Buckinghamshire Council rejects governance review call

Summarised from Bucks Free Press's report · Updated 21 Oct, 06:14 · Archive

Buckinghamshire Council has rejected a proposal for a countywide governance review to examine town and parish council arrangements.

Buckinghamshire Council's standards and general purposes committee rejected a motion seeking a countywide community governance review. The proposal had called for examining whether existing boundaries and arrangements properly reflected communities, with consultation involving residents, parish councils and community groups before recommendations were brought forward.

Committee members argued there was no clear case for a countywide review and that individual requests could already be considered. Cllr Martin Tett described the approach as 'a bit of a sledgehammer to crack a nut that doesn't exist', saying none of the five parish councils in his ward wanted a review. Council officer Tom Fowler said government guidance recommended countywide reviews every 10 to 15 years, and Buckinghamshire Council, formed in 2020, would ordinarily consider a comprehensive review during a future council term.

Following the decision, Cllr Khalil Ahmed, who proposed the motion, accused the council of using the recommended interval as a reason for inaction. 'Six years into the life of the new unitary authority, it is reasonable to ask whether the current arrangements are delivering the right level of local representation,' he said. The council could still assess individual requests, while a petition meeting the required threshold could require a review.

Read the report

• Council review rejected as High Wycombe campaigners demand greater voice for the townBuckinghamshire councillors rejected a countywide governance review, sparking criticism from campaigners seeking a High Wycombe town council.Bucks Free Press · 21 Oct, 05:00

In this story: Buckinghamshire Council · High Wycombe · Khalil Ahmed · Martin Tett · John Chilver

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