Community Governance Review of parish and town councils

A further consultation has now opened into a Community Governance Review of the existing parish and town councils in Knowsley.

The first stage of the review commenced on 29 September 2017 with a public consultation which ran until 10 November 2017.

Based on feedback received, the Council agreed a number of draft proposals and a further round of consultation has now opened.

The draft proposals include no change to the year in which ordinary elections of Councillors to each parish and town council are held. In addition, no change is proposed to the warding arrangements previously agreed by the Boundary Commission (i.e. in terms of the division and names of parish wards) for each parish and town council. However, there are a number of changes proposed in respect of the number of Councillors to be elected to each parish and town council.
 
Further information about the consultation, including how to have your say, is available on the council’s website <http://www.knowsley.gov.uk/your-council/consultations/community-governance-review-parish-town-councils> .

In addition, hard copies of a leaflet, including details about how and where to feedback, are available in each of the council’s One Stop Shops and libraries.

The closing date for comments is Monday, 19 March 2018.

Community governance review of parish and town councils

Following a review of Knowsley’s wards by the Boundary Commission, a number of changes were introduced in May 2016 – these were a reduction in the number of wards from 21 wards to 15 wards and a reduction in the number of Councillors from 63 to 45.

Whilst the Commission did not carry out a review of the parish or town councils in the borough, they did agree some changes which amended the warding arrangements of each of the town councils of Halewood, Knowsley, Prescot and Whiston.

The changes to the town councils’ warding arrangements will come into effect in May 2019.

In view of the forthcoming changes to the town councils’ warding arrangements, Knowsley Council agreed at a full Council meeting on Wednesday, 20 September 2017 to carry out a community governance review of the existing parish and town councils within the borough.

Parish/town councils are statutory publicly accountable bodies and are the most local level of government in England.

Parish/town councillors are elected every four years (other than by-elections) to represent local people and help to provide local services. They are usually unpaid but some parish/town councils may choose to pay an allowance to its councillors.

Parish/town councils are principally funded by a ‘precept’ – an amount of money paid by residents living in the area, to contribute to the services and facilities the parish/town council provides.

You can read more about the governance review and how to have your say by visiting the council’s website www.knowsley.gov.uk/your-council/consultations/community-governance-review-parish-town-councils  

The closing date for the first round of consultation is 10 November 2017.