Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire lies at the northern edge of the South West and features a blend of countryside, historic towns, and areas of outstanding natural beauty such as the Cotswolds and Forest of Dean. The county town is Gloucester, and Cheltenham is another major centre. The ceremonial county includes the unitary authority of South Gloucestershire, while the rest is administered by Gloucestershire County Council and six district councils.
Local Authorities in Gloucestershire
- Gloucestershire County Council (County Council)
- Cheltenham Borough Council (District Council)
- Cotswold District Council (District Council)
- Forest of Dean District Council (District Council)
- Gloucester City Council (District Council)
- Stroud District Council (District Council)
- Tewkesbury Borough Council (District Council)
- South Gloucestershire Council (Unitary Authority)
Gloucestershire, in England’s South West region, has a two-tier system of local government with Gloucestershire County Council overseeing county-wide services such as education, transport, and social care, supported by six district councils that handle local matters including planning, housing, and waste collection. These are Cheltenham, Cotswold, Forest of Dean, Gloucester, Stroud, and Tewkesbury. Separately, South Gloucestershire functions as a unitary authority, created in 1996 after the abolition of Avon, with its council responsible for all local services in its area, independent of the county structure. Together, these councils govern a county known for the cathedral city of Gloucester, the spa town of Cheltenham, the rolling Cotswolds, the historic Forest of Dean, and market towns such as Stroud and Tewkesbury, balancing strategic oversight with locally focused governance.
Districts in Gloucestershire
(ITL 1) South West
(ITL 2) ⇒ West of England
(ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire
(ITL 1) South West
(ITL 2) ⇒ Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
(ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Swindon ⁞ Wiltshire ⁞ Gloucestershire CC
Constituencies in Gloucestershire
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 7 of them are in Gloucestershire.