WHILST I agree there is a need to reorganise local government, the proposal to abolish the six councils in Oxfordshire and replace them with one council is silly.

Oxfordshire is too large an area for it to work for everyone. I believe the best option would be to create three councils for all of Oxfordshire. South Oxfordshire to merge with The Vale of the White Horse, Cherwell to merge with West Oxfordshire and Oxford City to stand alone.

The One Oxfordshire Campaign cites Cornwall, Durham and Wiltshire as unitary authorities covering a whole county. I have no idea how well these councils work, but I do have knowledge of Berkshire, which, some years ago went from a two-tier system to six unitary authorities, which appears to have worked, but none of these is anywhere near the size of Oxfordshire. They are all different, Reading and Slough are totally urban. Maidenhead and Windsor, Wokingham and Bracknell Forest semi-urban and West Berkshire which is almost totally rural.

How much more efficient would One Oxfordshire be? The figure of a £20 million saving is about as believable as the £350 million on the side of the Brexit campaign bus!

Who gives you best value for your money? Oxfordshire increases rates every year, and still cuts services. Cherwell District Council has not raised rates for seven years yet still provides services.

The County Council claims having one council, and one councillor would avoid confusion. Not true. They are currently consulting town and parish councils in an effort to get them to take on more responsibility for local services – so any confusion people have over who to contact will not go away.

The final decision will be taken by Westminster, so I urge everyone to write to your MP if you do not agree with One Oxfordshire rather than allow Ian Hudspeth and his cronies to hoodwink the rest of us into believing you will be better off.

DAVID W C GRIFFITHS
Adderbury Parish Councillor
Rochester Way, Banbury