THE city council leader has said she was ‘very saddened’ after other Oxfordshire council leaders forced a major change in how the county’s Growth Board is run.

The board, led by all six of Oxfordshire’s council leaders, has been led by different councils on an annual rotational basis over recent years.

It is a critical link between the Government and the authorities in coordinating planned growth, including the building of 100,000 new homes by 2040.

Vale of White Horse District Council was set to lead it later this year, but its current leader and the Growth Board’s vice-chairman, Roger Cox, formally announced to the board that he planned to step down as a councillor ahead of May’s local elections.

Rather than giving the leadership of the Growth Board to Vale’s next council leader, Mr Cox proposed it was led for another year by South Oxfordshire District Council and by its current leader, Jane Murphy. All but the city council’s leader Susan Brown accepted his proposal.

Ms Brown, the only Labour member on the Growth Board, said: “I think we’ve had a process that’s worked very well and that’s the rotation of the body around different councils. I think that’s been good for this Growth Board. I think it’s given us a variety of different viewpoints and has made sure we all have a turn in taking part.”

She also argued there had been a ‘precedent’ in new leaders taking over as the Growth Board’s chairwoman. She herself served briefly in the position after she was elected in January 2018.

Jane Murphy was also a new leader on being appointed Growth Board chairwoman last year, having succeeded former leader John Cotton in April 2018.

Mrs Murphy is up for re-election herself in her Cholsey ward in May so South Oxfordshire District Council could also have a new leader.

But Mr Cox said he thought the next Vale leader would not have enough experience in Growth Board matters to lead it.

He said: “It is vital we have continuity and... someone who knows the work of the Growth Board. I do not believe [the Vale’s next leader] will necessarily have that background. In addition they will have to... get used to the day-to-day running of the council and all that involves.”