The Cabinet of Oxfordshire Council met on Thursday 9 January 2025 to discuss the Government's Devolution White Paper and agree a response. The meeting also noted apologies for absence and confirmed there were no declarations of interest.

Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation

The Cabinet agreed a response to the Government's Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, which proposes significant reforms to local government and advances the English devolution agenda. Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of the Council, introduced the report and thanked officers for their work. She stated that Oxfordshire was not yet in a position to join the Devolution priority programme, as further discussions were needed with neighbouring authorities regarding proposals for a strategic combined authority and local government reorganisation.

The meeting heard from several speakers, including leaders of Oxfordshire's District Councils and members of the public. Key points raised included the importance of progressing devolution and reorganisation, with suggestions for a broader geography for a mayoral combined authority and increased devolved economic powers for the South East of England. Concerns were voiced about the drawbacks of the current two-tier system of local government and the use of Growth Deal funds for the Oxpens Bridge project. Some District Council Leaders advocated for prioritising the establishment of a combined strategic authority before detailed discussions on structural reform. One member of the County Council expressed reservations about the speed of the proposals, the perceived lack of consultation, and the potential risks associated with introducing large unitary authorities. Another speaker provided historical context on previous reorganisation attempts in Oxfordshire and supported the report's recommendations, emphasising transparency in decision-making.

During the discussion, members raised concerns about the potential postponement of the County Council elections in May 2025 and the need to maintain normal democratic processes. There was general support for moving forward with devolution and reorganisation to mitigate uncertainty for stakeholders, including the Council's workforce.

The Cabinet resolved to:

• Note the publication of the Devolution White Paper and its emerging impacts for Oxfordshire County Council and local government in Oxfordshire.
• Agree the response to the Government for issue by 10 January 2025, as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report Annex 1 Letter to HMG FINAL on Letterhead.
• Request that the Government places Oxfordshire into a 'fast track' programme to progress local government reorganisation ambitions first and continue to work with partners on a future Mayoral Strategic Authority.
• Express significant concerns to the Government regarding the postponement of ordinary elections in 2025, but state that a postponement would be accepted if it committed to the most ambitious timescale of elections to a new shadow Council/Councils in May 2026.

This decision is not subject to Scrutiny call-in. The full report can be found in the Devolution White Paper and Response document.

Apologies for Absence

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Kate Gregory, Cabinet Member for SEND Improvement, and Councillor Dr Nathan Ley, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Inequalities & Community Safety.

Declarations of Interest

There were no declarations of interest made by Cabinet members during the meeting.