HAVING spent a lifetime working with Gloucestershire, firstly as a county councillor, and later as Lord-Lieutenant, I am horrified by proposals, apparently masterminded by a small clique of district councillors, to turn the Cotswold district away from Gloucestershire and form a new self-governing unitary council with West Oxfordshire.
As far as I am aware, this proposal has not even been approved by the district council membership, some of whom first read of it in the newspapers.
Gloucestershire people, old and new, very quickly develop an astonishing loyalty to our dynamic county and any idea of disenfranchising the Cotswolds will be totally unacceptable to most people.
Not only will it be unpopular but it will leave all the county-wide services: Police, Fire, Health, etc, greatly diminished and less cost effective and the Cotswold area would also be a very weak partner in a much bigger West Oxfordshire.
Is this really what people want?
Let us stand up for Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds and unite in opposition before it happens by default. Let Oxfordshire do what it wants within its own boundaries and leave us out of it.
SIR HENRY ELWES KCVO
Colesbourne Park
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