LGR & Devolution: Our work for Gloucestershire's Parish and Town Councils

Local Government Reorganisation and devolution will significantly change local government in Gloucestershire. Since the Government published its English Devolution White Paper in December 2024, GALC has worked to inform, represent and prepare our member councils.

This noticeboard brings together key developments and our work on behalf of the sector.

August 2026 | Elections and transition arrangements

Questions are emerging about the timing of parish and town council elections and other transition arrangements.

GALC is actively seeking clarification with district and county colleagues so that we can properly advise members and determine where further representation is required.

July–August 2026 | Direct involvement and representation strengthened

GALC works with LGR colleagues across seven principal councils as a member of the Neighbourhoods and Communities Programme Board's Parish and Town Partnership Project, and influences communication with Parish and Town Councils via a countywide email update, an online information hub and a 9 September secor briefing.

Link to Future Gloucestershire Parish and Town Council statement

16 July 2026 | Government chooses one Gloucestershire unitary

Government announces its decision, subject to Parliamentary approval, to establish one unitary council for Gloucestershire.

GALC's work moves from preparing for different possible structures to influencing the transition via its membership of the Neighbourhoods and Communities Programme Board and helping members prepare for the new authority.

Link to Government decision

June 2026 | Learning from elsewhere

GALC continues bringing experience from areas that have already undergone LGR into Gloucestershire, including learning from Durham, North Yorkshire, Surrey, Northumberland and local community partnership models like the Matson, Robinswood & White City Community Partnership.

NALC also publishes Cllr David Francis's first-hand account of Northumberland's reorganisation, including practical lessons for Parish and Town Councils and county associations.

Link to watch NALC's Northumberland LGR video

May–June 2026 | From Place Model to Neighbourhoods & Communities

Gloucestershire establishes its Neighbourhoods & Communities Programme Board to develop how the future authority will work with communities.

GALC participates directly, with a dedicated Town and Parish Council Partnerships workstream forming part of the programme.

The project builds on GALC's existing consultation, preparedness training, engagement events and Devolution Working Group evidence.

Spring 2026 | Preparing councils for change

GALC delivers 12 face-to-face LGR and Devolution Preparedness sessions across Gloucestershire, helping councils assess readiness through:

Community | Compliance | Conduct | Competence | Capacity. The programme supports an online Toolkit, providing practical resources to strengthen council governance and resilience.

NALC's Westminster Forum secures key amendments on Parish and Town Councils in landmark English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which receives Royal Assent on 29 April.

Link to Devolution Preparedness Toolkit
Link to English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Link to NALC news item relating to amendments

Spring 2026 | National advocacy on neighbourhood governance

NALC continues lobbying Government and Parliament for Parish and Town Councils to have a meaningful role in neighbourhood governance, alongside appropriate funding and stronger recognition of the sector.

Link to NALC – English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

5 February–26 March 2026 | Government consultation

Government consults on the three Gloucestershire LGR proposals.

GALC produces simplified information to help councils understand the proposals and make their own informed responses, and analyses member feedback to identify common concerns and priorities.

Link to GALC response to government consultation

28 November 2025 | Gloucestershire's proposals submitted

Three final LGR proposals are submitted to Government: one countywide unitary; two East/West unitaries; and Greater Gloucester plus a Gloucestershire unitary. GALC reviews and responds to the proposals from the parish and town council perspective while remaining neutral on the preferred unitary geography.

Link to submitted proposals

Autumn 2025 | Our evidence informs neighbourhood thinking

GALC continues representing members within the Place Model Workstream as proposals for neighbourhood governance develop and a countywide consultation is launched with online engagement events. Our message remains consistent: arrangements should reflect real communities, local identity and differing council capacity, with parish and town councils involved in shaping them from the outset. We respond formally to the draft unitary proposals.
Alongside the Forest of Dean District Council we host three partnership workshops across the Forest to understand Parish and Town Council challenges and opportunities relating to LGR.

23 September 2025 | Larger Councils' Forum established

GALC establishes a quarterly Larger Councils' Forum for councils with electorates over 7,000, recognising their particular challenges and opportunities through LGR.  The inaugural session features senior NALC representatives. Subsequent LGR-related discussions include asset transfers with Wellers Law Group and neighbourhood arrangements with programme leads Siobhan Farmer and Helen Martin.

July 2025 | Members shape the conversation at our Annual Conference

More than 55 councils are represented at GALC's Annual Conference, where facilitated round-table discussions explore LGR, devolution and future governance.

Feedback from members helps inform our subsequent work.

10 July 2025 | Devolution Bill introduced

Government introduces the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

NALC welcomes recognition of parish and town councils and confirmation that emerging neighbourhood governance structures are not intended to replace them.

Link to NALC Bill briefing

June–July 2025 | Local engagement across Gloucestershire

GALC works with principal councils to bring LGR conversations closer to communities, including Tewkesbury Town and Parish Council Summits, Stroud district engagement and an initial conversation between Gloucester City Council and the Parish and Town Councils included in that district's Greater Gloucester model.

These provide further opportunities for councils to raise local concerns and help shape developing thinking.

4 June 2025 | Cotswold Parish and Town Council Summit

GALC supports and participates in the Cotswold Summit, including its panel discussion, bringing parish and town councils directly into conversations about LGR and their future role.

Spring 2025 | Engagement with all six districts/boroughs

GALC meets individually with all six district, borough and city councils, discussing Community Governance Reviews, assets, capacity, communication, future governance and implications for Parish and Town Councils.

We also begin gathering lessons from other areas that have experienced LGR.

Spring 2025 | Countywide member consultation

GALC launches its comprehensive LGR and Devolution Survey, supported by an accessible explainer, to understand councils' ambitions, concerns, capacity, financial readiness and views on neighbourhood governance. 

The findings provide an evidence base for both GALC's member support and our representation within the Gloucestershire LGR programme.

Link to member consultation report

25 March 2025 | Devolution Information Sharing Event

GALC brings members together with Gloucestershire LGR leads Alistair Cunningham and Alex Khaldi. Member feedback on funding, neighbourhoods, rural representation, democratic legitimacy and capacity is subsequently fed directly into the Place Model Workstream.

Link to watch our Information Sharing Event recording

March 2025 | Devolution Working Group established

GALC establishes its dedicated Devolution Working Group, bringing together 12 clerks and councillors from different council sizes and districts/boroughs to inform our work and provide a direct member voice throughout LGR.

Link to Devolution Working Group

February 2025 | Gloucestershire formally invited to reorganise

On 5 February, Government formally invites Gloucestershire's principal councils to develop proposals for unitary local government. 

NALC challenges the omission of Parish and Town Councils from the Government's initial guidance and presses for the sector to be explicitly involved.

Link to Government invitation letter

Link to NALC response

February 2025 | GALC joins the Place Model Workstream

GALC becomes directly involved in Gloucestershire's LGR programme through the Place Model Workstream involving all seven principal councils and other key stakeholders, exploring how future local government could connect with communities and operate at neighbourhood level. 

Early work specifically recognises the opportunity to work more closely with Gloucestershire's Parish and Town Councils.

16 December 2024 | English Devolution White Paper

Government publishes the English Devolution White Paper, setting out plans for greater devolution, local government reorganisation and stronger neighbourhood governance.

GALC begins assessing what the proposals could mean for Gloucestershire's parish and town councils and communicating developments to members.

Link to English Devolution White Paper