Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) is Carrying out a Community Governance Review
This type of review normally takes place every 10-15 years, however CBC have decided to move this forward because of the amount of residential and commercial development.
What is a Community Governance Review (CGR)
It’s a way to make sure that, at Parish level, governance arrangements are working as efficiently and effectively as they should be. The aim of a review is to consider and bring about improved community engagement, better local democracy and efficient, more effective, and convenient delivery of local services and ensure electors across these Parishes are treated equitably and fairly.
The process encourages Councils to engage with their residents to capture and understand their perceptions.
What can a Community Governance Review do
It can:
- Create, merge, alter or abolish Parishes.
- Change electoral arrangements for Parishes including the ordinary year of an election, number of Parish Councillors and changes to Parish wards.
- Convert a Parish council to a Parish meeting.
- Change the name or the style of a new Parish/town council or Parish meeting.
- Group Parishes together under a common Parish.
- Amend boundary anomalies.
A CGR must:
- Reflect the identities and interests of the communities in that area, and
- Be effective and convenient.
- Consequently, a CGR must take into account –
The impact of community governance arrangements on community cohesion, and the size, population and boundaries of a local community or Parish.
Deadline
The deadline for receipt of responses is 1.00pm on Friday 27th June.
Council Consultation
Biggleswade Town Council is actively engaging with other Parish Councils and Parish Meetings to understand any appetite for change.
Maps
Please see below two maps which provide further information regarding the current boundaries, the sites that have been approved for future development, and the land that has been put forward as part of the Call for Sites.
Biggleswade Boundary Map with surrounding Town and Parish Boundaries
Biggleswade Boundary Map with Call for Sites, including approved sites for residential and commercial development
To view the interactive map from Central Bedfordshire Council’s Call for Sites please click here.
The map shows the location of the sites that have been put forward for allocation, and what type of development they have been promoted for.
For further information on the Call for Sites, please click here.
