A possible new Town Council for Cheltenham

At a meeting later this month, full council will be asked to approve proposed changes to parish council boundaries, as well as the creation of a new Cheltenham Town Council, to better serve local communities.

The borough council started a review in May 2025 to look at how parish councils are organised across the borough. The aim was to make sure local communities are fairly represented and that local government works effectively, especially if local government reorganisation goes ahead in the future.

As part of the consultation, residents told the council that they wanted better local representation and stronger alignment of council boundaries to better match communities. Results also indicated that areas which are currently not represented by parish councils, should have local governance arrangements in place going forward.

Recommendations going to a meeting of full council on 19 October 2026, are for councillors to:

Consider the feedback received during the three public consultation stages of the community governance review
Approve recommended parish council boundary changes and the creation of an extended parish council covering Up Hatherley, Benhall and the Reddings
Approve the creation of Cheltenham Town Council – serving 57,000 electors currently in unparished areas - with effect from 1 April 2028
Agree to the creation of a ‘shadow’ Town Council, which would act as a temporary group, made up of current ward councillors, representing the areas that will form the new Town Council, helping to prepare for its launch and election in 2028.

Councillor Rowena Hay, leader of Cheltenham Borough Council said: ‘’Through these proposed changes, we can offer more effective local government across the whole of Cheltenham which better represents and supports our communities. With changes taking place across local government, it remains our responsibility to consider what is best for Cheltenham and its future. We must remain accountable and accessible for those in our communities and be in the best possible position to serve our residents and meet their needs. I welcome all of the work that has taken place already, the input of local people through the various consultations and I look forward to the next steps.’’

The details around the services and funding relating to the new Town Council will be determined in due course.

For media enquiries, contact: communications, telephone 01242 264231, email [email protected]

Notes to editor:
Parish councils
The report contains all proposed changes to current parish council arrangements.

A new Cheltenham Town Council
If approved, the new Town Council will consist of twenty five town councillors.
The Town Council would be divided into 15 wards: All Saints, Battledown, Fiddlers Green, Charlton Park, College, Hester’s Way, Lansdown, Oakley, Park, Pittville, Springbank, St Mark’s, St Paul’s, St Peter’s and Swindon Village.

If full council chooses to accept and approve the final recommendations of the community governance review, a ‘reorganisation order’ will be prepared and published together with the reasons for the changes, making maps available for public inspection. There are also various bodies that must be notified of the changes including:

the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government;
the Local Government Boundary Commission for England;
the Office for National Statistics;
the Director General of Ordnance Survey;
external auditors.

A possible new Town Council for Cheltenham

Recent News