Parish Council Community Governance Review
Why is the Council undertaking the review?
The Local Government Boundary Commission began a review of North East Lincolnshire Council’s Ward boundaries in Spring 2024, with this process scheduled to be completed by Autumn 2025. The new Ward boundaries will come into operation with effect from the June 2026 elections.
Prior to that review, the Boundary Commission advised the Council to conduct a Parish Council community governance review as Parish Council boundaries form polling districts and these polling districts need to be incorporated into the Ward review.
Scope of the Community Governance Review
At Council on 25 May 2023, North East Lincolnshire Council agreed the following scope for the review:
- Creating, merging, altering or abolishing parishes.
- The naming of parishes and the style (i.e., whether to call it a Town council or village council, etc.) of new parishes.
- The electoral arrangements for parishes – the ordinary year of election, the size of the council, the number of councillors to be elected and parish warding.
- Grouping parishes under a common Parish Council, or de-grouping parishes.
Terms of reference (Word, 49KB) for the community governance review.
Timetable for the Review
| Date(s) | Meeting/Task | Actions | Papers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 May 2023 | Council (after AGM) | – Agree Terms of Reference for Review – Delegate Communities Scrutiny Panel to carry out the review and submit its recommendations to Council | Special Meeting | Democracy |
| 2 June to 28 July 2023 | Consultation | Eight weeks for consultation. | N/A |
| 15 August 2023 | Communities Scrutiny Panel | Consider feedback and draft recommendations for Council to consider. | Special – Communities Scrutiny Panel | Democracy |
| 7 September 2023 | Special Council | Consider report from Communities Scrutiny Panel and agree draft recommendations for further consultation. | Special Meeting of North East Lincolnshire Council | Democracy |
| 8 September to 3 November 2023 | Consultation | Eight weeks for consultation. | N/A |
| 23rd November 2023 | Communities Scrutiny Panel | Consider feedback and determine final recommendations for Council to consider. | Special – Communities Scrutiny Panel | Democracy |
| 14 December 2023 | Council | Consider report from Communities Scrutiny Panel and instigate changes to Parish Council electoral arrangements and/or request a further period of consultation if one or more further changes are proposed. | Council | Democracy |
| 15 December to 26 January 2024 | Consultation | Six weeks for consultation on Barnoldby Le Beck/Waltham parish boundary | N/A |
| 22 February 2024 | Communities Scrutiny Panel | Consider feedback and determine recommendations for Council | Communities Scrutiny Panel | Democracy |
| 14th March 2024 | Council | Consider report from Communities Scrutiny Panel and make final recommendation on parish boundary | Council | Democracy |
Outcome of the Review
At Council on 14 December 2023, Members agreed the following:
- That, with the exception of Immingham Town Council, Barnoldby Le Beck Parish Council and Waltham Parish Council, the governance, and electoral arrangements of all of the current parish councils in North East Lincolnshire remain unchanged.
- That no new parish or town councils be established in North East Lincolnshire at this time.
- That, for Immingham Town Council, no change be made to the existing governance and electoral arrangements, with the exception of the Town Council Wards which will be changed from the current three Town Wards to a North and South Town Ward split along Pelham Road (as per the map in Appendix 1), with 7 Town Councillors representing the North Town Ward and 8 Town Councillors representing the South Town Ward. These changes will be implemented with effect from the next full Immingham Town Council elections in May 2027.
Reason for decision
Immingham Town Council had an electoral imbalance between the Town Wards and no change was not an option. The suggested Town Ward proposal from Immingham Town Council was supported by those who responded to the consultation.
During the second period of consultation, given a number of requests to change the Parish Council boundary between Barnoldby Le Beck and Waltham parish councils, the Council agreed to undertake a further period of consultation on four options. Download the map (PDF, 401KB) and view the options.
At Council on 14th March 2024, Members agreed the following relating to the parish boundary between Barnoldby Le Beck and Waltham parish councils:
- To support option 2 (move five properties from Waltham parish to Barnoldby Le Beck parish) for the proposed new parish boundary between Waltham and Barnoldby Le Beck parish councils, with Bradley Road made the new parish boundary with effect from the May 2027 parish council elections.
Reason for decision
- Bradley Road would be a clearly defined boundary line between the two parishes, which was a requirement of the guidance from the Secretary of State and Local Government Boundary Commission for England in 2010.
- It would cause less disruption to residents of both parishes, with only 5 properties moving parish.
- Removing 71 out of 186 properties from Barnoldby Le Beck parish for option 3 could have a considerable impact on the viability of the parish and, in particular, its finances.
Following the completion of the Parish Council Community Governance Review, the Public Notice (Word, 20KB) sets out the decisions made and the reasons for those decisions. The links to the committee reports and minutes in the table above will provide further information on the evidence submissions received during the three consultation phases; provide a summary of the debate and key issues; and explain how decisions were reached by Elected Members.
To conclude the review, the Assistant Director Law and Governance has now created the North East Lincolnshire Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2024 (PDF, 3MB) . This will come into force from 1st April 2027 and the changes will be implemented from the Parish Council elections in May 2027.
Contact details
Elections, Municipal Offices, Town Hall Square, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN31 1HU
Telephone: 01472 324160