LGR Update: Name of Gloucestershire’s new council confirmed and consultation responses published
Gloucestershire's new single council will be called Gloucestershire Council, the Government has confirmed. Ministers have also confirmed that the new authority will be represented by 110 councillors.
In addition to now confirming the name and number of councillors, the Government has confirmed that a Joint Committee, with elected-member representation from all of Gloucestershire’s existing councils, will be established to oversee preparations for the new authority. It will comprise of 12 councillors, six from Gloucestershire County Council and the one from each of the district, borough and city councils.
It has also confirmed that the implementation programme will be supported by a dedicated team of officers from every council. This team will be led by Jo Walker, Chief Executive of Gloucestershire County Council, who has been appointed Senior Responsible Officer for the transition after being nominated by councils.
The Government has also confirmed that elections to a new shadow council will take place in May 2027, replacing any elections that would otherwise be scheduled for existing councils in Gloucestershire. The shadow council will prepare for the new council's formal launch in April 2028, including setting budgets, policies and governance arrangements.
The responses to the consultation run by Government from 5 February 2026 to 26 March 2026 were published. There were 2,252 responses in total: Gloucestershire - Summary and analysis of consultation responses. The responses show that 65 per cent of partners and residents who responded expressed a preference for a single unitary authority in the county.
You can view the latest news on Local Goverment Reorganisation in Gloucestershire through the Future Gloucestershire website: https://futuregloucestershire.org.uk/