Potential Community Governance Review of Windlesham Parish Council
Method
Online
Opening and closing date
Friday 16 August until 5pm on Monday 16 September
Consultation information
Background
In March 2024, Surrey Heath Borough Council (the council) received a request for a Community Governance Review of Windlesham Parish Council (parish council). The request asked for the council to create a new parish for the area of Windlesham village, thereby separating it from Bagshot and Lightwater to create a new parish with a new parish council. The need to focus the resources of the Borough Council on the General Election has caused a delay to addressing the request for a Community Governance Review, however work on determining the merit of this request has now commenced.
A Community Governance Review is a process that the council may follow in order to evaluate options for reorganising the parish council. This process would involve a much more detailed consultation with the public, in due course, if the council determines that it is appropriate to undertake such a review.
A reorganisation may, for example, change the boundary of the parish council or lead to the creation of new parish councils, or change the parish wards or remove a parish council entirely.
The council may undertake a Community Governance Review pursuant to section 82 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.
Windlesham Parish Council
Windlesham Parish Council is situated in the Borough of Surrey Heath and serves a population of approximately 17,000 people covering the three villages of Bagshot, Lightwater and Windlesham. The parish council’s address is The Council Office, The Avenue, Lightwater, GU18 5RG and comprises of 18 elected Parish Councillors.
The parish council manages 5 recreation grounds: School Lane Field and Freemantle Road in Bagshot; Windmill Field and Kings Lane in Windlesham and Lightwater Recreation Ground. In addition to these recreation areas, the parish council also owns and maintains the south side of High Curley which is a heathland area of special scientific interest. The parish council also owns 52 allotment plots which are leased and a map of the area is provided with this consultation.
The parish council administers a grants process, which supports local sports and recreational facilities within the parish and provides financial assistance to local voluntary and charitable organisations. The parish also reviews planning applications within the parish area, making representations to the relevant planning authorities.
Parish councils are funded through Council Tax and is known as a parish precept. The parish precept for Windlesham Parish Council equates to £60.31 for a Band D property with a total of £505,000 collected in the 2024/25 financial year to fund the activities of the parish council.
Purpose of this consultation
The purpose of this consultation is to seek preliminary views and responses from the public to help inform the council on whether it would be appropriate for it to undertake a Community Governance Review of Windlesham Parish Council.
The council considers that it is essential to understand residents' views on some important issues which would assist the council in its decision-making on proceeding with a review.
The public's views are one important factor which the council must balance against several factors such as the views of the community within the parish council and the potential benefits and disbenefits a review may provide, including one-off and ongoing cost implications.
Results
The intention is that the council will collate and evaluate all responses to this consultation which would then, in turn, assist and inform it to make a decision on whether to undertake a Community Governance Review.
If the council does decide to undertake a review, there will be a separate and more detailed consultation to inform it on what may be appropriate outcomes of the review. At this stage, the council is only seeking preliminary views from residents.
Whilst this consultation is directed primarily at residents of Surrey Heath, the council welcomes responses from stakeholders such as other public sector bodies and local community groups, charities and businesses.