Community Governance Review - Stage One Survey

We are running a Community Governance Review to evaluate the way local communities are represented in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) and would like to hear your views before we make any decisions.

This Review is taking place following a decision made at Full Council(External link) on 15 October 2024. Government guidance advises that a review should be carried out every 10–15 years and there has been no full review of Bournemouth and Poole within this period.

At this first stage of the process, we are inviting existing parish and town councils, residents’ groups, community associations, neighbourhood organisations and individual residents to put forward their suggestions for their area.


Information Video

We have produced a video that outlines all the key details for the Review:


What is the purpose of a Community Governance Review?

A Community Governance Review is a legal process that gives residents and organisations an opportunity to share their views on the most suitable ways of representing the people at a community level.

The council believes that local councils can play an important role in community empowerment at a local level and wants to ensure that parish governance within the area continues to be robust, representative and is able to meet new challenges. We also want to ensure there is clarity and transparency in the areas that local councils represent and that the electoral arrangements of parishes are appropriate, equal and easy to understand for the public and key stakeholders.

Local councils includes all styles of councils including Town, Parish, Community, Neighbourhood and Village councils. All have the same responsibilities and functions.

What can a Community Governance Review change?

A Community Governance Review can make a number of changes to the way local councils are governed when there is clear evidence these changes would be an improvement, including:

  • Creating, merging, altering or abolishing parishes
  • The naming of parishes and the style of new parishes
  • The electoral arrangements for parishes (e.g., the ordinary year of election; council size, the number of councillors to be elected to the council, and parish warding);
  • Grouping parishes under a common council or de-grouping parishes.

The council needs to ensure that community governance in the BCP area will:

  • Reflect the identities and interests of the community in that area; and
  • Be effective and convenient.


Maps

Please use the maps below to view where existing polling districts, wards, parishes, and parish wards are:

All the existing polling districts and are also listed here. The same information for existing parishes can be found here.

You can view and download the following maps on the right-hand side of this page:

  • Individual polling district maps
  • Existing parish and parish ward maps

If you require a map to be printed and sent to you, please email cgr@bcpcouncil.gov.uk(External link) with your name and address.


Events

Several public meetings explaining the Community Governance Review process have taken place already both offline and online. You can view the Information Session that we ran on the 3rd December here(External link).


How to take part

Please tell us your views by:

  • Reading the information document and completing the online survey(External link)

  • Downloading a paper copy of the survey here and returning it to the address below by the deadline:

    Community Governance Review Survey, Research and Consultation Team, BCP Council, Civic Centre, Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth, BH2 6DY; or drop them into the 'Have Your Say' boxes in any of BCP’s libraries(External link).

  • Paper versions of the information document and survey are also available in all of BCP's libraries(External link)

  • Sending us your views to the email address below or writing to us at:

Head of Democratic Services (CGR), Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, Civic Centre, Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth, BH2 6DY.

  • If any community groups are holding meetings to discuss possible proposals and would like a council officer to come along to explain more about the process, please email us at cgr@bcpcouncil.gov.uk(External link), and let us know the date, location and time of your meeting.


The survey will close at midnight on 19 January 2025. If you have any questions or need the survey in a different format, please email cgr@bcpcouncil.gov.uk(External link). You can also refer to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) here.

Next steps

After the Stage One survey finishes, the Task and Finish Group of Councillors will carefully review all the responses received (Stage Two). They will then make draft recommendations which we will consult the public and interested parties on in March 2025 (Stage Three). You can view the full timeline on the right side of this page.

We are running a Community Governance Review to evaluate the way local communities are represented in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) and would like to hear your views before we make any decisions.

This Review is taking place following a decision made at Full Council(External link) on 15 October 2024. Government guidance advises that a review should be carried out every 10–15 years and there has been no full review of Bournemouth and Poole within this period.

At this first stage of the process, we are inviting existing parish and town councils, residents’ groups, community associations, neighbourhood organisations and individual residents to put forward their suggestions for their area.


Information Video

We have produced a video that outlines all the key details for the Review:


What is the purpose of a Community Governance Review?

A Community Governance Review is a legal process that gives residents and organisations an opportunity to share their views on the most suitable ways of representing the people at a community level.

The council believes that local councils can play an important role in community empowerment at a local level and wants to ensure that parish governance within the area continues to be robust, representative and is able to meet new challenges. We also want to ensure there is clarity and transparency in the areas that local councils represent and that the electoral arrangements of parishes are appropriate, equal and easy to understand for the public and key stakeholders.

Local councils includes all styles of councils including Town, Parish, Community, Neighbourhood and Village councils. All have the same responsibilities and functions.

What can a Community Governance Review change?

A Community Governance Review can make a number of changes to the way local councils are governed when there is clear evidence these changes would be an improvement, including:

  • Creating, merging, altering or abolishing parishes
  • The naming of parishes and the style of new parishes
  • The electoral arrangements for parishes (e.g., the ordinary year of election; council size, the number of councillors to be elected to the council, and parish warding);
  • Grouping parishes under a common council or de-grouping parishes.

The council needs to ensure that community governance in the BCP area will:

  • Reflect the identities and interests of the community in that area; and
  • Be effective and convenient.


Maps

Please use the maps below to view where existing polling districts, wards, parishes, and parish wards are:

All the existing polling districts and are also listed here. The same information for existing parishes can be found here.

You can view and download the following maps on the right-hand side of this page:

  • Individual polling district maps
  • Existing parish and parish ward maps

If you require a map to be printed and sent to you, please email cgr@bcpcouncil.gov.uk(External link) with your name and address.


Events

Several public meetings explaining the Community Governance Review process have taken place already both offline and online. You can view the Information Session that we ran on the 3rd December here(External link).


How to take part

Please tell us your views by:

  • Reading the information document and completing the online survey(External link)

  • Downloading a paper copy of the survey here and returning it to the address below by the deadline:

    Community Governance Review Survey, Research and Consultation Team, BCP Council, Civic Centre, Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth, BH2 6DY; or drop them into the 'Have Your Say' boxes in any of BCP’s libraries(External link).

  • Paper versions of the information document and survey are also available in all of BCP's libraries(External link)

  • Sending us your views to the email address below or writing to us at:

Head of Democratic Services (CGR), Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, Civic Centre, Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth, BH2 6DY.

  • If any community groups are holding meetings to discuss possible proposals and would like a council officer to come along to explain more about the process, please email us at cgr@bcpcouncil.gov.uk(External link), and let us know the date, location and time of your meeting.


The survey will close at midnight on 19 January 2025. If you have any questions or need the survey in a different format, please email cgr@bcpcouncil.gov.uk(External link). You can also refer to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) here.

Next steps

After the Stage One survey finishes, the Task and Finish Group of Councillors will carefully review all the responses received (Stage Two). They will then make draft recommendations which we will consult the public and interested parties on in March 2025 (Stage Three). You can view the full timeline on the right side of this page.

Page last updated: 17 Dec 2024, 10:35 AM