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 , with some 80% of the land located within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The much larger area referred to as the Cotswolds encompasses nearly 800 square miles, spanning five counties: Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, and Worcestershire. This large Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty had a population of 139,000 in 2016.

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.

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: Cirencester Rural District Cirencester Urban District North Cotswold Rural District Northleach Rural District Tetbury Rural District The new district was named Cotswold, reflecting its central position within the hills and wider region of that name.

Under current local government reorganisation plans, the council will be abolished from 2028, with a single council for all of the current Gloucestershire County Council area.

Governance

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

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: (Put "Cotswold" in search box to see specific results.) Party in controlYears 1974–1999 1999–2003 2003–2019 2019–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:

Councillor Party From To Julie Girling May 2003 May 2006 Lynden Stowe May 2006 16 May 2017 Mark Annett 16 May 2017 Sep 2018 Tony Berry 11 Dec 2018 14 May 2019 Joe Harris 14 May 2019 20 May 2025 Mike Evemy 21 May 2025

Composition At the 2023 election the Liberal Democrats extended their majority. Following subsequent by-elections and a resignation up to July 2026, the composition of the council was:

Premises The council is based at the Council Offices on Trinity Road in Cirencester. 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.

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.

Media In terms of television, the area receives various transmitters from different regions: Mendip (BBC West/ITV West Country) covering Cirencester and Tetbury. Oxford (BBC South/ITV Meridian) covering Stow-on-the-Wold, Lechlade, Northleach and Fairford. Sutton Coldfield (BBC West Midlands/ITV Central) covering Chipping Campden and Moreton-in-Marsh.

Radio stations for the area are: BBC Radio Gloucestershire BBC Radio Wiltshire BBC CWR Heart West Capital Mid-Counties Greatest Hits Radio South West Corinium Radio (serving Cirencester) North Cotswold Community Radio (serving North Cotswolds) Cotswolds Radio

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

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.

Councillors There are 34 councillors. After the 2023 election, there were 18 Liberal Democrats, 14 Conservatives, one independent and one Green.

This table reflects the changes following several by-elections since 2023. Ward Councillor Party Abbey Mark Harris Blockley Clare Turner Bourton Vale Len Wilkins Bourton Village Jon Wareing Campden and Vale Gina Blomefield Tom Stowe Chedworth and Churn Valley Paul Hodgkinson Chesterton Andrea Ann Pellegram Coln Valley John Fowles Ermin Julia Judd Fairford North Michael Vann FosseridgeDavid Cunningham Four Acres Ray Brassington Grumbolds Ash with AveningTony Slater Kemble Mike McKeown Lechlade, Kempsford and Fairford South Tristan Wilkinson Helene Mansilla Moreton East Angus Jenkinson Moreton West Daryl Corps New Mills Claire Bloomer Northleach Tony Dale Sandywell Jeremy Theyer Siddington and Cerney Rural Mike Evemy South Cerney Village Juliet Layton St Michael's Naomi Bloomer Stow Dilys Neill Stratton Patrick Coleman Tetbury East and Rural Nikki Ind Tetbury Central Ian Watson Tetbury with Upton Laura Hall-Wilson The Ampneys and Hampton Lisa Spivey The BeechesPaul Evans The Rissingtons Craig Thurling WatermoorNick Bridges

Chairs of the Council

Councillor Party From To D C Leadbeater 1973 1976 C Staite 1976 1977 J Clark 1977 1981 I Lamb 1981 1983 H Groves 1983 1986 P Cutts 1986 1989 I Maitland Hume 1989 1991 D Godman 1991 1993 M Brown 1993 1995 Sue Herdman 1995 1998 P Pretty 1998 1999 B Evans 1999 2001 Tim Royle 2001 2004 Sue Jepson 2004 2007 Sheila Jeffery 2007 2009 Ben Jeffrey 2009 2010 Carolyn Nicolle 2010 2012 Edward Horsfall 2012 2014 Clive Bennett 2014 2015 Mark Annett 2015 2017 Julian Beale 2017 2019 Nigel Robbins 2019 2021 Dilys Neill 2021 2023 Nikki Ind 2023 2025 Mark Harris 2025

References

External links Cotswold District Council By-election results