A public meeting is set to engage residents of Coopers Edge, a Gloucester suburb famously near the county’s cheese-rolling site Cooper’s Hill, to discuss uniting the area under one parish council. Currently, Coopers Edge is fractured by “bonkers” boundary lines that split the community across two districts—Stroud and Tewkesbury—and three parish councils: Brockworth, Hucclecote, and Upton St Leonards.
These irregular boundaries have been criticized for even cutting through some residents’ homes, fragmenting the community. With Gloucestershire undergoing local government reorganisation, there is potential for simplification. Proposed changes include merging district councils with Gloucestershire County Council to form one or two unitary authorities.
If a single unitary council is established, or Gloucester’s Greater City model adopted, Coopers Edge’s boundary issues could be resolved. However, plans to divide the county into East and West unitary councils risk further entrenching the divisions.
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In parallel, Tewkesbury Borough Council is conducting a community governance review of its parishes, with an expected follow-up from Stroud District. Although Coopers Edge’s split across council boundaries means a single parish creation is not immediately feasible, these reviews present an opportunity to gauge community support.
An online survey has been launched to collect residents’ views, complemented by a public meeting at 10am on Saturday, May 30, at Coopers Edge Community Centre, Typhoon Way, GL3 4DY.
Chas Townley, a Hucclecote parish councillor, said: “We want to get residents' views on the idea of creating a single parish for Coopers Edge, which many believe would help develop a stronger community and a brighter future. The survey is available online, and the Coopers Edge Liaison Committee is also updating on efforts to adopt community assets like highways and green spaces.”
The survey responses will initially inform Tewkesbury Borough’s community governance review consultation, which closes on June 26.