Terms of Reference
Review timetable and additional information
Review Timetable
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 17 July 2025 | GBC Executive to consider a report and draft Terms of Reference for the CGR. If agreed, it may make an Executive recommendation to the Full Council. |
| 29 July 2025 | Full Council to consider the Executive recommendation and whether to grant approval to conduct a CGR |
| 5 August to 28 September 2025 | Formal Community Governance Review public and stakeholder consultation (1) |
| 29 September to 15 November 2025 | Evaluation and consideration of responses and formulation of draft recommendations |
| 9 December 2025 | Based upon outcome(s) of consultation (1), Full Council to consider whether to publish draft recommendations as to the future governance arrangements for the unparished area of Guildford. |
| 19 January 2026 - 21 March 2026 | Subject to approval above, further public consultation (2) on the Draft Recommendations. If these are for a new parish council(s) these would include a year one budget, precept, and electoral arrangements. |
| 21 March 2026 - 8 May 2026 | Pause for Shadow Unitary Authority Regulated Election period |
| 11 May to 30 June 2026 | Evaluation and consideration of responses and formulation of final recommendations |
| July 2026 | Final recommendations to be considered by the Full Council |
| August to September 2026 | Reorganisation Order made (if applicable) |
| May 2027 | Parish council elections to be held under any new arrangements that may be decided (if applicable) |
Consultation
Before making or publishing final recommendations, in line with legislative requirements, Guildford Borough Council will take full account of the views of local people. The Council (whilst still in existence) will do this by:
a) consulting local government electors for the areas under review;
b) consulting any other person or body (including a local authority or elected representative) which appears to the principal council to have an interest in the review;
c) considering any representations received in connection with the review
When taking account of written representations, the Council is bound to have regard to the need to secure that community governance within the area under review is;
a) reflective of the identities and interests of the community in that area; and
b) effective and convenient to the community in that area.
To ensure that this review is conducted transparently, as soon as practicable the Council will publish its recommendations and take such steps as it considers sufficient to ensure that persons who may be interested in the review are informed of the recommendations and the reasons behind them. This will consist of two phases of consultation. The first will seek initial views and desires of residents, groups, and stakeholders, and will form the basis of the draft recommendations. The second phase will seek views upon those draft recommendations, to allow final recommendations to be formed.
Consultation and awareness raising will consist of various communication methods, such as direct mailings, and media posts (digital and printed), and each will explain how residents and stakeholders can submit their views
Charter Trustee Areas
The Council will be mindful of guidance issued by Government that proposals to create a parish council covering all or any part of a Charter Trustee area should carefully reflect upon the following considerations:
a) the effect on the cohesiveness of the area
b) what are the other community interests in the area? Is there a demonstrable sense of community identity encompassing the Charter Trustee area? Are there smaller areas within it which have a demonstrable community identity and would be viable as administrative units?
The only unparished area of Guildford Borough is the urban area of Guildford. To preserve the historic property, privileges, rights and traditions presently enjoyed by the residents of the town, any new arrangements may establish a Charter Trustee area in the town. Trustees can carry out ceremonial functions, but they are not administrative units and would have no control over general functions or services.
Parish boundaries
The Council considers that 'natural' settlements or settlements as they are defined in the Local Development Framework should not usually be partitioned by parish boundaries.
The Council considers that the boundaries between parishes should where possible reflect identifiable physical barriers. These physical barriers might include natural boundaries such as rivers or man-made features such as railways or roads.
In any event the Council would endeavour to select boundaries that are, and are likely to remain, easily identifiable as well as considering any local ties which might be broken by the drawing of boundaries.
Electoral arrangements and councillor representation
If parish council creation is supported, an important part of the Review then is to consider the 'Electoral Arrangements'. GBC would determine how any new council is constituted for the parish, comprising the following:
- The ordinary year in which elections are held
- The number of Councillors to be elected to the council
- The division (or not) of the parish into wards for the purpose of electing Councillors
- The number and boundaries of any wards
- The number of Councillors to be elected for wards
- The name of any ward
The Local Government Act 1972 states that ordinary election of Parish Councillors shall take place in 1976, 1979 and every fourth year thereafter (i.e. 2019, 2023, 2027, etc.) Parish elections, however, may be held in other years to coincide with the cycle of the principal authority, so that election costs can be shared. If the review finds that it will be appropriate to hold an election for Parish Councillors, for a newly formed parish, at an earlier date than the next scheduled ordinary elections, the terms of office of any newly elected Parish Councillors would be so reduced as to enable the electoral cycle to revert to the normal cycle in that electoral area at the next ordinary elections.
The Council notes that the number of Parish Councillors for each parish council shall not be less than five. There is no maximum number and there are no rules relating to the allocation of Councillors. There are, however, guidelines produced both by the National Association of Local Councils and by the Aston Business School and the Council will be mindful of these during the review.