Cheltenham is governed at local level by a combination of councils and also has an elected Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC):
Gloucestershire County Council
The county council, currently under a Conservative administration with the Liberal Democrats as the main opposition party, is responsible for major spending areas such as transport (including local roads, pavements and on-street parking), libraries, schools and education, social services and waste disposal (but not collection). Roads are managed through their agency Gloucestershire Highways. The county council spend £1,409 out of an annual Band D council tax bill of £1,898 in Cheltenham (2021-22).
51 county councillors represent large ‘divisions’, 10 of which cover Cheltenham. The next county elections are due in May 2024. The whole council is elected once every four years. To find your local county councillor, click here.
Contact details:
Gloucestershire County Council
Shire Hall
Gloucester GL1 2TG
www.gloucestershire.gov.uk
01452 425000 (8.30am- 5pm, Monday – Friday)
Social care out-of-hours emergencies: 01452 614194
Glos Highways emergencies: 08000 514 514
Cheltenham Borough Council is currently led by the Liberal Democrats (31 seats) with the Conservatives as the main opposition party (6 seats). The Borough Council is responsible for local planning permission, council housing (along with their agency Cheltenham Borough Homes), arts, entertainment and leisure facilities, environmental health, recycling and waste collection (but not disposal) and some car parks. The council has delegated the running of the Town Hall, Pittville Pump Room, Wilson art gallery & museum, Leisure@ and Prince of Wales Stadium to the new charitable Cheltenham Trust. Recycling and waste collection is shared with neighbouring councils through the jointly owned not-for-profit enterprise Ubico. Cheltenham Borough Council spends just £219 out of the annual £1,898 annual Band D council tax bill in Cheltenham (2021-22).
40 Borough Councillors represent 20 neighbourhood ‘wards’ half the size of the county ‘divisions’ with two councillors for each ward. The next elections for the whole borough council are expected in May 2024. Half the council is normally elected every two years, the normal term of office being four years. But boundary changes are expected shortly so the whole council is expected to be elected afresh in 2024. To find your current local borough councillor, click here.
The council’s contact details are:
Cheltenham Borough Council
Municipal Offices
Promenade
Cheltenham
GL50 9SA
01242 262626
Parish councils
Some but not all parts of Cheltenham are also represented by one of five parish councils. They have important rights to be consulted on planning issues and can have powers to manage local pathways, green spaces, monuments and buildings. Don’t believe the Vicar of Dibley though – they are elected and have no connection to religious parishes or vicars! Each has its own paid official, the Parish Clerk. The next parish elections are due in May 2026. The whole councils are elected once every four years although vacancies are sometimes filled by co-option between elections. They tend to add between £10 and £25 to an annual Band D council tax bill of £1898 in Cheltenham (2021-22).
The five parish councils are:
Leckhampton with Warden Hill 
Arlene Deane
Clerk to Leckhampton with Warden Hill Parish Council
The Old Bell House
High Street
Bisley
Gloucestershire GL6 7AA
07739 719079
www.leckhamptonwithwardenhill-pc.gov.uk
Up Hatherley
Kathryn Oakey
Clerk to Up Hatherley Parish Council
Up Hatherley Village Hall
Cold Pool Lane
Cheltenham GL51 6JA
01242 527770
Charlton Kings
Joanna Noles
Clerk to Charlton Kings Parish Council
26 Church Street
Church Piece
Charlton Kings
Cheltenham GL53 8AR
01242 250087
www.charltonkingsparishcouncil.gov.uk
Prestbury
Jane Tetley
Clerk to Prestbury Parish Council
The Pavilion
New Barn Close
Prestbury
Cheltenham GL52 3LP
01242 575129
Swindon Village
Shaun Cullimore
Clerk to Swindon Parish Council
07833 089435
Contact form provided on website instead of address
Police & Crime Commissioner
The Police & Crime Commissioner is not a police officer but an elected official responsible for Gloucestershire Constabulary’s policing budget, the appointment of the Chief Constable and general oversight of police work in the county. The PCC spends £270 out of the anuual Band D council tax bill in Cheltenham of £1,898 (2021-22). Gloucestershire’s current Police & Crime Commissioner is Conservative Chris Nelson who was elected in 2021.
Contact details:
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner
No. 1 Waterwells
Waterwells Drive
Quedgeley
Gloucester GL2 2AN
01452 754348