CONSERVATIVE associations in Oxfordshire could be merged into one "super association" under plans put forward yesterday.

The changes would see permanent staff brought in, with shared offices covering multiple constituencies and the role of voluntary chairmen reduced.

There are currently seven Conservative associations in the county, one for each constituency and an over-arching county wide association.

National party figures have said merging would allow associations to mount stronger campaigns, but grassroots activists warned it could reduce the influence of local people on choosing election candidates.

The plan, which The Daily Telegraph reported could be in place within a year, was presented by Lord Feldman, Conservative Party chairman, to a ruling board yesterday.

It said party sources had stressed the mergers would be subject to a vote of members but that individual associations could be overruled if most others in a county backed the change.

Robert Eyles, deputy chairman of Oxfordshire Conservative Association, told the Oxford Mail: "The chairman's job is to pull the voluntary side of the association together, so I am not sure that diluting that role would be a good idea.

"We will be studying these proposals in detail as more information becomes available."