FAQs - Eastbourne Community Governance Review

1. What is community governance?

Community Governance is the way local communities are represented at local authority level. It is also the way individuals / groups within the community are listened to and able to influence decisions that affect them. 

Where a parish is set up, electors should be able to identify clearly with the parish in which they live. There is no right scale for a parish, but the general rule is that a parish should be based on an area which reflects community identity and interest, and which is of a size which is viable as an administrative unit. 
 

2. What is a community governance review?

A Community Governance Review is a legal process whereby a Principal Council (Eastbourne Borough Council) consults with those residing in the area, and other interested parties, on the most suitable ways of representing the people in the area identified in the review. This means making sure that those living in the area, and other interested groups, have a say in how their local communities are represented.
 

3. What does a community governance review do?

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
• other types of local arrangements, including parish meetings, area committees, area or community forums, residents and tenant associations or community associations. 

The recommendations of any review must:

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

When carrying out a CGR, the Borough Council should reject any proposals which it has reason to believe will act against the interests of either the local community or surrounding communities, particularly where the effect would be likely to damage community cohesion.  It should ensure the electors across the whole Borough will be treated equitably and fairly.

It is also desirable that any new arrangements do not upset historic traditions but do reflect changes that have happened over time, such as population shift or additional development, which may have led to a different community identity. 

At present, the Borough of Eastbourne is unparished and there are no existing parish or town councils.
 

4. Who undertakes a community governance reviews? 

Eastbourne Borough Council is responsible for this within its electoral area. The Council has the power to undertake such reviews under Part 4 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 and the relevant national guidance document.
 

5. Why undertake a community governance review now?

The Secretary of State for Local Government announced on 5 February 2025 that it would include Sussex in its priority programme for devolution and local government reorganisation in England.  The area is now moving at pace towards devolution and LGR, to deadlines set by central government. A full proposal for a single unitary council for East Sussex was submitted to the Government on 26 September 2025.

Local Government Reorganisation in East Sussex will mean the abolition of East Sussex County Council and all the Borough and District Councils in the area, and the creation of a unitary or unitary councils in their place. This could be interpreted as a gap in representation between any new unitary authority and local communities. 

Eastbourne Borough Council's Cabinet on 12 February 2025 instructed officers to explore undertaking a community governance review, in relation to future governance in Eastbourne and the viability of a parish council. 

Eastbourne Full Council on 17 September 2025, approved the start of a Community Governance Review process  (Agenda papers and Terms of Reference).
 

6. What are the terms of reference? 

The Council is required by law to draw up Terms of Reference for a Community Governance Review.  As a minimum, the Terms of Reference must specify the area under review and be published. Terms of Reference can also include information such as the: 

• purpose of the review 
• issues that will be considered 
• timetable and procedures to be followed. 

The Terms of Reference for the CGR were approved at the Council meeting on 17 September and can be read here. 
 

7. How long does a community governance review take?

The process is likely to take up to a year to complete. The proposed CGR timetable can be viewed in the Terms of Reference published on our website here.  

Key milestones:

• Stage 1 consultation (29 September to 8 December 2025) where initial submissions on a wide range of options for governance are invited. 
• Draft recommendations will be prepared and be considered by the Audit and Governance Committee and Full Council (February / March 2026).
• Stage 2 consultation (11 May to 20 July 2026) on draft recommendations will take place.
• Final decision by Full Council - September 2026.

8. What is the difference between the Stage 1 and Stage 2 consultation?

The review will likely include two stages of public consultation:

• Stage 1 - This will ask questions and invite submissions not only on if a potential parish council would be supported but also other options of how the community might wish to be represented in decision making and its identity preserved.  
• Stage 2 - Depending on the results of Stage 1, a particular proposal can be put out to consultation at Stage 2.  If as a result of Stage 1, a parish or several parishes are recommended the proposal will include information around the proposed electoral arrangements. Should no change be recommended as part of the first stage, there would not be an obligation to undertake a second stage of consultation.

9. What do 'electoral arrangements' mean?

An important part of a review involves considering electoral arrangements. The term covers the way in which a council is constituted for any created parish/parishes. It covers the: 

• ordinary year in which elections are held.
• number of councillors to be elected to the council. 
• division (or not) of the parish into wards for the purpose of electing councillors. 
• number and boundaries of any such wards.
• number of councillors to be elected for any such ward; and 
• name of any such ward. The government's guidance is that "each area should be considered on its own merits, having regard to its population, geography and the pattern of communities," and therefore the council is prepared to pay particular attention to existing levels of representation on the Borough Council, and the broad pattern of existing council sizes which have stood the test of time. 

The number of councillors for each parish council must be not less than five but can be greater, and there must be at least one councillor per ward.

