The Council met to discuss initial proposals for local government reorganisation in Gloucestershire. The meeting resulted in a decision to note the ongoing work and authorise the Leader of the Council to sign a joint letter of response to the Government.

Initial Proposals for Local Government in Gloucestershire

The Council considered initial proposals for local government reorganisation across Gloucestershire, in response to a formal invitation from the Government. The purpose of this invitation, which had a deadline of 21 March 2025, was for the county council and the six district councils in Gloucestershire to jointly develop and submit interim plans for reorganisation.

The report presented to the Council outlined the background to this initiative, stemming from the English Devolution White Paper published on 16 December 2024. This paper detailed the Government's intention to transfer powers and funding to local government and to simplify the structure of local government by encouraging the formation of unitary councils of approximately 500,000 population.

The Council was presented with three main options for a unitary structure in Gloucestershire:

• A single unitary council for the entire county, with a population of around 660,000. This option was being led by Gloucestershire County Council.
• Two unitary councils, one covering the east of the county (Cheltenham, Cotswold, and Tewkesbury, with a population of approximately 310,000) and the other covering the west (Gloucester, Forest of Dean, and Stroud District, with a population of approximately 350,000). This option was being led by Cheltenham Borough Council.
• Two or three unitary councils, with one based around a 'Greater Gloucester' area and the remainder covering the rest of the county. This option was being led by Gloucester City Council.

The report also discussed potential devolution arrangements, including the possibility of joining the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), creating a new Strategic Authority with Worcestershire and Herefordshire, or forming one with Oxfordshire and possibly Swindon.

The Council resolved to:

• Note the work under way across Gloucestershire in response to the Government's invitation to develop proposals for Local Government Reorganisation.
• Authorise the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to finalise and submit a joint letter of response to the Government, along with any associated appendices, detailing progress on interim plans.
• Delegate authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader, to collaborate with the chief executives and leaders of the county council and the other five district councils to further develop initial plans for Local Government Reorganisation in Gloucestershire, acknowledging the current lack of alignment between the councils.
• Note that a further report would be presented to the Council to agree support for the submission of final proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Gloucestershire before the Government's deadline of 28 November 2025.
• Agree to assess the final proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Gloucestershire against the principles outlined in the report, in addition to the Government's criteria.

Councillor Catherine Braun, Deputy Leader of the Council and Vice Chair of the Strategy & Resources Committee, was among those present. Kathy O'Leary, Chief Executive, provided the report author details. The report highlighted that while the Government's guidance suggested a preference for a single unitary proposal for the whole county, it also accepted the possibility of multiple proposals being submitted. The report also detailed the significant preparatory work undertaken, including the establishment of six workstreams and an estimated preparatory cost of at least £3.6 million. The Council acknowledged that the tight timeline had not allowed for extensive community consultation to date, but a local engagement plan was being developed.