Community governance reviews

A community governance review (CGR) is a legal process carried out by a principal council (such as a district or borough council) to review and make changes to local governance arrangements. This typically involves looking at the structure and boundaries of parishes (also known as local councils), and can include:

• creating, merging, altering, or abolishing parishes
• changing parish boundaries or names
• reviewing the electoral arrangements for parishes (such as the number of councillors, warding, and election years)
• considering other local governance arrangements, like parish meetings

The main aim of a CGR is to ensure that community governance reflects the identities and interests of local communities and provides effective and convenient local government. The process involves public consultation and takes into account factors such as community cohesion, the size and population of parishes, and the equitable representation of electors

Arun District Council will be undertaking a community governance review programme across the district to consider whether governance arrangements within Arun are:

a) Reflective of the identities of the community in that area; and

b) Effective and convenient to the community in that area.

This programme begins on 1 February 2026 and includes a number of parish areas across the district; we are asking for responses from electors on possible changes to their voting arrangements.

Terms of reference

Introduction

Why undertake a community governance review

1. The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 makes provision for a community governance application to be made by an organisation or body designated as a neighbourhood forum under section 61F of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The application must relate to the whole or any part of an area specified in a neighbourhood development plan made under section 38A of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, and specify one or more recommendations which the applicant wishes a community governance review (CGR) to consider making.

2. Arun District Council as the principal authority has the power and the duty to keep all of the electoral areas within its boundaries under review and ensure that all electoral areas have adequate representation under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. With Local Government Reorganisation approaching this is an appropriate point at which to conduct a review within Arun district.

3. Parish councils within Arun were invited to request a community governance review for their respective council.  Following this we have received requests from:

• Bersted Parish Council
• Bognor Regis Town Council
• Walberton Parish Council
• Yapton Parish Council

4. A CGR is a review of the whole or part of the Local Authority's area for the purpose of making recommendations with regards to establishing, aggregating, amalgamating or separating parishes, the name and style of a new parish and electoral arrangements.

5. A CGR provides an opportunity for principal authorities to review and make changes to community governance within the area. The Government has emphasised that, ultimately, recommendations made in a CGR ought to improve community engagement, result in more cohesive communities, yield better local democracy and result in more effective and convenient delivery of local services

6. Parish and town councils are a democratically elected tier of local government with their own councillors, which provide a range of local services for a locally defined area. In many respects they mirror the structure and decision making of the district council but on a smaller scale. Councillors are elected by local residents.

Scope of the review

7. The district council will undertake a CGR to consider whether governance arrangements within Arun are:

1. Reflective of the identities of the community in that area; and
2. Effective and convenient to the community in that area.

In doing so, the review will take into account:

1. The impact of community governance arrangements on community cohesion; and
2. The size, population and boundaries of the parish.

8. The areas that are subjects of the review programme are included in the following district wards:

• Aldwick East and West
• Arundel and Walberton
• Bersted
• Felpham East (Hoe Lane)
• Orchard (Bersted Green)
• Pagham
• Pevensey (Hatherleigh)
• Yapton

9. Aldwick and Pagham Parish Council boundaries

Following the creation of new polling districts with the Pagham Parish Council area the district council found an anomaly within a plan of a housing development.

The community governance review for this area proposes to move 9 properties from within Aldwick Parish Council's boundary to Pagham Parish Council. The yellow area shown in the map is a large housing development within Pagham where only 9 of the properties extend past the current boundary.

If the properties were to remain in the Aldwick Parish Council area they would fall within a different parish, district ward, county division and parliamentary constituency than the majority of the development.

10. Unparished areas in Arundel and Walberton ward

The community governance review for this area is to decide whether a parish council or parish councils be established ahead of Local Government Reorganisation coming into force in 2028.

Table Caption

Parish meeting	Relevant Polling District	Electorate
Burpham Parish Meeting	ABUR	143
Houghton Parish Meeting	AHOU	80
Madehurst Parish Meeting	AMAD	80
Poling Parish Meeting	APOL	144
South Stoke Parish Meeting	ASOU	40
Warningcamp Parish Meeting	AWAR	137
	Total	624

11. Bersted Parish Council boundaries

A request has been received from Bersted Parish Council to decrease the number of parish councillors for this area and to review the warding arrangements within its boundaries.

Table Caption

Parish wards	Relevant Polling District(s)	Electorate
Bersted Brooks	CBB1, CBB2	1,360
Bersted Green	BBG	588
Bersted North	CNB1, CNB2, CNB3, CSHR	6,117
	Total	8,065

 

12. Bognor Regis Town Council boundaries

A request has been received from Bognor Regis Town Council to amend the internal boundaries of the council for Hatherleigh ward (as marked by a green star on the map) to be absorbed by Pevensey ward. This would then reduce the number of wards to four as it was before the May 2015 elections.

