The Licensing & Regulation Committee are scheduled to meet on Monday 29th September 2025 to discuss the next steps in a review of community governance in the Winchester Town area. As part of the meeting they will also discuss procedural items, such as the minutes from their previous meeting.

Community Governance Review

The committee will be asked to consider the draft Terms of Reference (ToR) for a Community Governance Review (CGR) of the Winchester Town area.

The council is undertaking the review following a request from the Winchester Town Forum (WTF). According to the draft terms of reference, the request was made after the government published the English Devolution White Paper in December 2024, which proposed the creation of Strategic Authorities and new Unitary Authorities in areas that still have two-tier local government arrangements. The report pack states that the Winchester Town Forum asked the council to consider undertaking a CGR with a view to creating a parish/town council to cover the unparished areas of the district.

The report pack states that if the proposals for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in the county proceed, the existing district and borough councils will be dissolved, which may impact democratic engagement and representation and the way local services are delivered.

The report pack states that Winchester City Council (WCC) also seeks to protect Winchester's historic city status, Mayoralty and Coat of Arms during the process, and that a convenient and relatively straightforward approach for achieving this could involve transferring these elements to a new parish/town council covering the city area.

The draft terms of reference define a Community Governance Review as:

the statutory process used by principal councils to review and make changes to local community governance arrangements. It offers the opportunity to put in place strong, clearly defined boundaries, which reflect local identities, tied to firm ground features and to remove any anomalous parish boundaries.

The report pack states that the review can consider creating, merging, altering, or abolishing parishes, the naming of parishes, electoral arrangements for parishes, grouping or de-grouping parishes, and other types of local arrangements, including parish meetings.

The report pack states that the council must ensure that any future governance arrangements are reflective of the identities and interests of the community in that area, and effective and convenient.

The areas proposed for the review are the five Winchester town wards (St Bartholomew, St Paul, St Barnabas, St Luke, and St Michael). The report pack also states that adjoining areas such as the Kings Barton development and the part of St Barnabas ward currently within Littleton and Harestock Parish are proposed for the review.

The report pack states that the initial consultation will allow residents in all affected areas to comment on these proposals.

The report pack states that should the proposal to establish a new parish/town council receive support, the council will explore whether the following areas should be included within its boundary:

• Part of Littleton and Harestock Parish
• Kings Barton and W4 Development Areas
• Badger Farm Parish Council Area
• Bushfield Site (W5)
• Oliver's Battery Parish Council Area

The report pack states that the council will invite feedback on whether each of these areas should be incorporated into the proposed parish/town council boundary.

The report pack also states that the council will welcome any additional comments or alternative proposals from all respondents regarding the future governance arrangements for the Winchester Town area, including a do nothing option.

The report pack states that there will be at least 2 consultation stages:

• Stage 1 Consultation: An initial period of public consultation regarding the options outlined in the report.
• Stage 2 Consultation: Following consideration of the initial feedback, the council will prepare and publish its draft recommendations. A second period of public consultation will then be held to invite views on these specific proposals before the council makes its final decision.

The report pack includes a proposed timetable for the review, with the publication of the Terms of Reference in October 2025, and the financial and administrative provisions of the reorganisation order coming into force on 1 April 2027, if adopted.

The report pack recommends that the Licensing and Regulation Committee approve the draft Terms of Reference for the Community Governance Review of the Winchester Town Area, approve the indicative timetable for the review, and delegate authority to the Director (Legal) to make any minor amendments to the Terms of Reference prior to publication, to determine the specific date of its publication and to initiate the first stage of public consultation.

Public Participation

The committee is scheduled to receive and note questions and statements from members of the public on issues relating to the responsibility of the committee. Members of the public and visiting councillors may speak at the committee, provided they have registered to speak three working days in advance.