The public of Brigg will be left to say whether having 19 Town Councillors to represent their interests is considered the correct level of representation.
A Community Governance Review is currently being undertaken by North Lincolnshire Council, with residents of Brigg, Bottesford, Broughton, Barton and other places being consulted on whether they are happy with the current number of Town Council seats.
A consultation session was held recently in the Angel Suite during which Brigg residents were invited to make their views known to North Lincolnshire Council officers.
But Coun Mike Campion told Brigg Town Council's March meeting that the review has "raised a few heckles" within some communities.
"There seems no real reason to change," he suggested. "This has worked very well for us."
He pointed out that 29 people had put themselves forward for 19 available Town Council seats at the last election, with three candidates recently seeking one vacant Brigg Town Council seat being filled by co-option.
Coun Campion said that as Town Councillors did not get paid for their work, it made little difference in cost terms whether there were 16 or 19 members. And he suggested that the greater the number of councillors "the greater the democracy."
Coun Rob Waltham, who is leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said the Governance Review was laid down "in the law of the land."
This called for periodic checks to see whether local representation was reconciled with the views of the people living in communities.
Coun Waltham suggested it would be wrong for the Town Council to get involved as "a body under review."
He added: "People who live here should have their view as to whether we have the right number."
Coun Donald Campbell suggested the level of representation should be kept at 19.
Coun James Truepenny felt that what Brigg Town Council delivered for the public was "well worth it" having 19 members.
An agenda item asked councillors to "consider and formulate a response" on the Community Governance Review.
Coun Campion wanted to preserve "the status quo" with the Town Council suggesting to North Lincolnshire Council that the current 19 seats should remain in place.
However, Coun Waltham proposed that the Town Council should leave residents to resolve the question through the public consultation process.
The issue was put to the vote, with the majority of councillors in favour of Coun Waltham's proposal.
It is understood that the consultation exercise will continue until the end of April.
This is the first review into the number of Town Councillors to be carried out since the 1970s when Humberside County Council provided the top tier of local government.
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5 comments:
With a bit of joined up thinking a priority for BTC is to extend its boundary.
BTC does not represent ALL townspeople...such as those in Scawby Brook and residents in the Wrawby bit of Springfield estate.
If BTC don't want to propose the idea, get an independent review body....it seems that BTC does not wish to upset adjoining councils, but an urgent review is necessary for the future growth of Brigg.
Unfortunately, I have heard some councillors say that they don't want Brigg to grow...'it's just nice as it is.'....in which case, Brigg will perish: growth is an unfortunate consequence of a modern age.
One the brown-fields sotes - Station Rd , old Falcon works, for example, the next stage will be the expansion on the periphery of the town...and were already seeing examples of this.
Plan for the future, unless BTC only want to represent the core of residents, while most residents could reside just outside the boundary within a generation, or two.
With a bit of joined up thinking a priority for BTC is to extend its boundary.
BTC does not represent ALL townspeople...such as those in Scawby Brook and residents in the Wrawby bit of Springfield estate.
If BTC don't want to propose the idea, get an independent review body....it seems that BTC does not wish to upset adjoining councils, but an urgent review is necessary for the future growth of Brigg.
Unfortunately, I have heard some councillors say that they don't want Brigg to grow...'it's just nice as it is.'....in which case, Brigg will perish: growth is an unfortunate consequence of a modern age.
One the brown-fields sotes - Station Rd , old Falcon works, for example, the next stage will be the expansion on the periphery of the town...and were already seeing examples of this.
Plan for the future, unless BTC only want to represent the core of residents, while most residents could reside just outside the boundary within a generation, or two.
broughton manages with 18 councillors with a similar population.
....yes, Broughton pop is slightly larger than Brigg parish pop....but about one-eighth of Brigg Town's population live outside the parish...in consequence, Brigg has more traffic congestion, a larger retail presence that requires more control and facilities, for example, yet the income from precept (part of Council Tax) ends up in the coffers of Scawby, Broughton and Wrawby Parish Councils.
Some years ago, I remember a large deputation of protestors from Scawby Brook turning up at a Brigg Town Council meeting protesting about the construction of another power station...they had to be reminded that they lived in the parish of Scawby and that they needed to explain their concerns to Scawby Parish Council...
Many folks don't appreciate the difference of Brigg, as a distinctive stand-alone town and Brigg, as a parish, in which a significant percentage of the town's population spill over into other parishes...and even County boundaries..ie Brigg Garden Centre.
Historical, Brigg Parish is comparatively recent...evolved when St John's consecrated, circa 1870...adjoining parishes are ancient and extensive......now Brigg Parish is essentially an over-developed area...it's like a fat man wearing tight trousers -bits bulge out and any future growth will exacerbate the circumstances....if left, control and influence of Brigg, as a town, will be shared with various other parish councils, leaving Brigg Town Council's influence extending to its boundary...
....yes, Broughton pop is slightly larger than Brigg parish pop....but about one-eighth of Brigg Town's population live outside the parish...in consequence, Brigg has more traffic congestion, a larger retail presence that requires more control and facilities, for example, yet the income from precept (part of Council Tax) ends up in the coffers of Scawby, Broughton and Wrawby Parish Councils.
Some years ago, I remember a large deputation of protestors from Scawby Brook turning up at a Brigg Town Council meeting protesting about the construction of another power station...they had to be reminded that they lived in the parish of Scawby and that they needed to explain their concerns to Scawby Parish Council...
Many folks don't appreciate the difference of Brigg, as a distinctive stand-alone town and Brigg, as a parish, in which a significant percentage of the town's population spill over into other parishes...and even County boundaries..ie Brigg Garden Centre.
Historical, Brigg Parish is comparatively recent...evolved when St John's consecrated, circa 1870...adjoining parishes are ancient and extensive......now Brigg Parish is essentially an over-developed area...it's like a fat man wearing tight trousers -bits bulge out and any future growth will exacerbate the circumstances....if left, control and influence of Brigg, as a town, will be shared with various other parish councils, leaving Brigg Town Council's influence extending to its boundary...
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