The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) has reviewed the borough ward boundaries for Dartford and has made some changes. These changes will come into effect from the local elections in May 2019.

Following the review by the LGBCE, Dartford Borough Council has now commenced a Community Governance Review to look at whether any of the parish arrangements need changing too. This review will include considering the following:

  • Creating, merging, altering or abolishing parishes;
  • Altering the boundaries of existing parishes;
  • Making changes to the electoral arrangements of parish councils;
  • The dissolution of a parish council

A parish council is democratically elected and makes decisions on behalf of the people in the parish. It is the lowest tier of local government and has the power to add a precept (extra charge) to your council tax bill to pay for its activities.

It is quite some time since the parish arrangements were last reviewed and the Borough of Dartford has seen considerable changes since then. The Council wants to ensure that Parish and Town Council governance in the Borough of Dartford continues to be robust, representative and able to meet the challenges that lie before it.  Furthermore, it wants to ensure that there is clarity and transparency to the areas that parish and town councils represent and that the electoral arrangements are appropriate, equitable and readily understood by their electorate. Draft proposals for the parishes were approved by the General Assembly of the Council at its meeting on 16 July 2018. The Council now wants to hear your views on these proposals to help inform its final recommendations.

More information on the review can be found at www.dartford.gov.uk/CGR where you can see the Council’s draft proposals and submit your views and comments for consideration. The deadline for submissions is 3 September 2018. Alternatively, you can send your comments to Electoral Services, Home Gardens, Dartford, Kent DA1 1DR.

Following the consultation the Council will take these comments into review and publish the final recommendations in September 2018 and if required will make a Community Governance Reorganisation order to give effect to agreed changes. These changes will come into force at the May 2019 elections.