10. How much does a community governance review cost? 

Every CGR is different. The costs will not be known until after a review has been completed and this can take up to 12 months. Eastbourne Borough has an approved budget of up to £100k to fund the review process and would bear the cost of any CGR. 

11. What is a parish council? 

A parish (or Community, Neighbourhood or Village - if an alternative name is chosen) council is made up of members who are elected every four years to represent a particular parish area. It will have regular meetings to discuss issues which affect the area which members of the public can attend. The parish council will  elect a Chair and appoint a Chief Officer known as the Clerk, who implement decisions, provide independent advice and administrative support. 

12. What is the difference between a parish and a parish council? 

A parish is a geographical defined area, whilst a parish council is the democratically elected body that provides local governance within that parish. A parish council cannot be created without an established parish.

13. How are parish councils funded? 

• Parish councils are funded by a local government mechanism known as a precept. The precept is raised through a separate charge which would be added to your Council Tax bill and collected by a new Sussex Unitary Authority that covers the area of Eastbourne on behalf of the parish council. Any parish council will decide how much funding they need in order to provide services and facilities for the benefit of the community.  
• The amount you pay would depend on the size of the parish council, the number and type of services that it chooses to provide, the number of properties across which it is spread and the Council Tax Banding of your property. If new parish councils are created, the principal authority (currently Eastbourne Borough Council) undertaking the CGR would decide on the precept required for the first year. 
• The National Association of Local Council publishes an annual analysis of council tax levels for parish and town councils , which gives information on the range of precept levels. The latest survey was published on its website on 26 August.

14. Would having a parish council make a difference to my Council Tax? 

If you live in an area where a new parish council is proposed then yes, the changes may make a difference to your council tax.  

• This is because parish councils are funded by a precept (as explained above). The creation of any new parish council would change the funding requirements. The council tax you pay would change, depending on the services the parish council wanted to provide. 
• It is hard to predict what the level of any precept will be in the future, but one of the effects of Local Government Reorganisation will be to remove the current two-tier system of borough and district councils and county councils and replace them with a unitary authority, so that in the future only one upper-tier precept will be charged.  
• However, as part of the devolution programme, Sussex will have an elected mayor from April 2026, which with a strategic mayoral authority will sit above the unitary councils in its area.  Elected Mayors have the power to raise a charge on the Council Tax should they choose to do so. Regulations regarding the establishment of a precept for a new parish require Eastbourne Borough Council to calculate the first anticipated precept for a newly constituted parish council and for the amount of that precept to be included in the Reorganisation Order (which is the legal instrument that gives effect to any changes arising from the CGR).

15. Is there a 'cap' on the amount a parish or community council can increase its precept by? 

No, the Government does not limit the amount a parish council can increase its precept by each year. Currently, borough councils are limited to a 3% increase each year, and county councils and unitary councils 5%. 

16. Do businesses have to pay the precept? 

No, businesses are subject to business rates, which are calculated separately from Council Tax. 

17. What are the potential benefits of having a parish council? 

Having a parish council may benefit a community by enhancing local representation, improving services, and fostering development. 

Other benefits could include: 

• community representation - giving residents a stronger voice in local affairs, ensuring their needs and preferences are directly addressed. 
• focused development - they can drive community projects and initiatives tailored to local needs, such as environmental conservation or youth programmes. 
• economic advantages - they can attract funding and grants unavailable to larger councils. They can also promote local businesses through initiatives and events, boosting the local economy. 
• improved quality of life - they can work on projects that enhance the quality of life, such as creating green spaces, supporting local sports teams, and organising cultural events. 
• greater accountability - they are closer to their residents, leading to more accountability and transparency in decision-making.

18. What can a parish council do? 

• Parish councils can represent the interests of their community by providing services to meet local needs and improving the quality of life and community well-being.  
• Through an extensive range of discretionary powers, which they can choose to exercise, parish and community councils can provide, maintain and support a variety of important and visible services. 
• An example of those services include:

- allotments, parks and open spaces 
- bus shelters and community transport schemes 
- community centres and leisure facilities 
- crime reduction and community safety measures 
- festivals, celebrations and tourism activities 
- litter bins, street lighting and street cleaning 

• Read more about the role of parish and community councils from the National Association of Local Councils (opens in a new window). 
• A parish council is not a replacement for a borough council but instead is a separate tier of local government that operates at a level below district and boroughs across the country. If a parish council was established, it would not have the same powers as the borough council or any subsequent unitary authority.