Table Caption

Parish wards	Relevant Polling District(s)	Electorate
Hatherleigh	BHATH	359
Hotham	BHOT1, BHOT2	4,038
Marine	BMAR1, BMAR2, BMAR3	4,714
Orchard	BORC1, BORC2, BORC3	4,012
Pevensey	BPEV1, BPEV2	3,688
	Total	16,811

13. Walberton Parish Council boundaries

A request has been received from Walberton Parish Council to increase the number of councillors due to the new developments and increased population within the parish. The developments are Fontwell Meadows, Avisford Grange and Tye Lane.

Table Caption

Parish wards	Relevant Polling District(s)	Electorate
Walberton & Binsted	AWAL1	1,481
Fontwell	AWAL2	727
	Total	2,208

14. 14. Yapton and Felpham Parish Council boundaries

A request has been received from Yapton Parish Council to increase the number of councillors to reflect the significant rise in the number of residential properties within the parish.

A request has also been received by a district councillor to review the Hoe Lane Parish ward to decide if this should be included within the Felpham Parish Council area rather than Yapton Parish Council; as geographically it is closer to Felpham and also sits within the Felpham East district ward and Felpham county division. It should also be noted that the electors within Hoe Lane vote at the Felpham Methodist Church Hall.

Table Caption

Parish wards	Relevant Polling District(s)	Electorate
Yapton Village	BYAP1, BYAP2, BYAP3	4,091
Hoe Lane	AHOE	100
	Total	4,191

Who will undertake the community governance review?

15. As the principal authority, Arun District Council is responsible for undertaking any CGR within its electoral area.

16. The review will be managed by a working party comprising members from the Policy and Resources Committee, which will make recommendations and report back to the Policy and Resources Committee on the outcome of its work.

17. Composition of the Working Party

a) The CGR Working Party (“the Working Party”) shall consist of Arun district councillors appointed in accordance with part 3 - responsibility for functions in the constitution. This confirms that the membership will be agreed - either at the time the working party is established or through nomination by the group leaders based on proportionality rules. We recommend this is undertaken through group leaders.

b) Membership of the Working Party shall be drawn from the membership of the Policy and Resources Committee (“the Committee”) together with any other members of the council deemed appropriate by the committee.

c) The total membership of the Working Party shall be seven district councillors, the proportionality of this will be agreed at the Policy and Resources Committee on 11 December 2025.

d) The Working Party shall appoint a chair and vice-chair from among its membership. This will be expected to be the chair and vice-chair of the committee.

e) The non-statutory quorum of a meeting shall be one-third of the whole number of members of the Working Party.

f) The chair of any meeting shall have a second or casting vote in the event of an equal number of votes for and against.

g) The working party will meet in private.

h) The timescales of this work are shown on the timetable from page 13 of these Terms of Reference.

18. Functions and responsibilities of the Working Party

a) The Working Party is not a committee or sub-committee of the District Council under the Local Government Act 1972 and is therefore not a decision-making body and without a statutory quorum. Its function is to make recommendations to the committee.

b) To manage the review and assessment of all information needed for a community governance review within the district council area, as proposed by the council, including organizing consultation with electors and other stakeholders

c) To oversee a community governance review programme for the governance arrangements of all towns and parishes within the Arun District Council area, including contacting all towns and parishes for proposals, and recommending to the committee the scope for any review, its methodology and its timescales. The Working Party will prepare final recommendations for any changes for consideration by the committee.

d) The Working Party will consider whether (if formally requested by any town or parish council) it is appropriate to make, and is empowered to recommend to the committee changes to town and parish areas and town and parish electoral arrangements to include:

1. the alteration, merging, grouping, creation or abolition of towns and/or parishes;
2. the naming of towns and/or parishes and adoption of alternative styles for new parishes;
3. parish council size, number of councillors to be elected, and warding arrangements;
4. any other electoral arrangements

e) To provide such further advice and support as may be requested by the committee related to or impacted upon by a CGR.

f) To oversee the provision of any information to the committee required in carrying out any polling district and polling place review, including any consultation arrangements with electors and other stakeholders relating to a CGR.

Consultation

19. Before making any recommendations or publishing final proposals, in line with legislative requirements, the district council will take full account of the views of local people. The district council will comply with legislative requirements by:

• Consulting all local government electors for the area under review. A questionnaire will be available for electors to respond to. Electors will be made aware of the consultation by a leaflet being posted to every household in the review area. In-person consultation sessions will also be held;
• Consulting any other person or body (including West Sussex County Council) which appears to the principal council to have an interest in the review;
• Taking into account any representations received in connection with the review.

20. When considering feedback, the district council must ensure that community governance in the areas under review reflects the identity and interests of each community and is practical and effective. The district council will decide whether to create, remove, or change any parish or town councils within the Arun area.

