Residents are being asked to have their say on proposed changes to arrangements for some of West Suffolk parish and town councils.
A consultation was carried out by West Suffolk Council in February after changes to County Council division boundaries, meant some parish and town council areas no longer matched the new divisions. The Council also asked for parish and town councils and other organisations to come forward with any other anomalies to parish arrangements which could be addressed as part of the review.
The views from that consultation has now been used to draw up new proposals and residents are being asked to have their say on these community created suggestions. The consultation runs until 30 June 2022 and the recommendations can be viewed at http://www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/community/cgr-west-suffolk-district-2021-22.cfm
The proposed changes will affect the arrangements in the towns of Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill and Newmarket and villages of Rushbrooke with Rougham, Stanton, Bardwell, Barningham, Wickhambrook, Denston, Red Lodge, Worlington and Withersfield.
Cllr Carol Bull, Portfolio Holder for Governance for West Suffolk Council, said: “We want to thank everyone who took part in the earlier consultation and their views have had a direct bearing on the draft proposals being put forward. Some of the changes will help to iron out anomalies with boundaries in the towns and villages and will ensure that local governance arrangements continue to be reflective of the identity and interest of local communities.
“The consultation runs to the end of June, and we will be writing direct to households in the areas affected by proposed boundary changes. The residents are at the heart of whether these changes take place, and we look forward to receiving their comments. We will also be consulting with parish and town councils and other stakeholders with an interest in community governance.”
The recommendations are focussed on potential improvements to the warding arrangements for the town councils in Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill so that, where possible, they may match with the current district ward and the new county division boundaries. There are other issues being consulted on which were identified through the earlier consultation with parish and town councils and other stakeholders.
More information about the Community Governance Reviews is available at https://www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/cgr