Test your knowledge of council services at the Great Oxfordshire Shake Up

With the use of innovative, interactive market day events around the county called the Great Oxfordshire Shake Up, the OCC will hope to clarify which council authority does what.

Some services are provided by the county council, some the district and others the town council.

Shoppers will be invited to test their knowledge of council services ranging from libraries to environmental health by playing the ‘Shake Up’ game. There is also an online version.

The events are being held to highlight the debate about local government reorganisation in Oxfordshire, which could lead to the creation of ‘unitary’ councils that provide all council services in an area.

Councillor Nick Carter, Cabinet member for local government, said: “All this talk of unitaries and local government reorganisation will baffle many people, and you would be forgiven for thinking it doesn’t really matter.

“But all the councils in Oxfordshire are agreed that there needs to be a change. The county council believes that a brand new council for the whole of Oxfordshire would be more simple for residents; deliver better services, and would cost less to run.”

He added: “The Great Oxfordshire Shake Up is a light hearted way of highlighting a very important point; council services touch the lives of everyone in the county, and changing the way they are run would make a huge difference to residents.”

OCC believe a new, county wide council for the whole of Oxfordshire would be both the simplest and most cost effective option to improve services and keep Council tax low.

The events will be in Banbury Market Place on June 30 and Chipping Norton Market Square on July 6.

To play the online version of the Shake Up game visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/oneoxfordshire.