Community governance review

A community governance review provides an opportunity to put in place strong, clearly defined boundaries which reflect local identities and facilitate effective and convenient local government. It can take place for the whole or part of the borough to consider one or more of the following:

• Creating, merging, altering or abolishing parishes
• The naming of parishes and the style of new parishes
• The electoral arrangements for parishes including:
  • The ordinary year of election
  • Council size
  • The number of councillors to be elected to the council
  • Whether the parish has wards
• Grouping parishes under a common parish council or de-grouping parishes

The council is required to ensure that community governance within the area under review will be:

• Reflective of the identities and interests of the community in that area
• Effective and convenient

In doing so, the community governance review is required to take into account:

• The impact of community governance arrangements on community cohesion
• The size, population and boundaries of a local community or parish

How often does a community governance review take place?

Government guidance suggests that a review should take place every 10 to 15 years. A principal council is also under a duty to carry out a review if it receives a valid community governance petition for the whole or part of the council’s area. This duty, however, doesn’t apply if:

• The principal council has concluded a community governance review within the last two years which, in its opinion, covered the whole or a significant part of the area of the petition
• The council is currently conducting a review of the whole, or a significant part of, the area to which the petition relates

Who undertakes the review?

As the relevant principal authority, Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council is responsible for conducting any community governance review in its electoral area.

What is the process for a community governance review?

Following agreement of the terms of reference for the review (which will include the areas to be reviewed), consultation will take place with councillors, parishes, residents, businesses and other stakeholders. The responses to the consultation will be reviewed by a working group and any suggested changes considered by council.

Council will then make recommendations for changes which are consulted upon again. The results of the consultation will again be considered by a working group and final recommendations made to Council. Council will agree any recommendations and the wording of a community governance order which will be subsequently made.

Past reviews:

• Whole area review: the community governance 2022 review