Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/150

Contact: Helen Mitchell, Programme Director – Local Government Reorganisation

Helen.mitchell@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report of the Chief Executive

The Cabinet RECOMMENDED to

A)   Note all three proposals for Local Government Reorganisation (Annex 1, 2 and 3)

B)   Agree that One Oxfordshire, the single county unitary proposal is a “robust and sustainable unitary proposal that is in the best interests of the whole area” as requested by the then Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution in his letter of 5 February 2025 attached as Annex 4. 

C)   Approve the One Oxfordshire proposal for submission to government in accordance with their deadline of 28 November 2025.

D)   Delegate authority to the Executive Director of Resources and S151 Officer in consultation with the Leader to make any changes to the text and/or format of the One Oxfordshire proposal prior to submission to government whilst not materially affecting the overall content of the proposal.

E)   Delegate to the Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Leader, the formal submission of the proposal to government to meet the 28 November 2025 deadline, following any changes agreed at Cabinet and any subsequent changes made under the delegation at Recommendation D above.

Recommendations approved.

The recommendations from Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee were all accepted.

With regard to recommendation E, the Cabinet agreed the following changes to the submission to Government:-

Expanded narrative on neighbourhood committees

Change council size to 99

Amendment to stakeholder feedback to be clearer where some respondents rather than all gave a view

Add in the bespoke CIPFA resilience index risk assessment in the options appraisal

Remove Annex 2 (Metro Dynamics work for MSA) when submitting

Add paragraph on SEND once the inspection visit outcome is known

This decision is not subject to Scrutiny call-in.