The first review of parish and town councils across Cornwall since the 1970s is now taking place.
The review was prompted after a review of Cornwall Council’s electoral arrangements by the Boundary Commission made changes affecting 29 parishes.
The Community Governance Review is conducted by Cornwall Council. It can:
• Make changes to parish areas – changes to boundaries between parishes, create new parishes or merge existing parishes.
• Change the number of parish councillors on each council, and introduce or change the parish wards within each council.
• Change the name of a parish council.
Cornwall Council has already written to all parish, town and city councils across the Duchy to set out the process the review will take.
Now the authority is asking for submissions from councils and residents from across the Duchy to hear what changes they would like to see made and why.
The closing date for submissions for change is 17 July 2019. More information about the review, including a submission form, is available on www.cornwall.gov.uk/governancereview.
The Council will consider all submissions received. In November 2019 it will publish its draft recommendations and undertake a 12 week public consultation to get feedback.
The feedback will inform the final recommendations, which will be submitted by the Electoral Review Panel to Full Council for decision making in June 2020.
This timeline is intended to ensure the agreed changes can be implemented in good time so they can take effect at the 2021 local council elections.
