THE government has said it will consider new proposals to abolish Oxfordshire County Council and hand its duties to new "unitary councils".

Under plans revealed on Thursday by Oxfordshire’s four district councils and Oxford City Council, four new unitary authorities would be created to wield both their powers and those of the county council.

The four new councils – which would deliver all local services – would include one covering the northern part of the county, one covering the west and one covering the south, plus one for the city.

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The idea is part of a bid to bring major spending powers to the county through a devolution deal with Whitehall and has been backed by Prime Minister and Witney MP David Cameron and Oxfordshire’s other MPs.

On Friday a spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government signalled it would be working with the councils to look at their proposals.

The spokesman said: “The government’s devolution agenda offers a real opportunity for local areas to take greater control of their future – and we are actively discussing this with partners in Oxfordshire.

“We have always been clear this is a bottom-up process and there is no one-size-fits-all approach, with every deal bespoke and providing arrangements that are relevant to each local area.

“We look forward to continuing constructive discussions on devolution with Oxfordshire partners as their proposals develop.”