North Oxfordshire
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North Oxfordshire | |
|---|---|
Future unitary authority area | |
 | |
 North Oxfordshire within Oxfordshire and Ridgeway | |
 Interactive map | |
| Coordinates: 52°03′43″N 1°20′02″W / 52.0620°N 1.3339°W | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | England |
| Region | South East |
| Ceremonial county | Oxfordshire |
| Government | |
| • Type | Unitary authority |
| • Body | North Oxfordshire Council |
| Population (2024 estimate) | |
• Total | 267,280 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
North Oxfordshire[1] or Northern Oxfordshire is expected to be a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Oxfordshire, England. It was planned to be formed on 1 April 2028, with the first elections planned to take place in May 2027.[2] Its largest settlement will be Banbury and it will also include Bicester, Burford, Carterton, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Witney and Woodstock.[3][4] The area has a 2024 estimated population of 265,000.[5] Plans to create it were halted in September 2026 and the 2027 election was cancelled.
Formation
[edit]It will be formed from the existing Oxfordshire district of West Oxfordshire along with Cherwell less 15 parishes which will form part of Greater Oxford.[6]
It is being formed as part of ongoing local government changes throughout England, in which all areas of the country that have separate county councils and district councils will see those replaced with single-tier, or unitary, local governance.[7] The alternative proposals for a single unitary for Oxfordshire (with leaving West Berkshire as is) and for having two unitaries in Oxfordshire and West Berkshire were not accepted.[8] The whole area is parished.
In September 2026, the Oxfordshire proposals were halted by the government and placed under review.[9]
Governance
[edit]It will be run by North Oxfordshire Council, which will comprise 73 councillors.[10]
References
[edit]- ↑ Andrews, Beatrice (20 July 2026). "Dear Chief Executives," (PDF). gov.uk.
- ↑ Walton, Victoria (17 July 2026). "Are Oxfordshire's unitary councils a 'tragedy' or 'welcome' news?". BBC News.
- ↑ Walton, Victoria (16 July 2026). "Three new unitary authorities for Oxfordshire and Berkshire". BBC News.
- ↑ "Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Figure 1". Office for National Statistics.
- ↑ "Three-unitary-authorities-proposal". Oxford City Council. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
- ↑ "Local government reorganisation: decision letter to Leaders in Oxfordshire and West Berkshire" (PDF). gov.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
- ↑ Forsyth, Alex (16 July 2026). "New councils to be created in 14 areas of England in local government shake-up". BBC News.
- ↑ "Consultation on Proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Oxfordshire". Gov.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
- ↑ "Plans for major overhaul of councils halted". BBC News. 7 September 2026. Retrieved 8 September 2026.
- ↑ "Local government reorganisation: implementation letter to Oxfordshire chief executives" (PDF). Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. Retrieved 31 July 2026.