CITY leaders have been accused of secretly plotting to double Oxford in size and take control of Abingdon, Kidlington Wheatley and Eynsham.

Oxfordshire County Council tonight claimed the move was being looked at by district councils as part of plans to reorganise local government.

The county council said other options – such as having three or four 'unitary' councils – were unrealistic because new unitary authorities needed populations of at least 300,000 and Oxford housed just half that figure.

Cabinet member Nick Carter said: "It is time for the people of Oxfordshire to understand the city council’s ambition to expand its borders.

"There is going to be a land grab, which either the districts haven’t seen coming, or have already secretly agreed to."

But city council leader Bob Price said: "This is complete nonsense. There is absolutely no intention of expanding the city to include county towns.

"The five Oxfordshire districts have jointly commissioned an independent report to look into unitary options for the future governance of Oxfordshire, and our aim remains to find a solution that best represents the diverse population of the county.

"The county council’s response is a ridiculous piece of scaremongering and is a childish attempt to disrupt the joint options study, which they declined to take part in."

The row came as district councils were forced to abandon plans to rip up historic boundaries and create new councils in Oxfordshire that absorbed parts of Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire.

This would have seen the Cotswolds and West Oxfordshire merged under one authority, with the South Northamptonshire and Cherwell districts also linking up. 

But Cotswold District Council and South Northamptonshire today both pulled out amid concerns the proposal would be too costly and complicated.

James Mills, leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, said: "The early findings of our advisors are that it would be too complicated at this stage to go for a cross-boundary option.

"We will now focus on getting the best solution for our residents."

The idea was put forward in February by Oxfordshire's five district councils and won backing from Prime Minister David Cameron, along with the county's other MPs.

It proposed abolishing the county council and creating four new 'unitary' authorities, as part of efforts to strike a £1bn devolution deal with the Government.

The four new authorities would also include one for Oxford City and one covering both South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse.

But Mr Carter branded the situation "a shambles", adding: "They have hastily carved up the county again with no thought about the best way to deliver good council services."

The district councils' study – being carried out by consultants for £100,000 – will now examine merging the areas of West Oxfordshire and Cherwell instead, or having an authority for each district with expanded powers. It is due to report back next month.

Spokesman Matthew Barber, leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, insisted the change meant the study could now "focus solely on Oxfordshire’s residents".

Meanwhile, a nearly-identical study, also costing £100,000, being carried out by the county council is due to report in July.