West Oxfordshire is gearing up to lead the way with the first new Cabinet-style local council in the county.

The district council will be moving over to the new way of running its affairs at the annual meeting on April 25.

Decision-making will be in the hands of a leader and a small "Cabinet" committee of between four and nine coun- cillors.

The way has been prepared by a 142-page draft constitution, drawn up by chief executive Geoff Bonner, which the council is being urged to adopt at its meeting tomorrow (March 1).

Other councils are preparing to go the same way over the next year.