Whitburn residents set to have their say on proposals to establish a parish council
Proposals to establish a Whitburn Parish Council take a step closer to becoming a reality.
A South Tyneside village may soon bring back power to the people at the most local level after a bid to give it a parish council moved a step closer.
Despite being the most basic type of local governance, it could give Whitburn residents big clout, those behind the proposition claim.
They believe it would provide householders and businesses with an added voice to fight housing development and protect the area’s rural character.
The move to establish a parish council was launched by the Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum (WNF) at the start of the year – and an official council-led consultation has now been sanctioned.
Consultation to start next month
An initial four-week consultation will run from September 1, with all households within the WNF area being contacted - and a final decision made in January.
WNF is a formally designated body, established in 2017 to promote the village’s social, environmental and economic status.
Under its plan, a parish council would grant Whitburn statutory consultee rights on all local planning, licensing, and traffic management applications.
In January, it submitted a formal application to South Tyneside Council for it to start the process through a Community Governance Review (CGR).
The go-ahead for a CGR was given by councillors at a full local authority meeting on Thursday, July 30.
Pushing for a parish council
A WNF spokesman described the approval of the CGR as “just the starting gun”.
He added: “We took the logical step to protect our village by applying for a parish council back in January, but we have faced obstacle after obstacle from South Tyneside Council.
“We will need every single resident to stand with us during the public consultation.
“A parish council ensures that the needs of Whitburn—and the protection of our Green Belt—are placed at the centre of local decision-making, entirely independent of borough-wide political agendas.”
The WNF said the push for a parish council comes at a critical time for the coastal village.
It believes that without such a body, Whitburn will have no statutory voice to protect its rural character, enforce its planning policies, and challenge large-scale developers.
Under the CGR, ward councillors, residents’ associations, schools, local political parties, Northumbria Police and businesses, will be asked for their views.
Responses received will be considered by the council’s Constitution Committee and officers and draft recommendations produced.
A second-round consultation will last for a further four weeks during October and November.
A CGR can consider several factors, including the naming of new parishes and the electoral arrangements around them.
The council must now draw up and publish its terms of reference.
This will include defining the area under review, matters to be considered and the proposed timetable for consultation and decision-making.
In a report, the council confirmed the CGR must be conducted in an open and transparent manner and “provide opportunities for all interested parties to submit views”.
An unknown financial cost will be incurred for the production and distribution of consultation materials.
However, the report confirmed no such resources have been allocated and must be found from existing revenues.