Cheltenham Borough Council is planning for a poll which may be its last.
The upcoming local elections in Cheltenham Borough Council have become part of a wider national debate about the future structure of local government in England.
The elections on Thursday, May 7 are now closely tied to a major reorganisation proposal that could abolish the current two-tier system in Gloucestershire and replace it with a unitary authority, similar to Bristol and Cornwall.
The aim of this proposal, according to the Government, is to give more power to local areas and simplifying how local government works.
Cheltenham Borough Council is currently reviewing this change with members of the public. They are currently at stage two of the process and are asking residents for their views on whether Cheltenham should have a town council under a future unitary authority.
Currently, the Liberal Democrats dominate the council, under council leader Rowena Hay, holding 36 of its 40 seats as of the last full council election in 2024.
However, there future of these elections has been uncertain because of ongoing plans to restructure local government across the country.
In January 2026, there was a delay with the election as the Cheltenham Borough Council asked the UK Government to postpone the May 2026 elections.
The council argued that holding elections shortly before a major structuralreform would result in councillors being elected for potentially only a short period before the system is abolished.
Under the government’s new reform plans, the new unitary councils could replace existing county councils as early as 2027 or 2028 with the decision not being ultimate until late 2026, effectively only serving for as little as a year.
In February 2026, the Uk Government reversed its earlier position on delaying some local elections after legal concerns were raised and criticism from opposition parties and local bodies.
This sudden policy U-turn created uncertainty and confusion for councils preparing for the election cycle and added pressure to financial decisions on local government restructuring.
Residents of Cheltenham have until the 29th of March to have their say on whether Cheltenham should have a town council.
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