Recommendation for no changes to Adderbury Parish Council after 10-month consultation

The Cherwell District Council set up a 'Working Group' in May 2020 to examine a proposal to create a new parish council for West Adderbury. This followed a petition from West Adderbury Residents Association and the plan meant separating West Adderbury from the existing parish.

There were two formal consultation stages during the review. The first one ran from Monday June 29 to Friday August 28, and the second from Monday November 2 to Monday January 4, 2021. Every household in Adderbury received a consultation document through the post, which provided more information about the request to separate the parish. The documents were also available electronically.

The Working Group have considered all of the consultation responses received, and have prepared their final recommendations. The recommendations will be considered by full Cherwell District Council on Monday February 22

The Working Group concluded that given the level of opposition to the proposals consulted upon demonstrated during both consultation stages, the recommendations to full council should be that no changes be made to the existing parish area of Adderbury, and the number of parish councillors should remain at 12.

Following the first consultation stage it was clear that residents of Adderbury did not want a split to take place, with 553 of the 739 submitted responses disagreeing with the proposal.

The West Adderbury Residents Association (WARA) submitted a response to Cherwell District Council about the review and consultation process.

The response from WARA said: "It is clear to WARA that a single parish council cannot possibly effectively represent all three areas of the parish, and that since West Adderbury is the rural minority our needs will always come last.

"In desperation, nearly 200 West Adderbury residents signed a petition asking CDC to reinstate West Adderbury Parish Council, which coexisted happily with the old East Adderbury Parish Council up until the early 70s.

"The basis of this decision appears to relate simply to the absolute number of votes and the percentage in favour of and against separation of the parish."

"According to the law and guidance on Community Governance Reviews, the principle criteria to be considered by the Working Group should have been the identity and interests of West

Adderbury, and whether the current arrangements are effective and convenient.

"There is nothing whatsoever in the Working Group’s report to suggest that any of these criteria were considered. Instead, the Working Group has looked at the parish of Adderbury as a whole and has made a decision based solely upon the views of the majority."

WARA also contends the Working Group made its decision based on a vote, in which it did not confirm whether respondents actually lived in the parish, or even in the county.

The association also said: "We simply do not believe that CDC has considered what would be best for West Adderbury, as we asked them to.

"The Working Group has let us down."