Sweeping local government reforms which could see south Oxfordshire governed by a non-elected cabinet, have been branded as undemocratic.

Plans by the district council to change the way it makes decisions have been attacked by Wallingford Town Council.

This follows changes proposed in the recently published Local Government Bill. The local authority is proposing to scrap its existing committee structure and replace it with a system headed by a leader and cabinet to be chosen not by voters, but by councillors.

The plans follow a council consultation exercise, in which 3,260 householders rejected the possibility of a London-style directly-elected mayor and instead backed the council's plans for a cabinet-led system. Out of 6,000 residents who voted, only 1,500 wanted a mayoral election.

But the reforms have been condemned by members of Wallingford Town Council who claim it would erode local democracy and leave residents without a voice.

One critic, Cllr Nigel Moor, said: "Power will be held by a very small number of people and many people will become ineffective backbenchers because they will not have the information available to those in the centre. In the future, Wallingford people could lose their voice."

District council leader, Cllr Jan Morgan, said she did not like the concept of changing to an executive cabinet system, but insisted it had been given no choice by the Government. She added: We are trying to make sure it will be open, transparent and accountable and that every councillor will have a role to play."