Historic boundary remains intact for Gloucestershire

Proposals for Cotswold District Council to leave the county and become a unitary authority with West Oxfordshire have been withdrawn.

 Cotswold District Council released a statement to the media yesterday, in which Cllr Lyndon Stowe said:

 “…although our proposals have been seen as innovative, we are some way from achieving the support we need within Gloucestershire. As a result, we have therefore reluctantly decided to withdraw the proposal, which will clear the way for an Oxfordshire-only solution to be submitted to government in the Autumn.  We have decided to announce this decision now to avoid further speculation and prevent further expenditure by public sector partners.

“We will continue to work collaboratively within Leadership Gloucestershire to produce an ambitious devolution deal, for the benefit of Gloucestershire residents and businesses.  As part of this, we will continue to seek the most effective governance and delivery arrangements to join up the public sector in Gloucestershire.”

Dr Diane Savory OBE, Chair of GFirst LEP said: “Recent events have shown us what the county has to lose if our current boundaries are threatened. It is important that the local community comes together to ensure we continue to create the best future for Gloucestershire. We need to be ambitious in our aspirations for the county, giving the Government the confidence to award us the best possible devolution deal, and we need to continue to work together to tackle some of the county’s challenges and maximise the opportunities for growth and prosperity that the county has.”