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Issue - meetings

Community Governance Review proposal

 

 

Meeting: 16/09/2026 - Council (Item 8.)

8. Community Governance Review proposal pdf icon PDF 125 KB

Purpose

To present proposals for undertaking a Community Governance Review focused on the civic boundaries of Carterton, Chipping Norton and Witney, in response to full Council on 28 January 2026 agreeing an amended motion titled “Local Governance Review: Parish and Town Boundary Review for West Oxfordshire”.

 

Recommendations

That Council resolves to:

  1. Note that, subject to the government’s review of local government reorganisation, delivering local government reorganisation while supporting business as usual activities will be the Council’s immediate and overriding governance priority and will be resource intensive over the coming period.
  2. Note that, given the time a CGR will take to complete and the uncertain timeline for local government reorganisation, any decisions resulting from a CGR undertaken by West Oxfordshire District Council may be taken by a successor unitary authority following Vesting Day (previously 1 April 2028, now TBC), in accordance with the Local Government (Structural Changes) (Transitional Arrangements) Regulations 2008.
  3. Agree to begin a Community Governance Review (CGR) prior to local government reorganisation focused specifically on reviewing the civic boundaries of Carterton, Chipping Norton and Witney where development has taken place or is taking place outside of town council boundaries.
  4. Agree the terms of reference for the CGR attached at Annex A.
  5. Delegate authority to the Director of Governance and Regulatory Services, in consultation with the Chair of the Constitution Working Group, to make minor amendments to the Terms of Reference to reflect any changes agreed at Full Council.
  6. Authorise officers to advise Oxfordshire County Council of the Community Governance Review in accordance with Section 79 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.
  7. Agree to invite proposals from Carterton Town Council and its surrounding parishes, Chipping Norton Town Council and its surrounding parishes and Witney Town Council and its surrounding parishes, for changes to civic parish boundaries.
  8. Agree that the Constitution Working Group will oversee the review, engage with ward members and report back to Council with initial proposals for public consultation, and subsequently final recommendations following public consultation to put forward to full Council or a successor unitary authority.
  9. Note that if a successor unitary council is the ultimate decision maker then it will decide whether or not to give effect to any recommendation put to it and may wish to undertake further work on this CGR and/or a wider community governance review post-reorganisation, once the role of town and parish councils within future unitary structures is clearer.

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