Counties Must Not Be Misnamed in ‘Oxfordshire’ Reorganisation

The Campaign for Historic Counties has submitted its formal response to the Government’s consultation on proposals for unitary local government within the current Oxfordshire County Council area.

The consultation, issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, invites views on competing proposals to replace the existing two-tier structure with one or more unitary authorities across what is presently administered as “Oxfordshire”.

Our position is clear.

We do not take a view on the proposed administrative boundaries. The configuration of councils is a matter for Government and local authorities. What concerns us is the naming of any new authority.

Large parts of the existing administrative area – particularly much of ‘South Oxfordshire’ and the Vale of White Horse – are, in fact, in Berkshire. These areas included in the ‘Oxfordshire County Council’ area in 1974, but they did not cease to be part of the ancient geographical county of Berkshire. Many residents remain unaware of this distinction.

The historic counties were never abolished.

The Office for National Statistics has made clear that historic counties have not changed for centuries and were not abolished by local government reorganisation. They remain the fundamental geography of the country. Administrative areas may come and go; historic counties endure.

To name any new authority “Oxfordshire” if it includes areas outside historic Oxfordshire would therefore be inaccurate and misleading. It would further blur the distinction between administrative arrangements and the true, enduring counties of England.

We have urged the Government to adopt one of two simple and reasonable approaches:

• Choose a neutral, non-county-based name for any new authority; or
• Explicitly recognise all historic counties within the area covered by the authority.

This is not about reversing administrative change. Nor is it about “returning” areas to Berkshire. It is about acknowledging that part of the current administrative area is Berkshire, and ensuring that historic identities are not erased through careless naming.

Names matter. They shape public understanding, civic identity and historical continuity. Administrative reform should not come at the expense of geographic truth and local heritage.

The Campaign will continue to advocate for the clear recognition and proper use of Britain’s historic counties in public life.