OXFORDSHIRE’S district councils have united in rebellion against fresh calls to abolish them in favour of a single super-council.

Oxfordshire County Council leader Ian Hudspeth has revealed a new report that says savings of up to £33m a year could be made by combining all six councils in the county.

The report put the cost of reorganisation at £16m.

Mr Hudspeth also said it could lead to reductions in rates for council taxpayers and would protect stretched frontline services from further cuts.

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But within less than 12 hours of his call for debate, every other council in Oxfordshire had ruled out a single unitary authority.

In a damning joint statement, the leaders of West Oxfordshire, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire and Vale of the White Horse district councils dismissed the report as “error-strewn”.

They said: “It has been written using high-level assumptions and having no regard to actual service delivery arrangements on the ground. Even a cursory review of the figures indicates the savings are vastly overstated and the costs of implementation significantly understated.

“In an attempt to sweeten the electorate, there is a proposal to bring council tax down. However even these figures are fundamentally flawed, exposing the report for what it is: error-strewn.”

Bob Price, leader of Oxford City Council, also denounced the document and said the decision to spend 40,000 on commissioning it was “scandalous”. 

Mr Price said: “The county council is in a difficult financial position because of cuts imposed by the Government and this is just a desperate way it is trying to raid the resources of the districts.”

The 46-page report – produced by international audit firm Ernst & Young – was needed to help the county council find a “game-changer” for budget savings, Mr Hudspeth said.

Mr Hudspeth added: “This is not a ‘bid’ for unitary status. We’re starting a debate. 
“There are three possible scenarios in the report, there may be other options to explore. 
“As senior politicians and council officers in Oxfordshire it is our duty to calmly discuss those and any others to get the most efficient services and highest levels of protection from cuts for Oxfordshire residents in future years.”

At the moment, Oxfordshire has a two-tier system of local government, with one county council operating alongside a city council and four district councils.

The county council is responsible for transport, schools, libraries, the fire service, trading standards, waste disposal, social care and public health across the whole of Oxfordshire.

The four district councils and the city council control leisure centres, rubbish collection and recycling, planning and council tax collections, including business rates, for their respective areas.

The county council plans to use 85 per cent of its £130m reserves over the next four years to plug funding gaps, despite already having planned £265m in cuts. 
It must also find another £20m of savings, it revealed in December. 

Mr Hudspeth acknowledged central government’s position against local government reform, but said that could change after May’s General Election.

He added: “If all the councils can agree then we can put our proposition to the Government.But it is important to have the facts in a debate like this and if people want to challenge them they can.
“Nothing should be ruled out if it provides better services and value for money.” Yet the district councils claimed an annual £70m budget shortfall in the county’s books meant it was unlikely it would have funds to invest in a tax break.

Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet will meet to discuss the new report in County Hall, New Road, Oxford, at 2pm on Tuesday, January 27.

 

POSSIBLE OPTIONS FOR MERGING COUNCILS
The new report examined three ways Oxfordshire’s councils could be reorganised over a period of four years.
They were:

  • One single countywide unitary council
  • Two unitary councils – one in the city and another made up of the rural districts
  • Or three unitary councils – one in the city, another for the northern half of the county and another for the southern half

It was claimed in the report that the first option, which Mr Hudspeth said was “the best deal”, could save Oxfordshire’s councils a total of £32.5m and result in 80 per cent of households paying £46 less in council tax each year.

 


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