[T]he public are being invited to take part in the second phase of public engagement that forms part of Eden District Council’s Community Governance Review, which looks at how Parish Councils and Parish Meetings are run. Parish Council and Parish Meetings are the form of local government that is closest to local communities.
The first phase of consultation took place between November and December 2017, when local residents and Eden’s 72 Parish Councils and Meetings were asked for their views about how they could improve the way the parishes work.
44 Parish Councils and meetings responded to the first phase of consultation with 12 seeking to make changes to their governance arrangements. A Working Group of District Councillors, chaired by Councillor Dougie Banks reviewed their suggestions.
The Community Governance is been overseen by Eden District Council’s Deputy Chief Executive, Matthew Neal, who said: “I would like to thank everyone who has responded to the Community Governance Review so far. All your comments have been considered, as we drew up recommendations. These recommendations have been put forward as part of the 2nd phase of the Review, which is now underway with Parish Councils and Parish Meetings who wish to make changes to the way they work. Full Council on 15 February 2018, approved the recommendations put forward by the Review Group. We are now arranging public meetings in local communities to discuss these proposals in the coming week and are very keen to hear people’s views.”
The recommendations that were agreed by Full Council and which are now out for further public engagement are:
- Barton Parish Council with regard to increasing the number of Councillors within Barton Parish (which is currently five) and changing the name of the council to ‘Pooley Bridge Parish Council’;
- Brougham Parish Council and Temple Sowerby Parish Council with regard to merging the two Parish Councils;
- Castle Sowerby Parish Council with regard to exploring the viability of retaining the parish council but separating the parish boundary into 2 wards;
- Crackenthorpe Parish Meeting and Long Marton Parish Council with regard to merging the two parishes, with Crackenthorpe becoming a one member ward within Long Marton Parish Council;
- Dacre Parish Council with regard to reducing the number of councillors (which is currently eleven) within Dacre Parish;
- Helbeck Parish Meeting and Brough Parish Council with regard to merging the 2 parishes;
- Hutton Parish Council and Greystoke Parish Council with regard to Motherby village being placed wholly within Hutton Parish, and ensuring that the parish boundaries are coterminous with the District Ward boundaries;
- Kirkby Thore Parish Council, Newbiggin Parish Meeting and Temple Sowerby Parish Council with regard to exploring boundary changes requested by Kirkby Thore Parish Council;
- Murton Parish Meeting with regard to exploring whether the Parish Meeting should have the name ‘Hilton’ included in the parish name;
- Ousby Parish Council with regard to splitting the Parish into two separate Parish Councils, ‘Ousby Parish Council’ and ‘Melmerby Parish Council’;
- Thrimby Parish Meeting, Little Strickland Parish Meeting and Great Strickland Parish Council with regard to either Thrimby merging with Little Strickland Parish Meeting or both Thrimby and Little Strickland merging with Great Strickland Parish Council; and
- Penrith Town Council with regarding to reducing the number of councillors within the Town Council from 19 to 15.
Matthew Neal, added: “Parish Councils and Parish Meetings are the form of local government that is closest to local communities. The Council is carrying out this work because the structure of parishes within Eden has not been subject to a review of this kind since April 1974.
“The District Council is visiting a number of Parish Councils from March to 31 May 2018, to gauge the response to the recommendations that form part of the 2nd Phase of the Community Governance Review. The meetings will give the Parish Councillors and the public the opportunity find out more information and give their views. Anyone not able to attend any of the meetings can contact us directly to give their views.”
The current schedule of meetings is given below: (please note: These meetings are subject to change, please check the Council’s website for updates www.eden.gov.uk/communitygovernancereview).
| Parish Council | Venue | Date of meeting |
| Dacre Parish Council, | Waterfoot Park | Monday 19 March 7pm |
| Brougham Parish Council, | Postponed | Postponed |
| Hutton Parish Council, | Penruddock Village Hall | Wednesday 28 March 7.30pm |
| Kirkby Thore Parish Council | Venue to be confirmed | Monday 2nd April 2018 (provisional date and time to be confirmed) |
| Great Strickland Parish Council, | Great Strickland Village Hall | Monday 30 April 7.30pm |
| Greystoke Parish Council, | Greystoke Village Hall | Tuesday 1 May 7.30pm |
| Long Marton Parish Council, | Knock Mission Room | Wednesday 2 May 7.30pm |
| Brough Parish Council, | Venue to be confirmed | Monday 14 May 7pm |
| Murton Parish Council | Venue to be confirmed | Monday 14 May (tentative) |
| Penrith Town Council | Venue to be confirmed | To be confirmed |
The District Council will also be scheduling public meetings at Ousby, Melmerby and in Penrith, at a date to be confirmed. The Council will be writing to those who live in the areas covered by Parish Meetings, asking for comments, and inviting them to attend meetings already set up with Parish Councils.
The Council encourage members of the public who live in potentially affected parishes to contact us with any comments, to enable us to get a full picture to take forward to the working group which will meet once this period public engagement has concluded.
For more information about the Community Governance Review including a response form visit www.eden.gov.uk/communitygovernancereview or email: communitygovernance@eden.gov.uk
