Agenda item
Motion B: Local Governance Review: Parish and Town Boundary Review for West Oxfordshire - Proposed by Councillor Michele Mead, Seconded by Councillor Liam Walker
Proposed by: Councillor Michele Mead
Seconded by: Councillor Liam Walker
This Council notes:
That parish and town councils form the most local tier of democratic governance and play a vital role in representing community identity, delivering services, and fostering civic pride across West Oxfordshire.
That West Oxfordshire has experienced changes in population, housing development, settlement patterns, and community usage in recent years, including signi?cant growth on the edges of existing parishes and towns.
That in some areas current parish and town boundaries no longer accurately re?ect community identities, patterns of service use, or the expectations of residents.
That the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 provides district councils with the power to conduct Local Governance Reviews to ensure parish and town arrangements remain effective and representative.
This Council believes:
That parish and town boundaries should be logical, clearly understood, and re?ective of established and emerging communities.
That regular review of governance arrangements is good practice and supports strong local democracy.
That any review should be locally driven, evidence-based, and involve meaningful engagement with residents, parish and town councils, and other stakeholders.
This Council resolves:
That council officers undertake a Community Governance Review focused speci?cally on parish and town boundary arrangements across West Oxfordshire.
That the review should:
Assess whether existing boundaries remain appropriate considering housing growth, demographic change, and community identity.
Consider requests or representations from parish and town councils and residents.
Seek to ensure boundaries promote effective governance, community cohesion, and clarity for residents.
To require that the review includes a full programme of public consultation with affected parish and town councils, ward members, and local communities.
To request that officers bring forward a detailed scope, timetable, and consultation plan for approval by Executive and Council prior to the commencement of the review.
That no changes to boundaries will be implemented without full consultation and formal approval by Council.
Minutes:
Councillor Michele Mead introduced the motion, which read as follows:
“This Council notes:
That parish and town councils form the most local tier of democratic governance and play a vital role in representing community identity, delivering services, and fostering civic pride across West Oxfordshire.
That West Oxfordshire has experienced changes in population, housing development, settlement patterns, and community usage in recent years, including significant growth on the edges of existing parishes and towns. That in some areas current parish and town boundaries no longer accurately reflect community identities, patterns of service use, or the expectations of residents.
That the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 provides district councils with the power to conduct Local Governance Reviews to ensure parish and town arrangements remain effective and representative.
This Council believes:
That parish and town boundaries should be logical, clearly understood, and reflective of established and emerging communities.
That regular review of governance arrangements is good practice and supports strong local democracy.
That any review should be locally driven, evidence-based, and involve meaningful engagement with residents, parish and town councils, and other stakeholders.
This Council resolves:
That council officers undertake a Community Governance Review focused specifically on parish and town boundary arrangements across West Oxfordshire.
That the review should:
Assess whether existing boundaries remain appropriate considering housing growth, demographic change, and community identity.
Consider requests or representations from parish and town councils and residents. Seek to ensure boundaries promote effective governance, community cohesion, and clarity for residents.
To require that the review includes a full programme of public consultation with affected parish and town councils, ward members, and local communities.
To request that officers bring forward a detailed scope, timetable, and consultation plan for approval by Executive and Council prior to the commencement of the review.
That no changes to boundaries will be implemented without full consultation and formal approval by Council.”
Councillor Mead stated that large towns, such as Witney and Carterton, were seeing houses built just outside their boundaries. In such cases these towns did not receive the precept associated with the developments but were nevertheless the main service centres for them. The service centres were therefore inundated with demand without the money to provide the services required.
Councillor Liam Walker seconded the motion and reserved the right to speak.
Councillor Andy Graham proposed an amendment to the motion which was as follows:
“This Council notes:
That parish and town councils form the most local tier of democratic governance and play a vital role in representing community identity, delivering services, and fostering civic pride across West Oxfordshire.
That West Oxfordshire has experienced changes in population, housing development, settlement patterns, and community usage in recent years, including significant growth on the edges of existing parishes and towns.
That in some areas current parish and town boundaries no longer accurately reflect community identities, patterns of service use, or the expectations of residents.
That the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 provides district councils with the power to conduct Local Governance Reviews to ensure parish and town arrangements remain effective and representative.
This Council believes:
That parish and town boundaries should be logical, clearly understood, and reflective of established and emerging communities.
That regular review of governance arrangements is good practice and supports strong local democracy.
That any review should be locally driven, evidence-based, and involve meaningful engagement with residents, parish and town councils, and other stakeholders.
This Council resolves:
That council officers consider undertaking a Community Governance Review focused specifically on parish and town boundary arrangements across West Oxfordshire.
