Tewkesbury Borough Council is inviting feedback on its intention to change its name to North Gloucestershire Borough Council.
At a meeting of Council on 15 May, Tewkesbury Borough councillors were ‘minded to’ change the council’s name subject to a six-week consultation so that stakeholders can provide feedback and raise any suggestions, as well as giving views on logo options.
The consultation will open on 17 May and will run until 28 June. Members of the public, local businesses, town and parish councils, and other partners and interested parties will be welcome to share their views.
Details of how to participate in the consultation are available on the Tewkesbury Borough Council website .
Following the consultation, a final decision will be made at an extraordinary Council meeting that will require a resolution to be passed by a majority of at least two thirds of the councillors who attend.
Exploring an alternative name for the council originated during feedback from councillors, community groups and local businesses, which indicated the name ‘Tewkesbury Borough’ and the council’s current logo wasn’t considered representative of the entire borough. Tewkesbury Borough covers a large area and includes many villages including Bishop’s Cleeve, Churchdown and Brockworth. Tewkesbury parish accounts for under 3% of the borough’s geographical area and around 10% of its population.
A subsequent consultation (January to February 2024) on the borough council’s new Council Plan asked respondents to consider if the name Tewkesbury Borough is representative of the area in which they live.
55% of respondents said that they do not think the name is representative. Moreover, the further away respondents lived from Tewkesbury, the less represented they feel by the name Tewkesbury Borough.
The current name can also be confusing for some people who may not realise they can access services and support from the council. For example, residents and businesses affected by flooding in January 2024 said they had not asked for help from the council because they thought they needed to live in Tewkesbury town.
Additionally, during a Tewkesbury Business Voice event held in February 2024, it was raised that the name North Gloucestershire Borough Council would have a significantly positive impact for local businesses.
The name North Gloucestershire directly responds to the challenges the council faces with its current name, including:
Providing immediate geographic context and helping to raise the borough’s profile regionally and nationally.
Offering strong brand appeal that could support economic development and tourism, and attract investment.
Avoiding prioritising one town (Tewkesbury) over others within the borough, promoting a more inclusive identity that more equally represents all communities.
Responding to concerns from businesses that the current name does not reflect the borough’s strategic location.
Providing a stronger identity to support a wider recruitment pool for both the council and local businesses.
Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Leader, Cllr Richard Stanley, said: “During the development of our new Council Plan, many councillors reported that their communities feel excluded from the borough on the basis of its current name. As the council is embarking on a fresh start and a new strategic direction for the next six years, this is an ideal time to consider a new name for the council.
“A number of names were considered, but North Gloucestershire Borough Council is the only one that we feel responds to the issues we face with our current name. The borough is clearly the most northerly in the county, and the name North Gloucestershire provides a representative geographic context, is more representative of areas such as Bishop’s Cleeve, Brockworth, Churchdown and Winchcombe, and sends a clear message that we will not prioritise one area over any other.
“The name change has been costed, and costs would largely be incurred anyway due to the need to update the council’s existing logo, which is no longer fit for purpose, particularly when used on digital assets such as websites, social media and online campaigns. A budget of £10,000 has been identified as being more than sufficient – other councils have completed a name change for less. Design work would be done in-house, the digital use of logos and names is easy to change, and physical signage across the borough would be updated and replaced in line with its normal life cycle at no extra cost.
“Every part of our borough is important, and this new name would help to demonstrate that we are committed to supporting the entire district – so every resident understands we are their borough council.
“However, I’d like to stress that no decision has been made on changing the name, and I encourage everyone to get involved in the consultation and share their views.”