Community Governance Review in South Oxfordshire 2026

Overview

South Oxfordshire District Council is seeking your views on potential changes for some town and parish councils, including their boundaries, the number of elected councillors and how local wards are organised. The proposals outlined in this consultation form part of the 2026 Community Governance Review (CGR) for South Oxfordshire.

Some of the amendments we are consulting on are based on the recommendations made by the 2023/24 Local Government Boundary Commission for England review. If these recommendations are adopted, they will become effective in time for the May 2027 elections.

As part of the 2026 CGR we would like to hear your thoughts on the following proposals:

A) Increase in council size - number of councillors

Ewelme Parish Council - proposal to increase number of councillors from 6 to 7.

Stoke Row Parish Council - proposal to increase number of councillors from 6 to 8.

Woodcote Parish Council- proposal to increase number of councillors from 10 to 12.

B) Review of Local Government Boundary Commission for England parish warding arrangements

Didcot Town Council - to alter the parish warding arrangements as revised by the 2023/24 Local Government Boundary Commission, more specifically the establishment of several single-member wards for elections to Didcot town council. Further information on this proposal is available in the survey.

Henley-on-Thames Town Council - to alter the parish warding arrangements as revised by the 2023/24 Local Government Boundary Commission, more specifically the creation of a new ward (Newtown). Further information on this proposal is available in the survey.

Thame Town Council - to alter the parish warding arrangements as revised by the 2023/24 Local Government Boundary Commission, more specifically changes in the distribution of councillors between parish wards and the creation of two new wards to replace current ones. Further information on this proposal is available in the survey.

C) Requests for a boundary change

Watlington and Pyrton Parish Councils - review of boundary along lines of the proposed relief road.

Shirburn and Pyrton Parish Councils - review of boundary to include the whole of Shirburn Castle Park in the parish of Shirburn.

Clifton Hampden and Dorchester Parish Councils - review of boundary to include whole of Linnet Close in Clifton Hampden parish.

Thame and Great Haseley Parish Councils - amend the boundary to include land currently in Great Haseley parish within Thame parish.

D) Requests for alternative governance arrangements

Nuneham Courtenay Parish Council - review the possibility of grouping the parish with a neighbouring council.

You will have the opportunity to comment on as many of the proposed changes as you wish. You can provide your feedback until 11.59pm on Thursday 9 April 2026.

Watch this short video to learn about this consultation.

Why is the Council undertaking the review? Why is the Council undertaking the review?

District councils are responsible for reviewing parish arrangements and implementing any appropriate changes with the aim to improve local democracy and service delivery.

The guidance on community governance reviews (CGRs) issued by the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Local Government Boundary Commission for England in March 2010 states that it is good practice for principal councils (in this context that means this council) to undertake CGRs every 10-15 years. The council completed a review of the whole district in 2014 and agreed to undertake a further review every four years with any changes to be implemented for the next scheduled elections. Reviews were subsequently undertaken and changes were implemented at the scheduled elections in May 2015, May 2019 and May 2023. Any changes agreed as part of this review will be implemented for the elections in May 2027.

In late 2025 the council invited parish councils to submit matters for review. The council’s Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committee considered all the formal requests at its meeting on 13 January 2026 and agreed to review those matters set out under proposals for consideration.

Reviews can consider:

altering the existing boundary of a parish
creating, merging or abolishing parishes
changing the name of existing parishes
the electoral arrangements for parishes (e.g. how many councillors are required and parish warding)
grouping parishes under a common parish council, or de-grouping parishes.

What happens next? What happens next?

Once the survey closes, we will collate all feedback received and produce a summary report. The report will be presented to the council's Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committee, which will consider the responses and then put forward draft proposals for further consultation later this year.

Following a second consultation, the Committee will consider responses and agree whether or not to implement the proposed changes. We expect to carry out the second consultation in the summer of 2026, with the Committee meeting shortly afterwards to make their decisions. We are aiming to implement any changes agreed so that they can be applied in time for the May 2027 elections. More information is available on our website.

Personal details Personal details

If you are responding as an individual/member of the public, you are not required to provide your name or contact details.

If you are responding on behalf of a business/organisation or neighbouring local authority, we will ask for its name and this information may be published. Any personal information you provide to the councils within your comments that could identify you will not be published. Further information on data protection is available in our privacy policy.

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General Public