An investigation has been demanded to try to determine who owns Oxfordshire.

Although land is the most valuable asset in Oxfordshire, no one seems to know who it actually belongs to.

Now the leader of the county council's Labour group, Brian Hodgson, has called for the local authority to commission a 21st century equivalent of the Domesday Book - which listed property ownership in Norman England - in the form of a map to show who the major landowners are. He said the issue of land ownership was relevant to many key decisions made by the county, such as the drawing up of the county structure plan.

"It would be a useful thing to have when dealing with economic, planning and environmental issues," he said.

"But I also happen to think, in the interests of democracy, people who live in a community should be aware that a huge area of land is owned by a relatively small number of people."

Cllr Hodgson has written to Cllr Anne Purse, the executive member for strategic planning, asking her to raise the issue with the executive.

Urging the executive to commission a study to find who the major landowners are, he writes: "The owners would, of course, include organisations, such as Oxford colleges, as well as private individuals or families.

"The work would not be straightforward in every case, because the Land Registry only has a record of land which has changed hands in the last few years. The final outcome of the research could include a map of the county showing major landowners."

Cllr Hodgson predicted there would be plenty of surprises and believed it might be necessary to have separate maps for Oxford and key towns, where there was a high level of property ownership.

His idea follows the publication of the book Who Owns Britain, by Kevin Cahill, which says Oxford colleges still own about 30,000 acres of land, with the Duke of Marlborough, who headed the list back in 1872, said to still have 11,500 acres.

Then comes the National Trust, with 9,206 acres, the Ministry of Defence, with 8,502 acres, the Harcourt family, with 7,000 acres, and the Church Commissioners, with 4,000 acres. Other significant landowners are said to include the 4th Viscount Astor, with 2,000 acres, the Forestry Commission, with 1,554 acres, and the Crown, with 1,251 acres.

The book claims there are at least 190 significant landowners amongst the hereditary peers, whose landholdings have remained legally hidden.

Nationally, it claims that the homes taken up by the 59m population take up less than ten per cent of the land.