Community governance reviews

Information about Community Governance Reviews and any current Community Governance Reviews.

What is a Community Governance Review?

A Community Governance Review (CGR) is a review carried out by a principal council and is used to consider whether parish council arrangements in an area should be changed.

A community governance review looks at the whole or part of an area to consider:

  • the creation, merger, alteration or abolition of parishes
  • the naming of parishes and the style of new parishes
  • the electoral arrangements for parishes, such as the ordinary year of election, council size, wards, and numbers of councillors
  • the grouping or de-grouping of parishes

The recommendations of any review must:

  • improve community engagement
  • bring communities closer together
  • create better local democracy
  • result in more effective and convenient delivery of local services

The law allows us to use a review to assess and make changes to community governance within our area. The government's website has guidance about carrying out a community governance review.
A Community Governance Review can be initiated by one of the following:

  • a valid petition from electors requesting a Community Governance Review and specifying recommendations which the petitioners wish the Community Governance Review to make
  • a formal request from a parish council, following which approval is then required from the principal council
  • a decision taken by the principal council itself, usually in circumstances where there have been significant changes in population or in response to changes such as when recommended following a Local Government Boundary Commission review

A review will begin with publication of the terms of reference, following which consultation with electors and other stakeholders will take place. Following the consultation final recommendations will be made, for resolution by full council.

Current Community Governance Reviews

On the 18 March 2025 a request was submitted by the Englefield Green Village Neighbourhood Forum requesting that a CGR be undertaken in respect of the Englefield Green Village Neighbourhood Forum area. When any such application is received it must set out one recommendation that the person submitting the request want the CGR to consider making and identify the area to be covered by the CGR. The request asked for the CGR to consider establishing a Parish Council covering a specific area. 

Subsequently a report was submitted to the 10 July 2025 Corporate Management Committee to approve and agreed by Full Council on 17 July 2025 to adopt the Terms of Reference and Timetable for the review.