COUNCILS in Gloucestershire are inviting residents to join webinars which will set out how local government in the county could change.

The webinars are on Tuesday, August 5 at 12pm and Wednesday, August 6 at 6.30pm, both through online Zoom registrations.

It comes as more than 2,000 people have already completed an online survey, sharing views on how local services are delivered, and how changes could better meet the needs of communities in the future.

The feedback will be used in shaping proposals that will see one or two new unitary authorities replace the existing two-tier model of county council and district, borough, city councils.

The online survey is open until Saturday, August 9 and face-to-face community events across the county are continuing.

Three options are being developed for the new council structure which intends to streamline services under fewer, larger councils.

One option is to have one council covering the whole county. Another is to have two councils with an east (Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, and Cotswold) and west (Gloucester, Forest of Dean, and Stroud) split.

The third is to have two councils, with one being an enlarged Gloucester city (referred to as 'Greater Gloucester') and the other covering the remainder of the county.

Public opinions on these specific options are not being sought, as the government will conduct its own consultation in due course.

More information is also available at the Future Gloucestershire website.