Local elections – Oxfordshire’s last district elections?

Local government reorganisation is set to come into force in April 2028, with elections for a temporary shadow authority or authorities taking place next year, 2027.

Today, May 7, voters in Oxford city and areas of Cherwell and West Oxfordshire will likely be the last to head to the polls under the two-tier system.

Currently, the running of services such as social care, roads, libraries and waste disposal by a county council, with five district and borough councils responsible for rubbish collection, housing and planning, and environmental health.

According to proposals made by the existing councils in November 2025, Oxfordshire will be divided into either one, two, or three unitary authorities, and the government is set to decide on this before the parliamentary summer recess in July of this year.

There was a consultation on plans, which ended on March 26.

The government has described its reasoning for the change.

A statement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government states: “Our ambition is to simplify local government, ending the two-tier system and establishing new single-tier unitary councils that are responsible for all local government services in an area.”

The reorganisation also saw the potential for the postponement of today’s elections across 30 councils.

However, the government abandoned plans to hold off the polls after receiving advice from lawyers following a legal challenge from Reform UK.