Cheltenham Borough Council

Local authority in Gloucestershire, England

Cheltenham Borough Council

Type
Type|

Non-metropolitan district

Leadership

Mayor

David Willingham,
Liberal Democrat
since 12 May 2025[1]

Leader

Rowena Hay,
Liberal Democrats
since 7 December 2020

Chief Executive

Gareth Edmundson
since 2019[2]

Structure
Seats| 40 councillors[3]

Political groups

Administration (36)
Liberal Democrat (36)
Other parties (4)
Green (3)
People Against Bureaucracy (1)
Elections

Voting system

| First past the post

Last election

| 2 May 2024

Next election

| 7 May 2026
Meeting place
Municipal Offices, Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 9SA
Website
www.cheltenham.gov.uk

Cheltenham Borough Council is the local authority for Cheltenham, a non-metropolitan district with borough status in Gloucestershire, England. The council is based at the Municipal Offices on the Promenade.

The neighbouring districts are Tewkesbury and Cotswold.

## History

[edit]

The town of Cheltenham was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1876, governed by a body formally called the "mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Cheltenham", but generally known as the corporation or town council. Prior to 1876 the town had been administered by a body of improvement commissioners which had been established in 1786.[4]

The borough was reformed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, becoming a non-metropolitan district and absorbing the area of the former Charlton Kings urban district at the same time.[5] Cheltenham kept its borough status, allowing the council to take the name Cheltenham Borough Council and letting the chair of the council take the title of mayor, continuing Cheltenham's series of mayors dating back to 1876.[6]

The borough was further enlarged in 1991 when it gained the parishes of Leckhampton, Prestbury, Swindon and Up Hatherley, all of which had previously been in Tewkesbury Borough.[7]

## Governance

[edit]

Cheltenham Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Gloucestershire County Council.[8] Parts of the borough are also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government. The rest of the borough, roughly corresponding to the pre-1974 municipal borough, is an unparished area.[9]

### Political control

[edit]

The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since 2010.

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:[10][11]

Party in control | Years

|

| Conservative | 1974–1979
| No overall control | 1979–1991
| Liberal Democrats | 1991–1999
| No overall control | 1999–2000
| Conservative | 2000–2002
| Liberal Democrats | 2002–2004
| No overall control | 2004–2010
| Liberal Democrats | 2010–present

### Leadership

[edit]

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Cheltenham. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2002 have been:

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

Andrew McKinlay[12] |  | Liberal Democrats | 10 May 2002 | May 2006
Duncan Smith[13] |  | Conservative | 11 May 2006 | May 2008
Steve Jordan[14][15] |  | Liberal Democrats | 8 May 2008 | 7 Dec 2020
Rowena Hay[15] |  | Liberal Democrats | 7 Dec 2020 |

### Composition

[edit]

Following the 2024 election,[16][17][18] the composition of the council is:

Party  | Councillors

|

| Liberal Democrats | 36
| Green | 3
| People Against Bureaucracy | 1
Total  | 40

The next election is due in May 2026.[19]

## Premises

[edit]

The council is based at the Municipal Offices on the Promenade.[20] The building was built as a row of 19 terraced houses called Harward's Buildings between 1823 and 1840. Seven houses in the terrace were acquired by Cheltenham Borough Council in 1916 and converted to become their offices, with the other houses being acquired later.[21]

## Elections

[edit]

See also: Cheltenham Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2024 the council has comprised 40 councillors representing 20 wards, with each ward electing two councillors. Elections are held in alternate years, with half the council (one councillor for each ward) being elected each time for a four-year term of office.[22]

## Coat of arms

[edit]

Cheltenham’s coat-of-arms were granted in 1877, and are still in use by the council.

Armorial achievement  | Blazon  | References

|
|

| Crest

Upon a mount between two branches of oak proper, a fountain thereon a pigeon proper.

### Escutcheon

[edit]

Or, a chevron engrailed gules between two pigeons argent in chief and an uprooted oak tree in base proper; atop, a chief azure under a cross flory argent between two open books proper binding.

