That's a question that many be answered by the Proposed Community Governance Review being undertaken by North Lincolnshire Council.
The topic was placed on the agenda at Brigg Town Council's monthly meeting in the Angel Suite, and prompted lengthy discussion.
North Lincolnshire Council has powers to consider various issues relating to parish and town councils in its area.
A North Lincolnshire Council cross-party scrutiny group will be involved in the review, with findings to be delivered by July 2017.
During Brigg Town Council's debate it was revealed that the Electoral Commission recommends between nine and 16 councillors for a town of our size. Currently, Brigg has 19.
There has not been a review of this kind since local government reorganisation in the 1970s created Brigg Town Council.
Coun Rob Waltham (pictured above), who is Deputy Leader of North Lincolnshire Council as well as being a member of Brigg Town Council, told the Angel Suite meeting that the electorate would be fully consulted.
He felt it most important that Brigg residents could give their opinion on how many councillors serve on the town council.
"It is never wrong to listen to local people," he said.
Coun Waltham was replying to Coun Mike Campion (pictured below) who sought assurances that Brigg Town Council would be fully consulted about any changes.
Coun Campion suggested that no-one locally had asked for a review and he called for the scutiny group to be invited to a meeting of Brigg Town Council in the near future.
The review covers other towns and parishes across North Lincolnshire, ranging in size from tiny Holme to heavily-populated towns like Bottesford and Barton.
Reviews and statistical data does not tell you everything....they are usually good as a guide have have to be considered with other related info.
ReplyDeleteFor example, for the town's the size of Brigg may statistically have 9 to 16 councillors, but Brigg has a significant sphere of influence ; it acts as a major focal point for a much wider area. For instance, how many towns of Brigg size have a Tesco and Lidl store...Wetherspoons and etc. The town has facilities normally associated to a much larger town - library, TIC, Heritage Centre,as well as the nucleus of many recreational and sporting groups.
In addition, the population of Brigg is somewhat distorted. It depends on whether one uses the parish figure of around 5500, or the geological town population i.e. including Scawby Brook, Watersedge, parts of Wrawby and Lindsey, which infiltrate the town and gives a population of around 6500.
Unlike the surrounding parishes of which the acreage are extensive, Brigg parish is relatively modern circa 1870 and is more of a small enclave squeezed between large parishes.
Consequently, the population density of the town could be said to compete with similar populations of industrial connurbations.
One question that should be reviewed is whether the parish boundary of Brigg should be enlarged....or whether councils in adjoining districts should combine.....