Cotswold District

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51°43′08″N 1°58′05″W / 51.719°N 1.968°W / 51.719; -1.968

Cotswold District
Non-metropolitan district
Cirencester, the administrative centre of the Cotswold District
Cirencester, the administrative centre of the Cotswold District
Cotswold shown within Gloucestershire
Cotswold shown within Gloucestershire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionSouth West England
Non-metropolitan countyGloucestershire
StatusNon-metropolitan district
Admin HQCirencester
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan district council
 • BodyCotswold District Council
 • MPsGeoffrey Clifton-Brown (C)
Roz Savage (LD)
Area
 • Total
449.6 sq mi (1,164.5 km2)
 • Rank20th (of 296)
Population
 (2024)
 • Total
91,661
 • Rank266th (of 296)
 • Density203.87/sq mi (78.713/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[1]
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[1]
 • Religion
List
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code23UC (ONS)
E07000079 (GSS)
OS grid referenceSP0221002304

Cotswold is a local government district in Gloucestershire, England. It is named after the wider Cotswolds region and range of hills. The council is based in the district's largest town of Cirencester. The district also includes the towns of Chipping Campden, Fairford, Lechlade, Moreton-in-Marsh, Northleach, Stow-on-the-Wold and Tetbury, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.

In 2021 the district had a population of 91,125. The district covers nearly 450 square miles (1,200 km2), with some 80% of the land located within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[2][3] The much larger area referred to as the Cotswolds encompasses nearly 800 square miles, spanning five counties: Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, and Worcestershire.[4][5] This large Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty had a population of 139,000 in 2016.[6]

Eighty per cent of the district lies within the River Thames catchment area, with the Thames itself and several tributaries including the River Windrush and River Leach running through the district. Lechlade is an important point on the river as the upstream limit of navigation. In the 2007 floods in the UK, rivers were the source of flooding of 53 per cent of the locations affected and the Thames at Lechlade reached record levels with over 100 reports of flooding.[7]

The neighbouring districts are South Gloucestershire, Stroud, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Wychavon, Stratford-on-Avon, West Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, Swindon and Wiltshire.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the area of five former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[8]

The new district was named Cotswold, reflecting its central position within the hills and wider region of that name.[9]

Governance

Cotswold District Council
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Mark Harris,
Liberal Democrat
since 21 May 2025[10]
Mike Evemy,
Liberal Democrats
since 21 May 2025
Jane Portman
since July 2025
Structure
Seats34 councillors
Graph of the party split among 34 seats.
Political groups
Administration (21)
    Liberal Democrats (21)
Other parties (12)
    Conservative (10)
    Green (1)
    Independent (1)
Vacancy (1)
    Vacant (1)
Elections
First past the post
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Council Offices, Trinity Road, Cirencester, GL7 1PX
Website
www.cotswold.gov.uk

Cotswold District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Gloucestershire County Council.[11] The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[12]

Political control

The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since the 2019 election.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[13][14]

Party in controlYears
Independent1974–1999
No overall control1999–2003
Conservative2003–2019
Liberal Democrats2019–present

Leadership

The council has a ceremonial chair of the council who presides at council meetings and acts as the district's first citizen. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2003 have been:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Julie Girling[15]ConservativeMay 2003May 2006
Lynden Stowe[16]ConservativeMay 200616 May 2017
Mark Annett[17][18]Conservative16 May 2017Sep 2018
Tony Berry[19][20]Conservative11 Dec 201814 May 2019
Joe Harris[20][21]Liberal Democrats14 May 201920 May 2025
Mike Evemy[10]Liberal Democrats21 May 2025

Composition

At the 2023 election the Liberal Democrats extended their majority.[22] Following subsequent by-elections and a resignation up to June 2026, the composition of the council was:[23][24]

Party Councillors
Liberal Democrats21
Conservative10
Green1
Independent1
Vacant1
Total 34

The next election is due in 2027.[23]

Premises

The council is based at the Council Offices on Trinity Road in Cirencester.[25] The building was built in 1837 as the Cirencester Union Workhouse, later serving as Watermoor Hospital following the creation of the National Health Service in 1948. After the hospital closed the building was converted to become the council's headquarters, being formally opened by Prince Charles on 21 May 1981.[26][27]

Towns and parishes

The whole district is covered by civil parishes. The parish councils for Chipping Campden, Cirencester, Fairford, Lechlade, Moreton-in-Marsh, Northleach with Eastington, Stow-on-the-Wold and Tetbury take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council.[28]

Media

In terms of television, the area receives various transmitters from different regions:

Radio stations for the area are:

The district is served by the weekly local newspaper, Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard.[33]

Elections

Since the last full review of boundaries in 2015 the council has comprised 34 councillors representing 32 wards, with two wards electing two councillors and the rest electing one each. Elections are held every four years.[34]

Councillors

There are 34 councillors. After the May 2019 election, there were 18 Liberal Democrats, 14 Conservatives, one independent and one Green.

