Byfleet Parish Council

Following the introduction of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, Woking Borough Council now has the power to conduct its own community governance reviews, and the ability to establish or abolish parish councils without the Government's consent

Reviews of Byfleet Parish governance arrangements were carried out in 2003 and in 2006. Following the last review, the Council agreed that it should exercise the power of review as soon as the legislation permitted. Woking Borough Council is now carrying out a community governance review of Byfleet.

Local government needs to reflect the identity and interests of a local community. Woking Borough Council provides services and represents the interests of a number of different local communities within the Borough, including Byfleet. We want to improve community engagement in all our neighbourhoods, but we want to know what role, if any, Byfleet Parish Council will play in the future. Byfleet is already represented by three Borough Councillors and it shares a County Councillor with West Byfleet.

Parish councils are separate and self-governing entities, occupying their own space in the local government structure. They can provide a voice for local issues, deliver some local services and some are entrusted with carrying out functions on behalf of a larger authority. What powers a parish council exercises are decided locally and practices vary throughout the country. Parish councils need offices and staff and these costs, plus the costs of any services they provide, have to be recovered by an additional charge to council taxpayers.

Byfleet Parish Council was set up in 1989 after local residents supported its creation. It is the Borough's only parished area, and it is divided into three parish wards, each represented by three parish councillors.

For several years after its creation, the Parish Council operated on modest lines and engaged in relatively low-level functions. During these years, the cost of running these parish functions was charged to Byfleet residents. The Parish Council last issued a precept for the financial year 2003-2004. This was for a total of £55,000 and it presented an additional £19.56 on top of the Council Tax charges for Byfleet residents living in a typical Band D property. No precept has been levied since the 2003/2004 financial year.

At the first contested elections for the Parish Council, held on 1 May 2003, nine parish councillors were elected, all of whom had campaigned to abolish the Parish Council. The Parish Council passed a resolution for its own abolition on 30 May 2003.

The Borough Council then conducted a review of parish arrangements. Following that review, abolition was recommended to the Government which concluded that the case for abolition was insufficiently robust and at odds with the Government's general commitment to the parish tier.

In the autumn of 2006, the Borough Council undertook a formal survey of community opinion in Byfleet for the continued existence of the Parish Council. The survey received 1,347 replies from a total of 5,394 mailed electors, a response rate of 25%. In total, 71% of respondents favoured governance arrangements for Byfleet without a parish council, against 29% who opted for governance with a parish council.

The last elections to Byfleet Parish Council were held in May 2007. Nine parish councillors, who campaigned on a platform of abolishing the Parish Council, were elected uncontested.

In response, the Parish Council has scaled down its operations to the legal minimum. It is not providing services, representing views or spending any money.

All electors in Byfleet, Surrey County Council, Byfleet Parish Council and local public and voluntary organisations were contacted in October 2009 to ascertain their views.

Following the consultation, it has been recommended that:

1. The Parish of Byfleet should be abolished; and

2. Byfleet should not continue to have a Parish Council.

A report will be considered by the Council at its meeting on 10 December 2009. A copy of the report is available to view.