Community Governance Review - Print version

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.

Why is the City council undertaking a Community Governance Review?

The City Council is carrying out a review for the following reasons:

• a valid petition was received in February 2026 which asks Coventry City Council to change the Allesley Parish Council boundary to remove the built-up areas of Eastern Green, Pickford Green and Brownshill Green from the parish
• the petition area is adjacent to Keresley parish and therefore may have some implications for this parish
• there is also some large scale new developments in these two parishes which can be considered as part of the review. The Council will take account of committed residential development and forecast electorate growth when considering future governance arrangements, to ensure recommendations remain effective beyond the immediate review period
• additionally, the Council has a duty to keep its area under review. The government’s guidance states that it is good practice for councils to conduct a Review every 10 to 15 years and a significant period has elapsed since the parish arrangements in our area were last assessed

The review will be overseen by the Council, with all formal decisions required by the legislation being made by the Council in line with the Council’s constitution.

The review will comply with the legislative and procedural requirements set out in the 2007 Act, as well as statutory guidance. This includes guidance produced jointly by The Department for Communities and Local Government and the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) and issued under section 100 of the 2007 Act.

The petition received in relation to Allesley details the following:

“Change the Allesley Parish Council boundary to remove the built-up areas of Eastern Green, Pickford Green and Brownshill Green from the parish.”

The following maps and accompanying commentary were submitted by the petitioners to explain the areas that they were concerned about and what they wished to happen as part of the review:

Brownshill Green (Browns Lane)

Boundary to be redrawn around properties on Richard Seedhouse Drive, Nursery Walk and Anthony Pillage Way as shown by the orange line.

Blue line indicates existing parish boundary.

Brownshill Green (Tamworth Road)

Boundary to be redrawn around properties on Tamworth Road and Hollyfast Lane as shown by orange line.

Blue line indicates existing parish boundary.

We recommend this part becomes unparished.

Brownshill Green (Hawkes End)

Boundary to be redrawn around properties on Hawkes Mill Lane and Ted Pitts Lane as shown by orange line.

Blue line indicates existing parish boundary.

Pickford Green and Eastern Green

Boundary to be redrawn along A45 as shown by orange line.

Blue line indicates existing parish boundary. Red line indicates ward boundary. Green line indicates city boundary.

We recommend Pickford Green and Eastern Green (south of A45) becomes unparished.

Terms of reference for Allesley and Keresley Community Governance Review

The terms of reference for the review can be viewed on Terms of Reference - Community Governance Review - Allesley and Keresley [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/8691/terms-of-reference---community-governance-review---allesley-and-keresley].

Timetable for the review

Present structure of parishes and their electoral arrangements in the review area

Present structure of parish governance in the area

Currently Allesley Parish Council consists of polling districts Ag, Ac and Sc. Ag and Ac are in Bablake Ward and Sc is in Woodlands Ward, this is following the Local Government Boundary Review (LGBR) which was implemented at the elections in May 2026. Prior to that all of Allesley Parish was in Bablake Ward. Keresley Parish Council is within the Bablake Ward and consists of one polling district Ae.  The remainder of Bablake Ward and Woodlands Ward are unparished.

1.  Allesley Parish Council are set to have 8 Councillors following the LGBR, 2 for Allesley Ward and 6 for Eastern Green Ward, serving an electorate of 1,137.  This equates to a ratio of 142 electors to one Councillor, the LGBCE based their recommendation on the forecasted electorate as at 2029. This is due to developments in the Eastern Green area which are either under construction or not yet started. 
2. Keresley Parish Council currently has five elected Councillors, serving an electorate of 1,839.  This equates to a ratio of 368 electors to one Councillor.

Allesley Parish Map (4 areas in red are the subject of the petition)

Keresley Parish Map

Consultation process

There will be 2 stages to the consultation process. The initial consultation for Allesley considers the proposals put forward by the petitioners and asks for any other suggestions that interested parties with the council to consider as part of the review. For Keresley it asks for suggestions if any that interested parties would like the council to consider as part of the review.

The second stage will be once the council has considered the responses to the initial consultation and has made draft recommendations to the future arrangements of the 2 parishes. The council when then carry out a further consultation to seek views on the draft recommendations.

How do I respond to the consultation?

You can respond to the consultation via the Council's Lets Talk site - Community Governance Review | Let's Talk Coventry [https://letstalk.coventry.gov.uk/community-governance-review]

Who is being consulted?

The consultation is publicly available to any interested persons and groups in the affected area. This includes:

• local residents
• community groups
• businesses and local organisations 
• neighbouring councils and the County Council 
• local politicians – MP and councillors
• other stakeholders – this will include schools, hospitals, religious institutions and any community group that may be impacted

What can local residents and community representatives add to this process?

Local residents and community representatives can add to this process by telling us:

• what they think governance arrangements in their area should look like, and
• whether any proposed changes would reflect community interests and promote cohesion and strong and inclusive local governance.

How will the options be judged?

Government guidance indicates that a good CGR should assess the options considering:

• effective engagement with the local community at neighbourhood level
• a sense of civic pride and civic values
• strong leadership
• a strong, inclusive community and voluntary sector
• a sense of place with a positive feeling for people and local distinctiveness
• the ability of local authorities to deliver quality services economically and efficiently in an area that is of that size

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 

Read more about the role of parish and community councils from the National Association of Local Councils (opens in a new window) [https://www.nalc.gov.uk/about/parish-and-town-councils.html]. 

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 .