Borough council elections
On 16 February 2026 the government announced that it was withdrawing its decision to postpone Cheltenham’s borough council elections - which means elections will now take place, as originally planned. The elections had originally been postponed to enable the council to focus on preparations for local government reorganisation and work together before the first elections for a shadow authority.
On 7 May 2026, elections will take place for Cheltenham Borough Councillors alongside contested parish council elections.
Borough wards
An election is held every two years to vote for one of your local borough councillors for each of the below wards.
- All Saints Ward
- Battledown Ward
- Benhall, The Reddings and Fiddler's Green Ward
- Charlton Kings Ward
- Charlton Park Ward
- College Ward
- Hesters Way Ward
- Lansdown Ward
- Leckhampton Ward
- Oakley Ward
- Park Ward
- Pittville Ward
- Prestbury Ward
- Springbank Ward
- St. Mark's Ward
- St. Paul's Ward
- St. Peter's Ward
- Swindon Village Ward
- Up Hatherley Ward
- Warden Hill Ward
Standing as a candidate
You must meet certain criteria to stand as a candidate for public office. You can find out more information on being a councillor on the Local Government Association website. The Electoral Commission has published candidate guidance and information for each type of election:
- Nomination packs will be available to collect from the Electoral Services Office in March 2026. Please contact the office on 01242 264132 or email [email protected] to arrange collection or if you prefer, we can email a set to you.
- Completed nomination papers will need to be hand delivered to the Municipal Offices, Promenade, Cheltenham any working day from 30 March to 9 April 2026 between 10am and 4pm. You will need to make an appointment for informal checks and submission of papers. We strongly advise an informal check and delivery of papers to be carried out as early as possible. To make an appointment, email [email protected] or call 01242 264132.
The Electoral Commission have produced guidance for prospective candidates which includes:
- Detailed guidance for candidates at local elections (covering Cheltenham Borough and Gloucestershire County Council)
- A YouTube video provides guidance for completing a nomination paper
- Advice and guidance regarding the rules on imprints on election material
The Cabinet Office have updated their Candidate Security Guidance. All prospective candidates are encouraged to read through the information.