Parish council opposes government plan to split Oxfordshire

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Nov, 06:08 · Archive

Beckley and Stowood Parish Council is campaigning against government plans to divide Oxfordshire into three separate authorities.

Beckley and Stowood Parish Council, in South Oxfordshire, is calling for unity against government plans to split Oxfordshire into three separate authorities. The Government's current proposals would divide the county into Greater Oxford, Northern Oxfordshire and Ridgeway councils. The parish council has relaunched a petition and is urging residents and neighbouring parish councils to lobby the Government in favour of maintaining a single county-wide authority.

Ginette Camps-Walsh, chairman of Beckley and Stowood Parish Council, argued that the three-council option is not financially viable. She said the changes would require 80 per cent of services currently provided by the county council to be split between three authorities, each needing its own management, staffing and infrastructure. This would mean three chief executives and three sets of running costs, driving up overall expenses.

Ms Camps-Walsh also warned that key services would become fragmented under the new structure, including social care, special educational needs, highways and public transport. The parish council raised concerns about representation, noting that 41 Green Belt parishes would make up just 26 per cent of the population in the proposed Greater Oxford area. Earlier this year, councillors and MPs from 48 affected villages delivered a 1,500-signature petition to Downing Street opposing the three-council plan.

How it is being reported

• Parish council urges unity against plans to split Oxfordshire into three authoritiesBeckley and Stowood Parish Council has relaunched a petition and is urging residents and neighbouring parish councils to lobby the Government.Oxford Mail · 14 Nov, 05:00
• Parish council urges unity against plans to split Oxfordshire into three authoritiesBeckley and Stowood Parish Council has relaunched a petition and is urging residents and neighbouring parish councils to lobby the Government.Oxfordshire Guardian · 14 Nov, 05:00

In this story: Beckley and Stowood Parish Council · Oxfordshire · Ginette Camps-Walsh · Greater Oxford · Northern Oxfordshire · Ridgeway

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