Stroud District Council has agreed its formal stance on proposals to reorganise local government in Gloucestershire, following a Full Council meeting held on Thursday, 20 November.
Councillors considered three options for replacing the current two-tier system of county and district councils:
- A single unitary authority for the whole of Gloucestershire
- Two unitary authorities – East (Cheltenham, Cotswold, Tewkesbury) and West (Gloucester, Forest of Dean, Stroud)
- Two unitary authorities – one for a ‘Greater Gloucester’ city area and one for the rest of the county
After debate and a vote, Council resolved to support the creation of one unitary authority for the whole of Gloucestershire. This support will be recorded when all three proposals are submitted to Government by the 28 November deadline.
Voting:
- There were 27 votes for a single unitary authority for the whole of Gloucestershire
- There were 15 votes for two unitary authorities, one for east and one for west Gloucestershire
- There were no votes for two unitary authorities, one for ‘Greater Gloucester’ city and one for the rest of the surrounding county
The Government will consult on all submitted proposals early next year, with a final decision on which proposal will form the framework for future local government in Gloucestershire expected to be made by Government in summer 2026. New arrangements are anticipated to take effect by 2028.
Gloucestershire has been administered by Gloucestershire County Council and six districts and borough councils since 1974. The County Council provides services including adult social care, highways, and libraries while the six districts and boroughs provide services including waste and recycling, leisure, planning, and environmental health. A unitary authority or authorities for Gloucestershire would provide all council services across the county.
Council Leader Chloe Turner said after the meeting: “This was a historic moment where councillors of all parties had a chance to have their say on the biggest change to local government in more than 50 years. The other six principal councils are also deciding which proposal to support and when the Government consults on all three proposals early next year, I would urge everyone to engage in the process.
“Our focus now will be on continuing to work with partner councils to prepare for the changes that are coming and putting the residents of Stroud district at the heart of those plans.”
The debate can be watched on the council’s YouTube channel, available from the webpage for the meeting: Welcome to Modern gov
To read the report the councillors considered, visit: Local Government Reorganisation in Gloucestershire.pdf
For more details on the proposals and next steps, visit Future Gloucestershire : Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation in Gloucestershire.
