Local elections 2021: How do Gloucestershire councils spend your money?

Elections will be held across Gloucestershire next month

Local elections will be held in Gloucestershire on Thursday 6 May.

All of Gloucestershire County Council's seats are being contested and three smaller councils are holding elections too.

Local authorities are funded by a variety of sources, including council tax, government grants and from other income such as parking charges.

Here is how £100 of your money is spent by each of the councils that are holding elections:

Gloucestershire County Council

It covers the whole county, which has a population of about 620,000.

Its budget is £483m for 2021-22 and some key responsibilities, like planning and waste collections are controlled by other borough, city and district councils across Gloucestershire.

Gloucester City Council

Gloucester City Council has a budget of about £13m and recently approved plans for a new "cyber hub".

All of the council's 39 seats are being contested.

Cheltenham Borough Council

Elections will be held in all 20 council wards across Cheltenham with 50% of the seats being contested.

Voting was due to take place last year but was postponed because of the pandemic.

Stroud District Council

All of the district council's 51 councillors will be up for election on 6 May.

They represent 27 wards across the district.

A handful of by-elections will be held in seats on Cotswold District Council, Forest of Dean District Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council.

Voting will also be held for the county's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).