Could your parish be about to change? Have your say

Residents across South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse have another chance to comment on changes which could affect how their local area is run.

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils are carrying out a Community Governance Review which involves reviewing parish arrangements, inviting requests for changes and then implementing any which would benefit the local area.

The review could result in changes like altering a parish boundary, creating or merging a parish, changing a parish name, or changing the local electoral arrangements.

Last year, all parish councils were invited to suggest the changes they wanted to see in their local area and earlier this year residents were then asked to comment on the initial proposals. 

Following more than 360 responses from the public and review by the councils’ Corporate Governance and Electoral Issues Committees, people can now comment on the revised draft proposals.

In South Oxfordshire people can have their say on proposals for Cuddesdon & Denton, Henley-on-Thames/Bix, Sonning Common, Thame (Great Haseley), Thame and Didcot. 

In the Vale of White Horse people will be able to have their say on proposals for Grove, Grove (East Challow), Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor (Fyfield & Tubney), North Hinksey, South Hinksey (Kennington), Sunningwell (Wootton and Cumnor), Wootton and Uffington.

To view the proposals for each area and to find out how you can have your say, please visit southoxon.gov.uk/communitygovernance or whitehorsedc.gov.uk/communitygovernance.  

The consultation runs from Thursday 30 June to midday on Friday 29 July 2022.

Once this consultation has ended, the councils’ respective Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committees will agree any final changes which will apply from the May 2023 elections. 

Cllr Pieter-Paul Barker, Cabinet Member for Partnerships and Legal and Democratic, at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “The proposals could affect how your views are represented locally, so if you live in one of the areas covered by this consultation, please make sure you submit your comments, it will only take you a couple of minutes.”

Cllr Debby Hallett, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Transformation at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “The changes could affect how your parish tax contributions are used in the future, so it really is important to have your say and influence this important decision.”