Cheltenham Borough Council

What Cheltenham Borough Council does

Cheltenham Borough Council is a statutory local government authority serving approximately 124,000 residents across the Cheltenham borough in Gloucestershire, England. The council delivers a comprehensive portfolio of mandated public services including waste collection (delivered via delivery partner Ubico Ltd), housing services (allocations, homelessness prevention, HMO and mobile home site licensing, shared ownership, First Homes), planning and building control, business licensing (taxis, alcohol, entertainment, pavement licences), council tax and business rates administration, environmental health (air quality monitoring, private water supply regulation, street cleaning, flood management), electoral administration, and community resilience planning through the Gloucestershire Local Resilience Forum.

The council operates from Municipal Offices on the Promenade in Cheltenham (GL50 9SA) with a headcount of 294 employees. Its digital infrastructure consists of a recently relaunched unified website portal (cheltenham.gov.uk) providing 24/7 self-service for payments, planning applications, waste reporting, and consultations, supplemented by a 01242 262626 telephone contact centre and in-person service points. No proprietary technology platforms or APIs are disclosed; the technology stack is standard government digital infrastructure with no AI/ML capabilities evident.

The council's revenue model is anchored in statutory taxation (council tax on all borough households, retained business rates), supplemented by transaction-based licensing and service fees (HMO licensing at £400-£570+, mobile home site fees ranging £390-£930, pavement licences at £350-£500, private water sampling at £87.46/hour plus lab fees), central government grants, and commercial revenue from in-house advertising and sponsorship (21 roundabouts and 160+ lampposts operated via Marketing Cheltenham). Affordable housing delivery is executed through the Joint Core Strategy Affordable Housing Partnership with Gloucester City Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council, Homes England, and six preferred Registered Providers (Aster Group, Bromford, Cottsway, Rooftop, Two Rivers Housing), with current run rate averaging 110 completions per year against an assessed need of 194 per year.

Name

Cheltenham Borough Council

Legal name

Cheltenham Borough Council

Website

https://cheltenham.gov.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cheltenham Borough Council is a UK statutory local government authority serving 124,000 residents across the Cheltenham borough, delivering mandated public services including waste collection, housing, planning, licensing, council tax administration, and environmental health from its 294-employee headquarters on the Promenade.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local government services

NAICS

Executive Offices (921110), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Other General Government Support (92119), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Administration of Housing Programs (925110), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Municipal Finance, Treasury, Budget & Procurement (BPAIACAC), Municipal Tax & Revenue Administration (Local) (BPAIACAD)

Keywords

• Local government services
• Council tax administration
• Waste and recycling services
• Housing services
• Business licensing and permits

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheltenham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Council Tax: Primary revenue stream from residential property taxes levied on all households within the borough
2. Business Rates and Licensing Fees: Revenue from business rate payments, licenses including taxis, alcohol, entertainment, animal licensing, street trading, and pavement licenses
3. Service Fees and Charges: Various service fees including planning applications, waste collection services, parking fines, housing services, and administrative charges
4. Government Grants and Funding: Central government funding and grants for public services, affordable housing delivery, and specific programs
5. Advertising and Sponsorship Revenue: Revenue from roundabout sponsorship scheme, lamp post banner advertising, and corporate sponsorship on council assets

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cheltenham Borough Council is the statutory local government authority for Cheltenham borough, delivering mandated public services to residents and businesses. Core offerings include waste and recycling collection, housing services and affordable housing delivery, planning and building control, business licensing and rates, council tax administration, parking services, electoral registration, environmental health, and emergency preparedness. Services are funded through council tax, business rates, government grants, and transactional service fees.

