Oxford's residents will "take charge of their destiny" if the city council is given unitary status, claims the authority's chief executive.

The council's bid for self-rule is ready for submission to the Government, with the authority confident that, if it is successful, years of conflict with the county council would end.

The Government wants a shake-up of local government to end the confusion that reigns in the current two-tier set-up.

In Oxford's case it would mean all links with Oxfordshire County Council were severed and, in theory, could spell the end of County Hall.

In its initial 26-page bid, which the Oxford Mail has seen, the city council makes a huge play of the lack of affordable housing and dearth of opportunities for widespread development in the city issues certain to resonate with Whitehall ministers.

Part of the submission, which was written by previous council leader Alex Hollingsworth and chief executive Caroline Bull, pictured, reads: "There is an important issue of local democracy at stake here.

"As our submission shows, Oxford is significantly different from any other population centre in Oxfordshire.

"It is economically dynamic, culturally and ethnically mixed and with a youthful population.

"The two-tier structure builds in conflict between a rural county council and an urban city council it also builds in an overwhelming democratic deficit for Oxford voters.

"The current debate is not part of a sterile argument between the city and county councils, about who can be blamed for what.

"It is about what is best for Oxford giving people the right to take charge of their city's destiny."

Housing continues to be the biggest battleground between the city and county councils.

The average house in Oxford now costs £259,952 roughly 10 times the average income while 22.1 per cent of all homes in the city are private rented compared to 10.4 per cent nationally.

Put simply, the county council wants new homes built around Oxfordshire's market towns, while the city council wants them in and around Oxford.

The Government's White Paper on local government reorganisation is due for publication in the autumn and will contain the names of cities in the mix.

Ms Bull added: "We try hard to make the current system work in the interests of the city and the people who live in and visit it. However, it is the long-standing view of this council that a unitary council for Oxford would be better for the city. "

Conservative county council leader Keith Mitchell said: "Oxford city would be too small to be a strategic local authority I think it would be the worst possible solution."