Devolution and local government reorganisation

The government have set out plans for a major reform of local and regional governance with the aim of giving more power to local areas and simplifying how local government works in the English Devolution White Paper.

The current system of local government is complicated with different types of councils responsible for various aspects of our day to day lives. These councils include strategic authorities (currently these are mayoral combined authorities such as Greater Manchester), county councils, city councils, borough councils, district councils and parish councils.

In Gloucestershire, we have:

• Gloucestershire County Council which deals with issues such as adult and children’s social care, education, waste disposal and highways
• Six district councils (for example, Cheltenham Borough Council), which deal with issues such as planning, revenues and benefits, housing, licensing and waste collection
• Parish councils (for example, Charlton Kings Parish Council), which deal with very local services and facilities in the towns and villages

The main goals of the recent White Paper are to give local areas more control over decisions (known as “Devolution”) and to make the local government structure simpler (known as “Local Government Reorganisation”, or LGR).

What is devolution and what will it mean?

Part of devolution is where powers that currently sit with central government are given to a local area, so local decision makers can have more of a say in what happens in their area. It is important because it ensures that decisions are made closer to the local people, communities and businesses they affect.

The government is keen to do this by setting up strategic authorities in areas that don’t currently have one. These strategic authorities, which are mostly led by directly elected mayors, will be responsible for issues including:

• housing
• highways and transport
• economic growth
• skills and employment support
• environment and climate change
• health
• public safety

For Gloucestershire, devolution would see the creation of a new strategic authority, made up of Gloucestershire and other neighbouring counties, and the authority would be led by a directly elected mayor.

Recently, the government announced the six areas that will join the Devolution Priority Programme. Gloucestershire is not one of these areas, but we still need to send a proposal about our preferences for this to government by November 2025.

What are the benefits of devolution?

Devolution could mean:

• more powers and more funding being passed down from central government
• better co-ordination of services across the whole region
• better support for skills development for our residents
• more strategic control over planning and housing
• a stronger voice for our region with central government

What is Local Government Reorganisation?

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is when the way local authorities are set up and the services they provide are changed.

The English Devolution White Paper also sets out that new, bigger councils, called “unitary authorities” will replace district, borough and county councils.

Right now, 60 per cent of the country already has Strategic Authorities (mayoral authorities) and unitary authorities. Central government wants to reorganise local government in areas that still have county and districts – replacing them with unitary authorities which deliver all the services.

It is worth noting that in the south-west of England, it is only Gloucestershire and Devon that have a two-tier system. All the other counties and cities are run by unitary councils.

For Gloucestershire, this change would affect Gloucestershire County Council and the six districts: Cheltenham Borough Council, Cotswold District Council, Gloucester City Council, Forest of Dean District Council, Stroud District Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council.

When Gloucestershire moves to a unitary model, the county and district/borough/city councils would all be replaced and a new unitary council or councils would deliver all the services.

What are the benefits of Local Government Reorganisation?

Local Government Reorganisation could mean:

• a more co-ordinated approach to service delivery
• giving better value-for-money.
• financial savings
• providing stronger strategic and local leadership

Timeline

Key dates and actions

Status	Date	Action
Received	5 February 2025	Statutory invitation received from central government to submit unitary proposals
Confirmed	21 March 2025	Submit interim Local Government Reorganisation proposal
Confirmed	1 May 2025	Gloucestershire County Council Elections
Confirmed	28 November 2025	Submit full Local Government Reorganisation proposal
Proposed	May 2027	Elections for shadow authorities. NB – a shadow authority is a temporary council set up before the new council begins trading and takes on all its responsibilities, allowing for a smoother handover.
Proposed	April 2028	The official start date for new unitary councils

What is the council doing now?

*We will keep this section updated with information as it comes available*

Alongside the other Gloucestershire councils, we are working with local partners, such as parish councils, the voluntary sector and health, and have responded to the government's invitation received on 5 February 2025, which is to submit an interim proposal for Local Government Reorganisation by 21 March 2025.

Currently there are three proposals, supported by different councils. These are:

• One unitary authority for the whole county
• Two unitary authorities, with an east (Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Cotswold) and west (Gloucester, Forest of Dean and Stroud) split
• Two unitary authorities, one being an enlarged Gloucester city, and one being the remainder of the county

Cheltenham Borough Council is supporting the proposal for two unitary authorities with an east and west split. Read our news story to find out more about the proposal.

Cheltenham Borough Council's interim submission for the creation of two unitaries was approved at a Cabinet meeting on Monday 17 March.

Visit the meeting page for related documents and a link to watch a video of the meeting on YouTube.

If, in the run up to the final submission in November, there is still no local agreement on the unitary solution for Gloucestershire, government ministers will make the decision.

County-wide local government reorganisation survey

Public opinions on the three proposals is not being sought at this time. Instead, all seven councils are working together focused on gathering feedback on how local services can best meet the needs of residents both now and in the future.

Resident and stakeholder opinions will play a vital role in shaping the final proposals before they are submitted to the government in the autumn.

We asked for feedback in a county-wide local government reorganisation survey. The survey closed on 9 August 2025.

Future Gloucestershire website

The Future Gloucestershire website, has been created to provide a dedicated hub for information on devolution and local government reorganisation in Gloucestershire.

Government consultation on proposals for local government reorganisation in Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire councils are encouraging residents and communities to take part in a new government consultation on how local government in the county could be organised in future.  

The consultation, which is live now,  is an important chance for people to have their say as the government considers a once-in-a-generation shake-up to how local services are run.

Useful links

Visit the Future Gloucestershire website, a dedicated hub for information on devolution and local government reorganisation in Gloucestershire.

English Devolution White Paper:

The English Devolution White Paper sets out the government’s agenda to increase and expand devolution across all parts of England.

Local Government Association (LGA) Devolution Hub:

Visit the LGA Devolution Hub to find further information and resources. This includes a list of regularly updated devolution and local government reorganisation FAQs. You can find updates on the current devolution framework and devolution deals agreed between the government and local areas.

Letter from Jim McMahon OBE. Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution:

The letter to all two-tier councils and neighbouring unitary authorities, dated 16 December 2024, sets out the government’s process and milestones.