Cirencester Town Council

What Cirencester Town Council does

Cirencester Town Council is the lowest tier of local government for the town of Cirencester in Gloucestershire, England, operating as a statutory public authority under English local government law. Established in 1974 and headquartered at Bingham House, 1 Dyer Street (lease expiring 31 December 2026), the council employs approximately 19 staff and is led by Chief Executive Andrew Tubb with an elected council and a newly formed Leadership Group chaired by Cllr Christine Gore. Its functional remit spans maintenance of green spaces (St Michael's Park, Abbey Grounds, Kingshill Recreation Ground, City Bank Nature Reserve), operation of historic Charter Markets plus Farmers', Arts & Crafts, and specialty markets, administration of community grants, tourism services via the Local Information Centre (which also runs a gift shop), youth engagement through Junior Town Council and youth swimming subsidies, and civic programmes including neighbourhood planning, emergency preparedness, and climate action.

The council's technology stack is conventional rather than distinctive: a Squarespace-based public website (cirencester.gov.uk) with analytics cookies, email newsletter sign-up, and organic social media channels. Notable physical/operational assets include a public water refill station, solar-powered duck feeding station built from recycled plastic, combined defibrillator/bleed control kits, a HelloBench mental health signposting bench linked to the Hub of Hope platform, and multi-year accreditations including Quality Gold (NALC/LGA, 2022) and the Green Flag Award for St Michael's Park. It holds no AI/ML or proprietary software products and operates no commercial APIs.

The business model is a public-sector funding model. The primary revenue stream is council tax — £2,050,280 raised in 2026-27 (Band D £269.80, a 6.8% increase) — with the council explicitly stating it receives no funding from central Government, Cotswold District Council, or Gloucestershire County Council. Secondary income is modest and transactional: market fees and stall rents, commercial leasing (e.g., £3,000/year from the Spotless Water self-service filling station at Kingshill), and Local Information Centre gift shop trading. Distribution is multi-channel: physical (LIC, parks, markets, Bingham House), digital (website, newsletter, social), and grant-based (community grants up to £10,726, multi-year grants totalling £11,920, ward funding £3,600, and councillor allowances of £1,257 plus a £500 Mayoral special responsibility allowance). Customer segments are constituents — residents, visitors, local businesses, children and young people, and community organisations — rather than commercial buyers.

Name

Cirencester Town Council

Legal name

Cirencester Town Council

Website

https://cirencester.gov.uk

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cirencester Town Council is the lowest-tier statutory local government authority for Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England, delivering civic services including parks, historic markets, the Local Information Centre, community grants, and youth programmes to residents, visitors, and local businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government / Civic Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM), Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC)

Keywords

• Local government services
• Parks and green spaces
• Community grants
• Town markets
• Visitor information services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cirencester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Council Tax: Primary revenue source through council tax collection. For 2026-27, £2,050,280 was raised, with Band D properties paying £269.80 (6.8% increase, equating to 33p per week). The council receives no external funding from Government, Cotswold District Council or Gloucestershire County Council.
2. Local Information Centre Operations: The LIC operates a gift shop selling locally made sustainable gifts, stationery, skincare products, and craft kits. Revenue generated supports the centre's operations and community initiatives.
3. Commercial Leasing: Revenue from commercial arrangements including Spotless Water self-service filling station at Kingshill Sport Development generating £3,000 per year for the council.
4. Market Fees: Revenue from historic Charter Markets (Monday & Friday), Arts & Crafts Market, Farmers' Market, and Specialty/Twilight Markets. The council also receives rent from properties including Norman Arch and Cottage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cirencester Town Council is the statutory local government authority for the town of Cirencester, Gloucestershire, providing civic and community services to residents, visitors, and businesses. Its core offerings include management of public parks and green spaces, operation of historic Charter Markets and specialty markets, administration of community grants, operation of a Local Information Centre with tourist information and a gift shop, youth engagement through Junior Town Council, neighbourhood planning, climate action, and emergency preparedness coordination. The council is funded primarily through local council tax (raising £2,050,280 in 2026-27) and receives no external government funding.

