Council in talks over plans to join forces with Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse councils - or to become single unitary authority with Berkshire neighbours

Discussions are taking place that could see West Berkshire joining forces with neighbouring authorities.

West Berkshire Council is currently talking to South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils, as well as the five other Berkshire unitary authorities, and looking at the possibility of becoming one unitary authority.

Jeff Brooks (Lib Dems, Thatcham West), leader of West Berkshire Council, said: “We have good relationships with all our neighbouring authorities, and strong geographical and historic ties too.

“These have led to constructive early discussions on the best way forward and give us confidence that we will find the best solution for local residents.

“It’s important to us that we maintain a sense of local identity, whilst also delivering good local services which protect our most vulnerable residents and provide value for money.”

The talks come after the government announced that it will be looking for authorities to provide services for a population of around 500,000 people – West Berkshire currently has 170,000 residents.

The current discussions include the possibility of a new unitary council combining West Berkshire, South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse and exploring options for unitary councils within the county of Berkshire, which also includes Windsor and Maidenhead, Slough, Reading, Bracknell Forest and Wokingham.

Government proposals would see Strategic Authorities – based on current policing and health boundaries - take on some devolved powers and enable more local decision-making.

The government has asked that initial proposals are submitted by March 21, with final plans due by the end of November.

“In Berkshire we are no stranger to reorganisation having seen the county council disbanded through local government reforms almost 30 years ago,” Mr Brooks added.

“As the last Leader of Berkshire County Council I was involved in the establishment of the six Berkshire unitary authorities.

“We evolved successfully then to meet the challenges of the time and we shall do so again now – together with and on behalf of local people.”