The Council has received a Petition for a Community Governance Review of Stonebroom and as a result, we need to consider whether Stonebroom should have its own Parish Council and not be a part of Shirland and Higham Parish Council any more.
The Petition is valid and a review must now be carried out.
The Council has agreed the Terms of Reference and timetable (37kb | .docx) and Stonebroom Letter (.pdf | 1mb) and Stonebroom maps (.zip | 1.36mb) for the review.
To do this review effectively, the Council needs your views on whether you think there should be a separate Parish Council for Stonebroom or not and your reasons for such a view.
Following this initial consultation back in October/November 2022 and consideration of those views, the Council would like us to explore further residents’ views on whether you think there should be a separate parish council for Stonebroom or not and your reasons behind those views. The results of both surveys will be considered as part of the review by the Council later in the year.
Please read the Frequently Asked Questions below before answering the survey questions.
As part of this further consultation, the Working Party will be holding a public meeting at 6.00pm on Thursday 2nd March 2023 at Shirland Village Hall.
They are also attending a Shirland and Higham Parish Council meeting on Thursday 16th March 2023 at the same venue starting at 7.00pm.
- That any proposed arrangements reflect the identities and interests of the community.
- That any proposed arrangements are effective and convenient.
- The impact of community governance arrangements on community cohesion.
- The size populations and boundaries of a local community or parish.
All consultation responses will be considered by the Council as part of the review and will be made public.
Questionnaire responses to this latest consultation must be received by Friday 31 March 2023.
Complete the online questions to have your say.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Community Governance Review? A Community Governance Review enables a principal council such as North East Derbyshire District Council to review, put in place or make changes to town and parish council arrangements; for example, by creating, merging, abolishing or changing town or parish council boundaries.
What is Community Governance? Community Governance is the way in which local communities are represented at a local level through the involvement of community groups, local people and statutory and voluntary organisations. It provides the opportunity for local people to have some input into decisions which affect them.
Who undertakes a Community Governance Review? North East Derbyshire District Council is the principal council and is responsible for conducting such reviews. The Full Council will approve the Terms of Reference,
Review Timetable and approval of draft and final recommendations.
What is a Town or Parish Council? A Town or Parish Council is made up of Councillors who are democratically elected every four years. The Town or Parish Council will hold regular meetings to discuss issues which affect the area. Members of the public can attend the meetings. The Parish Council will have a Chairperson. The Parish Council will have a paid Clerk who implements decisions and provides independent advice.
What does a Town or Parish Council do? A Town or Parish Council represents the interests of its community by providing local services to meet local needs and improving the quality of life and community wellbeing. They are responsible for local issues such as allotments, footpaths, open spaces, community centres and supporting local crime initiatives.
How are Town and Parish Councils funded? Town and Parish councils are funded through a sum of money called a ‘precept’ – this is a separate charge which is added to the Council Tax and is collected by North East Derbyshire District Council on behalf of the Parish Council.The Town or Parish council sets its own precept to finance the services and facilities it provides.
How can residents have their say on the Community Governance Review? All interested groups and residents will be invited to give their views. Where changes to existing parish arrangements are proposed, we will consult with local residents by writing out to each household and holding a public meeting.
What is a parish council? Parish and town councils are one of the three tiers of local government, along with the county and district, borough or city councils. There are 204 parish and town councils in Derbyshire.
They can cover quite large populations and will often provide a wide variety of services that may include:
• leisure facilities
• supporting museums
• town centre closed circuit TV
• swimming pools
• parks
• maintaining closed Church of England churchyards
• providing and maintaining village halls and public buildings
• allotments
• burial grounds and cemeteries.
What services are parish councils responsible for? Parish councils are typically responsible for:
• maintaining their village hall
• providing allotments
• running galas and fetes
• maintaining their parish churchyard
• commenting on planning applications in their parish
• providing hanging baskets and providing Christmas lights.
Where do the parish council’s powers come from? A Parish Council can only do what statute allows them to do. Their powers are given by various pieces of legislation such as the Local Government Act 1972, the Local Government Act 2000, Charities Act 2011 and the Localism Act 2011. There are a number of other pieces of legislation that apply some of which are old – such as the Parish Councils Act 1957.
Parish Councils’ powers are generally different from those of District and County Councils.
How does a parish council work? Parish councils meet regularly to address their responsibilities. Apart from councillors, each parish council has a clerk who provides administration for the council. They generally employ few employees.
Parish councils will meet in their local village hall, school or community centre. Parish councils are responsible for managing their own budgets. They are financed through the precept, an amount of money calculated as an estimate for the coming financial year and collected as part of your Council Tax. This money is used to improve facilities and services for local people. Parish councils can also apply for other funding, such as grants and awards.
Parish councils actively encourage input from residents on what the community needs, so that they can budget for that activity.