Product overview

Cirencester Town Council is a local government organization providing civic services to the town of Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Their offerings consist of community services and administrative functions rather than technology products or software. Services include managing public green spaces (St Michael's Park, Abbey Grounds, Kingshill), operating markets (Charter Markets, Farmers' Market, Arts & Crafts Market), maintaining community facilities, providing a Local Information Centre for tourism and visitor services, administering community grants, supporting youth initiatives, environmental programs, and town planning services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Local Information Centre (LIC): A visitor information centre located at Bingham House providing information about Cirencester and the Cotswolds, plus a gift shop featuring locally made products.
• Cirencester Markets
• Bingham Gallery

Products and services

• Local Information Centre (LIC) Walk-in visitor information centre at Bingham House (1 Dyer Street) providing tourist information, local guides, maps, attraction details, and a gift shop featuring locally made sustainable gifts, stationery, Cotswold Lavender skincare, and craft items. Open Monday-Friday 9am-4:30pm and Saturdays 10am-4pm. Awarded Silver in the South West Tourism Awards for Visitor Information Service in 2024 and 2025.
• Cirencester Markets (Charter, Farmers', Arts & Crafts, Specialty/Twilight) Historic Charter Markets held on Mondays and Fridays, plus Arts & Crafts Market, Farmers' Market, and Specialty/Twilight Markets at the Market Place and surrounding areas. Provides market trading opportunities for local traders and businesses.
• Public Green Spaces and Parks Public access to maintained parks and green spaces including St Michael's Park (Green Flag Award for 6+ consecutive years, with mini golf, croquet, boules, tennis, play areas, rain garden, and HelloBench), Abbey Grounds (Bandstand, Norman Arch, play areas, Changing Places facilities, natural play features, solar-powered duck feeding station), Kingshill Recreation Ground (sports complex, accessible allotment, under-7s play area, community garden, Spotless Water filling station, Tree Council-funded hedgerow planting), and City Bank Nature Reserve.
• Community Grants Programme Community funding administered through the Community Services Committee. Main grant fund of up to £10,726 for community wellbeing projects; multi-year grants totalling £11,920; ward-based projects of £3,600 (including £100 per Ward Member for local events and £250 per ward for individuals/community groups). The 2026-27 main grant fund opened for expressions of interest from 13 July 2026 to 18 September 2026.
• Junior Town Council Civic engagement programme for approximately 30 children from local Primary Schools (Watermoor School, Powell's School, Chesterton Primary, Cirencester Primary, and others), meeting to discuss important issues and manage a small budget for town projects. Six primary schools also receive £350 each for climate-related projects.
• Friday Night Youth Swimming Sessions 17 Friday night youth swimming sessions at Cirencester Open Air Swimming Pool for Year 7-11 attendees at £1 admission (vs. £3.80 standard child entry), providing safe supervised space for recreation and wellbeing, funded through the Community Projects Fund.
• Emergency Public Safety Equipment (Defibrillators and Bleed Control Kits) Combined defibrillator and emergency bleed control kits installed at Kingshill Sports Complex, St Michael's Park, and additional equipment at Market Place, providing public access to emergency response equipment.
• Public Water Refill Station Free public water refill station installed at Cirencester Local Information Centre at Bingham House to promote sustainable living and reduce single-use plastics, operated under commercial lease generating £3,000/year for the council via Spotless Water.
• Daniel Bingham Foundation Gallery (Bingham Gallery) Gallery at Bingham House showcasing artwork and photographs reflecting Cirencester's local history, operated under a Service Level Agreement with the Daniel Bingham Foundation (formerly Bingham Library Trust, named after Daniel George Bingham who set up the first Cirencester Public Library in 1905).

