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Frequently Asked Questions

What is community governance?

Community Governance is about how arrangements are made for the purposes of community representation or engagement in respect of a defined local community. It ensures that individuals and groups within a community are heard and able to influence decisions that affect their area. In parished areas, everyone should be able to clearly identify with the parish they live in. There is no 'correct' size for a parish, but it should cover an area where people share a community identity and common interests, and of a size that can function effectively.

What is a community governance review?

A community governance review (CGR) looks at whether existing parish council arrangements should be changed. It can also consider creating a new parish where one doesn't currently exist. 

A CGR can look at:

  • the creation of a parish area  
  • separating an existing parish council 
  • the name of a parish council 
  • altering boundaries of an existing parish area
  • changes to the electoral arrangements (for example changing the number of councillors) 
  • grouping or ungrouping of parishes
  • dissolving a parish council so it no longer exists.

When carrying out a CGR, the Borough Council must consider what is in the best interests of their local communities. Proposals that could harm community cohesion or negatively affect neighbouring areas should be rejected.

Any changes should respect local history and traditions, while also recognising communities may have changed over time, for example through population growth or new development, that has shaped a different community identity. 

The Council has the legal power to carry out these reviews under Part 4 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, along with the relevant national guidance.

Who undertakes CGRs?

Guildford Borough Council is responsible for carrying out CGRs within the Guildford borough area.

What do 'electoral arrangements' mean?

As part of a CGR, the Council must look at the electoral arrangements for a parish. This is the way the parish council is set up and how its councillors are elected.

Electoral arrangements include: 

  • the year in which elections will take place
  • how many councillors will be elected to the council 
  • whether the parish should be divided into wards for elections
  • the number and boundaries of any wards 
  • the number of councillors to be elected to any ward
  • the name of any ward that is created

Government guidance states that "each area should be considered on its own merits, having regard to its population, geography and the pattern of communities." This means the Council will look carefully at how the community is currently represented, as well as the typical size of parish councils in the area, which has generally worked well over time.

A parish council must have at least five councillors.  There is no maximum number.

How much does a CGR cost?

The cost of a CGR can vary because every review is different. The final cost isn't known until the review is completed. 

What are terms of reference?

The Council is required by law to draw up Terms of Reference for a CGR. This document sets out what the review will cover and how it will be carried out. At the very least, it must identify the area being reviewed and be published for residents to see.

Terms of Reference can include:

  • the purpose of the review
  • the issues that will be considered
  • the timetable and procedures to be followed.

The terms of reference for a community governance review (PDF, 423 KB)were published in July as part of the first stage of the CGR.

How long does a CGR take?

The first stage of consultation took place between Tuesday 5 August and Sunday 28 September 2025.

Feedback from residents during that stage helped shape the recommendations presented to Full Council on 9 December 2025 as well as the proposal and questionnaire being used in the second stage of consultation.

The second stage consultation is taking place between Tuesday 6 January and Sunday 1 March 2026.  The full Council will consider the outcome of this consultation and decide on its final recommendations in respect of the CGR in Mid-March 2026.

What is a ward? 

A ward is an administrative division of a borough that typically elects, and is represented by, a councillor or councillors. Guildford Borough is currently split into 21 wards, ten of which are located in the unparished urban area of the town.

Your existing borough councillors are elected to represent those wards on the Council. Similarly, parish councils may be divided into parish wards to represent residents living in each of those wards.

What is a parish area?

Parish areas are geographic areas which are governed by parish councils. 'Parish area' is the formal title.

What is a parish council?

A parish council is made up of councillors who are elected every four years. The council meets regularly to discuss local issues, and members of the public can attend. Each parish council elects a parish councillor to be its Chair and appoints a Clerk to implement decisions and provide independent advice and administrative support. 

Except in the urban area of Guildford, there are currently 23 parishes in Guildford borough, 22 of which have a parish council.

Is there an option to create a town council for Guildford?

No. A CGR cannot directly create a town council. Although the new council must initially be set up as a parish council, it could decide to call itself a 'town council'. It could then have a ceremonial 'Mayor of Guildford'.  Other than the name, and the ability to have a Mayor, there is no difference between a town council and a parish council.  Both have the same statutory powers and can provide the same services.

