Agenda and minutes

None.

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting held on Wednesday 13 February 2025.  

RESOLVED – that the minutes of the meeting held on 13 February be confirmed and signed by the Chair. 

To receive an update on the Community Governance Review and to consider draft proposals following the consultation which closed on 14 April 2025.

The Director of Policy and Governance presented the Community Governance Review (CGR) 2025 to the committee, outlining its purpose and process. It was noted that the previous 2024 review had concluded with no changes, prompting the immediate start of the 2025 review.

The first stage of the consultation aimed to gather feedback and was initially scheduled to close on 17 February. However, due to a low response rate, the deadline was extended to 14 April to provide more opportunity for engagement. The consultation pack was made widely available, with no restrictions on submission formats. A list of consultees, as set out in section 3.10, received the materials, and officers actively engaged with Town and Parish Councils to encourage participation.

This phase of consultation closed on 14 April and received 292 responses. Paragraph 3.14 of the report detailed the breakdown of submissions, noting that some responses contained multiple comments or repeated points, meaning the reported totals may not directly align with the number of individual submissions.

Appendix A provided a detailed summary of feedback received from Town and Parish Councils, including areas where submissions were either absent or supported by multiple respondents. The committee was advised that the current proposal remained in draft form, and members were asked to approve its publication for the second round of consultation. The committee then referred to section 3.17, where it was invited to consider the four Parish Council options to determine the most beneficial approach for residents.

The Director of Policy and Governance outlined the next steps, as summarised in sections 3.18–3.28 of the report. The second consultation round was scheduled to run from 19 May – 14 July, with officers collaborating with SALC to encourage participation. The same list of consultees would be engaged, and efforts would be made to increase public awareness through social media campaigns and two drop-in sessions. Additional sessions may be arranged if response levels were low. The Director of Policy and Governance emphasised the importance of collecting a broad range of viewpoints to ensure fair representation across all communities.

The committee expressed appreciation for the efforts of officers in securing responses and were pleased with the overall engagement levels compared to previous reviews.

Members then deliberated on the options set out in section 3.17, discussing their potential impact. It was also suggested that a further consultation might be necessary once the Local Plan outcome is determined. The committee agreed that the proposed options should remain open until additional feedback has been gathered.

Following the discussions; Members voted on the recommendations.

RESVOLED – that:

1. The outcome of the first round of consultation in respect of the Community Governance Review, which commenced on 17 February 2025, be noted.

2. The draft proposals for consultation, which were to take place from 19 May 2025 to 14 July 2025 be confirmed.

3. The Director of Policy and Governance, in consultation with the Chair of the Boundary Review Committee, be authorised to make any final revisions to the draft proposals and to approve the publication  ...  view the full minutes text for item BRC30