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March 2019 Cornwall Council has launched a consultation on the CGR

March 2019

Cornwall Council has launched a consultation on the CGR here – https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/elections/community-governance-reviews/

Please use the submission form to inform Cornwall Council of any desired changes. Please ensure this reaches Cornwall Council by 17 July 2019. Last day for submissions | Community Governance Reviews


2019 Community Governance Review for Cornwall

Parish and Town Councils are the first tier of local government. They play a vital role in engaging with local people and helping to shape their communities.

Cornwall has 213 civil parishes each with its own governance body. These include:

  • a city council
  • 28 town councils
  • 167 parish councils
  • a community council and
  • 16 parish meetings

For convenience, they are generally referred to as “local councils” or “parish councils.”

Cornwall Council is currently undertaking a Community Governance Review for the whole of Cornwall. This provides an opportunity to review and make changes to governance arrangements at parish level. This is to ensure they are working as efficiently and effectively as they should be. It also ensures that they are reflective of the identity and interest of local communities. We will work closely with local councils and parish meetings and with the Cornwall Association of Local Councils (CALC) as part of this review.

What can the Community Governance Review change?

A Community Governance Review can make a number of changes to parish governance when there is clear evidence to do so:

  • It can make changes to parish areas – including:
    • changes to boundaries between parishes
    • mergers of two or more parishes or even
    • creating a new parish out of part of one or more existing parishes
  • It can make changes to electoral arrangements within parish areas – including:
    • changes to the number of parish councillors
    • introducing or changing parish warding arrangements
  • It can accommodate changing the name of a parish
  • It can accommodate the grouping together of parishes under a common parish council.

Why has Cornwall Council decided to undertake a review now?

  • In 2018, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE)’s review of Cornwall Council’s electoral arrangements decided there will be 87 Cornwall Council electoral divisions from 2021. As a result of the LGBCE electoral review, changes to ward boundaries within 29 parishes have been imposed by the Commission. It makes sense to provide an opportunity to review wider governance arrangements in those parishes.
  • The last time a full review of community governance arrangements has taken place across most of Cornwall was in the 1970s. Since then many towns and villages have grown. Many of these developments have crossed parish boundaries or have created new communities with their own local identity.
  • The role of parish and town councils has also developed significantly since the 1970s. The Government sees Community Governance Reviews as an opportunity to ensure communities have effective community governance in place, with parish and town councils that can effectively make use of their new powers and responsibilities.

Cornwall Council has to ensure that community governance arrangements are:

  • Reflective of the identities and interests of the community in that area; and:

  • Effective and convenient (this relates to the ability of parishes to provide services for its residents).

Any proposed governance arrangements will need to be considered in that light.

How does the Community Governance Review work?

Under the Local Government and Public Health Involvement Act, 2007 Cornwall Council is responsible for carrying out Community Governance Reviews. This is in accordance with government guidance.

The conduct of the review will be overseen by the Council's Electoral Review Panel.

In December 2018 we wrote to all town and parish councils to seek their initial views on whether a review was needed in their parish. We also attended the Cornwall Association of Local Councils conference on 16 February 2019 to talk about the process.

We have published the Terms of Reference and the timetable for the review. We have also published a range of supporting information. This has details about the current arrangements and information to help inform the review.

We are now inviting town and parish councils, local residents and other interested persons, groups or organisations, to provide a submission for any particular changes (including no change) they want to make to the current governance arrangements.

Please use the submission form to inform us of any desired changes. Please ensure this reaches us by 17 July 2019.

The Council will consider all submissions received. In November 2019 it will publish its draft recommendations and undertake a 12 week public consultation to get feedback.

The feedback will inform the final recommendations. This is intended to be submitted by the Electoral Review Panel to Full Council for decision making in June 2020.

This timeline is intended to ensure the agreed changes can be implemented in good time so they can take effect at the 2021 local council elections.

Indicative Timetable for the Cornwall Community Governance Review 2019-2020

StageActionDates
Terms of Reference Publish Terms of Reference and timetable for review and provide supporting datasets via the CGR website 25.03.2019
Stage 1 Initial submissions invited 26.03.2019 to 17.07.2019
Stage 2

Council considers submissions received and formulates draft recommendations

18.07.2019 to 26.11.2019
Stage 3 Draft recommendations published and comments sought through a public consultation 27.11.2019 to 10.03.2020
Stage 4 Council considers contributions received and formulates final recommendations. Consequential matters to be referred to Local Government Boundary Commission where required 11.03.2020 to June 2020
Final recommendations Electoral Review Panel makes final recommedations to Full Council. Full Council makes final decision. July 2020
Reorganisation order made Re-organisation Order made Sept 2020

 

More information

If you have any comments or queries please email the Community Governance Reviews mailbox: CGRs@cornwall.gov.uk

 

 

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Jeremy Rowe LD | Egloshayle, St Breock, St Ervan, St Eval, St Issey, St Mabyn & St Tudy