A countryside campaign group has criticised proposals to create a new Oxford unitary council based on expanded city boundaries, warning it would “swallow” large parts of the Green Belt without solving the city’s housing crisis, according to our Local Democracy Reporter Esme Kenney.
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Oxford City Council supports the three-council option, which would give Oxford its own authority and expand its boundaries to include villages such as Kidlington, Botley, Cumnor, Kennington, Berinsfield and Wheatley. City leaders say this would enable the building of 40,000 new homes by 2040.
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But CPRE Oxfordshire called the plan “flawed and dangerously tilted toward unchecked development,” arguing that it risks fuelling urban sprawl and shifting unmet housing needs into protected countryside. The group accused the city council of drawing boundaries based on development targets, not infrastructure needs.
“We recognise Oxford City faces real housing challenges. But this proposal is not the solution. We need a joined-up strategy to meet housing need in a way that is climate-conscious, community-led, and infrastructure-ready,” the group said.
Oxford City Council leader Susan Brown defended the plan, saying the three-unitary model is the “best option for the whole area,” bringing decisions closer to residents and enabling affordable homes, better bus services, green space protection, and new jobs.
Alternative options under review include a single council for Oxfordshire, backed by the county council, or two councils dividing the county into an “Oxford and Shires” authority and a Ridgeway Council, backed by district councils.
CPRE argued the latter two options would spread development more evenly, better align growth with transport and infrastructure, and reduce pressure on the Green Belt. However, it also warned a single large council could disconnect communities from local decision-making.
The government will decide in 2026 how Oxfordshire will be restructured, with new councils expected to be formed in 2028.
