Community Governance Review - stage 2 - Flitwick

Responses from consultation

Town council: to abolish the East and West wards and to reduce the numbers to 15 councillors

10 responses

Comments:

“Flitwick has 17 councillors, and it has been exceptionally difficult to maintain this number throughout the current and the previous term. We have co-opted but still have three vacancies. I would like to see an election in 2027 to give the council a mandate for further change and to have the burden of constantly recruiting and inducting new councillors removed. 13 would be ideal, although the council would only resolve to request a reduction to 15.”

“To prevent co-opting.”

“Flitwick Part (East) and Flitwick Part (West) align with the Mid Bedfordshire District Council wards and have no relevance to our community. The splitting of the town into two parish wards is divisive, with the east side of the railway incorporating the second most deprived area in Central Bedfordshire. We do not work this way as a group of councillors, preferring to see Flitwick as a complete community.”

“Flitwick should be 1 not 2 areas.”

Feedback received through the public consultation was mixed in relation to the warding arrangements and the numbers of councillors. These views have 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 Flitwick should remain unchanged
2. that the parish is unwarded
3. that the number of parish councillors on Flitwick Town Council is reduced from 17 to 13

Reasons 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. The warding changes also provide the opportunity to ensure effective and convenient local government.