer of its functions to four new local unitary councils.

The creation of a combined authority would also be at the heart of the proposals, a joint statement from Cherwell, Oxford, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire Councils said.

The district councils argued that the shake-up would simplify local government in the county and bring about significant savings that could be reinvested in public services.

The statement added: “In view of the successful partnerships and close working relationships that already exist in the north and west of the county, the Oxfordshire District Leaders have agreed to explore a unitary option that includes both Cotswold District Council and South Northamptonshire Council.”

The re-organisation would be part of a devolution deal for Oxfordshire to be agreed with the Government. The proposals would also see joint working with the National Health Service “to pool budgets and to commission health and adult social care in a way that improves service quality and deals effectively with increasing demand”, the councils said.

Speaking on behalf of the districts, Cllr Matthew Barber, Leader of Vale of White Horse, said: “This devolution deal is a fantastic opportunity for Oxfordshire and we believe we should do everything possible to secure much needed investment for the benefit of residents, businesses and communities.

“Local unitary councils working together through a combined authority offer the best solution for the people of Oxfordshire. It will allow decision-making and service delivery to better reflect the different challenges and priorities of the people we serve. It will also build on the district councils’ strong track record of sound financial planning and efficiency that are at the heart of good governance and effective service delivery.”

Cllr Barber added: “It is important to establish from the outset that we do not support a ‘lift, shift and divide’ in terms of county council services as this would simply move financial burdens from one organisation to another.

“As districts we have spent the past years delivering increasing efficiencies, transforming our services, creating shared teams, adopting flexible structures and a commercial approach. Simply dividing up county council services would not allow us to achieve the transformation needed. We will form new local unitary councils and introduce new models of commissioning and delivery to transform public services for the better.”

The five councils said they would commission independent experts to work with them and other stakeholders in producing detailed, costed plans for the preferred option.

Responding to the announcement, Oxfordshire County Council said it welcomed the recognition by the district councils and the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group that unitary councils were more efficient and more effective at tackling the challenges facing public services.

However, it said that the districts’ model was just one option and that the public should be allowed to consider all possible arrangements, including:

• One council providing all local authority services for all the people of Oxfordshire;
• Two or three councils providing all local authority services for all the people of Oxfordshire;
• Four councils providing all local authority services for residents of Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire.

Cllr Rodney Rose, deputy leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Oxfordshire is a historic county that is so much more than the sum of its parts. From a personal perspective, I would regret anything that saw that identity and heritage disappear. That said, our main focus must be on the best way to serve the people of Oxfordshire – whatever the council logo on their wheelie bins.

“At this time of diminished resources in local government, we need to make sure every single penny counts so that we can best protect services for the people of Oxfordshire – particularly vulnerable children and adults who depend on social services. Before any deal is done, we need to know the cost to the council taxpayers of Oxfordshire.”

Cllr Rose added that the implications of the districts’ proposals needed proper consideration, including in relation to:

• plans for safeguarding children;
• the future of the fire and rescue service for Oxfordshire;
• joining up health services and adult social care in Oxfordshire;
• planning the infrastructure required for expected growth of homes and jobs in the county.

He said: “The district councils’ proposal would mean the creation of four key council services where there is currently one relating to children and adult social services, and also for planning and delivering improvement to Oxfordshire’s transport network.”

Cllr Rose pointed to a report it commissioned from EY in 2015 that suggested that there were greater savings from a single council for Oxfordshire than three, smaller unitary councils.

“We think there is a strong argument for reducing duplication of council functions, not increasing them,” he argued. “For instance the NHS locally would need to deal with four organisations not one when it comes to joining up health and adult social care services, as required by government policy.

“We look forward to proposals for future structures being compared and contrasted. However the ultimate test has to be which system is the most effective way to deliver, good, safe services for people of Oxfordshire.”