On 7th September the Government announced that it will review the decision made in July (and reported in last month’s Bulletin) on local government reorganisation (LGR), to ensure that the reorganisation is robust and aligns with its new priorities. The scope of the review has not yet been agreed, but the government wants it to be quick, in the next couple of months. As a result, the timeline for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire will likely be moved back
a year. This is yet to be confirmed. The government has restated its commitment to devolution – the transfer of powers and funding from national to local government – and has said LGR is a fundamental part of achieving this. As a result, preparatory work across Oxfordshire and West Berkshire will continue while the review takes place.
