Cotswold District Councillor report - July 2026

As the parish council meeting scheduled for July has been cancelled, please see below to read the COTSWOLD DISTRICT COUNCILLOR REPORT JULY 2026 from Cllr Len Wilkins, len.wilkins@cotswold.gov.uk, 07970668849

Forthcoming Committee Meetings
Wednesday 15 July 6.00 pm Meeting of Council
Thursday 23 July 2.00 pm Licensing Sub-Committee (Taxis, Private Hire, and Street Trading
Monday 27 July 4.00 pm Meeting of Audit & Governance Committee Recent Committee Meetings

CABINET DECISIONS - 4 June 2026
Waste and Environment - Service Design Options To set out a package of waste and recycling service design options to support a cohesive, compliant, and efficient approach to service delivery. (see below)

Cabinet RESOLVED to:
1. Agree to the withdrawal of the Bring Bank service.
2. Agree to the proposed approach for how residents would present the new recyclable plastics at the kerbside (i.e. in a tied, self-supplied, single-use sack).
3. Agree to a reduction in the size of the standard issue refuse bin (from 180 litre to 140 litre) on a replacement/ phased basis.Notification of Draft Decisions Thursday, 4 June 2026

4. Agree to the new arrangement for the combined collection of paper and card.

Local Government Reorganisation - Gloucestershire Structural Changes Order

To outline the governance, legal framework, and key arrangements for the Gloucestershire Structural Changes Order, and to seek Cabinet’s agreement to submit representations to Government on behalf of Cotswold District Council. Cabinet noted that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered the matter and that its comments had informed the proposed response.

PLANNING

Local Plan Update - The council set the stage for its upcoming Regulation 19 draft Local Plan consultation. The local plan process was structured to engage Town and Parish Councils on site allocations and development priorities .

Planning Appeals and Developments
Following significant shifts in national planning policy, CDC was forced to withdraw from defending a previously rejected appeal for a 195-home development in Moreton-in- Marsh. Consequently, planning inspectors green-lit the estate. Documentation regarding public appeals can be reviewed on the Planning Appeal Committee Page.

Devolution
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)
 Final Submission Deadline: The government requested feedback from all seven Gloucestershire councils on transition arrangements, warding patterns, and governance, which was collated and submitted by June 16, 2026.
 Unitary Options: Three main structures are currently on the table for central government consideration: a single countywide unitary, an east/west split
(Cheltenham, Cotswold, and Tewkesbury grouped together), and a Greater Gloucester model.
 Timeline: The government is expected to announce its preferred reorganisation footprint by mid-summer 2026.
 Transition: Current councils (like Cotswold District Council) will continue to operate until the new unitary structure goes live, which is officially slated for April 2028.
Council Priorities: Actions
 Devolution Push: Cotswold District Council is actively advocating that successor bodies grant town and parish councils more devolved powers to manage localized services like highways and roads.
 Service Continuity: Leadership remains focused on maintaining business as usual for residents while working on the 2027/28 transition planning.
 Local Plan: In response to housing pressures, the council is finalizing an updated Local Plan to align with the governments housing mandates and
national policies.

A decision is expected this summer with elections for the new unitary authority or authorities planned for May 2027. Any new structure will come into effect no earlier than April 2028.