Community Governance Review - Southill

Parish and ward information (Southill Broom ward)
Southill (Broom ward) parish topic Value
Number of councillors 6
Electorate as of 1 May 2025 480
Forecast electorate for 2030 480
Current ratio of electors to councillors 80
Forecast ratio of electors to councillors 80
Central Bedfordshire average ratio of electors to councillors 331
Parish and ward information (Southill Southill ward)
Southill (Southill ward) parish topic Value
Number of councillors 3
Electorate as of 1 May 2025 241
Forecast electorate for 2030 246
Current ratio of electors to councillors 80
Forecast ratio of electors to councillors 82
Central Bedfordshire average ratio of electors to councillors 331
Parish and ward information (Southill Stanford ward)
Southill (Stanford ward) parish topic Value
Number of councillors 3
Electorate as of 1 May 2025 204
Forecast electorate for 2030 206
Current ratio of electors to councillors 68
Forecast ratio of electors to councillors 68
Variance from average across the council -81%

Southill parish has a parish council. It is warded and has 12 seats on the council. The planned forecast development to March 2030 is estimated at a further 4 dwellings which will generate approximately an additional 7 residents over the next 5 years.

The parish boundary adjoins the neighbouring parishes of Biggleswade, Campton and Chicksands, Clifton, Haynes, Langford, Old Warden and Shefford. The parish, together with the parishes of Moggerhanger, Northill and Old Warden are coterminous (i.e. they border each other in the same area) within the Central Bedfordshire ward of Northill.

Broom ward – seats and candidates
Number of seats 6
Number of candidates in 2023 5
Number of candidates in 2019 4
Number of candidates in 2015 3
Number of candidates in 2011 5
Southill ward – seats and candidates
Number of seats 3
Number of candidates in 2023 3
Number of candidates in 2019 1
Number of candidates in 2015 2
Number of candidates in 2011 3
Stanford ward – seats and candidates
Number of seats 3
Number of candidates in 2023 3
Number of candidates in 2019 3
Number of candidates in 2015 3
Number of candidates in 2011 2

As can be seen from the tables above, there has not been a contested election since the creation of Central Bedfordshire. The elections in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 had insufficient candidates and consequently the candidates were elected without contest. The vacant seats were authorised to be filled by co-option.

Parish/town council initial proposal for consideration for the 2025 review

As discussed previously, Southill Parish Council would like to remove the ward system from the council and still have 12 councillors representing the parish.