Appendix 3 – Draft Recommendations for Dunsforths Parish Meeting
Contents
1.0 Current governance arrangements and history of the area
Current governance arrangements
2.0 Assessment of consultation responses for Dunsforths Parish Meeting
3.0 Final assessment and draft recommendations
Annex 3A – Consultation survey
Annex 3B – Summary of consultation responses
1.0 Current governance arrangements and history of the area
Current governance arrangements
1.1 Dunsforths parish is situated within the Ouseburn division and is part of the Wetherby and Easingwold parliamentary constituency. The parish is comprised of Upper and Lower Dunsforth.
1.2 Dunsforths parish currently has 224 electors and 117 properties.
1.3
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Dunsforths has 5 neighbouring parish areas as shown in the map below including Aldwark Area, Boroughbridge, Great Ouseburn, Marton-cum-Grafton and Myton-on-Swale.
1.4 Whilst the area of Dunsforths is parished it does not have a parish council and is referred to as a parish meeting. This means it does not elect Councillors or hold parish council meetings. Parish meetings must assemble annually between 1 March and 1 June and on at least one other occasion during the year. These meetings are open to the public but only registered electors of the parish can speak and vote.
1.5 Parish meetings can raise a precept to raise monies for spending for the benefit of the parish. Dunsforths claimed a precept of £2,250 in 2025/26.
History of the area
1.6 Initially Dunsforths requested a CGR in December 2019 as there was little interest in the parish and they were seeking to merge with a neighbouring parish.
1.7 This was not deemed urgent initially as the parish meeting was still functioning. Plans were then aborted due to Covid 19.
1.8 Following a conversation with the ex-clerk and RFO in August 2025 it was confirmed that they still wished to progress with a CGR.
1.9 The Divisional Member commented following liaising with the residents and the parish meeting that Dunsforths would like to be part of the Great Ouseburn parish Council having 2 seats, 1 for Lower Dunsforth and 1 for Upper Dunsforth. The Divisional Member was in support of this suggestion.
1.10 After consultation with Democratic Services, it was suggested that a CGR be carried out for Dunsforths Parish Meeting. Following the Standards and Governance Committee on 20 June 2025, Full Council approved the terms of reference of the 2025/26 Community Governance Review, which included a defined list of parishes that would be reviewed on 16 July 2025.
Five year electorate forecast
1.11 The electorate and 5 year electorate forecast for Dunsforths and surrounding areas is as follows:
|
Parish |
Electorate (2025) |
Electorate prediction (2030)*
|
Predicted electorate increase |
|
Aldwark Area |
262 |
268 |
6 |
|
Boroughbridge |
3584 |
3358 |
-226 |
|
Dunsforths |
224 |
223 |
-1 |
|
Great Ouseburn |
557 |
516 |
-41 |
|
Marton-cum-Grafton |
460 |
443 |
-17 |
|
Myton-on-Swale |
121 |
124 |
3 |
* based on 2024 electorate totals
2.0 Assessment of consultation responses for Dunsforths Parish Meeting
2.1 The following table shows the number of households written to, with the number of consultation responses received, and response rate.
|
Households sent CGR consultation letter
|
3247 |
|
Consultation responses received
|
43 |
|
Response rate
|
1.3% |
2.2 Consultation letters were sent to households in Aldwark Area, Boroughbridge, Dunsforths, Great Ouseburn, Marton-cum-Grafton and Myton-on-Swale as following the CGR request made by Dunsforths to merge with a neighbouring area, these were the areas under review.
2.3 A copy of the consultation survey can be found at Annex 3A. A summary of consultation responses received can be found at Annex 3B.
2.4 For the avoidance of doubt, the free text comments received through the consultation process reflect the views of the individual respondents alone. These comments do not represent the views of North Yorkshire Council and should not be construed as being endorsed by the Council.
2.5 The response rate in the table above was calculated by comparing the number of consultation responses with the number of households directly consulted by means of a letter sent to all properties in the areas under review. The total number of responses for the Dunsforths CGR was 43.
2.6 Of the 43 respondents, 18 reported that they lived in Dunsforths and 21 in a neighbouring parish. Two respondents were community organisation representatives and another consultation response was made on behalf of Great Ouseburn Parish Council. One respondent did not state.
2.7 When asked about merging with a neighbouring parish whilst 47% supported this, a higher number were either unsure or did not support this, 54% in total.
|
Option
|
Number |
Percentage |
|
Support |
20 |
47% |
|
Do not support |
12 |
28% |
|
Unsure |
11 |
26% |
|
Total |
43 |
100% |
2.8 The majority of respondents that did choose to merge with a neighbouring parish chose either Great Ouseburn or Marton-cum-Grafton, as detailed in the table below.
|
Option
|
Number |
Percentage |
|
Merge with Great Ouseburn |
9 |
50% |
|
Merge with Marton-cum-Grafton |
6 |
33% |
|
Other |
3 |
17% |
|
Total |
|
100% |
2.9 The comments that were received suggest that the appetite to merge with Dunsforths is not enough to warrant a strong enough recommendation to do so.
2.10 It was clearly made in the feedback received that residents felt “Dunsforths should perhaps look after their own parish affairs and not expect others to do so for them.”
2.11 Comments also suggested that Upper and Lower Dunsforths should be split in two and merged with two different parishes. This however, was not part of the original request.
2.12 There was no strong clear merger identified with suggestions being to merge with Great Ouseburn, Marton cum Grafton, split the parish or remain as is.
2.13 Great Ouseburn and Marton cum Grafton have both advised there is no appetite to merge with Dunsforths.
2.14 When asked whether the proposed model would meet the needs of its community, a number of respondents were unsure or disagreed, as detailed in the table below.
|
Option
|
Number |
Percentage |
|
Yes, definitely
|
10 |
23% |
|
Yes, somewhat
|
9 |
21% |
|
No
|
9 |
21% |
|
I am unsure
|
15 |
35% |
|
Total
|
43 |
100% |
2.15 24 respondents disagreed or were unsure that the proposed model would meet the needs of its community.
2.16 The main reason for the unsure responses were respondents being unclear on what was being proposed. Some respondents stated they were unclear on what was being asked or what a Parish Council does. All consultation responses received have been analysed and taken into account when forming Stage 2 recommendations.
2.17 Annex 3B summarises the feedback received.
3.0 Final assessment and draft recommendations
3.1 There was no clear majority of support for a merger with another parish.
3.2 There is no appetite from either Great Ouseburn or Marton cum Grafton to merge with Dunsforths.
3.3 It is therefore proposed to not progress this CGR to stage 2.
3.4 The parish would remain as it is currently.
3.5 A map of the continuing parish is shown below identified by a red boundary:
3.6 A list of recommendations can be viewed below:
Recommendation 1 – that the CGR does not progress to stage 2 and electoral arrangements remain as they currently are.
3.7 The recommendations detailed above will end the CGR process for Dunsforths Parish Meeting.