Oxfordshire County Council elections to go ahead this spring

County council elections will take place this year on May 1.

There has been speculation over whether the elections would take place since the government announced its plans to consolidate local councils in December.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced yesterday (February 5) that all 21 two-tier (district and county council) areas in England, including Oxfordshire, will now asked to submit plans for unitary structures in the future.

Nine councils across England will see their elections postponed this year as the government prepares to combine some authorities and introduce mayors to lead them.

Oxfordshire, which has had a two-tier system of county and district councils in place since 1974, will continue as normal for at least another year.

Cllr Liz Leffman, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “We are now able to confirm that our county council elections will go ahead on May 1, which has always been our preference.

“The government is pressing ahead with conversion to unitary authorities, and, as a group of partner councils in Oxfordshire, we are continuing to discuss this and prepare for it.

“We are also continuing our discussions with neighbouring authorities across the Thames Valley about devolution.”

Councils in Oxfordshire must now submit their plans for devolution and wait for further information from the government as to when a new unitary council or councils would go live.

The consolidation of all council services is already in place in neighbouring counties such as Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Northamptonshire.

For more information, visit: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/