Agenda and minutes

As this was the first meeting of the municipal year the Electoral Services Manger asked for nominations for Chairman. Councillor S.M. Evans was proposed by Councillor K.J. May and seconded by Councillor E.M.S Gray.

There being no further nominations, it was

RESOLVED that Councillor S.M. Evans be appointed Chairman for the 2026/27 Municipal year.

The Chairman requested nominations for the position of Vice Chairman for the 2026/27 municipal year. Councillor C. Hotham was nominated by Councillor S.M. Evans and seconded by Councillor J. Robinson.

There being no further nominations, it was

RESOLVED that Councillor C.A. Hotham be appointed Vice Chairman of the Electoral Matters Committee for the 2025/26 Municipal year.

There were no apologies for absence.

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests.

Councillor S.J. Baxter declared that she was the current Vice-Chair of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).

Councillor S.M. Evans declared an other disclosable interest in respect of Item No. 7/26: Community Governance Review - Finstall Parish in respect of his role as County Councillor for that area.

The minutes of the meeting held on 19^th January 2026 were submitted for Members’ consideration.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 19^th January 2026 be approved as a correct record.

The Senior Electoral Services Officer introduced the report on the establishment of a cross-party working group to consider local governance arrangements within Bromsgrove District Council.

The report had come to the Electoral Matter Committee via a resolution made at the Annual Council meeting held on 20^th May 2026 in relation to future local governance arrangements within Bromsgrove District. The District Council was expected to be replaced by a new unitary authority in 2028. This meant that the current district tier of local representation and service delivery would no longer exist in its present form. It had been noted that a need to consider how local governance should operate for communities across Bromsgrove in the future had been created by this.

It had been decided that a working group be set up to look at options available by doing some preparatory work on issues that mattered to residents and stakeholders and in addition whether there was a case to progress with more formal routes such as community governance reviews (CGRs).

It was explained that the working group would undertake an engagement exercise over part of the summer and then report back to the Electoral Matters Committee with its findings.

Members were given a list of items on which the working group could include in its preparatory work. These were:

·         Agreeing and undertaking the engagement exercise, including engagement material, survey questions, maps and explanatory information

·         Analysing engagement responses and wider evidence

·         Reviewing existing parish, ward and community boundaries

·         Identifying unparished areas and any neighbouring parish areas where boundary tidying may need to be considered 

·         Reviewing examples of town and parish council models, including different levels of function, service delivery and precept requirement

·         Considering alternative forms of neighbourhood level governance and how these might operate in the context of Local Government Reorganisation

·         Consider the broad financial and resource implications of any potential options

Members of the Committee were given an indicative timetable of the working group’s business which would cumulate in its findings coming to the Electoral Matters Committee in late September 2026 and recommendations going to Council in October.

The Senior Electoral Services Officer also informed Members about the appointment of charter trustees which had been discussed at the Electoral Matters Committee meeting held in November 2025. It was explained that until formal resolutions regarding local governance were decided upon, charter trustees provided a mechanism for safeguarding civic regalia such as the Chairman’s chain and other historic items.

It was noted that charter trustees were usually Councillors of the successor authority however if, as a result of a CGR a parish/town council was created, the charter trustees would be dissolved and the regalia put into the care of that council.

The Chairman then opened up the item for debate and Members asked about timetabling for a CGR and what areas a CGR would cover. It was explained that the engagement exercise would inform the necessity of a CGR and scope of any review due to be commenced. The exercise would need  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6/26

The Electoral Services Manager presented the report concerning the ongoing work regarding the CGR of Finstall Parish and highlighted the following:

·         The consultation ran from 16^th February to 17^th April 2026, and all electors were sent a letter directing them to the review webpage and informing them about how they could respond.

·         At the close of the consultation there had been 49 replies.

·         It was noted that 80% of responders claimed to be directly affected by the proposals.

·         Over two thirds of responders agreed with moving, Field View House, the area west of the railway line, out of the parish.

·         A majority of respondents (60%) disagreed with the proposal of moving the unparished area east of the railway line into the Parish of Finstall. Common concerns raised regarding this were the perceived lack of benefits and the potential impact on the parish especially its increase in size.

·         The second consultation was due to run from 15^th June until 1^st October 2026.

The Chairman then opened up the report for general discussion. Members discussed the comments provided in consultation feedback, paying close attention to remarks on the size of the Parish, that the area under review was very different to Finstall Parish and the fact that some thought they were in the Aston Fields area.

In regard to Field View House, the number of electors affected was confirmed and it was noted that it would be a small area that would move from a parished to unparished area and if electors would appreciate what this change would mean. It was questioned whether this change should be considered after the local governance engagement from the previous item had been completed.

The Chairman asked the three members of Finstall Parish Council who were in the public gallery if they wished to speak and they chose to do so. They noted the results of the consultation and that it seemed to point to a broad agreement to move Field View House out of the Parish but not to include the unparished area east of the railway line.

Committee members took these comments into account and again discussed the wider engagement exercise that would be soon commencing and whether this would confuse electors, especially since a major part of the consultation would involve unparished areas of Bromsgrove town.

After considering the options available, the Committee decided an alternative proposal, to defer Draft Recommendations and the second consultation on the Finstall Parish Review until after the local governance engagement exercise had been completed.

This was proposed by Councillor C.A. Hotham and seconded by Councillor S.J. Baxter.

All Members were in agreement, and it was therefore:

RESOLVEDthat

1)     Draft Recommendations on the Finstall Parish Review be deferred until after the local governance engagement exercise was completed, and

2)    The Assistant Director for Legal, Democratic and Procurement Services, following consultation with the Chairman, should make amendments to the review timetable to enable Resolution 1 above to be implemented.

There was no urgent business to consider on this occasion.