Three district councils have submitted their plan for a combined authority in Oxfordshire to the Government, in response for calls for a unitary council.
The submission from Oxford City Council, West Oxfordshire and Cherwell District Councils argues a combined authority would avoid the cost and disruption created by the merger of six councils.
It also says it would enable decisions to be made at a local level, while achieving savings through joint working and shared services.
The three council leaders said: ‘In our view, local government restructuring is not likely to progress in the current context and we wish instead to focus on work collaboratively tackling the real issues our residents face.’
Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse District Councils have submitted their own plans for a single unitary authority.