Craven District Council will be reviewing the district’s 73 parishes in the coming months to examine issues such as their boundaries and electoral arrangements.

It seems probable that the last full review of the District’s parishes took place more than 30 years ago. The review, which is known as a community governance review, is required to ensure that parishes reflect changing circumstances over recent decades.

Before the main part of the review starts, the District Council will consult with all the parishes and other interested parties on the terms and conditions under which the review will be carried out. This consultation will be completed by the end of November.

Anyone, not just the parish councils and parish meetings, can suggest ideas for change. The District Council will be asking for suggestions to be put forward in the New Year. Issues to be considered might include but not exclusively:

• Boundary changes
• Create or abolish parishes
• Whether parish councils should replace parish meetings
• Electoral arrangements such as numbers of parish councillors
• Merge or split parishes to form more viable units

Councillor Chris Knowles-Fitton, Leader of the Council, said: “It’s been so long since Craven reviewed its parishes that there are no records of when it last happened. But it must have been in the distant past because there’s no employee or member who can remember when it last took place either. In fact I’d be interested to discover if there’s anyone who can throw some light on when it last took place!

“Changes happen, sometimes obviously, sometimes much less so and over a long period such changes will have influenced on how our parishes are governed. One obvious example is the by-passes built around Settle/Giggleswick & Skipton. This might suggest that old boundaries are perhaps not as relevant today as they were forty years ago. In other areas the numbers of electors may have increased or reduced and parish arrangements may need to reflect that.

”I can assure everyone that both community and individual views will be considered carefully before any decisions to change are made.”

The review process will last throughout 2010 and the District Council will publish its final decision on changes in early 2011.

Any person or organisation interested in seeing, or commenting on the terms and conditions of the Review can obtain a copy from Craven District Council at 01756 706241 or email governancereview@cravendc.gov.uk