What is a Community Governance Review (CGR)?
A community governance review (CGR) is the process to consider whether existing parish council arrangements should be changed in any way, or to consider introducing parishes where they don’t currently exist.
This can include:
- the creation of a parish area
- separating an existing parish council
- the name of a parish council
- altering boundaries of an existing parish areas
- changes to the electoral arrangements (e.g. changing the number of councillors)
- whether a parish should be grouped or de-grouped
- the dissolution of a parish council
When carrying out a CGR, the Council should reject any proposals which it has reason to believe will act against the interests of either the local community or surrounding communities, particularly where the effect would be likely to damage community cohesion. It is also desirable that any new arrangements do not upset historic traditions but do reflect changes that have happened over time, such as population shift or additional development, which may have led to a different community identity.
We have the power to undertake such reviews under Part 4 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 and the relevant national guidance document.