Product overview

Cheltenham Borough Council operates a unified public services portal offering residents access to municipal functions including waste collection management (bins, recycling, trade waste), housing services (affordable housing, HMO licensing, private housing standards, First Homes, shared ownership), planning and building control, business licensing (taxis, alcohol, pavement licences, roundabout sponsorship, lamp post advertising), council tax and benefits administration, parking services, elections, emergency preparedness, and environmental management (air quality monitoring, street cleaning, flood management, Himalayan balsam removal, private water supplies). The website functions as a single integrated access point rather than a modular software platform, with services delivered through web forms, online payments, and partnerships with external organisations including Ubico Ltd for waste services and Severn Trent Water for drainage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bins and Recycling Services Residential waste collection and recycling service covering general waste, recycling, food waste, and optional garden waste. Residents can check collection days, report missed bins, request replacement containers, sign up for garden waste, book bulky waste removal, and locate recycling banks and centres. Delivered in partnership with Ubico Ltd.
• Trade Waste Services Commercial waste, recycling, food, and event waste collection services for businesses operating in Cheltenham, with quote-based pricing.
• HMO Licensing Mandatory licensing for Houses in Multiple Occupation occupied by five or more people sharing facilities, with property inspections and compliance enforcement. Targets private landlords in the borough.
• Mobile Home Site Licensing Licensing and regulation of 14 mobile home sites (411 units) across Cheltenham borough, including fit and proper person assessments and annual fee renewals by site size band.
• Homeseeker Plus Choice-based letting scheme enabling applicants to apply for social rented and affordable housing across Gloucestershire and West Oxfordshire via a single registration. Targets residents on the housing register.
• First Homes Scheme Government-backed scheme helping first-time buyers purchase homes at 30-50% discount from market value, with local eligibility criteria for Cheltenham residents.
• Shared Ownership Programme Affordable home ownership option allowing buyers to purchase a share of a property and pay rent on the remaining portion, with the ability to staircase up ownership over time.
• Pavement Licences Permissions for businesses to place tables and chairs on public highways for outdoor dining and consumption of food and drink. New applications £500, renewals £350.
• Roundabout Sponsorship Advertising opportunity on 21 council-owned roundabouts for local businesses to display company branding in prominent highway locations. Operated via Marketing Cheltenham.
• Lamp Post Banner Advertising Banner advertising on over 160 lampposts across Cheltenham high streets and main roads targeting shoppers, businesses, and visitors. Sales handled by Marketing Cheltenham.
• Council Tax and Benefits Online council tax payments, housing benefit and Universal Credit guidance, change notifications, and benefits information for borough residents.
• Parking and Travel Services Parking fine payments and appeals, car park location finder, public toilet locations, and visitor information for the borough.
• Elections and Voting Voter registration, election information, councillor details, election results, and council meeting webcasts.
• Emergency Information Portal Emergency preparedness information for borough residents covering flooding guidance, emergency planning resources, out-of-hours contacts, and links to police, NHS, and government emergency advice.
• Air Quality Monitoring Statutory air quality monitoring and assessment across the borough, with annual status reporting to government and Air Quality Management Area designation.
• Private Water Supplies Service Registration, risk assessment, and sampling services for private water supplies including wells, boreholes, springs, and private distribution systems.
• Street Cleaning Services Daily litter picking, mechanical sweeping, power washing, and seasonal leaf clearance across Cheltenham town centre and residential areas, with teams operating on certified palm oil-free HVO fuel.
• Planning and Building Control Online portal for planning permission applications, building regulations submissions, Local Plan viewing, and commenting on planning applications within the borough.
• Business and Licensing Services Licensing services for taxis, alcohol, entertainment, animal, and street trading licences, business rates payments, food safety registration, and advertising and sponsorship opportunities for borough businesses.
• Housing Services Comprehensive housing support including help for homeowners, council tenants, landlords, homelessness assistance, affordable housing applications, housing grants, and private housing standards enforcement.
• Community Resilience Planning Emergency preparedness programme providing community emergency plan templates, workshops, and guidance through the Gloucestershire Local Resilience Forum partnership.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, preferred provider and minor.

