11.05.16
Oxfordshire CC appoint Grant Thornton to look at unitary council options
Oxfordshire County Council has appointed Grant Thornton UK LLP to look at options for making local government more efficient, including unitary authority status.
Grant Thornton, supported by an independent advisory group, will review all options to decide which one will ensure financial sustainability while improving services, providing stronger and more accountable leadership and supporting growth and communities.
Oxfordshire CC’s plans for seeking unitary status come at a time of financial pressure for the council so severe that prime minister David Cameron, MP for Oxfordshire town Witney, has twice written to it about service cuts, despite the fact that they were linked to his own government’s policies.
Cllr Ian Hudspeth, leader of Oxfordshire CC, said: “I am convinced local government needs to change in Oxfordshire, and it is vital that we make the right decision to protect council services for the future.
“The key issue for me is not about structures but more about how we can join up services efficiently to provide the best possible services for the people of Oxfordshire.”
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