Community governance review - terms of reference

What is a community governance review?

A community governance review is a review of the whole or part of the council’s area to consider one or more of the following:

• Creating, merging, altering or abolishing parishes
• The naming of parishes and the style of new parishes
• The electoral arrangements for parishes (the ordinary year of election, council size (the number of councillors to be elected to council), and parish warding); and
• Grouping parishes under a common parish council or de-grouping parishes
• Other types of local arrangements, including parish meetings

A community governance review is required to take into account:

• The impact of community governance arrangements on community cohesion; and
• The size, population and boundaries of a local community or parish

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
• Be effective and convenient

If we are satisfied that the recommendation of a community governance review would ensure that community governance within the area under review will reflect the identities and interests of the community in that area, and is effective and convenient, we make a community governance order.

Why we are carrying out this community governance review

We are required to keep our area under review – every 10-15 years. Following a number of requests from parishes for a review, it was deemed appropriate to undertake a review of the whole principal council area, rather than dealing with review requests piecemeal. A community governance review offers an opportunity to put in place strong, clearly defined boundaries, tied to firm ground features, and remove the many anomalous parish boundaries that may exist.

Scope of the review

The review will consider any community governance review requests received following publication of the terms of reference.