Ward Councillor Party
Abbey Mark Harris Liberal Democrats
Blockley Clare Turner Green
Bourton Vale Len Wilkins Conservative
Bourton Village Jon Wareing Liberal Democrats
Campden and Vale Gina Blomefield Conservative
Tom Stowe Conservative
Chedworth and Churn Valley Paul Hodgkinson Liberal Democrats
Chesterton Andrea Pellegram Liberal Democrats
Coln Valley David Fowles Conservative
Ermin Julia Judd Conservative
Fairford North Michael Vann Liberal Democrats
Fosseridge David Cunningham Conservative
Four Acres Ray Brassington Liberal Democrats
Grumbolds Ash with Avening Tony Slater Conservative
Kemble Mike McKeown Liberal Democrats
Lechlade, Kempsford and Fairford South Tristan Wilkinson Liberal Democrats
Helene Mansilla Liberal Democrats
Moreton East Angus Jenkinson Liberal Democrats
Moreton West Daryl Corps Conservative
New Mills Claire Bloomer Liberal Democrats
Northleach Tony Dale Liberal Democrats
Sandywell Jeremy Theyer Conservative
Siddington and Cerney Rural Mike Evemy Liberal Democrats
South Cerney Village Juliet Layton Liberal Democrats
St Michael's Joe Harris Liberal Democrats
Stow Dilys Neill Liberal Democrats
Stratton Patrick Coleman Liberal Democrats
Tetbury East and Rural Nikki Ind Independent
Tetbury Central Ian Watson Liberal Democrats
Tetbury with Upton Laura Hall-Wilson Conservative
The Ampneys and Hampton Lisa Spivey Liberal Democrats
The Beeches Paul Evans Liberal Democrats
The Rissingtons Craig Thurling Liberal Democrats
Watermoor Nick Bridges Liberal Democrats

Chairs of the Council

CouncillorPartyFromTo
D C LeadbeaterIndependent19731976
C StaiteIndependent19761977
J ClarkIndependent19771981
I LambConservative19811983
H GrovesIndependent19831986
P CuttsIndependent19861989
I Maitland HumeIndependent19891991
D GodmanIndependent19911993
M BrownIndependent19931995
Sue HerdmanIndependent19951998
P PrettyIndependent19981999
B EvansIndependent19992001
Tim RoyleConservative20012004
Sue JepsonConservative20042007
Sheila JefferyConservative20072009
Ben JeffreyConservative20092010
Carolyn NicolleConservative20102012
Edward HorsfallConservative20122014
Clive BennettConservative20142015
Mark AnnettConservative20152017
Julian BealeConservative20172019
Nigel RobbinsLiberal Democrats20192021
Dilys NeillLiberal Democrats20212023
Nikki IndIndependent20232025
Mark HarrisLiberal Democrats2025

References

  1. UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Cotswold Local Authority (E07000079)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. "About the Council - Cotswold District Council". cotswold.gov.uk.
  3. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Cotswolds.com - The Official Cotswolds Tourist Information Site". Cotswolds.
  5. "In Deep: Idyllic England in the Cotswolds | Butterfield & Robinson". 14 August 2017.
  6. "The Population and Economy of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" (PDF). www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2021.
  7. "Cotswold District Council - Review of the Summer 2007 floods in Cotswold District". Archived from the original on 22 July 2011.
  8. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
  9. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
  10. Russell, Nathan (23 May 2025). "New leader of Cotswold District Council announces cabinet members". Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  11. "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  12. "Election maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  13. "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 26 November 2024. (Put "Cotswold" in search box to see specific results.)
  14. "Cotswold". BBC News Online. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
  15. Crump, Simon (23 April 2009). "Julie Girling resigns from Cotswold District Council". Cotswold Journal. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  16. Al Rasheed, Tarik (21 February 2017). "Leader of Cotswold District Council, Cllr Lynden Stowe, to step down at annual meeting". Worcester News. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  17. "Council minutes, 16 May 2017" (PDF). Cotswold District Council. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  18. "Cotswold District Council leader Mark Annett steps down". Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  19. "Council minutes, 11 December 2018" (PDF). Cotswold District Council. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  20. "Council minutes, 14 May 2019" (PDF). Cotswold District Council. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  21. "Council agenda, 21 May 2025". Cotswold District Council. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  22. Voce, Antonio; Leach, Anna; Hoog, Niels de; Torpey, Paul; Clarke, Seán (9 May 2023). "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  23. "Cotswold". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  24. Eichler, William (26 May 2026). "Cotswold councillor who became UK's youngest mayor resigns | LocalGov". LocalGov.
  25. "Contact us". Cotswold District Council. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  26. Higginbotham, Peter. "Cirencester Workhouse". The Workhouse. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  27. Ward-Davies, Ivor (22 May 1981). "Royal bills sized up". Western Daily Press. Bristol. p. 3. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  28. "Parish council contact details". Cotswold District Council. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  29. "Full Freeview on the Mendip (Somerset, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  30. "Full Freeview on the Oxford (Oxfordshire, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  31. "Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) Full Freeview transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  32. "Cotswolds Radio". Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  33. "Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard". British Papers. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  34. "The Cotswold (Electoral Changes) Order 2015", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2015/113, retrieved 26 August 2023

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