REVIEWING PARISH BOUNDARIES – Your views are needed
Uttlesford intends to start reviewing parish boundaries in the following two locations:
-
Foresthall Park where the existing historic parish boundary between Birchanger and Stansted follows a seemingly random course over the site of the new residential development, in some cases dividing properties in the same street between different parishes; and
-
Priors Green where the residential development is divided between the parishes of Little Canfield and Takeley, although in this case the boundary does not divide individual properties or streets.
Whether or not you live at one of these locations, we are anxious to hear your views. In particular, the Council is keen to hear from you to find out about the feeling of local community identity both within and beyond the two residential sites concerned.
The review will start on Monday, 16th August and you will have until Thursday, 30th September to submit your views.
Parishes and parish boundaries are meant to reflect areas where there is a common community of interest and identity. The purpose of this review is to identify where administrative boundaries should be drawn to enable proper expression to be given to the various communities and to their representation in each of the parishes concerned.
For example, the old boundary between Birchanger and Stansted may no longer reflect the gradual extension of Stansted village southwards from the historic core of the village around Lower Street and Chapel Hill. It is also clear that some degree of confusion exists among new occupiers of both Foresthall Park and Priors Green about where the present boundary lies and therefore which parish council represents them.
Apart from the need to reflect community identities, it is important to ensure that any confusion that may presently exist is removed and the position clarified to the greatest extent possible.
Possible options for the outcome of the review have been identified as follows:
-
Leave things as they are (probably the least likely outcome at Foresthall Park, but potentially feasible at Priors Green).
-
Tidy up the boundary (in the case of Foresthall Park) so that it does not pass through houses or roads, and reflects community values on the ground.
-
Create a new, separate parish of Foresthall Park and/or Priors Green (only if it can be demonstrated that one or both residential sites represents a separate community, with its own community of interest and identity, distinct from the surrounding village communities).
-
Transfer the entire extent of the new residential areas into one or other of the two parishes concerned in each case.
The Council will evaluate all responses received up to the end of September. If you want to give your views at this stage, you are encouraged strongly to submit a proposal describing where and how your local community interest is expressed (for example through participation in local clubs and social activities) and identifying precisely where the parish boundary should be drawn to reflect those community values.
Uttlesford will then publish some draft proposals for consultation in early November 2010 and will consult you directly on whether either the published proposal or an alternative arrangement should be adopted. You will be asked to make your views known about these proposals by no later than 1 February 2011.
These responses will again be evaluated and tested and the Council intends to approve final proposals for change in March 2011. If any changes to boundaries are agreed, a reorganisation order will be made in June 2011, although the changes may not come into force until a later date to be agreed.
District and Parish Council elections are due to be held in May 2011. Unfortunately, it is very unlikely that any agreed changes will be made in time for those elections. Uttlesford has planned the timing of this review deliberately so that community identities can be properly tested and to ensure that the final outcome will stand the test of time for very many years to come.
The worst possible outcome would be to make a quick change that will not provide a satisfactory long-term boundary solution.
Please therefore consider carefully what you would like to see happen to your community and tell us what you think.
Any views, comments or questions you have during the review should be sent to Peter Snow at psnow@uttlesford.gov.uk, telephone 01799 510430. Peter is the Committee and Electoral Services Manager at Uttlesford. Alternatively, they may be sent to Linda Bunting on lbunting@uttlesford.gov.uk.
27 July 2010