I READ with interest the article from the leader of Cotswold District Council (CDC) about ‘Coxit’ – the proposal that the Cotswolds exits Gloucestershire County Council (GCC).

The suggestion is that it is subsumed into Oxfordshire with a new ‘unitary’ council being created.

That new council would be called ‘West Oxfordshire (Cotswold)’ – nice to see that we are an afterthought in brackets – and would mean the break-up of Gloucestershire local government as we know it. 

I’m all for making savings and keeping things simpler.

I’m often asked what the different councils do and I realize it’s confusing for a lot of people.

In fact, I’m up for exploring anything which could work within our county to simplify things.

The problem is that this proposal – which even the CDC leader’s own colleagues on GCC knew nothing about – flies in the face of county and regional boundaries.

It’s an idea which has been cooked up behind closed doors with no discussion with anyone.

It featured in no one’s manifesto for the CDC elections last year. 

These proposals would undermine the delivery of important public services currently delivered GCC.

What’s also disturbing is that other public services such as the NHS, the police, the fire service and the Local Enterprise Partnership have boundaries which mirror GCC. 

These organisations have already voiced their serious concerns over the splitting up of our county’s services.

We need to listen to these other organisations – they are the ones who operate these essential services. 

People I’ve spoken to out and about in the Cotswolds over the last few weeks are bemused by it.

‘Why haven’t we had a say in this?’ they cry.

Well they do have a point, don’t they? The overwhelming feeling is anti this proposal. 

So, I’m with them, the people – I believe that the removal of the Cotswold District from the Gloucestershire administrative area would harm the economy of the county.

To the leader of CDC – please do not waste any more time and taxpayers money on expensive consultants looking into something which no one has asked for or voted for. 

Listen to the people. Keep Gloucestershire together.

CLLR PAUL HODGKINSON
GCC councillor for Bourton and Northleach