Agenda item

Considered

The report of the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer proposing a Community Governance Review (CGR) for a defined number of parish areas set out in the Terms of Reference at Appendix 1.

The Assistant Director Legal Services introduced the report and explained that parish electoral governance arrangements could be amended by a CGR, which included merging, abolishing, grouping or de-grouping parishes. A CGR must ensure that the proposed community governance reflects the interests and identities of the community and involves public consultation.

The 17 parish areas currently included within the proposed CGR were based on requests received for a CGR, as well as where the Electoral Services team had identified grouped parish councils that are not currently represented in each parish area, or internal ward boundaries that would benefit from a review. Several requests were not included within the Terms of Reference because the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s (LGBCE) initial proposals for revised NYC division boundaries affect electoral arrangements for some areas that had requested CGRs. 

The Assistant Director Legal Services informed the Committee that an additional CGR request had been received since the publication of the report, which was a request to increase the size of a town council. It was noted that if approved by the Committee, the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services would have delegated powers to consider any further requests for a CGR from other parish areas and incorporate them into the Terms of Reference.

The alternative options considered were outlined, which were to do nothing, or conduct a full area review.

The existing governance arrangements for the 17 parish areas included within the proposed CGR were included at Annex B and the timetable was attached at Appendix 2.

The Committee were asked to consider and approve the Terms of Reference for referral to full Council for approval.

In response to the proposal outlined in the report, Members raised the following points:

• Following a query from a Member in relation to the number of parish and town councils, the Principal Democratic Services Officer confirmed that there are 729 individual parishes in North Yorkshire as cited within the report. These parishes then make up 412 parish and town councils and there are a further 160 parish meetings. Some of the individual parishes group together to form a parish council so within the 412 parish and town councils some will be made up of a number of individual parishes that may also be requesting individual precepts.
• It was confirmed that local residents would be consulted as part of the CGR, and that all comments would be considered.
• Some Members expressed that as many parish areas as possible should be considered for the review, not just the 17 areas currently proposed. In response, Members were reminded of the 12-month window to complete the review, as well as the need to manage the Council’s resource and budget in the lead up to the 2027 elections.
• In response to a question regarding the timeframe in which requests had been received, it was confirmed that most requests were made post Local Government Reorganisation.
• One Member queried why the Council had not reached out directly to parish councils to inform their proposal. It was clarified that officers were only considering urgent requests received as conducting a CGR for a small number of requests was deliverable prior to 2027.
• It was confirmed that the LGBCE had the power to alter internal parish boundaries, where its review of divisions impacts a parish council.
• Officers confirmed that all division Members covering the parish areas within scope for the CGR had been contacted and would continue to be updated on any developments.

It was moved by Councillor Peter Wilkinson and seconded by Councillor David Ireton that the Committee approves the below recommendations.

Resolved (unanimously)

1. That the Committee considers the Terms of Reference for the Review attached at Appendix 1 for referral to full Council for approval,

2. That if the LGBCE final recommendations have an impact on the terms of reference the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services be delegated authority to amend the terms of reference accordingly; and

3. That if further requests for a CGR from other parish areas come forward authority be delegated to the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services to consider whether the request should be incorporated in this CGR and the terms of reference amended accordingly.