West Berkshire considers options for a new unitary authority

West Berkshire Council has started discussions with neighbouring local authorities to inform proposals on the future of councils in the area.

It follows an announcement by the Government in December that will see two-tier councils (county and district councils) abolished and replaced by unitary authorities. It will also look for unitary authorities to provide services for a population of around 500,000 people. With West Berkshire Council - already a unitary authority - covering around 170,000 residents it means the Government will be looking for it to join with other authorities.

The proposals also set out the intention to create Strategic Authorities to devolve some powers from central Government and enable more local decision-making. These will be formed on the basis of established economic or public sector boundaries. With policing and health boundaries already encompassing Berkshire and Oxfordshire, as well as Buckinghamshire, this supports discussions looking at opportunities both within Berkshire and Oxfordshire when considering suitable partners.

Members and officers at West Berkshire Council are currently in discussions with South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils, and the other five Berkshire unitary authorities, to look at different options to deliver local government reorganisation. These discussions have included the possibility of a new unitary council combining West Berkshire, South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse, and exploring options for unitary councils within the county of Berkshire.

A cross-party group of councillors - the Member Devolution Advisory Group - has been formed and is due to have its first meeting at the beginning of March.

Initial proposals must be submitted by 21 March, 2025 with final plans required by 28 November, 2025.

Councillor Jeff Brooks, Leader of West Berkshire Council, said:

"We have good relationships with all our neighbouring authorities, and strong geographical and historic ties too. These have led to constructive early discussions on the best way forward and give us confidence that we will find the best solution for local residents. It's important to us that we maintain a sense of local identity, whilst also delivering good local services which protect our most vulnerable residents and provide value for money.

"In Berkshire we are no stranger to reorganisation having seen the county council disbanded through local government reforms almost 30 years ago. As the last Leader of Berkshire County Council I was involved in the establishment of the six Berkshire unitary authorities. We evolved successfully then to meet the challenges of the time and we shall do so again now - together with and on behalf of local people."  

District, County and Unitary Councils - what's the difference?

You can find out more about what the different types of council do on the gov.uk website but in summary:

County councils

These are responsible for services across the whole of a county, like:

• education
• transport
• planning
• fire and public safety
• social care
• libraries
• waste management
• trading standards

District, borough and city councils

These cover a smaller area than county councils. They're usually responsible for services like:

• rubbish collection
• recycling
• Council Tax collections
• housing
• planning applications

Unitary authorities and London and metropolitan boroughs

In some parts of the country, one tier of local government provides all the local services listed above - and this includes West Berkshire Council.