FAQs
What is a Community Governance Review?
A Community Governance Review (CGR) is a legal process whereby Councils can create parish or town councils, review and change electoral arrangements and, in extreme cases, abolish parishes. The Council carries out consultations with local residents before making a decision.
If members support the Pyrford Forum request to Woking Borough Council (WBC) to carry out a CGR, WBC would decide whether or not to do so. If held, the CGR must be completed within one year of the request.
Why are we doing this now?
The current plan is that on 31st March 2027, Woking Borough Council and Surrey County Council will cease to exist. Woking Borough Council and Surrey County Council will be replaced by a single unitary authority covering part of Surrey (exactly which part is yet to be decided). A Surrey Mayor will also be created. There is a concern that a move to a higher tier level of local government may adversely impact local decision making.
How will the proposed unitary changes affect the number of councillors available to represent Pyrford residents?
The current thoughts are that there should be 2 Unitary Councillors per c4,000 electors. There are currently 1 Surrey County Councillor for c10,000 electors and 3 Woking Ward councillors for c7,600 electors. In essence, there will be fewer councillors representing residents after the move to Unitary authorities.
What is a Parish Council?
A Parish Council is the first tier of local government, or the tier closest to the people. It represents the local community, delivers services to meet local needs and works to improve the quality of life in the parish.
How is a Parish Council run?
A Parish or Town Council is run by elected councillors, who represent their residents. A Parish Council also employs at least one paid officer, the Parish Clerk, to carry out the administration of the Parish and manage the finances.
How is Parish Council financed?
A Parish Council receives a proportion of the Council Tax collected by the Borough Council, called the precept. Typically, across Surrey this is about £90 per Band D household per year. The creation of a Parish Council may mean that residents will see an increase in their Council Tax bills.
Are there Parish Councils in Surrey already?
Across Surrey there are already 87 Town and Parish Councils. There are none in Woking Borough. If Woking Borough finds itself in a Unitary authority with Waverley and Guildford (which seems to be a likely scenario) it will be an unparished area in a Unitary authority that is largely parished. It is unclear how that will affect governance.