Your council
Cheltenham: what’s happening where you live
What the council itself has published on the five things it most shapes for a household: homes, getting about, the bill, the local environment and schools. Each line is quoted from the council’s own document, with the link. This page says what was decided or proposed; it never says whether it was right.
Cheltenham Borough Council: Non-metropolitan district (lower tier), England, South West; within the county of GLS. GOV.UK lists it as a district council, within Gloucestershire County Council.
Do it online
- Household waste collection: Providing information
- Household waste collection: Reporting
- Bulky household waste collections: Applications for service
- Household garden waste: Providing information
- Recycling bags and containers: Providing information
- Flytipping: Reporting
- Noise pollution: Reporting
- Council tax annual notification: Providing information
- Council tax annual notification: Collecting revenue
- Council tax discount: Applications for service
- Council tax benefit new claim: Applications for service
- Housing benefit new claim: Providing information
- Electoral register: Providing information
- Parking permits: Providing information
- Planning decision notices: Providing information
- Councillors directory: Providing information
- Complaints procedure: Providing information
Housing
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Transport
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Council tax
Band D set by Cheltenham for 2026–27: £252.11 of a £2,369.52 total bill in the area.
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Environment
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Education
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
What the council plans to spend, 2026–27
| Service | Budget |
|---|---|
| Education services | none budgeted |
| Highways and transport services | −£3.1 million |
| Children's social care | none budgeted |
| Adult social care | none budgeted |
| Public health | none budgeted |
| Housing services (general fund only) | £1.7 million |
| Cultural and related services | £4.9 million |
| Environmental and regulatory services | £8.2 million |
| Planning and development services | £2.2 million |
| Police services | none budgeted |
| Fire and rescue services | none budgeted |
| Central services | £6.7 million |
| Other services | none budgeted |
| Total service expenditure | £20.7 million |
Cheltenham in numbers
- Total population
- 121,739 people
- Median age
- 41 years
- Gross disposable household income per head
- £28,102
- Gross median weekly pay
- £693
- Children in relative poverty after housing costs
- 19.7%
- Claimant Count
- 2.8%
- Average house price
- £322,758
- Housing affordability ratio (residence-based)
- 7.7 affordability ratio
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- 2.8 tCO2e per capita
- Gigabit capable broadband
- 93.5%
- Public electric vehicle chargers
- 271.9 per 100,000 population
- Active businesses
- 5,580 number of enterprises
Who runs the council
40 seats in 2026. Run by: Liberal Democrats, with a majority.
Councillors by party: Liberal Democrats 35, Green Party (E&W) 3, Reform UK 1, People Against Bureaucracy Group 1.
Next scheduled council election: 4 May 2028.
All 40 councillors, by ward
- Barbara Clark (Liberal Democrats) — All Saints
- Izaac Tailford (Liberal Democrats) — All Saints
- Chris Day (Liberal Democrats) — Battledown
- Helen Pemberton (Liberal Democrats) — Battledown
- Mike Collins (Liberal Democrats) — Benhall, the Reddings & Fiddler's Green
- Steve Steinhardt (Liberal Democrats) — Benhall, the Reddings & Fiddler's Green
- Angie Boyes (Liberal Democrats) — Charlton Kings
- Steve Steinhardt (Liberal Democrats) — Charlton Kings
- Paul Baker (Liberal Democrats) — Charlton Park
- Steve Harvey (Liberal Democrats) — Charlton Park
- Garth Barnes (Liberal Democrats) — College
- Iain Dobie (Liberal Democrats) — College
- Callum Eldridge (Reform UK) — Hesters Way
- Simon Wheeler (Liberal Democrats) — Hesters Way
- Glenn Andrews (Liberal Democrats) — Lansdown
- Jamie Jamieson (Liberal Democrats) — Lansdown
- Julia Chandler (Liberal Democrats) — Leckhampton
- Martin Horwood (Liberal Democrats) — Leckhampton
- Alisha Lewis (Liberal Democrats) — Oakley
- Rowena Hay (Liberal Democrats) — Oakley
- Jackie Chelin (Liberal Democrats) — Park
- Karen Priest (Liberal Democrats) — Park
- Cecily Henderson (Liberal Democrats) — Pittville
- Julian Tooke (Liberal Democrats) — Pittville
- Jan Foster (Green Party (E&W)) — Prestbury
- Stan Smith (People Against Bureaucracy Group) — Prestbury
- Peter Jeffries (Liberal Democrats) — Springbank
- Suzanne Williams (Liberal Democrats) — Springbank
- Richard Pineger (Liberal Democrats) — St Mark's
- Sandra Holliday (Liberal Democrats) — St Mark's
- Ashleigh Davies (Green Party (E&W)) — St Paul's
- Tabi Joy (Green Party (E&W)) — St Paul's
- Cathy Dearden (Liberal Democrats) — St Peter's
- Victoria Atherstone (Liberal Democrats) — St Peter's
- Flo Clucas (Liberal Democrats) — Swindon Village
- Richard Lawler (Liberal Democrats) — Swindon Village
- Adrian Bamford (Liberal Democrats) — Up Hatherley
- Julie Sankey (Liberal Democrats) — Up Hatherley
- Graham Beale (Liberal Democrats) — Warden Hill
- Tony Oliver (Liberal Democrats) — Warden Hill