Town and parish councils are the first tier of local government. They play a vital role in engaging with local people and helping to shape their communities.
Further information on all the town and parish councils in North Somerset is available on our contacts page.
A Community Governance Review is an opportunity for us to review and make changes to the governance in our area. We use it to make sure that governance arrangements are working as efficiently and effectively as possible.
We involve the public, town and parish councils, and any other interested parties. We ask them whether they feel their communities are suitably represented. We also ask whether town and parish councils would like to see any changes made to current governance arrangements.
We have the power to undertake such reviews under:
We are required to consult with
We must consider all representations we receive during the review's periods of consultation. It will make all representations available for public viewing.
A Community Governance Review can make several changes when there is clear evidence to do so.
This can include:
A Community Governance Review cannot
We are undertaking a full review of all parish and town councils within our area, in line with the government's recommendation to carry out a review every 10-15 years.
Our online consultation survey is now available.
You can also download paper copies of the survey, which can be returned to:
Electoral Services, Town Hall, Walliscote Grove Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1UJ.
If you are a community group and you are holding meetings to discuss possible proposals, we can help. We can send a council officer to come along to explain more about the process.
If you are interested in this, please email us at electoral.services@n-somerset.gov.uk and let us know the date, location and time of your meeting.
A Community Governance Review is a 12-month process that requires two lengthy rounds of public consultation. You can find the timetable for this year's review on this page.
| Date | Action |
| 28 Feb | The terms of reference are published – this officially begins the review. |
| Feb-Apr | First public consultation – this is an opportunity for any interested parties to have their say by completing the online survey. |
| May-Jun | Officers will review all submissions and use them to shape any draft recommendations it feels appropriate. |
| Jun | Draft recommendations to be agreed by North Somerset councillors at the June Planning and Regulatory Committee and approved for publication on Friday 20 June. |
| Jun-Sep | Second public consultation - interested parties can have their say on the draft recommendations. The survey for this second round of public consultation will open on Friday 20 June and close at midnight on Tuesday 30 September. |
| Oct-Nov | Officers will review all submissions and use them to shape any final recommendations it feels appropriate. |
| Nov | North Somerset councillors discuss and agree final recommendations at the November planning and regulatory committee. |
| Nov | A reorganisation order, which will give effect to any changes made following the review, will be published on Friday 21 November. |
Please see our parish boundaries map to see our existing parishes
If you require a map to be printed and sent to you, including parish ward boundary maps, please email electoral.services@n-somerset.gov.uk with your name and address.
We have created some guidance documents to assist you with submitting your response.
Using data from our planning department, this document forecasts the number of electors in each parish area in the next five years.
This document outlines:
If there is any more information you require to help you respond to the consultation, please email electoral.services@n-somerset.gov.uk.