East Horsley and Effingham Community Governance Review

Why carry out a Community Governance Review?

We received a request from East Horsley Parish Council for a community governance review to alter the parish boundary between East Horsley and Effingham in the vicinity of Effingham Common, and increase the number of parish councillors to be elected to East Horsley Parish Council from nine to twelve.

The area under review is the area of the borough of Guildford comprising the parishes of East Horsley and Effingham.

The parish of East Horsley is located within the Clandon and Horsley ward of Guildford Borough Council. It is also located within the Horsleys Division of Surrey County Council and forms part of the Mole Valley Parliamentary Constituency.

The parish of Effingham is located within the Effingham ward of Guildford Borough Council. It is also located within the Horsleys Division of Surrey County Council and forms part of the Mole Valley Parliamentary Constituency.

View a map of the parish councils below.

What do parish councils do?

To understand the role of parish councils, please see a Summary of the general powers and duties of parish councils. [24.22KB]

What was this consultation about?

We consulted the public on the request from East Horsley Parish Council, which was

1. To alter the existing boundary between the parishes of East Horsley and Effingham in the area close to Effingham Common, as set out in the Map

As the effect of 1. above, is also to alter the borough ward boundary between Clandon and Horsley ward and Effingham ward, the change can only be implemented if the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, on the recommendation of the borough council, approves the change.

2. To increase the number of parish councillors elected to East Horsley Parish Council from nine (9) to twelve (12).

If approved, the change will come into effect on the date of the next scheduled parish council elections in May 2023.

Why was this request made?

The Parish Council's reasons for moving the parish boundary are set out below:

(a) To remove anomalies where the settlement has outgrown its historic boundaries and to establish new clearly-defined boundaries tied to firm ground features; and

(b) To support the identity and interests of the local community.

The Parish Council's justification for the increase in the number of parish councillors is set out below:

(c) To reduce the workload on individual councillors and;

(d) To seek to improve diversity on the parish council.

For the purposes of this review, we are also required by law to make recommendations on other related "electoral arrangements" in respect of East Horsley Parish Council and Effingham Parish Council, as follows:

1. the year in which ordinary elections of parish councillors are to be held;

2. the division (or not) of the parishes into wards for the purpose of electing parish councillors;

3. the number and boundaries of any such wards;

4. the number of parish councillors to be elected for any such ward;

5. the name of any such ward.

In relation to (1) above, Guildford Borough Council proposes that no change be made to the year of ordinary elections, as they currently coincide with borough council elections and elections to other parish councils in the borough.

In relation to (2) to (5) above, the introduction of 'wards' would mean that each parish councillor would be elected by voters living within a particular area (or ward) within the parish, and they would represent those voters on the parish council. The Borough Council proposes that, irrespective of the outcome of this community governance review:

(a) East Horsley parish should continue to be unwarded, i.e. no change be made. East Horsley Parish Council supports this proposal;

Effingham parish should continue to be divided into two wards "North Ward" and "South Ward", i.e. no change be made. Effingham Parish Council supports this proposal.

Electorate forecast

At the time Guildford Borough Council considered the request to carry out this community governance review, the Local Government electorate for the parish of East Horsley was 3,437 and the Local Government electorate for the parish of Effingham was 2,066.

For the purpose of this review, we are required to forecast the expected growth in the electorate for the parishes of East Horsley and Effingham for the next five years.

East Horsley

There are currently outstanding planning permissions (permitted but not completed, including those commenced) for 20 homes in the parish of East Horsley. The Local Plan/Land Availability Assessment provides for 115 homes within 5 years, making a total of 135. There are no Neighbourhood Plan sites forecast within one to five years.

Effingham

There are currently outstanding planning permissions (permitted but not completed, including those commenced) for 299 homes in the parish of Effingham, of which 204 are expected to be built within the next 5 years. The 2017 Land Availability Assessment identifies sites with an estimated capacity to deliver 36 homes within 5 years. The Effingham Neighbourhood Plan identified an additional site, making a total of 245.

Consultation

The deadline for the consultation has now closed.

• We will not publish your personal information, however, in the interests of openness and transparency, we will make available for public inspection full copies of all representations that we take into account as part of this review.

• All personal information submitted to us during the course of the consultation will be destroyed once the matter has been determined by us.

What happens next?

In arriving at the final recommendations, we will take account of the views of local people and any other person or body who appears to have an interest in the Review by judging them against the criteria set out in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 and associated government guidance.

We will take steps to notify consultees of the outcome of the review by publishing all decisions taken, together with reasons, on our website (and ask East Horsley and Effingham Parish Councils to publish the same on their website), through general press releases, and by placing key documents on public deposit at Guildford Borough Council's offices and at the offices of East Horsley and Effingham Parish Councils.  

If any change to the electoral arrangements for East Horsley and Effingham Parish Councils is approved, a Community Governance Reorganisation Order will be made to give effect to the change.

Community Governance Review timetable

A Community Governance Review must, by law, be concluded within a 12-month period from the day on which the Borough Council determines to proceed and agrees the terms of reference and ending on the day on which the Council publishes its final recommendations. The proposed timetable for the East Clandon Community Governance Review is set out below: