A PETITION against plans for a 'super council' has been started by Oxford City Council.

Writing on Change.org, the local authority claims plans for the city to come under control of a much larger authority amounts to 'asset stripping' and it would 'silence the views' of people living there.

It also said Oxfordshire County Council, which has championed the super council plans, had a 'history of cuts'.

This could put city council buildings and schemes at risk, bosses warned, including 7,800 council homes, community centres, leisure centres, grants to homelessness support charities and multi-million pound regeneration schemes. 

Its petition says: "We want to make you aware of a massive threat facing Oxford City.

"Oxfordshire County Council has put forward proposals to abolish Oxford City Council, along with all the other councils in Oxfordshire, to create a remote unitary county council covering all of Oxfordshire.

"Our concern is that these proposals will mean the voice of the city will be lost; Oxford will no longer have control of decisions over vital services in the city.

"Oxfordshire County Council’s track record is that they have closed homeless shelters by cutting grants, they have left communities isolated by cutting bus subsidies, they have devastated families by cutting children’s centres, and they have left our roads riddled with potholes and gridlock."

It comes after it emerged Oxford City Council could become a parish council under the super council plans, which would see it lose control over planning, housing, leisure centres and rubbish collection. 

The county council argues replacing all six of Oxfordshire's biggest councils with a single organisation would save £20m a year and lead to better services and decision-making. 

It says: "We believe the current system is complicated, wasteful and no longer financially sustainable. Without change, important local services could be reduced and some may be cut altogether.

"We think all six councils should be abolished and be replaced by just one new council for the whole of Oxfordshire.​"

But city council leader Bob Price said: “Our concern is that the proposals for a county council unitary will mean the voice of the city will be lost, and the vital services that Oxford City Council protects could be put at risk.

“Please sign our petition to register your opposition to the unitary county council proposals.”

To visit the petition page, click here.