Get involved
Our Greater Oxford proposals will be the largest change to local government in Oxford and Oxfordshire for 50 years.
They would bring local decisions under one roof and closer to the people they affect.
This would help us build more affordable homes, provide new bus connections, and create new, secure jobs for our children and grandchildren.
But these are early proposals. We want to hear your thoughts, so we can make improvements before we submit the final version to the government in November.
Online survey (July-August 2025)
We held an online survey about local government reorganisation between 1 July and 12 August.
In total, 1,580 people took part, the vast majority of whom are existing Oxfordshire or West Berkshire residents.
Key findings included:
- 69.4% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: “Councils are most effective when they are smaller and closer to the people they serve, enabling them to respond and adapt more easily to local needs”; 17.1% disagreed or strongly disagreed
- 80.0% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: “Urban and rural areas often require different approaches to housing, transport, education and skills, and other key council services”; 12.1% disagreed or strongly disagreed
- 75.1% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: “Housing, transport, education and skills need different approaches between urban and rural areas”; 16.4% disagreed or strongly disagreed
- 68.0% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: “I want to see more housing built in the right places to meet local needs (including affordability, proximity to family/friends, and access to jobs)”; 16.6% disagreed or strongly disagreed
Engagement events
Throughout July, we held a series of drop-in events across Oxfordshire and West Berkshire to hear from residents across the whole area on key issues in the proposals.
We also attended engagement meetings with representatives in local communities and parishes. An example presentation from one of these meetings can be viewed here.
Next steps
We will use the online survey responses to draw up our final proposals, which will be submitted to the government in November.
Government’s intention to launch a statutory consultation on unitary proposals in the spring.
The final decision on local government reorganisation across England, including in Oxford and Oxfordshire, will be made by the government in 2026.
New councils are expected to be created in 2028.