Community Governance Review - stage 2 - Studham

Responses from consultation

Parish council: “Studham Parish Council has found there is no beneficial reason to change, alter or amend existing governance arrangements for Studham at this time, this includes no boundary change across neighbouring parishes and no change in the number of member seats for Studham Parish Council.”

6 responses

Comments:

“Studham PC should include Oldhill Wood. The residents have a Studham postal address but are in Whipsnade parish.”

“Potential to merge with neighbouring parishes.”

“Reduce the number and ensure they reduced number represent the whole parish not just small pockets of it where they live.”

“The parish council has a chair who is not representing the views of the whole parish and has a personal agenda. There is no agreed personnel panel authorised by the council to deal with appointments just a chosen few who are invited to join the chair at events other members have no idea about. Issues where the chair should recuse herself from discussion are dealt with as part of the comms the chair deals with.”

Feedback received through the public consultation indicated a preference to retain the current level of representation although there were mixed responses in relation to the boundary arrangements. This view has been considered alongside the working group’s rationale to ensure that any final draft recommendation reflects the aims of the terms of reference as well as the views of the community.

Draft recommendations

1. that the parish name of Studham should remain unchanged
2. that the number of parish councillors on Studham Parish Council remain unchanged at 7

Reason for recommendations

The current arrangements reflect effective and convenient local government in addition to the current number of councillors being proportionate to the size of the area.