People in Dorset are reminded to give their comments as part of a review which aims to ensure Dorset’s town and parish councils continue to reflect the communities they represent.
Town and parish councils play a vital role in providing local services and acting for their communities. Through what is known as a Community Governance Review, residents will be able to give their views during our consultation which will close on 28 October.
A Community Governance Review is a legal process whereby 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 area 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.
Dorset Council wants to hear local people’s views on whether:
- the boundaries of the parish need changing
- an alternative set up would work better, ie for very small areas if a parish meeting would work better rather than a parish council.
- the parish should be divided into wards, or existing wards need altering
- the parish should be grouped with other town/parish councils
They can also give their thoughts on
- changing the number of town/parish councillors
- changing their town/parish council’s name
You can View the Community Governance Review consultation paper, which includes details of the projected electorate for each parish for the next 5 years and other electoral data.
Cllr Spencer Flower, Leader of Dorset Council, said: “Town and parish councils provide and maintain many essential services for their local communities, and are at the heart of our towns and villages.
“Needs and communities change over time, so this review is timely and required to be undertaken to keep local democracy up to date. It also gives an opportunity to harness the knowledge and experiences of local people to ensure their councils reflect local identities and interests.
“It is an appropriate time to undertake the review of all town and parish councils in the area, being just over two years since Dorset Council was formed.”
As well as the online questionnaire, paper copies will be available at Dorset Council’s libraries or by calling 01305 251010.
Comments need to be submitted by 28 October 2021. The comments will be considered, and draft recommendations prepared for Full Council on 14 December 2021. Further consultation will then follow, and these comments will be considered before a decision is made by Dorset Council in April 2022.
Any changes to the town and parish councils will become effective from May 2024.
Every body I know locally are absolutely fed up with your myopic attempts to destroy our local Dorset roads in order to win votes from the cycling mafia. You are all encouraging vast new building estates in Dorset with thousands more cars, but then cut down the roads sizes to make more traffic chaos and pollution. Can’t you see what is happening ? You are ruining this once lovely county.