Standards and Governance Committee

 

6 September 2024

 

Community Governance Review

Kirby Grindalythe and Duggleby Parish Council

 

Report of Assistant Chief Executive, Legal and Democratic Services

 

 

1.0       PURPOSE OF REPORT

 

1.1         A Community Governance Review (CGR) has been requested for the parish of Kirby Grindalythe and Duggleby. The purpose of the review is to consider and determine the most appropriate future governance for this area.

 

1.2         The Standards and Governance Committee are asked to approve the proposals to be put forward for consultation as part of the request for the Community Governance Review.

 

2.0       BACKGROUND

 

2.1       A CGR is a review of the whole or part of an authority’s area to consider one or more of the following:

·         the creation, merger, alteration or abolition of parishes;

·         the naming of parishes and the style of new parishes;

·         the electoral arrangements for parishes (i.e., the ordinary year of election; council size; number of councillors to be elected to the council; and parish warding); and

·         the grouping or de-grouping of parishes

 

to ensure that local governance continues to be effective and convenient and that it reflects the identities and interests of local communities. The recommendations arising from a CGR should deliver improved community engagement, more cohesive communities, better local democracy and result in a more efficient delivery of local services.

 

3.0       KIRBY GRINDALYTHE AND DUGGLEBY PARISH COUNCIL

 

3.1       Kirby Grindalythe and Duggleby Parish Council (KGDPC) comprises of 7 seats and

requires a minimum of 3 seats to be filled to be considered quorate. It is situated in the North Yorkshire Council Division of Thornton Dale and Wolds. The Parish Council has been without a parish clerk since September 2020. The Council covers an electorate of 260.

 

3.2       It has been difficult to maintain quoracy of KGDPC in recent months. The three remaining Parish Councillors, having been appointed at an uncontested election in May 2022, failed to attend Parish Meetings for a period of 6 months, and therefore have ceased to be members under Section 85 (1) of the Local Government Act 1972.

 

3.3       At the Standards and Governance Committee meeting on the 15 March 2024 a temporary order was approved appointing the division member for Easingwold, Councillor Nigel Knapton, the division member for Thornton Dale and Wolds, Councillor Janet Sanderson and the division member for Sherriff Hutton and Derwent, Cllr Caroline Goodrick under Section 91 (1) of the Local Government Act 1972 to Kirby Grindalythe Parish Council in order to make it quorate.

 

3.4       At the recent Annual Parish Meeting and Parish Council meeting, members of the community present requested a CGR to abolish KG&D Parish Council and form two separate Parish Meetings.

Information held by Elections confirm that Duggleby is a Hamlet within Kirby Grindalythe and Duggleby Parish.  The parish isn’t warded and Duggleby isn’t a separate parish. It once was a separate parish but merged with Kirby Grindalythe on 1 April 1935 and is now one polling district with no separate statistics or borders for the Duggleby part of the parish.

The electorate is 260 as at 1 August 2024, with a forecast electorate of 265 for 2030.

The parish map is included at appendix 3.

 

3.5       The Division Member has advised that the Parish Council has no assets or functions other than to raise a precept to pay for a clerk. The Division Member is supportive of carrying out a CGR.

 

4.0       TERMS OF REFERENCE

 

4.1       These are set out in Appendix 1.

 

5.0       CONSULTATION PROGRAMME

 

5.1       The proposed consultation programme is also set out in Appendix 1. 

 

6.0       ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED

 

6.1       To not carry out a CGR and leave the Parish Council as is. This is not recommended as there is clearly a difficulty in getting individuals to come forward and stand for election or be co-opted on to the Parish Council.

 

            Other options can be explored through the process of a CGR.

 

7.0       FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

7.1       The Parish is no longer claiming a precept.

 

8.0       LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

 

8.1       There are no legal implications arising from this report.

 

9.0       EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

 

9.1       There are no equality implications arising from this report.

 

10.0     CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS

 

10.1     There are no climate change implications arising from this report.

 

11.0     REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

11.1     The community have requested a CGR to abolish Kirby Grindalythe & Duggleby Parish Council and create a Parish Meeting.

 

 

 

12.0

RECOMMENDATION(S)

             

12.1

 

 

That the Committee approves;

 

·         The Terms of Reference for the Review and Consultation Programme attached at Appendix 1

·         The Committee support the request for a CGR of Kirby Grindalythe & Duggleby  Parish Council and recommends the Terms of Reference to Full Council for approval

·         Subject to Council approval of the Terms of Reference, a working group comprising of 3 members of the Standards and Governance Committee be convened to oversee the review.

 

 

 

           

 

APPENDICES:

 

            Appendix 1 – Terms of Reference & Consultation Programme

            Appendix 2 – Parish Map

Appendix 3 – Equalities Impact Assessment

 

 

Barry Khan

Assistant Chief Executive, Legal and Democratic Services

County Hall

Northallerton

 

 

Report Author:

Jennifer Norton, Assistant Director, Legal and Democratic Services

 

 

28 August 2024