Have your say on our parish arrangements

Residents, parishes, and businesses in North Herts are invited to shape future electoral and governance arrangements for parishes within the area.

A Parish or Community Council is the first level of local government. They provide towns and villages with a democratic voice and a structure for taking local action.

Following the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) review of district wards, North Herts Council is now undertaking a Community Governance Review (CGR) for the whole district which focuses on arrangements at parish level.

As part of the first stage of the Review, the council is inviting residents to have their say on current arrangements and suggestions for future arrangements via a survey, which is open until 7 October 2024.

This is an opportunity to suggest changes you would like to see in your area, and can be on any aspect of community governance such as:

• The creation or naming of a parish
• The establishment of a separate parish from an existing parish
• Alteration of parish boundaries
• Abolition or dissolution of a parish
• Changes to the number of councillors to be elected to the council
• Changes to the year when the ordinary election of parish councillors is held
• Whether the parish should be divided into wards, or parish groupings

The responses from the consultation will help develop proposals for changes to parish arrangements if and where necessary. The council has the authority to take decisions about parish electoral governance. However, before any changes are made there will be a second consultation in early 2025 about the draft proposals, and the CGR can review any aspect of community governance.

Melanie Stimpson, Returning Officer at North Herts Council said: “Parish and community councils are the first tier of government in England and play an important role in terms of community empowerment at a local level. The Community Governance Review is more than a process; it’s an invitation for you to bring positive change to your local community by getting involved in shaping the future of North Herts.

“Your input will contribute to building local governance arrangements that best reflect the identities and interest of your local community.”

The timetable is set for the review, with any changes coming into effect for the May 2026 scheduled elections.

To take part in the consultation visit: Community Governance Review

For more information on parishes and meetings visit: Parish councils and parish meetings

Residents can submit their feedback online and for anyone who doesn’t have access to a computer, they can come into the Customer Service Centre at North Herts Council’s Head Office on Gernon Road, Letchworth.