2021 Review
A CGR must have clear Terms of Reference, which state which areas are included in the review and what issue is being reviewed. We contacted all parishes within the district to find out what issues to include in the review, and a report was submitted to Full Council on 18 October 2021.
The Terms of Reference were approved by Full Council, and the review is now underway. We will keep all towns and parishes informed of how consultation will be carried out and on progress of the review, and these pages will be updated during the review.
The first consultation stage opened on Monday 22 November 2021, and closed on Monday 31 January 2022. Consultation responses received regarding each proposal are available via the Community Governance Review section of the Let's Talk Cherwell platform.
The Working Group of District Councillors met and made recommendations regarding what should happen next. The recommendations were considered and approved by Full Council on 18 May 2022 (item 16 refers).
A second consultation stage opened on Monday 4 July and will run until Friday 9 September 2022. Residential properties in the areas affected by proposals will receive letters inviting residents to respond to the consultation. Copies of the letters have also been sent to the relevant town and parish councils.
Anyone who is interested can submit a response to the consultation. Survey details for the second consultation are available from the Let's Talk Cherwell online platform.
There are 7 areas for review:
- Ambrosden/Blackthorn boundary
- Banbury/Drayton boundary
- Banbury and surrounding area boundaries
- Bicester and surrounding area boundaries
- Chesterton/Bucknell/Bicester boundary
- Horley/Hanwell/Wroxton boundary
- Parish Councillor numbers review - Begbroke, Chesterton and Somerton parish councils
Regarding the Kidlington/Gosford & Water Eaton boundary review, the recommendation was that no changes be made to the parishes at the current time. This proposal has not moved forward to second consultation.
Regarding the Epwell/Sibford Gower boundary review, Epwell Parish Council withdrew their request for a boundary amendment, so this proposal has not moved forward to second consultation.
A CGR can:
- Change boundaries between towns/parishes
- Change existing town/parish Wards, or the creation of wards
- Change the electoral arrangements: the year of elections; the size of the town/parish council; the number of town/parish councillors
- Change the name of a parish
- Create a new town/parish council
- Abolish a parish council
- Change a parish meeting to a parish council, if there are more than 150 electors in the parish
A CGR can't:
- Change district council wards
- Change county division
- Change parliamentary boundaries
It is important to know that asking for an issue to be included in a review doesn't mean the changes will be made, it just allows us to carry out consultation on the issues. If a matter relating to a town/parish council isn't included in the published Terms of Reference at the start of the review, it won't be possible to add them later.