MPs warn Oxfordshire super council 'fails' government tests

OUR Oxfordshire MPs have together warned a plan to create a super council fails a key government test.

They said proposals backed by Oxfordshire County Council, Vale of White Horse District Council and South Oxfordshire District Council did not have the support of other authorities or 'the majority of MPs'.

The three authorities want to scrap all six of the county's biggest councils and replace them with one organisation, which could save £20m. 

But in a joint statement, Oxford East MP Andrew Smith, Witney MP Robert Courts, Banbury MP Victoria Prentis and Henley MP John Howell said: "We have seen that South Oxfordshire and the Vale of the White Horse are now backing a bid for a county-based unitary authority.

"We have also seen that this is opposed by Cherwell District Council, Oxford City Council, and West Oxfordshire District Council. 

"So this is not a unified bid across the whole county, does not have the support of the majority of the County’s MPs, and fails the criteria for consensus which the Department of Communities and Local Government are working to."

To read the full story from the Oxford Mail Click here.

'Super council' plans spark civil war between Tory leaders in Oxfordshire

Great article in the Oxford Times from Cherwell District Council leader Barry Wood and West Oxfordshire District Council leader James Mills.

James Mills, leader of Conservative-run West Oxfordshire District Council, said there was ‘no way’ he would back the plans because it would mean a council tax hike for residents. His authority charges the lowest annual rate of council tax in the county – just £86.63 – but under a super council rates across different areas would be ‘harmonised’ to become the same.

Full story can be found Here .Tories spark civil war  

Great words from Andrew Smith MP

Please take note before it's to late.

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith said today in the Oxford Mail (07/02/2017) that the city should have more powers, not fewer.

He said: “In the interests of local democratic accountability and having councils which are in touch with the issues in their area, I have long supported unitary status for Oxford city, ideally on wider boundaries than present so that housing, transport and environmental protection can be planned properly.

“Swindon, Reading and Milton Keynes all have unitary status rather than being swallowed up in a wider county authority, and Oxford residents should have the same right.”

Mr Smith said he had voiced concerns to top government ministers, including Communities Secretary Sajid Javid.

The Labour politicians were speaking after Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire district councils announced they were teaming up with Oxfordshire County Council, to submit plans for a super council next month.

This would see council tax made the same for all households in Oxfordshire, with the new authority given sweeping powers to approve major housing developments across the county.

Full story can be found at This is Oxfordshire



The One Oxfordshire debate

Do you understand the real threat from one oxfordshire?

A real Threat to your social housing

The City Council is the only council in Oxfordshire to retain control of social housing

o 900 new homes in Barton
o £20m to refurbish tower blocks
o £21m to improve council homes in Blackbird Leys and Barton
o £4.2m on our Great Estates programme

Invested £5m to house families in temporary accommodation and secured £790k from Government to help prevent homelessness

Did you know that Oxfordshire unitary would remove control of housing from elected City Councillors?

Oxfordshire County Council has cut its budget for homeless services in the city leading to hostel closures across the city.

Threat to investment in communities

Oxford City Council invests in communities to enhance health and well-being and the quality of residents’ lives, Heavy invested in community facilities, e.g. Rose Hill and East Oxford Community Centres.

Loss of local control would threaten:

o Planned improvements across all 19 community facilities
o Investment in facilities and programmes for young people, e.g. Youth Ambition
o £1.4m of grants to community and voluntary sector groups and to the cultural sector.

Is this what you really want for your oxford?

The Devolution Debate

Great paper from County Councillor David Williams on Oxfordshire County Councils devolution plans. well worth reading.

Click to read the One Oxfordshire report from Cllr David Williams

The end of Local Goverment with One Oxforshire

I'm sorry, but I'm going to keep banging on about this!!! this is really scary stuff for the People Of Oxford City! Potentially, if the County Council get their way with their proposal for One Super Council, Council Houses could be sold off, less social housing at affordable rents, for people that so desperately need it.
Our Cleansing services Sold off to Biffa, which will mean less Jobs for the people in the City at a decent rate of pay and lining the pockets of the owners of such companies.
Lets face it the County are very good at making Hundreds and hundreds of people redundant and selling off Vital Services, dare I mention Care services for our elderly and vulnerable residents here in the City!!!!
Please get involved find out for your self what their up to, before it's too late and tell the County Council to keep their hands off our Council!!! speak to your local Councillors and tell them what you think, I was born in this city, as were all my family, I care what happens!! |Oxford will be a city just for the elite! but who will work in the shops, because know one will be able to afford to live here if they get their way!!
Please read below!!
Shared services and functions and fewer councillors are just some of the proposals raised by Oxfordshire county councillors at a meeting which revealed the move could save £400,000 a week.
‘One Oxfordshire’ discussed merging services and functions between the six councils and working together across party lines towards a saving target of £100m over five years.
The changing structure will mean a reduction in the number of councillors, with a reduction to 100-125 from 282, leading to £4.7m in savings.
Each councillor would be a single point of contact, and Area Executive boards would have formal decision-making powers to address local priorities, with each area represented on the unitary council’s cabinet.
The re-structure also means community points such as libraries, leisure centres, fire stations and health facilities would have more joined up services.
Councillor Ian Hudspeth, County Council conservative leader, said at the meeting on Wednesday last week: “This is a once in a generation chance to improve local government in Oxfordshire and deliver better services to residents, a real fresh start for the county that works for everyone.”
Councillor Richard Webber, of the Liberal Democrat party, said: “This is an all party initiative. There are a number of areas we don’t agree on but with this particular initiative, we are all passionately behind it.
“There are an overwhelming number of positive reasons why a single Oxfordshire council that makes the best possible savings will deliver a simpler council structure, providing better services to residents at much lower cost, and in the end, more local services too.”
Labour councillor Liz Brighouse expressed concern over recent cuts to social care services: “Since I’ve joined local government I have seen the money available for [children and families] services being eroded, particularly in the last few years – and each year virtually sweating blood because you know the difference to families when those services are reduced.
“So I see this as a way to get better services for our communities, a way of joining up our social care benefits so people can get the services they need.”
She added: “We’ve seen the crisis in our National Health Service and very often we hear ‘well actually there’s a real problem in adult social care.’ I think there is nothing worse whenever I go around canvassing – I hear a lot of people and their problems and it’s a lot of ‘well actually you have to go to the county council to sort that,’ or ‘well actually that’s a city council function,’ we need to bring all those city functions together.”
Grant Thornton, an independent accounting and consultancy firm, found that the single authority would be the most cost-effective, and has estimated a further £20m annual saving.
From left, councillors Richard Webber, Ian Hudspeth and Liz Brighouse
The ‘One Oxfordshire’ plan, which would be set in place within 18 months, showcases the concerted efforts between parties in working together towards a unitary authority, but many are against the proposals.
Councillor Bob Price, Leader of Oxford City Council, said: “This is the wrong proposal at the wrong time.
“The creation of a single unitary council for the whole of Oxfordshire would be highly disruptive for local services and will take years to create.
“The savings of £20m a year that are claimed is very small against a total budget of over £821m for the new authority, and fails to take account of the high costs of the transition in redundancies and reorganisations.”
He added: “A unitary county council would mean a threat to local communities through a remote planning process that could impose new homes against the wishes of locally elected councillors and communities.”
He said it could also mean “a requirement to equalise council tax across the county, with big increases for many residents” and could also lead to “a reduction in local democracy by placing all significant decision making powers in the hands of a single body and removing the easy access to local councillors”.
Cllr Barry Wood, leader of Cherwell District Council said the proposals “are based upon sweeping and inaccurate information”.

Published by Caroline Glendinning