Oxfordshire County Council proceeds with new office despite possible abolition

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 22 Oct, 06:08 · Archive

Oxfordshire County Council is moving ahead with plans to redevelop Speedwell House into a new city centre hub, set to open in April 2028, despite potential abolition.

Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet approved on 20 October an accelerated redevelopment of Speedwell House on Speedwell Street to create a new city centre hub for the council. The move comes after the council sold County Hall. The new offices are scheduled to open in April 2028.

The council is proceeding despite government plans announced in July to abolish Oxfordshire's county, district and city councils and replace them with three new unitary authorities—Greater Oxford, Northern Oxfordshire and Ridgeway—which would run services currently split between two council levels. In September, the government paused the reorganisation and launched a review. Planned shadow elections to the three unitary authorities, due in May next year, will not go ahead; district council elections will take place instead.

Council leader Tim Bearder, in approving the early start to the office development, suggested that its creation should be a reason to pursue his vision for a single unitary council running Oxfordshire rather than the three authority plan.

Oxfordshire County Council proceeds with new office despite possible abolition — Image: Oxford Mail

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How it is being reported

County council moves ahead with new office build despite potential abolitionOxfordshire County Council is moving ahead with plans to build itself a new 'campus', despite the potential for the authority's abolition.Oxford Mail · 22 Oct, 05:00
County council moves ahead with new office build despite potential abolitionOxfordshire County Council is moving ahead with plans to build itself a new 'campus', despite the potential for the authority's abolition.Oxfordshire Guardian · 22 Oct, 05:00

In this story: Oxfordshire County Council · Speedwell House · Greater Oxford · Northern Oxfordshire · Ridgeway · Tim Bearder

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