What Happens if Residents Vote Yes?
It is anticipated that the outcome of the referendum ballot will be announced on 3 November. The result and the other consultations will then be reported to a meeting of the Council due to be held on Wednesday 19 November. This meeting will be open to the public and is timed to start at 6pm. The agenda and report for the meeting will be published on Tuesday 11 November and available to view on the Council’s website at about the same time.
The outcome of the vote is not binding on the Council, however it will be an important factor, especially if the majority in favour is large. If the Council agrees the principle of a parish council it will carry out further consultation with local councillors, resident groups and invite comments from local residents on such matters as the new council’s electoral arrangements and the timetable for setting up the new council. Information on this further consultation will be given on the Council’s website in due course. A further report will be made to the Council in order that decisions can be made on the detailed arrangements for setting up the new parish council.
There will then need to be a period where arrangements are made to set up the new parish council. It may be that peoples’ first opportunity to vote for a parish councillor will be May 2010 (or more likely May 2011 when the next Eastbourne Borough Council elections are due to be held).
What Happens if Residents Vote No?
If residents reject the idea it is unlikely that the Council will take any further action to create a parish council. They will however wish to continue working with the local community and its representatives and further encourage the participation of its residents in local affairs and activities in ways other than through the formal creation of a parish council.
