A Community Governance Review (CGR) provides an opportunity to put in place strong, clearly defined boundaries, which reflect local identities and facilitate effective and convenient local government. It can take place for the whole or individual parts of the district to consider one or more of the following:
- Creating, merging, altering or abolishing parishes and towns
- The naming of parishes and the style of new parishes/town councils
- Electoral arrangements for parishes/town councils including:
- the ordinary year of election
- the number of councillors to be elected; and
- the warding (if any) of the parish/town councils - Grouping parishes under a common parish council or de-grouping parishes.
We are required to ensure that community governance within the area under review will be:
- Reflective of the identities and interests of the community in that area; and
- Effective and convenient
- In doing so, the CGR is required to take account of:
- The impact of community governance arrangements on community cohesion; and
- The size, population and boundaries of a local community or parish and town council.
What the review covers
The community governance review will look at the whole of the district and can consider:
- boundary alterations between existing parishes and towns
- creating, merging, altering or abolishing parishes
- the name of parishes and towns
- electoral arrangements
- grouping parishes under a common parish council or de-grouping parishes
- the size of a council
Notice of a Community Governance Review
Terms of reference
The Terms of Reference for the Community Governance Review are available here.
The report was considered at the Full Council meeting on 16 October 2024.
Draft recommendations
A copy of the report considered by the Council can be view here and a summary of draft the proposals can be seen here.
Timetable
The indicative timetable for the review is below. Depending on local circumstances some dates may change, although implementation ahead of May 2026 is anticipated.
| Timetable for Community Governance Review |
|---|
| Stage of process | Proposed dates |
|---|
| Publication of terms of reference | 16 October 2024 |
| Initial submissions |
| Initial submissions invited/publicity campaign | 28 October to 6 January 2025 |
| Deadline for initial submissions | 6 January 2025 |
| Consideration of submissions/preparation of draft recommendations | January/February 2025 (report to Council meeting 26 February 2025) |
| Consultation of draft recommendations |
| Publication of draft recommendations | 3 March 2025 |
| Consultation on draft recommendations/publicity campaign | 3 March to 12 May 2025 |
| Deadline for consultation responses | 12 May 2025 |
| Consideration of responses/preparation of final recommendations | May/June 2025 (report to Council meeting July 2025) |
| Decisions and Implementation |
| Publications of final recommendations | July 2025 |
| Council meeting to make any Reorganisation Order | July 2025 |
| Effective date for any revised electoral arrangements | 6 May 2027 (next ordinary town/parish council elections) |