The City Solicitor will submit Document “D” which provides feedback from the Community Governance Review for a proposed new Local Council in the Windhill and Bolton Woods area which was triggered by receipt of a petition to the Council from local residents.  

Recommended-

That option 4 below be supported and that this be referred to Council at its meeting on 12 October 2021:

Due to the low level of representation Members may support undertaking a further review sometime in the future (no sooner than 12 months from now) if there are no Covid restrictions in place. Public meetings would also form part of the review. Following consultation with ward councillors, this is something they would support.

                                                (Damian Fisher – 01274 01274 437062)

Resolved-

That the following be referred to Council:

“That the Governance and Audit Committee do not support the proposal of a new Local Council being set up in the Windhill and Bolton Woods area due to the low turn out of representations as detailed in 3.5 of Document “D” and also with regard residents in Polling district 28F who didn’t identify themselves as living in Windhill and Bolton Woods. The council must have regard to the need to secure that community governance reflects the identities and interests of the community in that area and is effective and convenient.”

Action: City Solicitor

                                                            (Damian Fisher – 01274 437062)

The City Solicitor submitted Document “D” which provided feedback from the Community Governance Review for a proposed new Local Council in the Windhill and Bolton Woods area which was triggered by receipt of a petition to the Council from local residents.  

It was reported that 193 responses were received from 5916 electors which equated to a 3.26%   representation; out of the 193, 110 said yes and 83 said no.  The low level of responses was unusual taking into account 457 signed the original petition and also the previous level of representations in the previous Community Governance review in Shipley which was 12%.

It was also reported that residents that responded and lived in the Cote Farm area (28F) regarded themselves as living in Thackley and not the Windhill and Bolton Woods area and therefore, should not be included.

In response to Members questions it was reported that consideration of Windhill and Bolton Woods being combined with Wrose Parish Council when it was set up was looked at but residents did not want that and information on the precept was included in the consultation undertaken.

Resolved-

That the following be referred to Council:

“That the Governance and Audit Committee do not support the proposal of a new Local Council being set up in the Windhill and Bolton Woods area due to the low turn out of representations as detailed in 3.5 of Document “D” and also with regard residents in Polling district 28F who didn’t identify themselves as living in Windhill and Bolton Woods. The council must have regard to the need to secure that community governance reflects the identities and interests of the community in that area and is effective and convenient.”

Action: City Solicitor