What can a parish council do?

Parish councils' powers, rights and responsibilities are more limited than a borough council or a future West Surrey unitary authority. However, they can play a vital part in representing the interests of local people, improving quality of life and the local environment.

To begin with, a new parish council would have responsibilities for things like allotments and representing the community on planning matters.

Later it could negotiate with the new unitary authority, landowners and other partners to take on more responsibilities.

Some examples of what other parish councils look after:

  • allotments
  • local arts, events and landmarks
  • community safety
  • tourism and heritage assets
  • street lighting
  • cemeteries
  • parks, playing fields and outdoor gyms
  • drainage
  • lidos and paddling pools
  • village greens
  • community centres
  • litter
  • nature reserves
  • public toilets
  • war memorials
  • flagpoles
  • seats and bus shelters.

What relationship do parish councils have with local church parishes?

Parish councils and church parishes are completely separate organisations. A parish council is a civil local authority responsible for representing the community and managing local services. A church parish, on the other hand, is an administrative area of the Church of England.

Although the two types of parish sometimes cover the same geographical area, they are not connected in how they operate or make decisions.

What are the benefits of having a parish council?

If created, the new parish council would have a strong connection to local communities, providing local services and aiming to bridge any gap between residents and the new, much larger, West Surrey unitary authority. Guildford residents would then have the same local representation as people living in all other areas of Guildford borough.

The new parish council would be run by parish councillors - local people, elected by residents.

Parish councillors provide an invaluable local presence:

  • engaging with residents and businesses to find out what's important
  • championing what matters to local people
  • influencing decision-making in other tiers of local and central government
  • one of the councillors could be elected to become the ceremonial 'Mayor of Guildford' each year, maintaining an ancient local tradition.

Would my council tax increase if a parish council is created?

Setting up a parish council will affect council tax bills. The amount added to council tax bills to fund a parish council is called a 'precept'.

Parish councils set their own precept, which pays for the running of the parish council and the services it provides.

The precept for a new Guildford Parish Council is estimated to bebetween £60 and £100 for a Band D property for the first year. That's about £5 to £8.34 a month.

Why is a precept important?

Parish councils rely on the precept as their main source of funding, as they do not receive direct funding from central government. Without the precept, they would be unable to carry out their responsibilities, such as maintaining local amenities, providing services, and representing the community.

Could the amount of council tax I pay go up?

There is no cap on the minimum or maximum precept, or how much it can change in any one year. The parish council could increase its precept each year to fund more services or lower it if providing less services.

The newly elected parish councillors would need to:

  • decide what services they wish to offer
  • seek any necessary consents from the incoming West Surrey unitary authority, landowners, or other organisations
  • then decide how much to raise via council tax to fund those services.

How much do other parishes charge their residents?

In England:the Average Band D precept for parish and town councils for 2025-26 is £92.22.

In Surrey: the Band D precepts for the four town councils for 2025-26 are:

  • Farnham: £83.45
  • Godalming: £122.15
  • Haslemere: £58.26
  • Horley: £55.21

In larger parish councils in Guildford Borough: the 2025-26 Band D precepts are:

  • Ash: £78.52
  • Effingham: £105.87
  • Normandy: £113.71
  • Ripley: £115.56
  • Shere: £108.27
  • Worplesdon: £103.34

Some councils in the country set much higher precepts. Given the size of Guildford as a town, it's possible that that a Band D precept could rise over time to be more than the amounts shown above.

Do businesses have to pay the precept?

No, businesses are subject to business rates, which are calculated separately from Council Tax. 

Are parish councillors paid an allowance?

It is possible for parish councils to approve a scheme of allowances for parish councillors taking into account any recommendations from an independent panel. Although most parish councils in Guildford borough do not pay an allowance, some do reimburse certain costs to parish councillors. 

When would the first elections to any new parish be?

If created the first elections to any new parish council are likely to be in May 2027, with elections held every four years thereafter. 

Is there an ideal number of councillors for a parish council?

The legal minimum number of councillors is five. The National Association of Local Councils considers this to be inconveniently small.  

