Could we improve the way local people are represented at a community level?

Primarily this will look at the arrangement of town and parish councils across the borough.

For those areas of the borough already served by a parish or town council, this review will consider whether the existing arrangements continue to be appropriate or if they should be updated. For other areas, the review will consider whether local communities would be better served by having a parish or town council.

Cllr Richard Biggs, Leader of Reigate & Banstead Borough Council says: “Parish and town councils can play an important role in empowering communities and encouraging active involvement in local life. Do residents feel the interests and identities of their local communities are represented appropriately? Should we create or merge parish/ town councils? Or are the two we currently have in the borough meeting our needs?”

“By undertaking this review now, residents and community groups will have the opportunity to consider parish and town councils in light of the local government reorganisation, which will see 11 district and borough councils and one county council replaced with a smaller number of new unitary authorities.”

Formally called a Community Governance Review, this is a legal process that gives residents and organisations an opportunity to share their views on the most suitable ways to represent them at a community level. Good practice suggests that one is carried out every 10 to 15 years and there has been no full review in Reigate & Banstead during this period.

Launching consultation phase one

The first phase of consultation will run from 24 July to 18 September 2025. We want to hear your views and suggestions on the best way to represent local people at a community level in Reigate & Banstead.

• Do you want a town or parish council in the area you live?
• If you already have a town or parish council in the area where you live:
  • Are the boundaries right, or would you change them?
  • Do you feel the community you live in is in the right parish or would you prefer to be a part of another (or new) parish area? 

Please complete our survey to help shape the proposals. The survey closes at midnight on Thursday 18 September 2025.

Once phase one has concluded, a Member Working Group will consider submissions and will draft recommendations. These will then go out to public consultation in November 2025.

Final recommendations will be considered at the Annual Full Council in March 2026.

About parish and town councils

Parish and town councils are the first tier of local government, known as ‘local councils’, and are elected bodies made up of local people representing the interests of their communities, usually unpaid. They can vary in size and function but typically they represent the community voice, for example as a statutory consultee on planning matters, they may manage some local services, such as allotments or parks, and seek to improve quality of life in the area.

Reigate & Banstead Borough currently has two local councils, Horley Town Council and Salfords & Sidlow Parish Council, which set their own budget requirements and are funded through a separate charge, or ‘precept’, which is collected alongside Council Tax. Currently the precept for a Band D property is £55.21 in Horley and £33.06 in Salfords & Sidlow. 

More information

More information about the review can be found on the Community Governance Review pages on our website.