Community Governance Review - Consultation on the draft recommendation for creating a new Parish Council in Whitburn

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Closes 23 Nov 2026

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Map of the proposed parish area and draft recommendations

Please see a map of the proposed Whitburn Parish area below.

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Draft Recommendations

The Council's draft recommendations are that:

  1. A new civil parish be established covering the existing Whitburn Neighbourhood Area.
  2. A parish council be established, to be known as “Whitburn Parish Council”. 
  3. The parish boundary should follow the existing designated Whitburn Neighbourhood Area as shown on the above plan.  
  4. The parish should not be divided into parish wards. 
  5. The parish council should initially comprise between nine and twelve elected parish councillors.
  6. Parish council elections should be held every four years, to coincide with ordinary local government elections wherever practicable.
  7. The first parish council election should be held on a date determined by the Council's Returning Officer, in accordance with statutory requirements.
1. Before answering the following questions, please read the information below about parish councils and parish council funding.

What is a parish?

A parish represents the interests of their community by providing services to meet local needs and improving the quality of life and community well-being.

It can maintain and support a variety of important services such as:

  • 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

More information on a parish council

If the recommendations are agreed the new parish must have a parish council.

A parish council is made up of councillors who are elected every four years. It will have regular meetings to discuss issues which affect the area which members of the public can attend. The parish council will have a chair and a clerk, who implement decisions, provide independent advice and administrative support.

The Council's draft recommendation is for the parish council to have one parish ward and between 9 & 12 parish councillors

More information about parish funding

Parish councils are funded by a mechanism known as a precept to cover the costs of operating services. The precept is added to the Council Tax bills of properties in the parish council area.

The level of precept will depend on the size of the parish council, the number and type of services that it chooses to provide and the Council Tax banding of your property.

The amount residents may pay is not set by the Council. The eventual precept cannot be determined until a parish council is established and sets its budget. The Neighbourhood Forum has suggested that the annual cost to an average household could be approximately £25 per year, but this figure is illustrative only and is not binding on any future parish council.

2. About you

Please tell us your connection to the Whitburn Neighbourhood Area

3. Based on the information provided and any other information you consider relevant, do you agree with the Council's draft recommendation to create a new parish for Whitburn?
(Required)
4. To what extent do you think the proposed parish area reflects the identity and community interests of people living and working in Whitburn?
(Required)
5. Do you agree that the parish should be named Whitburn Parish?
(Required)
6. The Council's draft recommendation is that the parish should not be divided into parish wards and that all councillors should represent the whole parish. Do you agree with this proposal?
(Required)
7. The Council's draft recommendation is that the parish council should consist of between 9 and 12 councillors. Do you agree with this recommendation?
(Required)
8. Overall, having considered the information provided, do you support the creation of a Whitburn Parish Council?
(Required)
9. Do you have any other comments?