Local Government Review - Consultation

Published: 11 August 2025

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS All residents welcome   SUN 31 AUGUST 2.00-4.00pm PANGBOURNE VILLAGE HALL DISTRICT COUNCILLOR MATT SHAKESPEARE WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT   TUES 9 SEPT 2025 FROM 7.30pm PANGBOURNE VILLAGE HALL WEST BERKSHIRE COUNCIL SENIOR LEADERS, OFFICERS AND MEMBERS WILL BE SPEAKING AND TAKING QUESTIONS AT THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING   THURS 11 SEPT APPROX 3.00-7.30pm PANGBOURNE VILLAGE HALL (EXACT TIME TBC. PLEASE SEE PPC WEBSITE FOR UPDATES) READING BOROUGH COUNCIL OFFICERS AND MEMBERS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

Local Government Review

Many of you may be aware of the Local Government Review which was launched by central government last year. This calls for the largest shake-up of local councils in over a generation, in particular those which are two tier.

An example of a "Two Tier" council structure locally is Oxfordshire where a resident living in Whitchurch-on-Thames (for example) has some services delivered by their County Council – Oxfordshire (eg, education) and some delivered by their District Council – South Oxfordshire (eg, roads).

Berkshire does not follow this model and all 6 of its councils (1. West Berkshire Council, 2. Reading Borough, 3. Bracknell Forest, 4. Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, 5. Wokingham and 6. Slough) are all what is known as "Unitaries". This means that apart from those services provided by Town and Parish Councils, all other services are provided by just one (unitary) council for each area – in our case West Berkshire Council.

For the purposes of this process Parish and Town Councils aren't considered as being within the tiers and their services are not included in the proposal although your Parish Council in Pangbourne MAY still be seriously impacted by these proposals and may be at risk/cease to exist depending on the final options chosen.

It has also been suggested within the government proposals that the new authorities should reorganise themselves to ideally have a population of approx. 500,000 residents. Currently each of the Berkshire Councils has within the region of 170-180,000 residents, as does West Berkshire Council, so would look to group with two others to achieve this. It has therefore been proposed that some of these councils merge to form new larger authorities and look to devolve some services downwards to Town and Parish Councils. This would be the new level at which all of your day to day services would be operated.

Additionally, it is further recommended that each of these new authorities, bands together with other similar authorities, each also with a population of 500,000 (and therefore potentially representing 9 of the old style local authorities), to be represented by a mayor. Our understanding is that this would look to be similar to, for example, the Thames Valley Police or the Police and Crime Commissioners' areas but this would not be the main level at which your council is run.

What does this all mean for me?

At the time of writing in early August, things are still very much up in the air for discussion, with some public consultations still live, and the date for final proposals to central government from local authorities being 28 November.

Pangbourne Parish Council has met with representatives of both West Berkshire Council and Reading Borough Council to attempt to gain a clearer picture of what these proposals might mean for our parish.

Both West Berkshire Council and Reading Borough Council have put forward conflicting proposals for how the re-organisation might look, which is a scenario likely being played out all over the country at this time. Indeed in Oxfordshire, there are currently three different competing proposals open for consultation with residents.

Details of the proposals which affect Pangbourne (Greater Reading and Ridgeway) can be found below.

Unfortunately, despite meeting with both Councils, it is still very far from clear what the proposals mean locally and specifically for Pangbourne.

• The Ridgeway proposal from WBC may mean a council run from as far away as Abingdon, or it may stay at Newbury or move somewhere else, we just don't know, but it would include areas of South Oxfordshire and the Vale of the White Horse ... and either way, the parish would continue to be on the very eastern boundary.
• The Greater Reading proposal from RBC would mean boundary changes, with the parishes of Pangbourne, Calcot, Purley, Theale, Tilehurst and Tidmarsh and Sulham moving into Reading, with operations being run more locally from Reading BUT their Borough structure does not currently have Parish or Town Councils. Instead it has "wards" and there are no cast iron guarantees about the continuation or possible dissolution of the affected Parish Councils, of which Pangbourne is one.

Is it a straightforward choice between being part of an urban or rural council? How does the parish and its residents view itself? Who would be best placed to deliver services like bins, roads and schools?