19. What assets and services would transfer from Eastbourne Borough Council to a new parish council?

• There is no statutory obligation on Eastbourne Borough Council to transfer any assets or services to a newly created parish council, except for allotments. Therefore, any transfer other than allotments would be entirely at the discretion of EBC and would require negotiation and agreement between the borough council and parish council. These negotiations do not form part of this review process.
• The legislation regarding allotments means that any allotments in the area of a newly formed parish council can only be administered by that newly formed parish council, therefore should be transferred to the parish council.
• As part of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), the Secretary of State has the discretion to serve upon any council subject to the LGR process, a direction which impacts upon the disposal of assets, contracts and reserves. Should the Council be subject to a Section 24 direction (under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007), prior to the making of a Reorganisation Order, this would impact upon any proposed decision to provisionally transfer assets or services from this Council to another, in accordance with any statutory power of disposal. The government has indicated that it intends again to issue directions to affected councils, once Structural Changes Orders to establish a unitary authority have been made. It is anticipated that these directions would follow the precedents previously set, namely that written consent from a successor unitary council would be required for land disposals worth more than £100,000, entering contracts of more than £1,000,000 for capital and entering contracts of more than £100,000 for non-capital (whole life costs).
• It is worth noting that due to local government reorganisation, assets and services operated by the borough council will transfer to a new unitary authority from 2028 under the Government's plans. 

20. Are Parish Councillors paid an allowance? 

The level of parish councillor allowance is determined by any parish council, with reference to an independent remuneration panel report.     

Recommendations can range from no allowance, allowances for Chairs only or to a basic allowance for all elected parish councillors, which might be indexed to the principal council member allowances. 

Only elected parish councillors can receive any allowance, rather than those co-opted. 

21. What is the difference between a parish council, a community council, a village council and a neighbourhood council? 

None. A parish council can be named or styled a parish council, a community council, a village council or a neighbourhood council. As part of the CGR we are asking residents to tell us, if they think a parish council(s) should be formed.  

They have the same statutory powers and can provide the same services. The only differences are what they decide to be called.

22. What is a parish meeting? 

A parish meeting is a formal gathering of the local electors in an English civil parish, which can be called to discuss local affairs and exercise any functions conferred on such meetings by the Local Government Act 1972.  

It is a distinct legal entity from a parish council and does not have elected councillors but can cover the same area as a parish council or can be set up where no parish council exists for a parish area.  The parish meeting must hold at least one meeting annually between March and June, and at least one other meeting (if covering an area where a where a parish council is not in existence). It will chaired by the local parish council chairperson if there is one,  or a person elected by the residents at a meeting. These meetings have no legal powers or duties but can offer residents an opportunity to engage directly on issues with local elected councillors, discuss community matters and hold a poll on a particular question. 
Parish meetings usually have very small electorates (fewer than 150 electors).

23. Is there not the option to create a Town Council?

A Town Council is not actually an option for Community Governance Reviews.    

In the past, the default position was that "Parish" councils were created, and the "Parish" could style itself "Town" by simple resolution.  When the three alternative styles of "Village", "Neighbourhood" and "Community" were added, the legislation was amended so that during a CGR the principal authority could use one of these alternative styles, which excludes the ability to style a new parish council as a "Town" straight away.   If the new parish council wants to style itself "Town" then it still needs to do that by resolution itself once it has been created. 

24. What relationship do parish councils have with local church parishes?  

Parish councils and church parishes are distinct entities, with parish councils being a civil local authority responsible for the governance of a civil parish, while church parishes are administrative units of the Church of England. While they may sometimes share the same geographical boundaries, they are not directly linked in any way.  

25. How many councillors would there be on any new parish council? 

The exact number of councillors that would be elected to any new parish council is not yet known, but there is a legal minimum of five. If it is recommended that a new parish council(s) is created, further details on the number of councillors will be set out in the draft recommendations published at the stage 2 consultation.

If a parish council was warded, each ward must be served by at least one councillor.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) provides the guidance regarding the number of Parish Councillors per elector.

Electors        Councillors
1-900                  7
901-1400            8
1401-2000          9
2001-2700          10
2701-3500          11
3501-4400          12
4401-5400          13
5401-6500          14
6501-7700          15
7701-9000          16
9001-10,400       17
10,401-11,900    18
11,901-13,500    19
13,501-15,200    20
15,201-17,000    21
17,001-18,900    22
18,901-20,900    23
20,901-23,000    24
Over 23,000       25+

26. Do town or parish councils have employees?

Yes, a town or parish council generally have employees to manage and deliver services. A parish council generally appoints a Chief Officer known as the Clerk, to advise councillors and carry out administrative functions. Parish or town councils can employ other staff to help deliver services depending on its size and requirements.

27. When would the first election to any new parish council be? 

If created the first elections to any new parish council(s) would likely be May 2027, with elections held every four years thereafter.  This would align with towns and parish councils in other parts of East Sussex. 

28. What is a ward? 

A ward is an administrative division of a unitary, district, city, borough or parish council that typically elects, and is represented by, a councillor or councillors. 
For example, Eastbourne Borough Council is currently split into 9 wards (Devonshire, Hampden Park, Langney, Meads, Old Town, Ratton, St Anthony's, Sovereign, Upperton), with each ward represented by 3 Borough Councillors.    