• Ubico LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUbico Ltd is the council's delivery partner for refuse and recycling collections and grounds maintenance services. Citizens should contact the council directly rather than Ubico for service requests.
• Severn Trent WatercoreOthersSevern Trent Water is responsible for sections of sewers and pipes outside property boundaries, including combined drains serving private properties constructed before 1937. Handles private sewer blockages.
• Gloucestershire Local Resilience Forum (LRF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-agency partnership that identifies risks, plans and trains for incidents, and responds collectively when required. Includes local authorities, emergency services, NHS, and other agencies.
• Homes EnglandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment housing agency working with JCS Affordable Housing Partnership to maximise delivery of affordable homes on strategic allocation sites including West Cheltenham/Golden Valley and North West Cheltenham (Elms Park).
• Aster Grouppreferred providerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred housing provider partner in JCS Affordable Housing Partnership. Contact: Dev&[email protected], 0333 400 8222. Priory Medical Centre, Wells BA5 1XJ.
• Bromfordpreferred providerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred housing provider partner in JCS Affordable Housing Partnership. Contact: [email protected], 07921 046470. Shannon Way, Ashchurch, Tewkesbury GL20 8ND.
• Cottswaypreferred providerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred housing provider partner in JCS Affordable Housing Partnership. Contact: [email protected], 01993 890022. Cottsway House, Heynes Place, Avenue Two, Witney OX28 4YG.
• Rooftop Housing Grouppreferred providerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred housing provider partner in JCS Affordable Housing Partnership. Contact: [email protected], 01386 578751. 70 High Street, Evesham WR11 4YD.
• Two Rivers Housingpreferred providerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred housing provider partner in JCS Affordable Housing Partnership. Contact: [email protected], 0800 316 0897. Rivers Meet, Cleeve Mill Lane, Newent GL18 1DS.
• Marketing CheltenhamcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOperates roundabout sponsorship scheme in-house for Cheltenham Borough Council. Handles lamp post banner advertising sales. Contact: [email protected].
• Gloucestershire County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUpper-tier local authority responsible for highways, roads, traffic, street lighting, snow and ice, trees on highway, and education services. Manages certain highway licenses (cranes, skips, scaffolding).
• Environment AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency that the council works with during significant flooding risk to ensure watercourses in the borough are kept clear. Collaborates during major flooding events for evacuation.
• Gloucestershire Wildlife TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with volunteers for Himalayan balsam removal from the River Chelt. Has produced educational video on the invasive plant species.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tewkesbury Borough Council: Third JCS partner alongside Cheltenham BC and Gloucester City Council, collaborating on strategic planning and affordable housing delivery. Direct comparable as a Gloucestershire borough council offering the same statutory service mix.
• Exeter City Council: South West England city council of broadly similar scale and remit, offering waste, housing, planning, licensing, and licensing-fee revenue streams analogous to Cheltenham BC.
• Bath and North East Somerset Council: Unitary authority in the South West of comparable population size and service mix, including housing delivery, licensing, waste, and planning functions aligned with Cheltenham BC's portfolio.
• Warwick District Council: West Midlands district council of comparable size offering the same statutory local authority services; relevant peer for benchmarking housing delivery and digital service capability.
• Gloucester City Council: Co-partner in the Joint Core Strategy (JCS) and JCS Affordable Housing Partnership with Cheltenham BC. Operates as a district/borough-level UK local authority with comparable service scope (waste, housing, licensing, planning) and is part of the same Gloucestershire reorganisation process.
• Oxford City Council: Similar-sized UK city/borough council with comparable housing affordability challenges and a parallel mix of statutory municipal services; useful comparator for affordable housing delivery performance.
• Worcester City Council: Comparable UK city council providing the standard portfolio of municipal services (waste, housing, licensing, planning, council tax), with similar population and operating budget to Cheltenham BC.

Regional players

• Cotswold District Council: Another Gloucestershire district council offering a directly comparable portfolio of borough/district-level public services; subject to the same reorganisation transition as Cheltenham BC.
• Forest of Dean District Council: Gloucestershire district council peer, also undergoing reorganisation; comparable scope of statutory services and similar resident-population scale to Cheltenham BC.
• Stroud District Council: Neighbouring Gloucestershire district council providing the same UK local authority statutory functions (waste, housing, planning, licensing, environmental health) within an adjacent but non-overlapping geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cheltenham-borough-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cheltenham Borough Council