SHOULD BRIGG & BROUGHTON HAVE FEWER TOWN COUNCILLORS?

 

The majority of Brigg residents who expressed their views during a recent consultation event in the Angel Suite think our Town Council should have fewer members than the current 19, according to official figures just released.
North Lincolnshire Council consulted the public in a Governance Review, with local folk being invited to have their say.
Brief reference was made to the findings of this consultation during Brigg Town Council's latest meeting.
Brigg Blog was keen to know more and therefore put in a request to North Lincolnshire Council for further details.
We are pleased to report that information is now to hand.
The public of Broughton, which includes the Waters Edge housing estate (pictured below) on the edge of Brigg and the hamlet of Castlethorpe, were also surveyed. We have Blog followers who live in these locations so we also requested information for Broughton parish.

BRIGG - 157 RESPONSES

• 73 per cent of those who took part in the Community Governance Review Ballot would like to see fewer councillors/Town Council seats.
• 25 per cent want to see the number of councillors/seats retained at the current level.
• 2 per cent would like to see more town councillors appointed.

BROUGHTON - 106 RESPONSES

• 59 per cent of those who took part in the Community Governance Review Ballot would like to see fewer councillors/Town Council seats.
• 33 per cent want to see the current number of council seats retained.
• 8 per cent would like to see more town councillors.

North Lincolnshire Council is expected to consider the findings of the governance review in a few weeks.
It is our understanding that no public referendum will be required if it chooses to implement changes.
The unitary authority also has an option not to make alterations and leave things as they are.
The review was undertaken in Barton, Bottesford, Brigg, Broughton, Crowle, Epworth, Kirton Lindsey and Winterton, which all have Town Councils.
The total number of forms returned by members of the public in the ballot across North Lincolnshire was 1,255 - a "percentage response" of 5.4.
The number of town council seats/councillors was set during the 1970s and is not thought to have been reviewed since then.
Should it be decided to reduce the number of town council seats, we presume this will not happen until the next round of elections.