To assess the case for undertaking a community governance review (CGR) of parish boundaries and electoral arranegements.

The governance manager presented the report.

The audit and governance committee had previously received a report in September 2015 setting out the reasons  for considering undertaking a community governance review, with an agreed timetable  by which the information  necessary  to assess the case would be collated.

Working closely with HALC (Hereford association of local councils) consultations to gather the views of parish councils to inform recommendations a range of information was collated including current elector numbers per parish, the number of uncontested seats in the 2015 local elections and the number of seats remaining vacant after the election. In addition parishes were asked to identify any issues they would wish a CGR to address and the views of the ward members were also sought.

Consultation responses from parishes had identified that there were a number of parish councils where a review would be beneficial. Moreover, research had identified a number of other parishes that might benefit from a review but which had not responded, or had not responded in favour of a review. It was recognised that a large number of parishes had not responded to the consultation or had expressed satisfaction with the status quo.

In response to a question regarding possible budget availability to cover the recommendations in the report the governance manager confirmed that there was a budget available and that the different options in the report had a different cost but that it was not a big difference between them.

 A member responded by recognising that resources at this time are spread thinly and that either way there would be associated costs.

The governance manager agreed with a comment that it appeared unlikely that an approach that would satisfy all would be found and added that if parishes were forced to adopt change then it is likely that this would be met with some opposition and that this should be considered in the approach taken.

A member reflected on the large amount of uncontested seats recorded in the report and suggested that this reflected a general lack of appetite for change and therefore this might not be the point in time to proceed with change and the resulting associated costs.

RESOLVED:

To progress a series of targeted CGRs focussed on the parishes/issues identified in paragraph nine of the report   as requiring a review;

To request that draft terms of reference for such a review be drafted for full council consideration.