### Motto

[edit]

SALUBRITAS ET ERUDITIO

| [23][24]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Council minutes, 12 May 2025". Cheltenham Borough Council. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
2. ^ Sandey, Katie. "New chief executive appointment is announced". www.cheltenham.gov.uk.
3. ^ Cheltenham Borough Council (8 November 2020). "Your Councillors". democracy.cheltenham.gov.uk.
4. ^ "Cheltenham Borough Records". The National Archives. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
5. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
6. ^ "District Councils and Boroughs, 28 March 1974". Hansard. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
7. ^ "The Gloucestershire (District Boundaries) Order 1991", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1991/281, retrieved 27 August 2023
8. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
9. ^ "Election maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
10. ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 26 November 2024. (Put "Cheltenham" in search box to see specific results.)
11. ^ "Cheltenham". BBC News Online. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
12. ^ "Council minutes, 10 May 2002" (PDF). Cheltenham Borough Council. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
13. ^ "Council minutes, 11 May 2006" (PDF). Cheltenham Borough Council. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
14. ^ "Council minutes, 8 May 2008" (PDF). Cheltenham Borough Council. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
15. ^ a b "Council minutes, 7 December 2020". Cheltenham Borough Council. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
16. ^ "Cheltenham election result". BBC News. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
17. ^ Lockyer, Chris (3 May 2024). "Lib Dems retain control of Cheltenham Borough Council". BBC News. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
18. ^ "Cheltenham Borough Council Elections - Thursday, 2nd May, 2024". 3 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
19. ^ "Cheltenham". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
20. ^ "Contact us". Cheltenham Borough Council. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
21. ^ Historic England. "Numbers 47 to 83 and Attached Railings with Low Walls and End Piers to Numbers 71 and 73 (1387631)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
22. ^ "The Cheltenham (Electoral Changes) Order 2023", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2023/820, retrieved 27 August 2023
23. ^ "Civic heraldry, Local Achievements and Coats-of-Arms - Gloucestershire Archives". www.gloucestershire.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
24. ^ Ingram, Jennie. "Arms of Insignia of the Borough". www.cheltenham.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2023.

* v
* t
* e

Cheltenham

Areas|

* Alstone
* Arle
* Benhall
* Charlton Kings
* Fairview
* Hesters Way
* Lansdown
* Leckhampton
* Montpellier
* Pittville
* Prestbury
* Rowanfield
* St. Pauls
* Up Hatherley
* Swindon
* Whaddon
* Wyman's Brook

Buildings and
structures|

* Grade I listed buildings in Cheltenham
* Grade II* listed buildings in Cheltenham
* 153–159 Fairview Road
* All Saints' Church
* The Bacon Theatre
* Cavendish House
* Le Champignon Sauvage
* Cheltenham Masonic Hall
* Cheltenham Minster, St Mary's
* Cheltenham Racecourse Heliport
* Cheltenham Synagogue
* Cheltenham Town Hall
* The Doughnut
* Ellenborough Park Hotel
* Everyman Theatre
* Montpellier Rotunda
* Pittville Pump Room
* The Playhouse
* St Philip and St James Church, Leckhampton
* St Gregory's Church
* Cheltenham High Street Halt railway station
* Cheltenham Spa railway station
* Thirlestaine House
* Trinity Cheltenham

Culture|

* The Bacon Theatre
* Cheltenham Town Hall
* Everyman Theatre
* Pittville Pump Room
* The Playhouse
* Spy Booth
* The Cheltenham Ghost
* The Wilson (Cheltenham)

Education|

* Gloucestershire College
* University of Gloucestershire
* National Star College
* Westminster Theological Centre
* All Saints' Academy
* Balcarras School
* Cheltenham Bournside School
* Cheltenham College
* Cheltenham Ladies' College
* Dean Close School
* Pate's Grammar School
* Pittville School
* St Edward's School
* University of Gloucestershire
* Hereford College of Arts
* Urban Learning Foundation

Politics|

* Cheltenham Agreement
* Cheltenham (UK Parliament constituency)
* Cheltenham Borough Council
* Cheltenham Borough Council elections
* Cheltenham by-election, 1911
* Cheltenham by-election, 1928
* Cheltenham by-election, 1937
* GCHQ trade union ban
* John Taylor, Baron Taylor of Warwick

Sport|

* Cheltenham Association Football League
* Cheltenham Cricket Club
* Cheltenham Rugby Festival
* Cheltenham Saracens F.C.
* Cheltenham Town F.C.
* Cheltenham Festival
* Cheltenham Gold Cup
* Old Patesians R.F.C.
* College Ground, Cheltenham
* Dowty Arle Court
* East Gloucestershire Cricket Club Ground
* Hatherley and Reddings Cricket Club Ground
* Cheltenham Racecourse
* Sandford Parks Lido
* The Victoria Ground
* Whaddon Road

Transport|

* Cheltenham and District Light Railway
* Cheltenham High Street Halt railway station
* Cheltenham Racecourse Heliport
* Cheltenham Racecourse railway station
* Cheltenham Spa Express
* Cheltenham Spa Malvern Road railway station
* Cheltenham Spa railway station
* Cheltenham Spa St. James railway station
* Gloucester and Cheltenham Tramroad
* Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
* Stagecoach West

* Category

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