21. In order to ensure that this review is conducted transparently, as soon as practicable, the district council will publish its recommendations and take such steps as it considers sufficient to ensure that persons who may be interested in the review are informed of the recommendations and the reasons behind them.

Principles guiding the review

Relevant legislation

22.The district council will undertake the review in accordance with the following legislation and guidance:

• The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007
• The Local Government Act 1972
• Guidance on Community Governance Reviews (DCLG/LGBCE)
• Local Government (Parishes and Parish Councils) (England) Regulations 2008
• The Legislative Reform (Community Governance Reviews) Order 2015

Electorate

23. In considering the electoral arrangements of the areas proposed within the Terms of Reference, the district council is required to consider any change in the number or distribution of the electors.

24. The electorate figures are shown under each community governance review being proposed. The district council has used the Register of Electors published on 1 February 2025 to provide existing local government electorate figures.

Consultation - how to take part and how to contact us

25. Every local government elector in the proposed areas of the community governance review programme will be able to take part in the two consultation periods. An initial consultation period will take place, as per the timetable. Following this, the working party will produce draft recommendations, which will be further consulted on. A leaflet will be delivered to every household in Arun with information about how to respond to the consultation, at the appropriate time.

26. If you have additional written comments that you would like to submit about the future arrangements under these Terms of Reference, please send them to arrive no later than 31 March 2026 

online: Community governance review programme 2026 - Fill in form

(the survey will open on 1 February 2026)

by email: elections@arun.gov.uk9878976

or by post to:

Electoral Services

Arun District Council

Maltravers Road

Littlehampton

BN17 5LF

Timetable of the review

1. A CGR must, by statute, be concluded within a 12-month period from the date of publication of these Terms of Reference.

Table Caption

Stage	What happens?	Timescales	Relevant date(s)
Initial Plans
Corporate Leadership Team Meeting (CLT)	To provide information to leadership team ahead of this report going to committee		23 September 2025
Start	A community governance application or petition is received		1 October 2025 deadline
Policy and Resource Committee Meeting	The principal council (Arun) agree to take CGR request/proposal to Full Council		23 October 2025
Full Council Meeting	CGR's programme is agreed		12 November 2025
Preparation	Terms of Reference for the review are prepared. The application or the petition is validated; desk research and information gathering; local briefings and meetings;	Two months	13 November 2025 - 31 January 2026
Policy and Resource Committee Meeting	Final timetable, and draft Terms of Reference are agreed to take to Full Council		11 December 2025
Full Council Meeting	Final timetable and Terms of Reference to be agreed		7 January 2026
Local briefing(s)	Briefing and display stands at council buildings. Briefings in effected areas.		January 2026 Dates TBC
Commencement of review (12 months) if principal council led)	Terms of Reference are published		1 February 2026
Comment and submissions start	Microsoft Form goes live		1 February 2026
Comms	* Dedicated webpage *Leaflets included in household notification letters (HNL) *Press release and social media *Posters and leaflets in reception areas		1 February 2026
Stage 1 - Consultation
Stage 1	Initial submissions are invited	Two months	1 February - 31 March 2026
First CGR working party meeting	Initial submissions are considered		5 March 2026 TBC
Stage 2	Consideration of submissions received - draft recommendations are prepared	Two months	1 April - 31 May 2026
CGR working party meeting	Draft recommendations are prepared		1 April 2026 TBC
Policy and Resource Committee meeting	Present draft recommendations to committee		16 April 2026 TBC
Full Council	Present draft recommendations to Full Council		13 May 2026 TBC
CGR working party meeting	Draft recommendations are amended (if necessary)		14 May 2026 TBC
Annual Full Council	Present amended draft recommendations to Full Council (if necessary)		20 May 2026
Comms			1 June 2026
Stage 2 - Consultation
Stage 3	Draft recommendations are published - consultations on proposals	Three months	1 June - 31 August 2026
Comment and submissions start	Microsoft Form goes live		1 June 2026
CGR working party meeting			August 2026 TBC
Stage 4	Consideration of submissions received - final recommendations are prepared	Two months	1 September - 31 October 2026
Final CGR working party meeting	Final recommendations are prepared		September 2026 TBC
Final Recommendations
Policy and Resource Committee Meeting	Final recommendations recommended for approval		October 2026 TBC
Full Council Meeting	Final recommendations approved		November 2026 TBC
Comms			1 December 2026
	Final recommendations are published - concluding the review		1 December 2026
	Republication of electoral register on new arrangements		1 December 2026
Legal	Legal to provide input on Reorganisation Order	One month	1 December - 31 December 2026
	Council resolves to make a Reorganisation Order	One month later	1 January 2027
	Republication of electoral register on new arrangements if not able to do on 1 December 2026		1 February 2027