By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
A new £35k a year job created to “convince the public” that plans for a Greater Gloucester are “best” has been blasted as a “waste of taxpayers’ money”.
The City Council is currently looking for a communications officer to help promote the idea of creating a “thriving Greater Gloucester” as part of the country-wide plans to reorganise local government.
Ministers announced late last year that local government would be reorganised across England.
Gloucestershire is currently a two tier authority area meaning council services are split between the county and districts.
There are currently three local government reorganisation options being considered in the county.
One option, preferred by Gloucestershire County Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council, is for the whole county to become a single unitary with a population of about 650,000.
The second option, put forward by five of the county’s seven MPs, is to create two unitary councils, broadly divided between east and west.
And then there is a third option being put forward by City Council leader Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton) which looks at creating a unitary authority centred around Gloucester.
The controversial idea of creating a wider Gloucester area has previously sparked concerns among neighbouring villages.
And now councillors at North Warehouse are “astonished” to find the 37 hour a week one year fixed term post has been created.
Conservative leader Stephanie Chambers (C, Quedgeley Fieldcourt) said her group was “absolutely shocked” to see the public relations post created.
She believes hiring a communications officer, which would be paid between £32,115 and £35,235, to promote the unapproved “Liberal doughnut” model is an abuse of public funds and public trust.
“We were absolutely shocked to see a job advertised by Gloucester City Council to convince the public to support a controversial reorganisation plan that hasn’t even been approved by full council,” she said.
“This isn’t communication, it is manipulation.
“The use of the word convince in the job description says it all. This role isn’t about informing and listening to residents’ opinions, it’s about spinning a narrative and selling a political agenda using public money.
“Local government reorganisation is about what is best for residents long term not about the leader keeping his job at the top.
“The council leader is behaving in a dictatorial manner, pushing a personal agenda without debate, without consent, and without legal authority.
“Hiring a Communications Officer to promote an unapproved ‘Liberal doughnut’ model is an abuse of public funds and public trust.”
She said her group has submitted a formal complaint calling for the job to be withdrawn.
They also want a cross party committee to scrutinise any local government reorganisation is democratic, transparent, and genuinely shaped by the people of the city.
Meanwhile, Labour group leader Terry Pullen (L, Moreland) said he was also astonished to see the Lib Dems creating the comms job to promote and sell their idea of a “Greater Gloucester Council”.
“We know there are plans to restructure local government and the way councils deliver services in Gloucestershire, but this is only one of several options being proposed.
“The salary for this brand new job will be £35,000 but we do not know how this is going to be paid for, other than coming from council taxpayers’ money.
“If the council is keen to create new jobs, then there are far more important and urgent priorities to consider, like more staff to tackle housing and homelessness, more workers to keep our streets clean and a larger team to help people with cost of living problems.
“I’m afraid the city council have got this completely wrong, it should not be wasting money on what a council might look like in a few years’ time, money needs to be spent on the services the council delivers now.”
Community Independents group leader Alastair Chambers (Matson, Robinswood and White City) said he too could not fathom why the job was created which will use “manipulation tactics”.
“The city council job advert states: ‘Successfully help us to convince residents, businesses, stakeholders, local politicians and ministers our proposal is the best for everyone.’
“This raises serious concerns about the purpose of the role: it’s not to genuinely inform and engage the public. It’s clear, the role is a politically funded position, aimed at manipulating support for the controversial doughnut idea.
“The current city council Liberal Democrat administration appears to be pushing forward with a ‘doughnut’ plan — a proposal where Gloucester stands alone while all surrounding districts (Tewkesbury, Stroud, Forest of Dean, Cotswolds, and Cheltenham) unify in governance.
“In effect, Gloucester becomes the hole in the middle of a county-wide restructure. It’s a concept that, tellingly, has already been met with ridicule by other councils — including fellow Liberal Democrats councils across the county.”
Cllr Hilton hit back at the criticism over the role and labelled it “loud, dramatic, and, unfortunately, misinformed”.
He said the role will inform, engage and involve Gloucester’s residents in the conversation which will shape the future of the city.
“These are all vital principles of local democracy,” he said.
“Every council undertaking a major change must clearly articulate its proposals to the public.
“That is responsible governance. Answering questions and responding to concerns are all essential parts of that process.
“The Greater Gloucester proposal is one of several options being explored in a county-wide conversation around local government reorganisation.
“With all the discussions so far about local government reorganisation, not one proposal has involved asking the public what they think. We believe Gloucester deserves better.
“Our residents should have a voice and not just be told what is happening after the fact.”
Cllr Hilton went on to criticise the Tories for trying to postpone the County Council elections earlier this year and push ahead with creating a single unitary council across Gloucestershire.
“And they still don’t want the public to have a say,” he said.
“Silence then, outrage now. While other parties seem content to accept whatever is handed down, we are standing up for Gloucester’s right to shape its own future.
“We will continue to fight for what is best for our city and for the democratic right of local people to be heard.
“The final decision lies not with Gloucester City Council alone but with the Government and other partners.
“This process will take time, consultation, and careful consideration. It should not be rushed and certainly not shut down before it’s even begun.
“Any local government reorganisation must be shaped by the people of Gloucester. They deserve the facts, not fearmongering.
“We welcome scrutiny, we welcome questions, but let’s debate the substance of the issue.”
A City Council spokesperson said the authority is committed to providing everyone living and working in the city and the surrounding parishes with as much information as possible about what the government’s proposed reorganisation of local authorities could mean for them.
“The plans from central government could lead to huge changes in who provides local council services, such as road repairs and social care.
“We believe it is our role to try to explain what’s being suggested – and what the consequences could be – good or bad,” said a spokesperson for the council.
“A vacancy for a communications officer to help to inform, engage and involve as many local people as possible during the process is currently being advertised as a 12-month contract.
“We are concerned that many people aren’t aware of the details of the proposals, and we feel it’s one of our democratic duties to let people know about the options in Gloucester, and the rest of the county, as it could impact in all sorts of ways on them, their family and their friends.”
The “Greater Gloucester” proposal was included in a letter submitted to the Government in March 2025, as one of three options put forward jointly by Gloucestershire’s county, city, and district council leaders, in response to a call from Local Government Minister Jim McMahon in February 2025 for ideas on how a single tier council structure could be established across the county.
The submission represents early-stage thinking and no final decisions have yet been made.
The Government has set a deadline of November 2025 for more detailed proposals from all councils involved in local government reorganisation.