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Cabinet agrees to submit single unitary council proposal to Government

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As part of Government-led plans for local government reorganisation, GCC’s cabinet has today agreed to submit a proposal for a single unitary.

The leader will now formally write to the Minister by the 28 November deadline with the county council’s preferred proposal.

The decision comes following a non-binding vote taken at full council last Wednesday, where 38 councillors voted for the one unitary council proposal. The county council had considered two proposals for the future structure of local government in the county, which were those that had been developed collaboratively by all seven councils:

  • A single unitary council for the whole of Gloucestershire
  • Two unitary councils: one covering the east (Cheltenham, Cotswold, Tewkesbury) and one covering the west (Gloucester, Forest of Dean, Stroud)

Cllr Lisa Spivey, leader of the council, said: "This is a significant step towards modernising local government in Gloucestershire to bring long-term benefits for our communities. We welcomed the collaboration with other local councils and look forward to continuing our work together for the good of the county.

“The request to reorganise has come from government at a time where local councils are under immense pressure. However, we are committed to creating a structure that delivers better value for money and stronger services for residents. We recognise this is a major change, but our focus remains on supporting residents and ensuring this transition is as smooth as possible.”

The Government will consult early next year on all submitted proposals that meet its criteria and is expected to make a final decision in summer 2026.

The ‘Greater Gloucester’ proposal, developed by Gloucester City Council, has not been considered by the county council as its business case was published too late to allow the same level of review and due diligence as carried out on the other two proposals.