Quantifiable outcome

• St Michael's Park maintained Green Flag Award status for 6 consecutive years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HelloBenchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Cirencester Town Council partnered with HelloBench and mental health charity Chasing the Stigma to install a dedicated support bench in St Michael's Park. The bench features integrated signposting to the Hub of Hope, a comprehensive mental health support tool listing 14,000+ services nationwide, promoting mental health awareness and crisis support access.
• AQIVA (Amphitheatre, Querns Wood, and Four Acre Field Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAQIVA is a voluntary organization dedicated to championing the Amphitheatre, Querns Wood, and Four Acre Field. The partnership focuses on maintaining and developing these important community spaces. In 2026, AQIVA produced a video highlighting the amphitheatre complex in partnership with Cirencester Camera Club.
• Garden OrganicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCirencester Town Council is working with Garden Organic on a composting initiative to support sustainable living for residents, allotment holders, and community growers, helping reduce waste and enrich local soil.
• The Tree CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTree Council provided funding for approximately 1,500 hedgerow whips planted at Kingshill site in New Mills ward, supporting biodiversity and environmental improvement initiatives.
• Daniel Bingham Foundation (formerly Bingham Library Trust)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation is named after Daniel George Bingham who set up the first Cirencester Public Library in 1905. The Town Council operates from Bingham House under a lease expiring December 2026 and has a Service Level Agreement for facilities and management services. The Foundation houses the Bingham Gallery showcasing local history collections.
• Lighthouse Dementia SupportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Mayor's chosen charity for 2026-27. This local Cotswold charity supports unpaid carers and families of people living with dementia through immersive awareness training and peer-to-peer support networks. The council is committed to making Cirencester a Dementia Friendly Community.
• Cirencester Community Development TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Trust organizes the annual Phoenix Festival (free live music event in Abbey Grounds) and funds the Bands in the Park summer music programme. This is a key partnership for delivering community entertainment events.
• Chasing the StigmacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health charity behind the Hub of Hope platform. Partners with the council through the HelloBench initiative to provide mental health resources and crisis support signposting throughout the community.
• Local Primary SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSix primary schools (Watermoor School, Powell's School, Chesterton Primary, Cirencester Primary, and others) participate in Junior Town Council initiative, receive £350 climate grants, and engage in various council-supported activities including planting days.
• World Jungle / Cotswold Youth NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Jungle coordinates youth activities on behalf of the Cotswold Youth Network, delivering the Big Lunch Youth Zone and other youth-focused events that celebrate young people's talent and creativity.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Visit Cirencester (Tourism Partnership): Local destination marketing organisation promoting Cirencester tourism. Comparable in that it operates within the same visitor-economy ecosystem that Cirencester TC's Local Information Centre serves and partly competes for tourist engagement.

Others

• National Association of Local Councils (NALC): The membership body for English parish and town councils — awarded Cirencester its Quality Gold accreditation. Relevant as the principal trade association and standards-setter for the tier to which the council belongs.

Broad incumbents

• Gloucestershire County Council: Upper-tier authority overseeing Gloucestershire, providing county-level services. Relevant because Cirencester TC's reorganisation risk is driven by county-level decisions; comparable as a public-sector administrative body serving an overlapping geography.
• Cheltenham Borough Council: Borough council in Gloucestershire operating at a higher tier than Cirencester TC. Comparable as a Gloucestershire-based local government authority with overlapping resident base and tourism focus.
• Cotswold District Council: The principal local authority for the Cotswolds district in which Cirencester sits; provides higher-tier services (planning, housing, waste) that overlap with and supersede some Cirencester TC functions. Most directly comparable peer given geographic and operational adjacency.

Direct peers

• Stroud Town Council: Another Cotswold-region town council of comparable size and service scope (parks, markets, community grants, civic engagement). Direct peer in governance tier, population scale, and operating model.
• Tetbury Town Council: Neighbouring Cotswold town council with similar small-town governance profile, including market towns management and community grants. Direct peer in parish-tier local government within the same district.
• Fairford Town Council: Smaller Cotswold town council operating under the same Cotswold District Council framework. Comparable in governance tier, funding model (precept-based), and service scope (parks, community halls, grants).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cirencester-town-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cirencester Town Council