Consultation Closed 12 noon 31st October 2008
Local residents had the chance to have their say in a referendum ballot held in October 2008.
Residents of Sovereign Harbour were asked whether they want a parish council. A postal ballot was held this October and all residents registered as local electors at an address in Sovereign Harbour had a vote
Latest: The consultation has now closed.
The result of the referendum ballot is as follows:
In favour of a parish council 1,151 (45.4% of the votes)
Not in favour of a parish council 1,387 (54.6% of the votes)
A total of 2,538 votes were cast.
The electorate was 4,850 and the turnout was 52.3%.
Before reaching a final decision, the Council will consider the outcome of the ballot together with other letters and comments received from local organisations and individuals.
Background
In early 2008 the Sovereign Harbour Residents Association presented a petition to the Council calling for the creation of a parish council. The Council is under a legal duty to carry out what is known as a ‘community governance review’ and consult with local residents. This is because the petition was signed by over 10% of local electors at Sovereign Harbour. A referendum ballot will form a key part of the consultation. Other people who will be consulted will include local business, community groups and East Sussex County Council.
If the proposal gets sufficient support and the Council agrees to give the go ahead, Sovereign Harbour will become the only part of the Borough to have its own parish council.
Further Information
For further information please see the following sections:
- Ways people can give their views
- The referendum ballot (who can vote and registering to vote)
- What happens if residents vote yes or vote no?
In addition, you can download a number of background documents in PDF format below. These describe the area of the proposed parish and information about what parish councils do and how they are funded.
These pages will be updated through the course of the consultation and once the result of the referendum ballot has been annouced.
