All seven councils in Gloucestershire have worked together to come up with two proposals for how local government could be organised in the future.
Councillors across the county will now discuss these options during November:
· One council for the whole of Gloucestershire (Single Unitary Authority)
· Two councils: one for the West (Gloucester, Forest of Dean, Stroud) and one for the East (Cheltenham, Cotswold, Tewkesbury)
Gloucester City Council has also been developing a separate proposal for a Greater Gloucester unitary council, the details of which will be released in due course.
All proposals must be submitted to The Government by 28 November 2025.
The Government is then expected to consult Gloucestershire residents and other key stakeholders early next year before they decide in the summer which proposal they want to see implemented in the county.
About the options
The councils have a strong track record of working together and have been developing these ideas since early 2025, led by council leaders and chief executives.
Single Unitary Authority (1UA)
· Would mean one council for the whole county.
· Would maintain the current county-wide approach to delivering fire and rescue services, adult social care, children’s social care and education services.
· Aims to make decisions quicker, cut out repeated work, and provide better, more consistent services.
· Expected to save more than £21 million per year, with £164 million in net savings over the next 10 years.
· Local communities would have more say through new Neighbourhood Partnerships and links with town and parish councils.
· Would invest in digital technology to make services easier to use.
· Meets Government requirements and puts Gloucestershire in a strong position for future changes.
Two Unitary Authorities (2UA)
· Would mean two councils: one for the East and one for the West.
· Keeps a strong local identity for different parts of the county.
· Expected to save nearly £11 million a year, with more than £55 million saved in ten years.
· Local people would have more say through Neighbourhood Partnerships and links with town and parish councils.
· Both councils would invest in digital technology for better services.
· Meets Government requirements and supports Gloucestershire’s ambitions.
Based on the Government’s current timetable, elections to the new council/s would be in May 2027 with the new council/s taking over from the current seven councils from April 2028.
The full proposals, along with a timetable of the council meetings where they will be debated can be found on Future Gloucestershire : Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation in Gloucestershire
