Community Governance Reviews: Allerdale

Workington Town Council asked Allerdale Borough Council to carry out a governance review on the Workington Parish. 

The review looked at two areas:

• the electoral ward boundaries
• the number of councillors on Workington Town Council

What was the old situation?

Currently there are 30 town councillors representing 11 wards in the parish of Workington. It has been like this for some years.

Who carried out the review?

The review was carried out by a working party composed of the 15 town councillors who are also Allerdale Borough Council councillors.

This working party consulted on the current situation and then proposed any changes deemed necessary. After consulting on these changes, the recommendations went to Allerdale Borough Council's Full Council meeting for consideration on 5 December 2018.

What happened with the consultations?

The first stage of the consultation ended on 31 May 2018. 

As a result of the result of the consultation it was proposed that the boundaries change to reflect the old Workington Town Council boundaries; that there should be eight wards; and the number of councillors should fall to 25.

A second stage consultation ended on 31 October 2018. This looked at changes to these ward boundaries and the number of councillors as proposed by the Working Group.

The consultation also asked for your views on whether there should be a separate parish council for the Moorclose area, because we received a petition from residents of Moorclose asking us to consider this proposal.  

Moorclose parish council?

Cllr Stephen Stoddart presented a petition requesting that Moorclose be a seperate parish from Workington Town Council. This proposal was integrated with the work of the working group for consideration. The working group provided no recommendation on this, when it was considered at Council on 5 December 2018.

Outcome of the review

At the Council meeting of 5 December 2018, councillors agreed to alter the ward boundaries and number of councillors on Workington Town Council in accordance with the recommendations of the working group. This will now go to the Boundary Commission for consideration before any changes, if agreed, occuring in the May 2019 local elections.

Councillors also voted against an additional amendment to the plans, which was to make Moorclose a separate parish from Workington Town Council.

Allerdale Borough Council was asked to carry out a review of Winscales Parish Council. The review looked at:

• the electoral arrangements of Winscales Parish Council in respect of warding of the parish
  The results of the first stage consultation showed that residents were keen to keep their parish council for Winscales. A second stage consultation was held on these proposals.

Outcome of the review

Council agreed in its meeting of 5 December 2018 to maintain Winscales parish council as it is as per the working group's recommendations.

Allerdale Borough Council was asked to carry out a review of Embleton Parish Council. The review looked at:

• the electoral arrangements of Embleton Parish Council in respect of warding of the parish
  The consultation for the review started on 6 July 2018 and has now ended.

Outcome of the review

The Council agreed in its meeting of 5 December 2018 to unward Embleton parish as recommended.

Allerdale Borough Council was asked to carry out a review of Keswick Town Council in 2018. The review looked at:

• whether to recommend any amendments to the Keswick parish boundary

Consultation

We consulted on whether to bring certain parts of neighbouring parishes into the Keswick Town Council area. 

Outcome of the review

Council agreed at its meeting of 5 December 2018 to change the boundaries of Keswick town council area as recommended.

Allerdale Borough Council was asked to carry out a review of Broughton Parish Council in 2018. The review looked at:

• The electoral arrangements of Broughton Parish Council in respect of the number of councillors representing the parish.

The consultation on the community governance review began on 6 July 2018 and has now ended.

Outcome of the review

Council agreed at its meeting of 5 December 2018 to change the number of councillors as recommended.

Allerdale Borough Council received a valid petition from local government electors in the Flimby Ward of Maryport Town Council seeking a Community Governance Review with the view to establishing a separate parish council for Flimby.

The written request is:

‘We the undersigned residents of Flimby want community representation and to have the opportunity to influence decisions within our ward and to have local input with the running of the area in which we live and to implement our own independent Parish Council’.

Residents and stakeholders of Flimby and Maryport could contribute to this review by engaging with public consultations.

The first consultation ran from 7 November 2022 to 24 December 2022.

Consultation on the proposals

The first consultation ran from 7 November 2022 to 24 December 2022.

This consultation has now closed.

Allerdale Borough Council received a Community Governance Review (CGR) application following resolution at the Council Meeting held on 15 June 2022.

Embleton and District Parish Council resolved to submit a request to reduce the number of seats on the Council from 13 to 9.

Residents and stakeholders of Embleton and District Parish Council Area – Embleton, Wythop and Setmurthy could contribute to this review by engaging with public consultations.

The consultation ran from 12 December 2022 to 13 January 2023.

Following this consultation Allerdale Borough Council made final recommendations to the new Shadow Cumberland Council who made the final decision, this is as per the Structural Changes Order (Cumbria 2022).

Allerdale Borough Council received a Community Governance Review (CGR) application following resolution at the Council Meeting held on 07 September 2022.

Allhallows Parish Council resolved to submit a request to reduce the number of seats on the Council from 11 to 8.

Residents and stakeholders of Allhallows Parish Council Area - Baggrow, Fletchertown, Mealsgate and Watchhill could contribute to this review by engaging with public consultations.

The consultation ran from 12 December 2022 to 13 January 2023.

Following this consultation Allerdale Borough Council made final recommendations to the new Shadow Cumberland Council which made the final decision, this is as per the Structural Changes Order (Cumbria 2022).

If Cumberland Council make the decision to amend the Councillor numbers the changes will be reflected for the Parish Elections Scheduled for May 2023.