Results and outcomes

What will happen to the results

Results collected through our online form will be held securely by CBC. Any paper submissions received will be filed accordingly and typed up, so they are included in the analysis.

All analysis will be carried out by CBC officers, and it is this analysis that will form the basis of the final recommendations.

All information that has been collected through surveys for this CGR will be deleted and destroyed after the CGR has finished and the reorganisation order has been made. So that we can keep a record of the review, CBC will keep on file recommendations and reports which do not contain any personal data.

All personal data that is collected during the review will not be used for any other purposes other than that stated on the survey. The collection of names and post codes is to ensure that we are not receiving multiple responses from the same people as we want to ensure that we have responses that are representative of all of Cheltenham.

CBC will not be publishing the analysis; however, we will clearly publish all decisions taken in the review and the reasons for taking those decisions. In carrying out the review we will work towards the government’s view that “community governance reviews should be conducted transparently so that local people and other stakeholders who may have an interest are made aware of the outcome of the decisions taken on them and the reasons behind these decisions.”

Outcomes of the review

A community governance review can make several changes when there is clear evidence to do so.

This can include:

  • creating, merging, altering or abolishing parishes*
  • changes to electoral arrangements for parishes including:
    • the ordinary year of an election
    • number of parish councillors
    • changes to parish wards (we are not looking to change ward boundaries, but all feedback will be considered)
  • converting a parish council to a parish meeting*
  • changing the name or the style of a new town or parish council or parish meeting
  • grouping parishes together under a common parish

*We are not looking to abolish any parish councils, however all feedback will be considered

Changes we cannot make

A Community Governance Review cannot:

  • change the number of district or county councillors
  • change a district or county council ward boundaries
  • change the amount of money that a parish council raises through your Council Tax (known as a precept)
  • change individual town or parish councillors
  • create a unitary authority

Any decision relating to parish arrangements must ensure that those arrangements:

  • reflect the identity and interests of local communities
  • ensure effective and convenient local governance

Any other factors, such as council tax precept levels, cannot be considered.