Cheltenham Borough Council's Full Council meeting on 19 October 2026 addressed significant decisions regarding local governance and planning.

Community Governance Review Final Recommendations

The council considered the final recommendations of its Community Governance Review (CGR), which began in May 2025. The review aimed to strengthen local representation and ensure governance arrangements reflect community identities, particularly in light of proposed Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Gloucestershire.

The recommendations discussed included:

• Establishment of a new Cheltenham Town Council: This council would serve the currently unparished areas of the borough, providing local representation for approximately 57,000 residents. Discussions indicated it would have 26 councillors across 15 wards, to be named Cheltenham Town Council.
• Boundary changes for existing parishes:
  • Swindon Parish: Boundaries were proposed to be changed as shown on Map 1 in Appendix (i), with an additional area added to Swindon North ward. The parish would continue to have 9 councillors.
  • Prestbury Parish: Boundaries were proposed to be changed as shown on Map 2 in Appendix (ii). The parish would continue to have 15 councillors.
  • Leckhampton with Warden Hill Parish: Boundaries were proposed to be changed as shown on Map 3 at Appendix (i). The parish name would remain unchanged and would continue to have 18 councillors. Warding arrangements were proposed to be redrawn, with an allocation of one councillor for Leckhampton Undercliff Ward, one for Leckhampton Mead Ward, nine for Leckhampton Village Ward, and seven for Warden Hill Ward. Amendments were proposed to reallocate councillors to create a new Pilly ward with two councillors, reducing Leckhampton Village Ward to eight councillors.
  • Up Hatherley Parish: Boundaries were proposed to be changed as shown on Map 4 in Appendix (i). The parish name was proposed to be changed to Up Hatherley with Benhall and The Reddings. It would continue to have 16 councillors. Warding arrangements were proposed to be redrawn to create three wards: Benhall and The Reddings, Up Hatherley West, and Up Hatherley East. The allocation of councillors was proposed as one for Up Hatherley East ward, twelve for Up Hatherley West ward, and three for Benhall and The Reddings ward.
• No changes for Charlton Kings Parish Council: No changes were proposed for the boundaries, number of councillors (17), or warding arrangements for Charlton Kings Parish Council.
• Establishment of a Shadow Town Council: This would be made up of the borough ward councillors for the area that would become the Town Council.

Amendments were also proposed to insert the word Spa after Cheltenham in relevant places to distinguish it from Cheltenham Borough Council. The council resolved to approve the recommendations as amended. The Monitoring Officer was to be authorised to make the necessary reorganisation orders, with electoral arrangements coming into force on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2028. The Community Governance Review Working Group would continue to consider the transfer of civic and ceremonial assets, statutory services, and precept requirements for the new Town Council.

National Scheme of Delegation for Planning Functions

Cheltenham Borough Council considered updates to its constitution to reflect the government's new National Scheme of Delegation (NSD) for planning functions, which comes into effect on 31 October 2026. This new scheme significantly reduces local discretion over which planning applications can be considered by the Planning Committee.

Under the NSD, certain applications must be delegated to officers and cannot be considered by the committee. For other applications, there is a presumption of delegation, and they can only be referred to the committee if specific criteria are met. This is a nationally prescribed system that the council is required to implement.

The council resolved to:

• Note the changes to Part 3C of the constitution covering the powers of the Planning Committee and amendments to the Planning Protocol. These changes would be made by the Monitoring Officer under delegated authority.
• Approve the amendments to Part 3D, Table 4 of the constitution as set out in Appendix 3.

The decision was met with debate from councillors, with concerns raised about the reduction in local democratic control. It was acknowledged that this was a legislative requirement. The recommendations were carried with 30 votes in favour and one abstention.

Annual Reports Received

The council received and noted the annual reports from two key committees:

• Audit, Compliance and Governance Committee: Presented by Councillor Adrian Bamford, Chair of the committee, the report covered the period May 2025 to April 2026. It highlighted the committee's work in overseeing internal and external audit, risk management, corporate governance, and financial statements.
• Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Presented by Councillor Tabi Joy, Chair of the committee, the report detailed the committee's activities between April 2025 and March 2026. Key areas of scrutiny included the first year of operations at the Minster Exchange, preventative maintenance of council assets, flood mitigation partnerships, enforcement of the Sexual Entertainment (SEV) Policy, the Golden Valley Social Strategy, and youth engagement. The report also highlighted the introduction of independent co-opted members to the committee and discussed proposals for joint scrutiny arrangements related to Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

Communications and Questions

The meeting included communications from the Mayor, Councillor Martin Horwood, who shared updates on his engagements. The Leader of the Council, Councillor Rowena Hay (though absent, her communications were delivered by Deputy Leader Councillor Peter Jeffries), provided an update on several key developments, including the government's decision regarding the M5 Junction 9 A46 Ashley scheme, the Golden Valley development, local government reorganisation, and the sales process for Gloucestershire Airport. Several public and member questions were addressed covering various topics.