Gloucestershire Council Named as New Unitary Authority for County

The UK government confirmed that the new single authority for Gloucestershire will be called Gloucestershire Council. The unitary body will replace the county council and six district, borough and city councils, including Stroud and Cotswold District Councils, consolidating their services under one organisation.

The new council will be comprised of 110 elected councillors. A joint transition committee of 12 members – six from the former Gloucestershire County Council and one from each of the six district councils – will oversee preparations. Jo Walker, chief executive of Gloucestershire County Council, has been appointed senior responsible officer for the transition, and a dedicated team of officers from all former councils will support the implementation. A public consultation showed that 65 % of respondents favoured a single authority, and the Structural Change Order legislation will formalise the change.