Could West Berkshire soon be renamed Ridgeway council?
That's the proposed idea under re-organisation of local government
An initial proposal has been submitted on behalf of West Berkshire Council and the district councils in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse for the creation of a new unitary council that would see the three areas combined.
The move is in response to a government invitation following its announcement in December 2024 to end two-tier authorities like those in Oxfordshire.
As part of the shake-up of local councils, the government has also indicated all unitary authorities will need to serve around 500,000 residents or more, which will require West Berkshire Council - which covers around 170,000 people - to merge with neighbouring councils.
With strong demographic and economic similarities and significant historic ties between West Berkshire, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse the three councils began discussions to explore the possibility of coming together as one single council. All three councils have now produced a detailed interim proposal document, which is available on their new website dedicated to keeping the public informed about the proposal at ridgewaycouncil.org.uk. The proposal is being developed under the title 'Ridgeway Council' - named after the famous 5,000-year-old trail that travels through the heart of the three council areas.
Councillor Jeff Brooks, Leader of West Berkshire Council, said:
"This initial proposal is the result of some very positive and productive discussions, and I am delighted it has been submitted to the Government for their consideration. There is more work to do on the proposal and, importantly, that includes engaging with and listening to our residents and partners. It is an exciting proposal and one which I believe will serve our communities very well for future generations."
The government has set a deadline for final submissions for unitary council proposals no later than 28 November 2025. In the meantime, the councils will continue to develop the proposals along with a programme of communication and engagement to ensure local voices and community needs are reflected in the proposal and will also continue working positively and collaboratively with the other authorities in Oxfordshire.
If the final proposal is accepted the government's indicative timeline sets out that the new council could go live in 2028.