Oxford News
Fears Oxfordshire taxpayers will have to pay Berkshire debt
County councils are being abolished throughout England as the Labour Government is pressing for reorganisation to end two-tier local government systems.
Two of the three proposals to reorganise Oxfordshire County Council would see the creation of ‘Ridgeway Council’, which would be made up of South Oxfordshire District Council, the Vale of White Horse and West Berkshire Council.
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But Digby Oldridge, who lives in the village of Longcot in the Vale of White Horse has raised alarm about the financial implications of the reorganisation.
Specifically, he has claimed West Berkshire Council has a pension deficit of around £600 million.
Mr Oldridge therefore questioned how such financial deficits would be managed if Ridgeway Council was created.
He contacted Charlie Maynard, the Liberal Democrat MP for Witney, about the debt.
Mr Maynard received a response in a letter from Alison McGovern, Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness.
The letter states: “On liabilities, it is expected that assets and liabilities remain locally managed by councils.
“It is essential that councils continue to deliver their business-as-usual services and duties, which remain unchanged until reorganisation is complete.
“There is a suite of general continuity regulations for local government reorganisation made under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 which ensure smooth transfer to new unitary councils.”
Mr Oldridge argued that taxpayers in Oxfordshire would be left to shoulder West Berkshire’s debts.
He said: “The letter effectively confirms that if this merger goes ahead, West Berkshire’s debts will just be ‘locally managed’ by the new council.
“In plain English, that means South Oxfordshire and Vale taxpayers are being asked to take on a share of a pension deficit that is north of £600 million.
“It also means we would be merging with a council that is currently under emergency financial support from the government after their reserves dropped to just eight days’ worth of funding last year.”
West Berkshire Council received £16 million worth of Exceptional Financial Support from the government in February 2025.
In response, a West Berkshire Council spokesperson said: “The new Ridgeway Council would have the assets and liabilities from the previous councils, and in West Berkshire Council’s case, there are over £0.7 billion of assets and £0.4 billion of liabilities with net assets of £280.7 million, as of March 31, 2025.”
The government consultation into the reorganisation of Oxfordshire County Council into unitary authorities closed earlier this month.
Ridgeway could either be made up of the entirety of the three existing councils, or be reduced in size, losing 25 parishes from South Oxfordshire and nine parishes from Vale of White Horse Greater Oxford Council.
Alternatively, one option would be to effectively convert the existing county council into a unitary council, with no boundary changes whatsoever.
The royal and her other half, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, whom she married in 2020, relocated to the iconic countryside area in 2021.
Living there with their four-year-old daughter, Sienna, and her one-year-old sister, Athena, the family have settled well, according to Hello magazine.
With a swimming pool, tennis courts, and multiple bedrooms, as well as “sprawling gardens”, the farmhouse is said to be well-suited to the royals.
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Now, according to the same publication, Mr Mozzi has given an insight into mealtimes with his family at the countryside home.
Earlier this week, the Princess’s husband, who has Italian aristocratic roots, used Instagram to reflect on family life and on how particular rooms help to create a warm, tucked‑away retreat.
“The dining room is where everyone eventually ends up,” he said.
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“It is less about formality and more about connection, long lunches, late dinners, conversations that stretch on.
“We think about the weight of the table, the comfort of the chairs, how the light falls in the evening. Those details matter more than anything decorative.
“When it feels right, people linger without noticing the time.”
After seeing the post, Hello magazine added: “Though, of course, Edoardo was speaking about his commercial projects, the way he views mealtimes is certainly revealed in his post.”
In January, it was announced that the TV star, who lives in the Cotswolds, would bow out of the Great British Bake Off after nine series and judging more than 400 challenges.
The 86-year-old has been a judge on the popular baking show alongside Paul Hollywood since 2017, when the series moved from the BBC to Channel 4, replacing Henley resident Dame Mary.
It was then announced on Monday, January 26, that Oxford University graduate Nigella Lawson will replace her as the judge on the Bake Off.
READ MORE: Locals fear Jeremy Clarkson will move to town with Richard Hammond
Now, the Manchester Evening News has claimed that Dame Prue has “exposed” her former Bake Off judging partner Paul Hollywood’s “true thoughts” on Ms Lawson.
This comes after the 86-year-old was interviewed by Jane Mulkerrins on Times Radio over the weekend.
Dame Prue said: “I think they’ll get along absolutely fine, as what Paul respects is if you know your stuff, if they had hired somebody who was there just because they were famous.
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“He would rather have a good baker nobody had ever heard of who understands what’s wrong with the cake, or why it’s as it is, and of course, Nigella is a terrific baker and has been for many years.
“She’s also really good at her job, I mean, anyone who has seen her on TV knows how confident and witty… and she’s really clever, Nigella.”
Dame Prue went on to add that the new duo, who will be arriving on TV screens later this year, will be “terrific and wonderful”.
The disease-causing bacteria can survive and even grow under refrigeration and can cause Listeriosis which can last up to several weeks depending on the severity.
Symptoms include fever, vomiting and headaches, with some cases even resulting in convulsions.
In rare cases, the infection can lead to meningitis.
Food Recalls Explained
The bacteria has been found in a batch of Gilbert’s turkey breast pastrami, prompting a recall to be issued and causing the Food Standards Agency to issue a “do not eat” warning to customers.
The affected product has a best before date of April 9, and a product code of CK016 and CK027.
Some people are more vulnerable to listeria infections, including those over 65 years of age, pregnant women and their unborn babies, babies less than one month old and people with weakened immune systems.
An FSA spokesman said: “Gilbert’s is recalling the above Turkey Breast Pastrami. Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling this product and on their website.
“These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product.
“If you have bought the above product, do not eat it. Instead, return it to where you bought it from for a full refund.”
What is a product recall?
If there is a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold, then it might be ‘withdrawn’ (taken off the shelves) or ‘recalled’ (when customers are asked to return the product).
The FSA issues Product Withdrawal Information Notices and Product Recall Information Notices to let consumers and local authorities know about problems associated with food.
In some cases, a ‘Food Alert for Action’ is issued.
This provides local authorities with details of specific actions to be taken on behalf of consumers.
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