The “ONE Oxfordshire” proposal is Deeply Undemocratic

Green’s County leader, David Williams, ripped up One Oxfordshire document outside County Hall, 1.00pm Monday 20th March 2017.

Oxfordshire Green Party stands by its suggestion for unitary councils covering the north of Oxfordshire, the City and the South. This three part division maintains rural and urban identities and would save money compared to current arrangements, but only after years of start-up costs have been met.

Green Party County Councillors will be calling upon the County Council to abandon the proposals for a single Unitary Council covering the whole of Oxfordshire. To mark this event, Green’s County Council leader, David Williams, will be ripping up the One Oxfordshire proposal document on the day previous to the County meeting:  at 1.00pm, County Hall, Monday 20th March.

David Williams says, “The Greens have always been against this this idea of one distant massive Council as being profoundly undemocratic removed as it is from the various communities that make up Oxfordshire.  As they realise that the vast majority of people support the Green point of view, some of the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats who supported ONE Oxfordshire are now starting to have second thoughts.

“Our proposal to the County Council argues that, in view of the continuing opposition to the One Oxfordshire idea, district councils and the County Council must find at alternative forms of unitary council arrangements in Oxfordshire which are consensual.  Much has been made of a claimed £22 million in savings a year if a single Unitary Council is created for Oxfordshire. However, this ignores ‘start-up’ costs which will be considerable. The County has cut out £300 million spending over the past 6 years: nobody believes they will spend that money on services. It will simply be another ‘saving’. If we have a Single Authority we will no doubt have Tory dominance and ignoring urban problems.”

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/15170104.__39_Profoundly_undemocratic__39___Greens_tear_up_unitary_document_in_protest/?commentSort=score