That is what residents are currently being asked by both Local Authorities. To be entirely clear for residents, the following services in the village are directly and solely run by Pangbourne Parish Council from a Precept (taxation) collected specifically and only for Pangbourne. This structure may not continue if Pangbourne ceases to be a parish and becomes a "ward" run by RBC:

• Pangbourne River Meadows (inc. the National Trust Section at the far end)
• Pangbourne Recreation Ground
• Pangbourne Playground
• Recreation Ground Toilets
• Recreation Ground Car Park
• Pangbourne Village Hall
• Pangbourne Hill Cemetery
• Pangbourne Allotments
• Chiltern Walk Green Space (behind the Asda Garage)
• ALL Dog bins
• Many Public Waste Bins (inc. all of the bins at the rec and meadows)
• Over 600 Trees around the parish
• 42 Street Lights
• Salt bins
• 16 Benches and several Bus Stops
• Noticeboards and local Website
• Several public Defibrillators

In addition the Parish Council pays for and manages the:

• Christmas Lights and Tree
• Remembrance Sunday Parade
• Annual Litter Pick
• Annual Parish Meeting
• Responds to Planning Applications
• Works with the Tennis and Bowls sports clubs to operate the Pavilion (which it owns) and with Youth and Adult Football

They also provide significant Financial Contributions to support local groups and charities and WBC provision including:

• Annual donations towards the library
• Annual donations towards the toilets on Station Road
• Annual donations towards the bus service
• One off donations towards the tennis club lighting, pre-school, primary school, bowls equipment and so on.
• This year we made a significant donation to the Adventure Dolphin Charity to enable them to run youth services and holiday and food clubs (inc. free school meals provision) throughout school holidays.

What are the proposals?

Details of both councils' proposals can be found on their websites:

https://www.reading.gov.uk/

https://www.westberks.gov.uk/

The Government's original white paper can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-devolution-white-paper-power-and-partnership-foundations-for-growth

Below you can find maps of the proposed areas of each new local authority and also their public statements in relation to their proposals:

West Berkshire Council's proposed Ridgeway Council

(WBC Statement)

"Introducing Ridgeway Council - part of a two unitary council option for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire

Ambitious proposal to create a brand-new council has been submitted to the Government.

Introducing Ridgeway Council, an ambitious proposal to create a brand-new council that delivers high-quality services, improves financial resilience and value-for-money, and ensures it is able to maintain truly local representation.

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.

Ridgeway Council forms one half of a two-unitary council proposal for Oxfordshire, with the other half made up from the district council areas of West Oxfordshire, Oxford City and Cherwell. West Oxfordshire District Council and Cherwell District Council have confirmed they will be developing the North Oxfordshire Council half of the proposal, strongly complementing the Ridgeway Council work being carried out by West Berkshire, South Oxfordshire and the Vale, coming together to create a proposal for two unitaries covering what is currently Oxfordshire and West Berkshire.

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.

At their Executive and Cabinet meetings this week, members from all three councils agreed to support the submission of the interim proposal. Following the government's request that Oxfordshire authorities submit interim proposals together, the county council has submitted an outline proposal for the Ridgeway Council and North Oxfordshire Council to the government alongside two other options being developed in Oxfordshire.

Speaking about the proposals 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."

Councillor David Rouane, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said:

"We've been working hard on our interim proposal for a new "Ridgeway Council" to provide a financially sustainable future for local government in our area in a way that reflects the shared needs and ambitions of all three existing councils. We're very pleased to submit this interim proposal to the government and look forward to engaging with our communities in the coming months to hear their views before we submit our final proposal."

Councillor Bethia Thomas, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said:

"It makes good sense to base this proposal on the entire geographies of existing councils that provide high-quality, cost-effective and efficient services. Combining our strengths would create a modern and robust local authority that puts people first and ensures our communities are served by a council that is focused on the needs of our areas, which are very similar in nature. It will be financially robust and able to ensure that the needs of all residents are met, including those with complex needs."

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.

Oxfordshire County Council's submission to the government this week also included an initial proposal for a single unitary council for Oxfordshire, and a third option from Oxford City Council proposing the area is divided up into three small unitary councils based around an expansion of the city's borders that hasn't yet been defined.”

 

Reading Borough Council's proposal for a "Greater Reading":

(RBC Statement)

Council to Call for Boundary Change Between Reading and West Berkshire

• Council to request change to the boundary between Reading and West Berkshire
• Request is in response to Oxfordshire reorganisation proposals to create a new 'Ridgeway' council
• Many West Berkshire residents have a strong connection to Reading and regularly commute into the town for work, leisure, education or to use other facilities

Reading Borough Council intends to make a formal request for a change to the boundary between Reading and West Berkshire.

