Appendix 2 – Final Recommendations for Bolton-on-Swale Parish Meeting
Contents
1.0 Current governance arrangements and history of the area
Current governance arrangements
2.0 Assessment of consultation responses for Bolton-on-Swale Parish Meeting
3.0 Final assessment and final recommendations
Annex 2A – Consultation survey
Annex 2B – Summary of consultation responses
1.0 Current governance arrangements and history of the area
Current governance arrangements
1.1 Bolton-on-Swale is situated within the Catterick Village and Brompton-on-Swale division and is part of the Richmond and Northallerton parliamentary constituency.
1.2 Bolton-on-Swale parish currently has 48 electors and 30 properties. It does not currently claim a precept.
1.3 Bolton-on-Swale has 3 neighbouring parish areas as shown in the map below including Scorton, Ellerton-on-Swale and Catterick, all of which have Parish Councils.
1.4 Whilst the area of Bolton-on-Swale 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 occasionduring 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. Bolton-on-Swale does not currently raise a precept.
1.6 The neighbouring parish of Scorton does raise a precept and the precept claimed for 2026/27 was £22,000.
History of the area
1.7 Bolton-on-Swale Parish meeting originally requested a CGR in December 2023. At that point there was no Chair and the Clerk was considering resigning. There was no interest from the village in taking up either of the positions.
1.8 The parish was claiming a small precept but with no one to convene a meeting to agree a precept for the following year none was levied, and the parish became dormant.
1.9 A conversation with the clerk of Scorton Parish Council in June 2024 discussed the opportunity of Bolton-on-Swale merging with Scorton Parish Council and that this would be discussed at a future Scorton Parish Council meeting.
1.10 Advice was sought and given by Yorkshire Local Council Association (YLCA).
1.11 After consultation with Democratic Services, it was suggested that a CGR be carried out for Bolton-on-Swale 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
1.12 The electorate and 5 year electorate forecast for Bolton-on-Swale, Scorton and Ellerton-on-Swale is as follows:
|
Parish |
Electorate (2025) |
Electorate prediction (2030)*
|
Predicted electorate increase |
|
Bolton-on-Swale |
48 |
50 |
+2 |
|
Scorton |
682 |
703 |
+21 |
|
Ellerton-on-Swale |
109 |
105 |
-4 |
* based on 2024 electorate totals
2.0 Assessment of consultation responses for Bolton-on-Swale Parish Meeting
2.1 The following table shows the number of households within the review area, with the number of consultation responses received, and response rate.
|
Consultation Stage |
Stage 1 |
Stage 2
|
|
Households in CGR area
|
517 |
461 |
|
Consultation responses received
|
20 |
5 |
|
Response rate
|
3.9% |
1.1% |
2.2 During the Stage 1 consultation, consultation letters were sent to households in Bolton-on-Swale and all of the surrounding areas identified in 1.3 above. This accounts for the figure of 517 households in stage 1.
2.3 During the Stage 2 consultation, engagement was primarily conducted digitally via an online survey. However, residents were able to request a paper version of the survey if preferred. The stage 2 recommendation only effected the residents of Bolton-on-Swale and Scorton .This accounts for the figure of 461 households in stage 2 which is the number of households in Bolton-on-Swale and Scorton parishes.
2.4 A copy of the Stage 2 consultation survey can be found at Annex 2A. A summary of consultation responses received can be found at Annex 2B.
2.5 The response rate in the table above was calculated by comparing the number of consultation responses with the number of households in the areas under review. The total number of Stage 2 responses for Bolton-on-Swale Parish Meeting was 5.
2.6 For theavoidance 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.
2.7 Of the 5 respondents, 3 reported that they lived in Bolton-on-Swale, one was a community organisation representative and a response was received from Scorton Parish Council.
|
Option
|
Number |
Percentage |
|
Yes, I support this recommendation
|
5 |
100% |
|
No, I do not support this recommendation
|
0 |
0% |
|
I am unsure
|
0 |
0% |
|
Total
|
5 |
100% |
2.9 The majority of respondents agreed that the new parish boundary is detailed as shown on the map below. A summary of the responses can be found in the table below.
|
Option
|
Number |
Percentage |
|
Yes, I support this recommendation
|
4 |
100% |
|
No, I do not support this recommendation
|
0 |
0% |
|
I am unsure
|
0 |
0% |
|
Total
|
4 |
100% |
2.10 The majority of respondents agreed that the new parish shall be known as Scorton, as detailed in the table below.
|
Option
|
Number |
Percentage |
|
Yes, I support this recommendation
|
5 |
100% |
|
No, I do not support this recommendation
|
0 |
0% |
|
I am unsure
|
0 |
0% |
|
Total
|
5 |
100% |
2.11 The majority of respondents agreed that there should be a single parish council for the parish of Scorton, as detailed in the table below.
|
Option
|
Number |
Percentage |
|
Yes, I support this recommendation
|
5 |
100% |
|
No, I do not support this recommendation
|
0 |
0% |
|
I am unsure
|
0 |
0% |
|
Total
|
5 |
100% |
2.12 The majority of respondents agreed that the parish council should be named Scorton Parish Council, as detailed in the table below.
|
Option
|
Number |
Percentage |
|
Yes, I support this recommendation
|
5 |
100% |
|
No, I do not support this recommendation
|
0 |
0% |
|
I am unsure
|
0 |
0% |
|
Total
|
5 |
100% |
2.13 The majority of respondents agreed that seven councillors should be elected to Scorton Parish Council, as detailed in the table below.
|
Option
|
Number |
Percentage |
|
Yes, I support this recommendation
|
5 |
100% |
|
No, I do not support this recommendation
|
0 |
0% |
|
I am unsure
|
0 |
0% |
|
Total
|
5 |
100% |
2.14 Scorton Parish Council submitted a consultation response outlining their support of a merger with Bolton-on-Swale Parish Meeting.
2.15 Councillor Carl Les, Division Member for Catterick Village and Brompton-on-Swale has indicated his support for the recommendations.
2.16
Additional
consultation comments are included at Annex 2B.
3.0 Final assessment and final recommendations
3.1 The majority of responses (100%) indicated support for the final recommendations to amalgamate Scorton parish with Bolton-on-Swale parish.
3.2 A list of final recommendations can be viewed below:
Recommendation 1 – the existing parish of Bolton-on-Swale shall be amalgamated with the parish of Scorton.
Recommendation 2 – that the new parish boundary is as detailed in the below map.
Recommendation 3 – the new parish shall be known as Scorton.
Recommendation 4 – there shall be a parish council for the parish of Scorton.
Recommendation 5 – the parish council shall be named Scorton Parish Council.
Recommendation 6 – that 7 Councillors are elected to Scorton Parish Council.
Recommendation 7 – that the above take effect for administration purposes on 1 April 2027 with elections to the new Parish Council to be held on 6 May 2027 for a term of 4 years. Changes to the electoral register required for the above take effect on the revised publication ahead of that election (planned for December 2026).
3.3 The recommendations detailed above will conclude the CGR.