Community Governance Review 2025/26
We’d like to hear your ideas about parish and town council
arrangements in St Albans City and District.
Why run a Community Governance Review now?
The council ran a Community Governance Review in 2022/2023 to look at parish and town councils after some changes to district ward boundaries.
Government guidance suggests that it’s good practice to conduct a review every 10 to 15 years.
However, under central Government plans, St Albans City and District Council (along with all District Councils in Hertfordshire and the County Council) will be abolished in 2028 and replaced by unitary local government structures. Further information can be found on the council's Local Government Reorganisation webpage.
Before this happens, the Council wants to know whether any changes should be made to parish and town council arrangements. We’re especially interested to hear views about whether a new parish or town council(s) should be set up for the central area of St Albans which doesn’t currently have parish representation.
The review will also explore the best way to preserve the district’s historic mayoralty which has existed since 1553.
What is a Community Governance Review?
A Community Governance Review (CGR) is a legal process that district and borough councils can follow to review parish and town council arrangements.
During Community Governance Reviews, councils can consider:
- altering parish boundaries
- creating, merging, or abolishing parish/town councils
- changing the name of parish/town councils
- the electoral arrangements for parish/town councils (e.g. which year elections are held in, the number of councillors, and whether a parish is divided into parish wards)
- grouping parish/town councils under a common parish/town council or de-grouping parish/town councils
- other types of local arrangements, including parish meetings.
There are some things that a council must do when they’re running a Community Governance Review, these are:
- consulting anyone who has an interest in the review and taking their responses into account when making decisions.
- making sure that local government arrangements reflect the identities and interests of the community.
- ensuring that local government arrangements are “effective” and “convenient”.
Proposed timetable
Event | Estimated date |
|---|---|
Approval of timetable and terms of reference for the Community Governance Review [CGR] by Council. | 16 July 2025 |
Formal start of the CGR – Terms of Reference published. | Early August 2025 |
Initial consultation period. | 4 August to 6 October 2025 |
The Strategy & Resources Committee considers draft recommendations. | 20 November 2025 |
Draft recommendations published. | Late November 2025 |
Second consultation period: consultation on draft recommendations. | Late November 2025 to late February 2026 |
The Strategy & Resources Committee considers draft recommendations proposed final recommendations. | June 2026 (date TBC) |
Full Council considers and decides final recommendations. | July 2026 (date TBC) |
Community Governance Order(s) made. | September 2026 |
Have your say
There will be two public consultation periods during the Community Governance Review:
Early 4 August to 6 October 2025: Initial consultation period
We will consider all responses received during this consultation period and they’ll be used to draw up draft recommendations.
Late November 2025 to late February 2026 (dates to be confirmed): Second consultation period
During the second consultation, we’d like to hear your views on the draft recommendations.
If you have a view on existing parish and town council arrangements and / or what changes you would like to see, please let us know by emailing CGR@stalbans.gov.uk.
Alternatively, write to: Community Governance Review, Electoral Services, St Albans City and District Council, Civic Centre, St Peters Street, St Albans, AL1 3JE.
Please note, we can only accept responses during the two set consultation periods. Responses received outside of the above time periods will not be considered.
If you submit a response to this consultation, we will publish your opinions/views at the end of the consultation period. Your personal information (e.g. name, address and contact details) will be redacted. Further information can be found in the CGR Privacy Notice.
Terms of reference
Section 81 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 requires the Council to draw up and publish Terms of Reference when conducting a Community Governance Review. Terms of Reference have been produced and can be found below.
Maps
Please find maps relating to the review below.
There is also an interactive map available via the district’s mapping service. To turn on the map layer(s) for parish and/or district boundaries, click the “What would you like to do button?” in the upper left corner, select “Choose map layers”, click on the arrow next to “Administrative boundaries”, and tick the box(es) against the option(s) that you’d like to see.
Electorate Forecasts
To take account of expected population changes in the short- to medium- term, we’ve drawn up electorate forecasts which take into account predicted house building rates over the next five years.
These forecasts were calculated by following Government guidance and the figures and methodology can be found below.
Frequently asked questions
Can the Community Governance Review look at district council or county council arrangements? Toggle accordion
No, Community Governance Reviews can only look at parish and town council arrangements.
What do parish and town councils do? Toggle accordion
Parish and town councils are the first tier of local government. Depending on their size, they can deliver a variety of services including allotments, public toilets, car parks, litter bins, community and leisure centres, and parks and open spaces.
More information can be found on the National Association of Local Council’s website.
What’s the difference between and parish council and a town council? Toggle accordion
There’s no difference between a parish council or a town council. A parish council can decide to call itself a "town", "community", "neighbourhood", or "village" council. Alternatively, if a parish council is in an area which has been granted city status by Royal Charter, it may resolve to call itself a "city" council. This is known as the ‘style’ of the council; it has no impact on the status or legal powers available to the council.
How much detail do I need to provide in my response to the Community Governance Review consultation? Toggle accordion
We’ll consider all responses received, but please try to provide as much relevant information as you can. The reasons for any decisions made at the end of the review need to be fully supported with evidence, so the more information that you can provide in support of your proposal the better.
How will you decide on draft recommendations and final recommendations? Toggle accordion
Council officers will draw up recommendations based on the responses that are received during the two public consultation periods, and councillors will decide which recommendations to take forward.
Decisions about what’s included in draft recommendations will be made by the Strategy & Resources Committee and Full Council.
Full Council will decide the final recommendations of the review, and whether to implement them by laying a reorganisation order. This decision is expected to be made in July 2026.
Where can I find more information about Community Governance Reviews? Toggle accordion
The Government’s Guidance on Community Governance Reviews from 2010 forms the basis of many reviews.
Running an internet search on “Community Governance Review” will provide links to reviews in other areas.
The main legislation that underpins Community Governance Reviews is:
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007
The Local Government (Parishes and Parish Councils) (England) Regulations 2008
The Local Government Finance (New Parishes) (England) Regulations 2008
What are the options for preserving the St Albans Mayoralty? Toggle accordion
On 12 May 1553, Letters Patent were granted to St Albans which established the mayoralty and granted the right to hold Wednesday and Saturday markets. On 12 August 1877, further Letters Patent granted St Albans “city” status and gave the mayor the title of “the Right Worshipful”. On 9 July 1974, following local government reorganisation in 1973, Letters Patent were issued which extended “city” status to the whole borough of St Albans.
If a new parish or town council is established, it might be eligible to take on the mayoralty and civic functions. However, the parish or town council boundaries would need to match the charter area.
Alternatively, in unparished areas or where geography is unsuitable, charter trustees can be established as an alternative if needed.
What are Charter Trustees? Toggle accordion
When a Principal Council is going to be altered or abolished due to changes in governance structures, charter trustees can play a role in maintaining the continuity of a town or city charter.
Charter trustees enable the preservation of a town or city’s civic tradition, such as coat of arms, mayoralty and civic functions.
Charter trustees may be transitional until a town or parish council is established or permanent.
More information can be found in a briefing note about Charter Trustees which was submitted to the Strategy & Resources Committee on 26 June 2025.
The main piece of legislation about Charter Trustees is The Charter Trustees Regulations 2009.