Ribbesford with Rock Parish Council Community
Governance Review:
Your questions answered
What are community governance
reviews?
Chapter 3 of Part 4 of the Local Government
and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 devolves the power to
take decisions about matters such as the creation of parishes and
their electoral arrangements form the Secretary of State and the
Electoral Commission to local government and local communities in
England.
Since 13 February 2008, district councils,
unitary county councils and London borough councils (principal
councils) have had responsibility for undertaking community
governance reviews and have been able to decide whether to give
effect to recommendations made in those reviews. In making that
decision, they will need to take account of the views of local
people.
The full text of the 2007 Act can be accessed
at: Local Government and Public involvement in Health Act 2007.
www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2007/ukpga_20070028_en_1
Principal councils are also required to have
regard to guidance on undertaking community governance reviews,
which has been published by the Electoral Commission.
The guidance can be accessed at:
Guidance on community governance reviews
http://www.lgbce.org.uk/__documents/lgbce-documents/guidance/community-governance-review-guidance.pdf
Why undertake a community governance
review?
A community governance review can be
undertaken in response to demographic changes such as a rise in
population, for example as a result of significant new housing
development.
A review can also be triggered if a petition
is presented to the principal council asking for a review to be
undertaken. The 2007 Act places a duty on principal councils
to respond to such a petition, sections 39-43 of the Act set out
prescriptive criteria, which the petition must meet in order to be
legally valid.
The objective of undertaking a community
governance review is to ensure that local governance will continue
to be effective and convenient and will reflect the identities and
interests of local communities.
Terms of Reference for community
governance reviews
The 2007 Act requires principal councils to
determine and publish the terms of
reference 
under which a community
governance review is to be undertaken. It also requires that the
terms of reference specify the area
under review . If any
modifications are made to the terms of reference, these must also
be published.
Who undertakes community governance
reviews?
As the principal authority, Wyre Forest
District Council is responsible for undertaking any community
governance review within its electoral area.
Current community governance
reviews
Rock Parish Council
List of
Functions carried out by Rock Parish Council
For more information contact:
Democratic Services, Wyre Forest District Council, Civic Centre,
New Street, Stourport on Severn, Worcestershire. DY13 8UJ
Email: elections@wyreforestdc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01562 732728