In the stage two consultation, we're proposing 24 councillors based on the following wards and numbers of parish councillors to be elected to those wards:

  • Bellfields and Slyfield: two councillors
  • Burpham: two councillors
  • Castle: three councillors
  • Merrow: three councillors
  • Onslow: three councillors
  • St Nicolas: one councillor
  • Stoke: three councillors
  • Stoughton North: two councillors
  • Stoughton South: two councillors
  • Westborough: three councillors

What are Charter Trustees? 

Guildford has held the status as a borough, granted by royal charter, since the 13th century. This status was transferred to the current Borough Council after the previous reorganisation of local government in 1974, and it allowed the chair of the Council to continue to take the title of Mayor. Charter Trustees are set up to ensure the continuation of a town or city's charter after a district with borough or city status is abolished. The primary purpose of Charter Trustees is to ensure the preservation of civic, historic, and ceremonial traditions - such as having a mayor - until a civil parish council or town council is established.  

Why are we carrying out a CGR now?

Guildford Borough Council resolved on 29 July 2025 to carry out a Community Governance Review (CGR), to consider the creation of a parish council in the unparished urban area of Guildford.  This is happening because of Local Government Reorganisation which on 1 April 2027 will see the formation of a new unitary authority for West Surrey, and the abolition of the existing county council and borough councils within the geographical area of West Surrey.

On 1 April 2027, there will be no lower tier of local government below that of the new West Surrey unitary authority in the unparished urban area of Guildford. 

How can people have their say?

Residents in the Guildford Town area have until Sunday 1 March 2026 to respond to the CGR questionnaire. (opens new window)

Their feedback will help shape what we decide to do next. We can decide to set up a parish council or leave the area unparished.

What can local residents and community representatives add to this process? 

In the first stage of consultation, residents and community representatives told us:

  • what they thought governance arrangements in their area should look like, and
  • whether any proposed changes would reflect community interests and promote cohesion and strong and inclusive local governance.

In this round of consultation residents and community representatives can tell us whether they agree with:

  • the proposal to create a new parish area (Guildford Parish) and a new parish council (Guildford Parish Council), with the associated precept (extra council tax)?
  • the proposed warding arrangements (wards matching the existing borough ward boundaries)
  • the proposed names for the parish area, council and wards
  • the proposed number of councillors

What is being proposed for the stage two public consultation? 

The stage two consultation is seeking views on the following draft recommendations:

  • Create a parish area called 'Guildford' to cover the ten wards that are currently unparished.
  • Form 'Guildford Parish Council' to serve the parish area.
  • Name the ten parish wards the same as the existing ten borough wards.
  • Elect 24 councillors to represent the ten wards that make up the parish area.
  • Charge a precept (a new increase to the amount of council tax paid by each household) to pay for the running of the parish council and the services it may provide.

Will the proposals change the current school catchment areas?

No, these will remain the same and are set by Surrey County Council currently and will be set by West Surrey Council after May 2027.

How will this CGR affect local services in my area? 

The convenience and quality of services provided at parish level is an important consideration. A CGR will need to consider how local services for new and existing residents would be shaped, and whether this would allow a parish council to deliver quality services and to represent the community's interests effectively. It will be important to consider that users of parish services will have a democratic voice in the decisions that affect them, as well as a fair share of the costs.

Does there need to be a minimum number of replied to the public consultation for the Council to progress with CGR? 

No.

How many people responded to the first consultation on CGR?

1,116 responses were received during the first stage of the public consultation. Of those, 58% supported the creation of a new parish council.

What is a Reorganisation Order?

The CGR will be completed when the Council publishes its final recommendations, which will be followed by the making of a Reorganisation Order. The Order will specify when it will take effect for financial and administrative purposes, and when the electoral arrangements for a new parish council will come into force.

Do other Surrey borough and district councils have parish councils? 

Yes. There are currently 87 parishes across Surrey. You can find a map of the current parishes in Surrey (opens new window) on the Ordnance Survey Election Maps site. The black lines show the parishes and the pink line is the border of Surrey County.

There are also other Surrey authorities who are carrying out CGRs, to potentially parish parts of their areas. 

How can I keep up to date with the progress of the review?

You can keep up to date with the review by visiting the CGR consultation page our website.