Agenda item

The Council considered a report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services which provided an update on the final stage of consultation that had been undertaken as part of the Community Governance Review (Review) of the central unparished areas of Durham and to make a final recommendation in this regard (for copy see file of Minutes).

Moved by Councillor S Henig, seconded by Councillor A Hopgood and

Resolved:

1.         That Council agree to make a final recommendation of the Review for the central unparished areas of Durham to be parished on the following terms:

 a)          The newly formed parish would be known as ‘the City of Durham Parish Council”.

b)             The area is spilt into 12 polling districts and three wards:

                                                      i.        Elvet and Gilesgate

                                                    ii.        Neville’s Cross

                                                   iii.        Durham South.

c)              That there be 15 parish councillors, distributed as follows;

                                                      i.        Elvet and Gilesgate - 6 councillors;

                                                     ii.       Neville’s Cross- 8 councillors;

                                                    iii.        Durham South- 1 councillor. 

d)             That inaugural elections take place in May 2018 and then in May 2021 and every four years thereafter.

e)             The council becomes a recognised legal entity in its own right on 1 April 2018.

f)               That a precept be levied to raise the sum of £150,000 to fund the parish council in the first year, which equates to a precept charge for a Council Tax Band D property of £34.46 per household per year, based on the council tax base for 2016/17. This precept charge per household would be recalculated in line with the council tax base for 2018/19 once established.

2.       The final recommendation would be published on 25 September 2017, and a Reorganisation Order would be made one month later.