With two out of the three interim local government reorganisation proposals submitted by Oxfordshire councils favouring the creation of a new "Ridgeway" council which incorporates West Berkshire, Reading Borough Council believes a review of its boundary with West Berkshire is required to accurately reflect the reality of Reading's geography and its economic catchment area.

The current borough boundary was drawn in 1911, over a century ago. Reading has since grown to become one of the largest towns outside of London, with one of the most dynamic economies, and whose influence and urban area extends beyond existing boundary lines. Many West Berkshire residents living in largely urban areas on or near its eastern boundary have a strong connection to Reading and regularly commute into the town for work, leisure, education or to use other facilities.

The Council believes that moving parts of this greater Reading urban area into a larger, mainly rural new "Ridgeway" council is at odds with the Government's criteria for local government reorganisation. The Government has stated proposals should be based on "sensible economic areas" and being part of a larger predominantly rural "Ridgeway" council could be to the detriment of those communities.

Reading Borough Council is proposing to submit a recommendation to the Secretary of State requesting they undertake a review of the boundary between Reading and West Berkshire, modifying the proposal for a new "Ridgeway" council.

An initial outline proposal is for Calcot, Tilehurst, Theale, Pangbourne and Purley-on-Thames wards to move into an expanded Reading borough, linking these existing urban areas to the town. This is an initial proposal which will enable Council officers to carry out detailed data analysis over the next few months, ahead of a decision on the final proposed geography of an expanded Reading borough being submitted to the Secretary of State for consideration.

The final recommendation, which would be considered by Council for approval in November, will be submitted in parallel with Oxfordshires final proposals for local government reorganisation, which must be submitted by 28 November this year.

With a working assumption from Government that new councils created through reorganisation should seek a population of 350,000 or more, this proposed modification would not compromise Oxfordshire's proposals for a new "Ridgeway" council. The combined population of the five wards is 32,000, meaning the remaining populations for the two "Ridgeway" proposals would be 387,000 and 431,000.

Councillor Liz Terry, Reading Borough Council Leader, said:

"There is no doubt many residents on the western fringes of Reading look to the town, whether for work, transport connections, higher education, shopping or to use other facilities. In that respect, these are already suburbs of Reading and clearly fall within its economic catchment area.

"It isn't clear where the new "Ridgeway" council will be based, but I doubt people will want to travel into Oxfordshire to a location potentially 20 plus miles away, when Reading town centre is no more than six miles away with an excellent bus service.

"The Government's clear guidance is that reorganisation plans should focus on sensible economic areas, and it is important proposals do not ignore the natural boundaries and connections of the town. It therefore makes more sense to link these urban areas to Reading, which we would argue is a better match.

"None of the Berkshire authorities, including West Berkshire, have been asked by Government to submit reorganisation plans at this time, but it is very clear that the proposals for a new "Ridgeway" council would have a material impact on any proposals Reading may be required to submit in the future.

"Our belief is that Oxfordshire's final reorganisation proposals for the creation of a new "Ridgeway" council should be considered by the Secretary of State in conjunction with a review of existing boundaries between Reading and West Berkshire, because one markedly affects the other.

"The Government responded to Oxfordshire’s three interim reorganisation proposals in June by stressing the importance of proposals meeting the criteria for reorganisation, and the need to consider the implications of any proposal on the wider area. In response, we will be making the case that only an expanded Reading can properly reflect its economic geography."

 

Consultation on Reading Borough Council's initial proposals will be opened after Policy Committee has made its decision on 21 July. This will be available on the Council website at https://reading.govocal.com/en-GB/

The priority for Government has been to request reorganisation proposals from two-tier areas, including Oxfordshire. The Government has indicated however, that smaller unitary councils may be required to reorganise in future years. Once final reorganisation proposals have been submitted by Oxfordshire in November, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will consult on the proposals. It is understood Reading Borough Council will be a consultee of the Oxfordshire proposals.

As local government reorganisation plans progress in Oxfordshire, Reading Borough Council will continue to focus on working with neighbouring areas to develop options for a Mayoral Strategic Authority which will deliver the benefits for local residents and businesses which the Government set out in the English Devolution White Paper.