A plan for West Berkshire to merge with councils in Oxfordshire -reuniting towns that used to be in the Royal County – is set to be put forward.
A plan is in motion for West Berkshire to merge with councils in Oxfordshire, reuniting towns that were once part of the Royal County.
As part of the Labour government's initiative to abolish two-tier local authorities, Oxfordshire County Council will be eliminated. The five lower-tier councils in Oxfordshire will soon decide whether to split the county into two: Oxford and Shires Council for the north and 'Ridgeway Council' for the south.
If approved, Ridgeway Council would bring back towns like Abingdon, Didcot, and Wallingford into Berkshire, alongside the Uffington White Horse, an iconic symbol of the region, along with Newbury, Thatcham, and Hungerford.
According to Jeff Brooks, the leader of West Berkshire Council, this merger aims to create councils that are "big enough to cope but small enough to care," claiming it could be the most cost-effective solution while addressing the financial challenges faced by West Berkshire.
The proposal must be submitted to the local government ministry by November 28.
Meanwhile, Reading could see villages join a Greater Reading Council, with earlier proposals aiming to absorb Tilehurst Parish, Calcot, Theale, Purley, and Pangbourne into Reading Borough. Micky Leng, the deputy leader of Reading Borough Council, assured that the parish councils in these areas would remain intact within the expanded borough.
Reading Borough has also hosted consultations regarding the Greater Reading initiative, focusing on integrating multiple parish councils into its governance.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
