Agenda item

To provide an update to the Charter Trustees of Taunton on the process and expected timeline of a Community Governance Review.

The Clerk to the Charter Trustees introduced this item which provided an update to the Charter Trustees of Taunton on the process and expected timeline of a Community Governance Review. It also included a brief overview of the legislation underpinning the Community Governance Review and included the Government guidance document for reference.

The Shadow Council had made a resolution in March 2018 when deciding to create a new Council that:

·       “A Community Governance Review of the Unparished Area of Taunton be commenced at the earliest opportunity (taking into consideration the guidance from both the Local Government Boundary Commission for England and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government).”

There was a process that had to be followed but the Charter Trustees and the community could petition the District Council to influence the Terms of Reference of said Community Governance Review, but this could be triggered by the District at any point without having to receive such a petition.

During the discussion of this item, Members made comments and asked questions which included:-

·       Councillors had sought further clarity on a timetable for this process and to how it was to be resourced to undertake this piece of work and this had been raised with the CEO of the District Council.

·       It was noted that Councillors in other localities in the District were keen to address this anomaly.

·       The anomalous boundaries around the edges of the Unparished Area would needed to be reviewed as part of this process.

·       It was stated that the potential for Borough Status could be explored of for the District of Somerset West and Taunton or for the Town Council, which would have to be obtained by Royal Assent.

·       It was felt that the previous consultation on the creation of a new Council had not been as effective in reaching people. The people of the Town needed an opportunity to have the facts laid before them to enable them to make their own conclusions and perhaps a Citizens Assembly was a suggested method of undertaking this.

·       A query was raised as to how long the process of undertaking the review?

·       The Monitoring Officer confirmed that the review would be around 12 to 18 months in duration, but that any new Parish or Town Councils could not be officially stood up until the next Elections were due in May 2023. A Communication and Engagement Strategy would form part of the Review process with members of the public, local Councils and other stakeholders that would not only use digital tools but traditional methods as well to be as inclusive as possible.

·       Governance Review requests had already been received from other Parish Councils in the locality of Somerset West and Taunton, so it could make sense to undertake a wider review of the District at the same time.

·       A further report would be brought back to the next meeting on the potential timescales and it would be a Standing Item at each meeting of the Charter Trustees.

·       It was suggested that the whole Council needed to get behind this Review, and Councillors from all parties would need to take this to their political groups and build good will and make it truly cross-party and unbiased. It was suggested that this be raised at Group Leaders meetings.

·       It was suggested that when the implications of this were understood a presentation on the Community Governance Review be created for Councillors to present back to their own communities.

RESOLVED that the Charter Trustees of Taunton:-

a)    Requested that the District Council urgently undertake to devise a timetable and identify the resources needed for a Community Governance Review of the Unparished Area of Taunton.