That the review should:
Assess whether existing boundaries remain appropriate considering housing growth, demographic change, and community identity.
Consider requests or representations from parish and town councils and residents.
Seek to ensure boundaries promote effective governance, community cohesion, and clarity for residents.
To require that the review includes a full program of public consultation with affected parish and town councils, ward members, and local communities.
To request that officers bring forward a detailed scope, timetable, budget and consultation plan for approval by Executive and Council prior to the commencement of the review, and once the Government’s decision on Local Government Reorganisation in Oxfordshire is known.
That no changes to boundaries will be implemented without full consultation and formal approval by Council.
Councillor Graham stated that the amendment had taken account of further implications of undertaking a boundary review that were not specified in the original motion. The amended motion would allow officers time to return to Council with the full detail that was needed to consider implementing a boundary review. Key considerations would include budgetary issues and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) timeframes.
Councillor Duncan Enright seconded the amendment.
Having sought clarity on the intended role of officers in the consideration of the boundary review that was suggested in the amendment to the motion, Councillor Michele Mead accepted the amendment as proposed. Councillor Liam Walker as seconder also accepted the amendment as proposed.
The Chair then invited the members to debate the substantive motion as amended. In the discussion the following points were made:
- Boundary changes were inevitable following the shadow elections for LGR though exact timescales were not known.
- The relationship between the Council and Town and Parish Councils was important.
- The service centres could not be expected to wait for LGR for boundary changes as development was taking place already. The service centres were increasingly struggling to provide services to residents.
- The motion did not delay the process but would allow it to be brought into line with the LGR timescales. This would also prevent duplication of work.
- It was clear that historic anomalies had meant that the current boundaries were no longer sensible in some cases.
- Other towns and villages, such as Charlbury, Woodstock, Long Hanborough and Eynsham were experiencing this problem.
- If a review was delayed until LGR it was possible that officers employed at that point may not hold the detailed local knowledge to undertake an effective boundary review. The local knowledge of the Members may also be lost. This was seen as a reason or the boundary review to happen now.
- It was the responsibility of District Councils to conduct and implement reviews, and it was possible Towns and Parish Councils would not be considered in the LGR process.
- In 2024 it had been previously suggested that it was possible to undertake smaller location specific reviews which would be less costly.
- The Council had a £350k surplus and therefore money was available for the review.
- Other parties had expressed interest in the boundary review including local Town and Parish councils and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee when it considered the Local Plan. Witney Town Council had issued a letter to the District Council requesting a review for the areas surrounding Witney.
- In some cases, there were no representatives of the Parish Councils who lived on the development they represented. The example of Colwell Green, which was in Curbridge Parish, was given.
- The LGR decision was expected in summer, and so the delay to make the decision on a boundary review would only be short. This would still allow time for the review to take place before the Unitary boundaries were decided.
- The Local Plan process, including the consultation, meant that a review at this stage would be premature and undermine the holistic vision proposed. The allocated sites would be clearer following the consultation.
- Current Town and Parish boundaries were also the foundation for District and County Council boundaries.
- The boundaries made a significant difference to parliamentary seats.
- Officer time and resource to undertake the review would be significant and may be understated in the motion.
- Parish Councils would remain after LGR and must have a hand in shaping the future of the district.
- The new emerging communities must be properly represented. It was suggested that part of this representation was consideration of how the communities were “read” in terms of surrounding towns and villages.
- The key information and timeframes for both LGR and the Local Plan were known and there was no reason to delay implementing the framework for a review at this point.
- The motion aligned with national expectations.
- The review should be a robust community shaped governance and thorough audit.
Councillor Liz Leffman left the chamber at 3:28 and returned at 3:30
Councillor Liam Walker spoke as seconder of the motion making the following points:
- The amendment in respect of LGR was a valid point however the conversation on a boundary review could start now.
- The decision to undertake a review should be for the Council or Executive and not officers.
- Examples of housing developments near service centres that were within the boundaries of smaller parishes were given at Brize Norton, Witney North and Dry Lane.
- Many of the sites in the Local Plan already had applications submitted and as such the review could not be considered premature.
Councillor Michele Mead then concluded the debate by thanking members for their support. As LGR was unclear Councillor Mead felt that it would not be correct to defer a boundary review at this point.
The motion was put to the vote as follows:
For 39, Against 1, Abstentions 0
Resolved:
- Council requests officers consider undertaking a Community Governance Review focused specifically on parish and town boundary arrangements across West Oxfordshire.
Councillor Ed James left the chamber at 3:40