Oxfordshire Plans Legal Challenge to Ridgeway Council

The formation of Ridgeway Council has hit another snag as Oxfordshire lines up a legal challenge. The Government has confirmed that from 1 April 2028 Oxfordshire's seven councils will be replaced by three unitary authorities, with district and city areas merged and boundaries changed.

One new authority, Ridgeway, will join West Berkshire Council with most of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse.

Jeff Brooks, West Berkshire's council leader, said: "It is difficult for Oxford county councillors to accept that their organisation will be abolished in the three unitary council solution. I recall at Berkshire County Council we mounted a legal challenge against the six unitary council model. But, in my view, the new Ridgeway Council will simplify service delivery for the Vale of White Horse and South Oxford residents which will not, for instance, have to deal with two councils for their services - county for schools and adult social care and district for waste and planning, for instance. And we expect significant savings to be delivered as per the thoroughly tested business case put forward to Government. So, I am very optimistic that any challenge will not be successful, and we can look forward to a new Ridgeway Council that delivers very good services as well as economies and savings."

Earlier this month Oxfordshire County Council formally issued a legal letter to the Government ahead of a judicial review, seeking evidence regarding the Government's LGR decision in July.

Tim Bearder (Lib Dem), leader of Oxfordshire, said: "We're considering it because as we understand it now this is a new decision, so it means that our pre-application letter previously is now no longer relevant and washes away, and so we'll have to now take a view on the new decision before we potentially go down the judicial review avenue again."

Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter