Local elections 2023: Cotswolds, Tewkesbury and Forest of Dean go to the polls

More than 100 seats on district councils will be voted for across Gloucestershire on 4 May

Voters in the Forest of Dean, the Cotswolds and Tewkesbury will have the opportunity to take part in local elections in Gloucestershire on 4 May.

What are the key issues and where will the battle be most keenly fought?

District councils control services including bin collections, local planning and parking, and all 110 seats across the three authorities will be up for election.

In the Cotswolds, the district council is currently controlled by the Liberal Democrats, who have 18 councillors.

The party took the council from the Conservatives in the 2019 local elections after 16 years of Tory leadership, and is keen to keep, or build on, its slim majority of two.

Cotswold District Council is currently under Liberal Democrat control

The Conservatives, in comparison, are campaigning hard to bolster their numbers, and build on their 14 councillors.

Tewkesbury Borough Council is currently run by the Conservatives, the largest party by far with 23 of the 38 seats.

The Tories suffered big losses four years ago, when the group saw its numbers reduced by 10 councillors.

The Liberal Democrats are the second party on the council with seven seats, and are battling hard to increase their showing this year.

Perhaps the most lively authority up for grabs this year is the Forest of Dean, where the margins are razor-thin.

No one party has overall control, and the council is run as a minority administration by seven councillors from the Progressive Independents group.

Refuse collections are among the services provided by district councils in Gloucestershire

But the Green Party, which also has seven councillors, is pushing hard to take control, and the Conservatives aren't far behind with six.

There are also more than a dozen independent councillors vying to keep their seats, along with representatives from Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

Opinions seem to be split when among voters on the street across the three districts.

Some say the key issues that matter to them are national ones, which the district councils have no real control over.

The main political parties' stances on the NHS, crime, the cost of living and immigration have all been mentioned as factors that will influence their decisions.

Others are firmly focused on local issues including affordable housing, access to local amenities, parking costs and transport links, with some saying they're willing to put party politics aside and vote for the individuals they think will do the best job.

Turnout for local elections is traditionally low in England, with just over 30% people eligible to vote in 2019 casting ballots.

Many people I've spoken with said they weren't aware local elections were even taking place, and others said their distrust in politicians across the spectrum meant they wouldn't be taking part.