Concerns have been raised by the force's Police and Crime Commissioner after yesterday's (28/10) budget.
After confirmation in Chancellor John Healey's budget announcement that the Thames Valley region will progress plans for a mayoral strategic authority (MSA), Matthew Barber has questioned its implications on policing.
He said the proposal of an MSA involving Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Swindon, alongside "many other new challenges", "almost certainly means the break up of Thames Valley Police as we know it".
Barber went on to say that the government are already undergoing a review of police forces which "creates some very strange geographical splits for that new mayoralty."
He said that at a meeting with new officers, he was explaining that "they may no longer be in Thames Valley Police for too long" as government could go ahead with plans to create "mega regional forces that could see policing South Sast created, covering everything from Milton Keynes to Margate."
The Police and Crime Commissioner's comments come just days after Bucks Council leader Steven Broadbent rejected claims Buckinghamshire would be left behind if not involved in the Thames Valley MSA deal, following criticism from the county's LibDems.
It follows claims by Bucks Liberal Democrat Group leader, Councillor Susan Morgan, who said “Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Swindon would get new powers, new funding and a stronger voice. Buckinghamshire would be left behind. Residents deserve to know how that is in Buckinghamshire’s interests.”
Leaders in the three neighbouring counties wrote to Jim McMahon, Minister for Local Government, Devolution and Growth, earlier this week confirming their aspiration for an MSA for the region.
The announcement in the budget yesterday that government intends to progress those plans also included a proposed allocation of £9.1 million of funding, which would come from the government’s Good Growth Funds to be used for investment in growth priorities as the MSA is developed.
In Oxfordshire County Council's announcement of the development, they said the councils within the region will now develop a detailed proposal in advance of a consultation planned for the new year.
Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Tim Bearder, said though that he has "serious, unanswered questions about whether the proposed geography is right and whether the benefits will justify the costs and disruption involved."
He added: “I remain particularly concerned about Buckinghamshire's absence, given our longstanding economic and public service relationships across the Thames Valley. The government has also indicated that public service boundaries should align with the new strategic authority. The implications for policing, the NHS and fire and rescue services could be significant, yet we do not have sufficient clarity about the practical consequences."
According to OCC's website, in December, a proposal will be shared with councils across the region to approve going ahead with a consultation. Subject to this approval and the consultation response, a formal proposal would then be submitted to government in spring next year.
A new MSA in shadow form would then be established later in 2027 following the statutory decision-making process, followed by mayoral elections in 2028.
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