Tewkesbury Borough Council will retain its name until devolution is achieved in Gloucestershire, with councillors voting not to go ahead with a previously planned change.
Following consultation with residents and businesses, the council voted to change its name to North Gloucestershire Borough Council in September 2024, with a view to better reflecting all its communities and putting the borough on the map to attract investment.
But with the government's plans for devolution set to involve the merging of district and county councils to create unitary authorities — in some areas as soon as May 2026 — councillors have agreed that retaining its current name to save resources is the 'sensible' option.
The first phase of rollout of the new name was set to take place in December 2024, but was postponed because of the anticipated publication of the government white paper on devolution.
To date, only £100 has been spent on the name change — the purchase of a new web address from the government.
Leader of Tewkesbury Borough Council, Richard Stanley, said: 'When we initially decided to change our name following consultation with our communities, there was no indication that the government would introduce devolution plans.
'In light of this this new direction, retaining our current name is the most sensible choice.'
Meanwhile, discussions continue over the establishment of a new unitary structure in Gloucestershire between its county council and five district councils.
In the last two weeks, more than 1,000 people have signed a petition to stop Gloucestershire from being split into two unitary councils, following a proposal made by five Gloucestershire MPs in a letter to the government.
Councillor Stanley, who set up the petition, gave a list of reasons for 'strongly' opposing the proposal, including the potential impact on public services, the economy, local identity and democracy, writing that 'no one voted for the break up of Gloucestershire'.
And at a Tewkesbury Borough Council meeting this January 2025, councillors voted to endorse Gloucestershire County Council's preferred option of creating a single unitary authority for the county, with Richard Stanley commenting: 'Keeping
Gloucestershire intact will ignite and see sustainable growth, delivering
better outcomes for residents.'
