New parish councils are set to be established for Ansdell and Lytham after the recommendations of the Executive Committee were approved by full Council on 15 July 2024.
The decision to create two new parish councils was informed by public consultation in 2024, which followed a thorough community governance review to consider parishing arrangements throughout the borough.
A total of 1,165 people took part in the 2024 consultation via survey, alongside four community events held in Ansdell and Lytham which saw over 200 people take part.
Cllr Ellie Gaunt, Lead Member for Finance and Resources, said: “We are deeply grateful to all those residents who engaged with our consultations to express their views on the creation of new parish councils for Ansdell and Lytham. It is those opinions that have shaped this decision, and we are pleased to be able to provide a new level of representation for residents.
Parish councils are the first level of local government, empowering communities by giving them a democratic voice and a structure for taking community action.
The new parish councils will come into existence on April 1 2025, with interim parish councillors drawn from existing borough councillors until parish elections are held on May 1 2025. Subsequent elections are to be held in May 2027 and then every fourth year in the same pattern of elections as other parish councils in the borough.
Parish councils are financed by a parish precept collected via council tax from the relevant parished areas. Following the recommendations of the Executive Committee, the Council resolved that the Band D precept for each of the new parishes be set at £25. Setting precepts for subsequent years will be for each of the new parish councils to determine.
Commenting on the Band D precept limit, Cllr Gaunt added: “The cost of living continues to be a pressure for many Fylde residents, and it is important to ensure the concerns so clearly expressed in the consultation regarding the cost of running a parish council were heeded. It’s for this reason that I proposed the initial precept limit of £25 for Band D properties, and I am pleased to see that my recommendation was accepted.”
More information about the roles and responsibilities of the new parish councils can be found on the Fylde Council website: https://new.fylde.gov.uk/council/governance-and-legal/parish-councils-for-ansdell-and-lytham/
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