LGR: Oxfordshire Developers Forum meets to discuss proposals

UKPF consultant Hugh Blaza reports from the March meeting of the new Oxfordshire Developers Forum:

Mission Street’s newly opened Inventa Building on the Botley Road this week provided the venue and opportunity for the rival bids to describe the alternative proposals which have been submitted to the Secretary of State responsible for local government reorganisation. His decision is expected in the summer.

Readers will be familiar with the three proposals which the councils have submitted:

1. A single unitary council for Oxfordshire: SUA
2. Two unitary councils: 2UA

• Oxford and Shires Council created from the existing district councils of Cherwell, Oxford City and West Oxfordshire
• Ridgeway Council created from the existing district councils of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse and the unitary council of West Berkshire

1. Three unitary councils: 3UA

• Greater Oxford Council covering Oxford and its green belt
• Northern Oxfordshire Council covering most of the existing Cherwell and West Oxfordshire districts
• Ridgeway Council

And with a regional Thames Valley mayoral authority overseeing them (in all likelihood with other authorities in the wider region) or possibly (but over their dead bodies, one had the feeling) a ‘Foundation Authority’, which sounded remarkably unfit for purpose given the importance of Oxfordshire, its growth potential and impact that growth will have on the country as a whole. (Worth noting that the reason why the Oxfordshire Growth Commission was set up in 2025 was to ensure that potential is captured and exploited to the full. A highly robust reorganised Local Government is, we were reminded, essential to that.)

Members of the Oxfordshire Developers Forum heard presentations from Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council (SUA), Andy Graham, Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council (2UA) and Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council (3UA), followed by Q&A chaired by Charles Butters.

Each presentation contained strong arguments in favour of the proposals their councils support but recognising that only one option will progress, the rival bidders assured the audience that whichever one is selected they are committed to working together to achieve the best outcome for the region. The challenges and common themes are all shared; as ever, housing and infrastructure needs feature heavily.

Space does not permit a summary of the rival bids (they can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-government-reorganisation-in-oxfordshire/proposals-for-local-government-reorganisation-in-oxfordshire).

The public consultation closes on 26 March and so the deadline for making representations is rapidly approaching. The session provided ample food for thought and we do not envy the Ministry its task. Hugely technical issues will have to be reconciled but inevitably there will be a winner and there will be losers.

The session was clear on what all the alternatives are seeking to achieve. One must hope that the equivalent of a clear venn diagram will emerge and that it will embrace the common threads which are recognised and acknowledged. Then the work will really begin with a view to the new structure going live in two years’ time. And (if the councils get their way) we will have an elected mayor to make sure it happens. That is a real change and one which seems to be universally welcomed.

The event closed with Artem Korolev, Founder and CEO of Mission Street, offering a tour of his company’s impressive new building.