Community Governance Review - stage 2 - Totternhoe

Responses from consultation

Parish council: Totternhoe Parish Council has undertaken a Government Review as proposed under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 and the guidance issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

The parish council examined its boundaries and reviewed their relevance in reflecting local identities and considered that in one area the boundary between the parish and Dunstable had become anomalous.

The existing boundary between the parish and the Badgers Gate development on the western edge of Dunstable follows the byway open to all traffic which leads from Dunstable Road, Totternhoe to the byway known as Green Lane. The boundary is our view should follow the field boundary adjacent to Badgers Gate houses instead. The field is within the Green Belt that washes over Totternhoe and is in the ownership of a Totternhoe farmer.

5 responses

Comments:

“Reduced to 7 as ratio is high and have uncontested elections.”

“Totternhoe parish is fine as is however the council need’s younger representation as current councillors are stuck in their ways and nothing of significance ever gets done. The key issue is speeding through the village which needs speeds bumps. Other villages get them why not Totternhoe?”

“The shame is most of our parish councillors have been on the PC for years and are now elderly, it really now does desperately need new people elected. The challenge is to get people to step up.”

Feedback received through the public consultation indicated a preference to retain the current level of representation and to make no other changes. 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 Totternhoe should remain unchanged
2. that the number of parish councillors on Totternhoe Parish Council is reduced from 9 to 7

Reason for recommendations

The recommendation to reduce the number of councillors is made in accordance with the terms of reference due to the number of councillors being disproportionate to the electorate or to avoid uncontested elections and the subsequent need to co-opt members to fill the outstanding vacancies.