Dorset Council carried out a Community Governance Review of parishes in the Dorset Council area* during 2021 to 2022.
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Dorset Council carried out a Community Governance Review of parishes in the Dorset Council area* during 2021 to 2022.
The Member Working Group’s final Community Governance Review recommendations were considered and approved by Full Council at its meeting on 14 July 2022. View the report and the minutes of the Full Council meeting on 14 July 2022.
The changes set out in the report will take effect on 1 April 2024. The first elections under any new community governance arrangements will take place on 2 May 2024.
You can read about how the Council carried out the Community Governance Review below.
*Please note: the draft recommendations relating to Weymouth, Chickerell, Winterborne Farringdon and Vale of Allen were withdrawn from this Community Governance Review in order to allow further public consultation to be carried out. A separate Community Governance Review relating to these areas is now being undertaken.
A Community Governance Review is a legal process where the council will consult with those living in the area, and other interested parties, on the most suitable ways of representing the people in the parishes identified in the review. This means making sure that those living in the area, and other interested groups, have a say in how their local communities are represented.
The review can consider one or more of the following options:
The review cannot:
Dorset Council is statutorily responsible for carrying out this Community Governance Review. Formal decisions as to the Terms of Reference for the Review and the recommendations arising from the Review will be made by Full Council.
The Guidance on Community Governance Reviews issued by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government published in 2008 recommends that principal councils should undertake a Review of its area every 10-15 years. For some areas of the Council, a Review has not been undertaken for some time and, following the creation of Dorset Council, it is deemed appropriate to undertake a Review of all parishes within its area. A Community Governance Review offers an opportunity to put in place strong, clearly defined boundaries, tied to firm ground features, and remove any parish boundaries anomalies that may exist.
A Community Governance Review is required to take into account:
The council is required to ensure that community governance within the area under review will:
Any other factors, such as council tax precept levels, cannot be considered.
Before making any recommendations or publishing final proposals, the council must consult local government electors for the area under review and any other person or body (including a local authority) which appears to the council to have an interest in the Review.
The council will therefore:
The council recognises that the development of strong, sustainable communities depends on residents’ active participation in decision making in respect of the governance arrangements of parish councils, and the Council is therefore committed to engaging effectively with the diverse communities it serves and to enabling local people to participate meaningfully in the creation of effective community governance arrangements where all people feel able to take an active part in influencing service delivery.
The timetable below sets out dates for 2 periods of public consultation. The first period of public consultation, based on the Community Governance Review consultation paper, ended on 28 October 2021 and you can view the initial submissions/representations received. A report of draft recommendations was considered by Full Council at its meeting on 15 February 2022. The second period of public consultation, on the draft recommendations as agreed by Full Council at its meeting on 15 February 2022, ended on 23 May 2022 and you can view the submissions/representations received. A report of final recommendations was considered and approved by Full Council at its meeting on 14 July 2022. View the minutes of the meeting.
The council has to complete the Community Governance Review within 12 months from the day on which it publishes the Terms of Reference. A Community Governance Review is concluded on the day on which the council publishes the recommendations made by the Community Governance Review.
Following a decision made at the Full Council meeting on 14 December 2021, the timetable for the review has been adjusted. The updated timetable is shown below.
Action | Timeline | Details |
---|---|---|
Report to Full Council | 15 July 2021 |
Council approves the principle of the Community Governance Review and its Terms of Reference. |
Publish Terms of Reference |
22 July 2021 (The CGR must be completed within 12 months of the date of publication) |
Publish Terms of Reference and notify stakeholders of the commencement of the Review. |
Prepare draft consultation document and invite initial submissions/representations | 5 August 2021 to 28 October 2021 (12 weeks) |
Initial submissions/ representations invited:
|
Consider initial submissions/representations received and prepare report for Full Council | 29 October 2021 to 15 February 2022 |
Consider any submissions/representations made and prepare report of draft recommendations for consideration by Full Council at its meeting on 15 February 2022. |
Publish draft recommendations as agreed by Full Council, for further public consultation | 28 February 2022 to 23 May 2022 (12 weeks) |
Publish draft recommendations as agreed by Full Council, for further consultation with:
|
Consider further submissions/ representations and make final recommendations to Full Council | 24 May 2022 to 14 July 2022 |
Consider any further submissions/representations and prepare final report of final recommendations for consideration by Full Council at its meeting on 14 July 2022. |
Publish final recommendations as agreed by Full Council |
July 2022 |
Publish final recommendations as agreed by Full Council and make Order. |