Editing Cheltenham (section)

===Administrative history===
Cheltenham was an [[ancient parish]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Cheltenham Ancient Parish / Civil Parish |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10366458 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=27 August 2023}}</ref> Until 1786 it was administered by its [[vestry]], in the same way as most rural areas. The vestry was supplemented by a body of unelected [[improvement commissioners]] in 1786 known as the Paving and Lighting Commission, initially charged with paving, lighting and repairing the streets, which later gained other powers including providing a [[Watchman (law enforcement)|watch]] and setting standards for new buildings. The commissioners were reformed in 1852 to be partly-elected and were eventually replaced in 1876 when the town was incorporated as a [[municipal borough]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Cheltenham Borough Records |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/98121c17-9055-4d99-9ec5-dbdb11170ee9 |website=The National Archives |access-date=27 August 2023}}</ref>

On 1 April 1974, under the [[Local Government Act 1972]], the borough of Cheltenham was merged with [[Charlton Kings]] [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]] to form the [[non-metropolitan district]] of Cheltenham. Four parishes—[[Swindon Village]], [[Up Hatherley]], [[Leckhampton]] and [[Prestbury, Gloucestershire|Prestbury]]—were added to the borough of Cheltenham from the borough of [[Tewkesbury (borough)|Tewkesbury]] in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1991/Uksi_19910281_en_1.htm |title=The Gloucestershire (District Boundaries) Order 1991 |publisher=Opsi.gov.uk |date=4 July 2011 |access-date=4 February 2014}}</ref>