Second round of consultation on parish council boundaries approved

A second round of consultation into plans that could see parish councils being created, abolished, merged or altered has been agreed as Telford & Wrekin Council pledges to listen to responses.

One thing that the Boundary Review Committee cannot do is completely wipe away town and parish councils, which some respondents to a first round of consultation had wanted, councillors heard.

Councillors were told that Telford & Wrekin Council “should not remove that layer of Government” which the government in Westminster wants to remain in place.

A meeting on Monday was told that one of the factors that needs to be considered is the the size, population and boundaries of a local community or parish.

Many areas of Telford are seeing lots of housing development, including Muxton, which is set to get its own parish council and a divorce from Donnington.

Members heard pledges that the borough council wants to encourage as many people as possible to give their views, and they are listening.

Among the proposals are the abolition of Dawley Hamlets Parish Council, and the carving up of Little Dawley, Horsehay, Doseley, Lightmoor, Aqueduct and parts of Lawley which will go into other areas.

Husband and wife DHPC councillors Bob and Sue Wennington both attended Monday’s meeting but did not give a reaction. The council had proposed no change and has its annual meeting scheduled for next Wednesday, May 21.

One of the other proposals is the creation of a parish council to cover the big new community being created in Priorslee. It would mean separating it from St George’s which would become part of a new area.

Councillor Rachael Tyrrell (Conservative) represents Priorslee on Telford & Wrekin Council. She said she is “personally thrilled” at the prospect of a new authority. She was attending in the public gallery as she does not sit on the committee.

“I am personally thrilled to bits,” she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. “It would mean that the council could focus on what is a new, a large and still expanding estate.

“I wish St George’s well but Priorslee has little in common with that older community.”

One of the emerging issues are proposals to make Wellington Town Council much bigger by absorbing Admaston and Bratton.

It would mean Wellington Town Council could have an electorate of 20,021 served by 25 councillors in nine parish wards, an increase from 17,231 served by 21 parish councillors in eight parish wards.

One of the possible knock on effects of that could be the creation of a new Wrockwardine and Little Wenlock Parish Council to replace those two councils. It may also include Rodington to make a huge new rural patch.

Other issues set to be resolved when the committee discusses following the end of consultation on July 14 are whether Horton should remain in Hadley & Leegomery or be part of another, rural parish.

Anthea Lowe the council’s director of Policy & Governance said it was “critically important” to get all views to enable a “fair representation” of the issues.

The public consultation will involve a social media campaign, the involvement of the local media and drop in sessions at libraries.

Councillor Richard Overton (Labour, St George’s) the council’s deputy leader, said the proposals put forward so far are “only draft recommendations”. He wanted to give people the chance to be consulted on a range of options.

Councillor Overton told the committee he has been a parish councillor for 30 years. He currently chairs St George’s and Priorslee Parish Council which could be split up and rejigged under the proposals.

The committee voted unanimously to proceed to the next round of consultation.

Councillor Tim Nelson, (Newport North) the leader of the Conservative group on the borough council, said he wanted changes to be made with the consent of parish councils involved.

“They should not have things done to them, it should be done with them,” said Councillor Nelson, who was in the public seats.

His group was not represented at the formal meeting, which had been rearranged following an extension of the first consultation period, and Councillor Gareth Thomas (Conservative, Wrockwardine) was not able to attend.

Councillor Nelson said he had been told that the rules did not allow him to name a substitute member, or replace Councillor Thomas as his group’s representative.