WHBC Full Council to consider second consultation on the establishment of a parish council for Welwyn Garden City
Proposals for a second consultation on the establishment of a parish council for Welwyn Garden City will be considered by WHBC's Full Council when it meets on 16 September.
The proposals have been developed by WHBC officers in light of the findings from a consultation in May and June this year which showed that there is community support for the creation of a parish council for Welwyn Garden City. Full Council will consider the responses from the first consultation together with other relevant factors when making its decision on whether to begin the second consultation which would be live from 17 September to 31 October. The process of establishing a new parish council is known as a Community Governance Review. Once established, the parish council could choose to be called a town council.
The consultation in May and June explored whether creating a new parish council for Welwyn Garden City would benefit residents. There were 2,703 responses to the consultation, and the results showed that 95% of respondents agreed that there is a need for the Council to strengthen and enhance community engagement and empowerment for residents within Welwyn Garden City. A parish council was favoured by 93% of respondents over other forms of representation. In addition, 92% of respondents said they supported a new parish council for Welwyn Garden City and acknowledged that it would be funded from several sources, including Council Tax from residents of Welwyn Garden City, compared to 8% who said they did not.
Welwyn Garden City is the only area in Welwyn Hatfield which does not have a parish or town council. The role of a parish council is to focus on localised activities like organising local events, local community projects and providing allotments where there is a local need, although their functions and responsibilities vary.
Councillor Kieran Thorpe, Executive Member for Governance, said:
“It is clear from the results of the consultation in May and June that there is support for the creation of a new parish council for Welwyn Garden City. We now need to consult on some of the details involved with the establishment of the parish council and subject to approval by Full Council, this consultation will start on 17 September. Thank you to everyone who shared their views with us in the first consultation. This next stage of consultation is essential for gaining a broader local perspective on whether the proposal should move forward. I encourage everyone to take part once the second consultation goes live”
The agenda and papers for Full Council, including the proposal for a second consultation on the establishment of a parish council for Welwyn Garden City, can be found on the WHBC website