29. Why are electorate forecasts relevant for the review? 

The review will be conducted using electoral data taken from the May 2025 electoral register.

When the Council comes to consider the electoral arrangements for any suggested parish in its area, it is required to consider any change in the number or distribution of the electors whist is likely to occur in the period of five years beginning with the day when the review starts. 

Electorate forecasts will be prepared by the Council using existing planning permissions and the Development Plan to project the five-year electorate forecast. 
These forecasts will be made available to all interested parties as early as possible in the review process in accordance with the government's guidance so that they are available to all who may wish to make representation.

30. What is a historic charter? 

A historic charter is a formal document, typically issued by a monarch or sovereign power, that grants specific rights, privileges, or powers to an individual, corporation, city, or other entity, outlining the conditions under which they are organised and operate. 

Eastbourne was given a charter of incorporation in 1883, and then a County Borough Charter in 1911.  When the Local Government Act of 1972 came into effect on 1 April 1974, which abolished county boroughs, Eastbourne was re-created as a non-metropolitan district with its borough status preserved by a supplement Charter of Confirmation.

The Charter reconfirmed:

• The mayoralty
• Borough insignia (coat of arms, chain of office)
• Ceremonial rights

If parish council(s) are established, the charter and civic regalia will be transferred either to the respective parish council or the new Sussex Unitary authority to ensure continuity. In the latter case or in the interim, to preserve the charter, charter trustees could be established. 

31. What are Charter Trustees? 

Charter Trustees are established to ensure the continuation of a town or city's charter after a district with borough or city status is abolished. The primary purpose of Charter Trustees is to ensure the preservation of civic, historic, and ceremonial traditions until a civil parish council or town council is established. 

This could be something which residents may wish to support, and include in their comments as part of stage 1 of the consultation. 

32. What are Neighbourhood Area Committees? 

Whilst recognising the value that town and parish councils can offer to their local communities, the Government's preferred model of community governance within Local Government Reorganisation are Neighbourhood Area Committees.

These would be part of the new unitary council's governance structure, led by frontline ward councillors.  These would look to offer a model of place-based engagement and leadership which maximises the structural efficiencies brought about by LGR and strengthens localism and community participation across all areas. 

The Neighbourhood Area Committees in the Government's view would help councils fulfil their commitments to working in partnership with communities at a neighbourhood level. This could include other service providers, such as co-opted members from local community organisations. 
The Government's Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill 2025, intends to obligate councils to establish "appropriate governance arrangements", for neighbourhood governance. It provides the Secretary of State with the power, by way of regulations, to define a neighbourhood area and to specify the parameters of what arrangements will be appropriate to meet this duty. Details of the obligations on councils are not known at this point and would be set out in regulations that will be made after the Bill is in force. 

33. What are other forms of community governance? 

Area committees - These are formed by groups of councillors from a 'bigger' council. By the time changes are made, this will be the new unitary council that Eastbourne Borough Council merges into. They are funded by the unitary council.

Neighbourhood forums - These are community led groups involved in shaping policies. They consult with a principal council (which would be a unitary council) and sometimes councillors from that council are members of the forum. They are mostly self-funded, but could receive grants or support from a unitary council or government.
They purpose of neighbourhood forums is to increase participation and consultation, aiming to influence decision making, rather than having powers to implement services.

Neighbourhood or community associations - Membership of these groups is open to everyone in an area. They organise local activities and represent community interests. They are largely self-funded but can receive grants and support from a unitary council or government.

An effective neighbourhood or community association should follow a model constitution, as outlined by the charity commission.
Residents' associations

These can be set up by any group of local people. They choose how they are represented and what their goals are. They are largely self-funded but can receive grants and support from a unitary council or government.

34. How can people have their say?

Representations will be welcomed by the following methods:

• Submitted via the Council's website at Closed: Have your say on the future of community governance in Eastbourne
• By completing a paper survey and returning to our council offices, addressed to Democratic Services (Community Governance Review)..

All initial representations must be made by 8 December 2025.

Any queries can be sent to [email protected]

35. Who is being consulted?

The Council will consult with the local government electors for the area under review and any other person or body who appears to have an interest in the Review and take the representations that are received into account by judging them against the criteria in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. 

This may include:

• Ward Members
• East Sussex County Council
• Groups and societies
• Schools and colleges
• Members of Parliament
• Local political parties
• Sussex Police
• Local charities and voluntary organisations
• Local residents' associations.

36. How will the results be shared?

All representations received will be published. Names, addresses and other personal information will not be published. Steps will be taken to notify consultees of the outcome of the Review.

The Council will publish full details on the Council's website; press releases will be issued at key points and key documents will be available for inspection.