Frequently asked questions
What can a Community Governance Review (CGR) change?
A Community Governance Review can make a number of changes to parish governance when there is clear evidence to do so:
- it can make changes to parish areas - including: changes to boundaries between parishes, mergers of two or more parishes, creating a new parish out of part of one or more existing parishes
- it can make changes to electoral arrangements within parish areas - including: changes to the number of parish councillors, introducing or changing parish warding arrangements
- it can accommodate changing the name of a parish (though this can also be undertaken through a process under S75 of the Local Government Act 1972)
- it can accommodate the grouping together of parishes under a common parish council
Who carries out a CGR?
Coventry City Council is responsible for this within its electoral area.
Why and when is a CGR carried out?
The Council may schedule a review in response to a reasonable request from an individual, group or parish when it considers it practicable to do so, except those that are the result of a petition containing sufficient signatures which must be reviewed once the petition has been verified. The Council may also suggest a review when it considers it appropriate to do so.
Reasons for a Community Governance Review can include, but are not limited to:
- changes in population
- housing growth
- anomalous boundaries
- periodic reviews.
What do 'electoral arrangements' mean?
An important part of a review involves considering electoral arrangements. The term covers the way in which a council is constituted for the parish. It covers the:
- ordinary year in which elections are held
- number of councillors to be elected to the council
- division (or not) of the parish into wards for the purpose of electing councillors
- number and boundaries of any such wards
- number of councillors to be elected for any such ward; and
- name of any such ward. The government’s guidance is that “each area should be considered on its own merits, having regard to its population, geography and the pattern of communities,” and therefore the council is prepared to pay particular attention to existing levels of representation on the Borough Council, and the broad pattern of existing council sizes which have stood the test of time.
- The number of parish or community councillors for each council must be not less than five but can be greater
What is a parish council?
A parish (or Community, Neighbourhood or Village – if an alternative name is chosen) council is made up of members who are elected every four years. It will have regular meetings to discuss issues which affect the area which members of the public can attend. The parish council will have a Chair and a Clerk, who implement decisions, provide independent advice and administrative support.
What can a parish council do?
Parish councils represent the interests of their community by providing services to meet local needs and improving the quality of life and community well-being.
Through an extensive range of discretionary powers, which they can choose to exercise, parish and community councils can provide, maintain and support a variety of important and visible services.
An example of those services include:
- allotments, parks and open spaces
- bus shelters and community transport schemes
- community centres and leisure facilities
- crime reduction and community safety measures
- festivals, celebrations and tourism activities
- litter bins, street lighting and street cleaning
How are parish councils funded?
Parish councils are funded by a local government mechanism known as a precept. The precept is raised through a separate charge which would be added to your Council Tax bill and collected by Coventry City Council on behalf of the parish council. The parish council will decide how much funding they need in order to provide services and facilities for the benefit of the community.
The amount you pay will depend on the size of the parish council, the number and type of services that it chooses to provide, the number of properties across which it is spread and the Council Tax Banding of your property.
Does having a parish council make a difference to my Council Tax?
If you live in an area where a new parish council is proposed then yes, the changes may make a difference to your council tax.
This is because parish councils are funded by a precept (as explained above). The creation of any new parish council would change the funding requirements. The council tax you pay would change, depending on the services the parish council wanted to provide.
What is a parish council precept?
A precept is essentially a demand for a specific sum of money to be collected through the council tax system, which the parish council then uses to fund its operations.
How does a parish council precept work?
A parish council prepares a budget and determines how much funding they need for the upcoming year. They then submit a precept request to the billing authority, Coventry City Council will collect the precept amount as part of the council tax and pay it to the parish council.
On what grounds will a CGR be decided?
Any decision relating to parish arrangements must ensure that those arrangements:
- reflect the identity and interests of local communities
- ensure effective and convenient local governance.
Any other factors, such as council tax precept levels, cannot be considered.
Who makes the final decision?
If there are to be any changes to any parishes, a Community Governance Order would then need to be created. Full Council would need to approve the making of an order.
The meetings of the Council are open to the public and all documentation is available online - Browse meetings - Council - Coventry City Council.