Parish Councils for Ansdell and Lytham

The survey is aimed at residents living in the boundary areas Ansdell & Fairhaven, Park, Lytham East, and Lytham West. Locally based community groups and businesses are also invited to participate. As part of completing the survey we will verify your postcode to ensure that you are within the boundary area.

People in Ansdell and Lytham are proud of their local area. Local groups work to preserve and maintain the built environment and heritage. Other community groups in both Ansdell and Lytham have engaged and energised the local community to provide better facilities within parks. Campaign groups have mobilised the local population in opposition to development proposals that have been perceived as threatening the character of the area.

Despite the successes and commitment of local groups without parish councils there is no permanent, democratically accountable voice that represents the specific interests of the localities. This stands in contrast with the rest of the borough, including St Annes. This could be perceived as putting Lytham and Ansdell at a disadvantage in terms of representation. Separate parish councils for both Ansdell and Lytham, or a combined parish council for both areas, could better represent the interests of the locality and provide a focus for community activities in these localities.

A new parish council for Ansdell would cover the borough council ward of Ansdell & Fairhaven and nearly all of the borough council ward of Park. The area covered is shown on the image below, outlined in red.

A new parish council for Lytham would cover the borough council wards of Lytham West and Lytham East. The area covered is shown on the image below, outlined in red.

A new combined parish council for Ansdell and Lytham would cover the borough council wards of Lytham East, Lytham West, Ansdell & Fairhaven and nearly all of the borough council ward of Park. The area covered is shown on the image below, outlined in red.

A parish council has the power to raise money through taxation. The money for the parish council is collected as part of council tax, but it is up to the parish councillors how much money they raise. The parish council element of a council tax bill is usually relatively small compared with other authorities like the county council or the fire authority. In Fylde the existing parish council’s charges range between c£21 and c£104 per annum per Band D property, with the average charge for 2024/25 being c£67 for a Band D property. It is estimated that the charge from the new parish council/councils in Ansdell and Lytham if they were to be established could be in the region of c£40 to c£50 per Band D property in the first year of operation. This would appear as an additional charge on council tax bills in the areas where new parish councils were created. But the exact amount will depend on the decisions that the parish council takes each year. Following the first year it would be up to the new parish council to set the amount payable which could be greater or lesser than the amount indicated above.

The precepts for the town and parish councils across Fylde for 2024/25 are set out below for illustrative purposes.

Town and Parish Councils – Calculation of Precept for 2024/2025 

There are currently no specific proposals to transfer of any powers/responsibilities from Fylde Council to any new parish council. Any potential changes to council tax levels would be a matter for the Councillors at each relevant Council to determine each year.

The costs and council tax charges will be a matter for the Councillors at any relevant new Council to determine each year. As an indication, the following list (copy attached) shows how much each of the existing Town and Parish Council in Fylde increased their charges to residents for the current financial year 2024/25 compared to 2023/24:

Locally elected councillors would make-up the membership of the parish council. These councillors would be selected through a local election.

Yes, councillors will be elected initially for a two-year term, and then each four years after that.

Generally, parish councillors in Fylde do not receive payment. While allowances can be offered by parish councils, currently none in Fylde pay an allowance. Any allowance, if granted, must align with recommendations from an independent panel.

While political parties can field candidates, most parish councillors in Fylde are independent of party affiliations. The selection of councillors ultimately rests with the electorate.

Yes, eligibility for parish councillor positions requires they live within the parish or within three miles of its boundaries, or employment within the parish.

Parish councils complement rather than replace other levels of local government. Parish councils work towards improving community well-being and providing better services. Their activities fall into three main categories: representing the local community; delivering services to meet local needs; striving to improve quality of life and community well-being. Through an extensive range of discretionary powers local councils provide and maintain a variety of important and visible local services including allotments, bridleways, burial grounds, bus shelters, car parks, commons and open spaces, community transport schemes, community safety and crime reduction measures, events and festivals, footpaths, leisure and sports facilities, litter bins, public toilets, planning, street cleaning and lighting, tourism activities, traffic calming measures, village greens and youth projects.

A parish council cannot overrule the borough council but can provide a powerful local democratic voice for its community.