Government confirms three new unitary councils for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire in 2028

The government has today (16 July) announced that Oxfordshire and West Berkshire’s seven existing councils will be replaced by three unitary councils from 1 April 2028 as part of its plans for local government reorganisation (LGR).

The new councils will be:

• Greater Oxford Council – covering Oxford and its immediate surroundings.
• Northern Oxfordshire Council – covering most of the existing Cherwell and West Oxfordshire districts.
• Ridgeway Council – covering most of the existing South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse districts, combined with West Berkshire.

Three proposals were presented to government in November 2025 by Oxfordshire and West Berkshire councils – a single county unitary, two unitary councils and three unitary councils.

These councils have been working together since the start of the year to plan and prepare for the future of council services, regardless of which option the government chose. This work has also been focused on ensuring services continue without disruption for residents.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “I am deeply disappointed in the government’s decision to split Oxfordshire up into three unitary councils – it does not deliver on its vision to simplify and improve local government services.

“The three-council model does not meet the government’s criteria for scale, efficiency and financial resilience. It offers the lowest cost savings of all the proposals.

“We will also need three directors of adult social care, three for children’s social care for example, which increases costs and risks disruption to these high-performing critical services.

“We all have a responsibility to our residents to achieve the best outcomes we can for them, maintaining continuous service delivery as we transition and in the creation of any new councils.

“To do this, we will work together with our colleagues, partners and communities to keep championing Oxfordshire, collaborate effectively to do all we can to build the best possible future for our people and places.

“We will find a way forward to provide the stable foundation our communities and economy need to thrive.”

Each of the proposals submitted included fully costed options for the government to consider.

The government ran a statutory consultation in February 2026 on the options with local stakeholders, residents and businesses invited to have their say. The results of the consultation have been published today on the government’s website.

Over the next two years, the existing councils will continue working together to prepare for the new arrangements, keeping people informed as plans develop ahead of April 2028.

The full details of the three-unitary proposal can be found on 3councils.org

More information

The letter for government confirming the decision is available to read in full on the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's website.

Key timeline

• Proposals submitted: 27 November 2025
• Public consultation: 5 February 2026 - 26 March 2026
• Government’s minded-to decision: 16 July 2026
  • The minded to decision is the government’s preferred, provisional decision before it’s put into law through a structural changes order (SCO).
• Structural changes order (SCO): Expected autumn 2026
  • An SCO is legislation that will officially end the existing two-tier county and district councils in Oxfordshire. We expect the legislation to be laid and agreed at this point but it won’t come fully into effect until vesting day.
• Elections for the new unitaries: May 2027.
  • After the elections shadow authorities will be created to plan the new councils, but they will not deliver services. They will focus on preparing for the future councils.
• Transition period: Expected late 2026 - March 2028.
• Vesting day: New council begins 1 April 2028.
  • The official go-live date when the new council takes over and legal powers, responsibilities and ownership transfers from the previous councils to the new one.
  • 
    https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/government-confirms-three-new-unitary-councils/