FAQs

A Community Governance Review (CGR) is a way for principal councils (such as Maidstone Borough Council) to make sure that, at parish level, governance arrangements are working as efficiently and effectively as they should be. This is achieved by asking the public, parish councils and any interested parties whether they feel their communities are suitably represented and whether parish councils would like to see any changes made to their current governance arrangements.

A review may consider one or more of the following options:

• creating, merging, altering or abolishing parishes
• the naming of parishes and the style of new parishes including the potential creation of town and parish councils
• the electoral arrangements for parishes (for instance, the ordinary year of elections; council size; the number of councillors to be elected to the council, and parish warding)
• grouping parishes under a common parish council or de-grouping parishes
• other types of local arrangements, including parish meetings

A review cannot:

• change the number of borough or county councillors
• change borough or county council ward/division boundaries
• influence or change the amount of money that a parish or town council raises through Council Tax
• change individual parish councillors
• create a unitary authority

We are carrying out the review of the unparished part of the Borough (Maidstone Town) because:

• to prepare for changes arising from Local Government Reorganisation in Kent
• to give consideration to a Town Council which can be a home for the historic Mayor of Maidstone following Local Government Reorganisation
•  to fully review an area that has changed due to decades of growth

We are carrying out the review of Grove Green, and Thurnham West because

• Feedback was received to the previous CGR conducted in 2022/23 that residents in Grove Green wanted to be asked the question about forming their own parish
• The council was unable to respond at that time, but undertook to carry out a review at a later date
• Thurnham West is an adjoining area to Grove Green, part of the Grove Green and Vinters Park ward and reviewing it alongside Boxley Grove Green ensures the whole area is considered

Please note - should Local Government Reorganisation not go ahead in Kent, we will continue with this CGR.

There will be two main consultation stages.  The first stage will ask about options and look for suggestions from communities.   The second stage will have specific proposals and detail.

When assessing suggestions and consultation responses received, we will be required to consider both the:

• impact of the community governance arrangements on community cohesion
• size, population and boundaries of a local community or parish suggestion

We are also required to ensure that community governance within the area under review would be:

• reflective of the identities and interests of the community in that area; and
• effective and convenient

Any other factors, such as potential council tax precept levels and transferring of assets, cannot be considered as these are consequential issues and would be included in any subsequent Community Governance Reorganisation Order, or considered at a later date.

Parish and town councils are not run by Maidstone Borough Council. They are separate elected bodies made up of local people representing the interests of their community.

They both have the same statutory powers and can provide the same services. The only differences are that a town council has decided that it should be known as a town council instead of a parish council, and a town council can style their Chair as ‘Mayor’.

Through an extensive range of discretionary powers, which they can choose to exercise, parish and town councils can provide, maintain and support a variety of important and visible services.

Those services include:

• allotments, parks and open spaces
• bus shelters and community transport schemes
• community centres and leisure facilities
• crime reduction and community safety measures
• festivals, celebrations and tourism activities
• litter bins, street lighting and street cleaning

Read more about the role of parish and town councils from the National Association of Local Councils (opens in a new window).

Having a parish or town council can significantly benefit a community by enhancing local representation, improving services, and fostering development.

Some of the benefits of having a parish or town council include:

• Community representation - they give residents a stronger voice in local affairs, ensuring their needs and preferences are directly addressed.
• Focused development - they can drive community projects and initiatives tailored to local needs, such as environmental conservation or youth programs.
• Economic advantages - they can attract funding and grants unavailable to larger councils. They can also promote local businesses through initiatives and events, boosting the local economy.
• Improved quality of life - they can work on projects that enhance the quality of life, such as creating green spaces, supporting local sports teams, and organising cultural events.
• Greater accountability - they are closer to their residents, leading to more accountability and transparency in decision-making.

Parish and town councils are funded through a sum of money called a 'precept' – this is a separate charge which is added to, and collected along with, your existing Council Tax. The parish or town council sets its own precept locally depending on what services and facilities are needed by the local community.

Yes, if a new parish or town council is created in your area it will make a difference to your Council Tax. This is because parish and town councils are funded by a precept (as explained above).  The level of precept is determined locally by the parish council, by parish councillors voted for by electors in the area, it is not possible to say how much this would be at this stage.  However, information from existing Maidstone Parishes is as follows:

Lowest precept - £29.42 per year (£2.45 per month)

Highest precept  - £180.95 per year (£15.07 per month)

The average precept across all parishes is £80.70 per year (£6.72 per month) in 2025/26.

A full breakdown of existing parishes and their precepts can be found here .

No, businesses are subject to business rates, which are calculated separately from Council Tax.

There is no statutory obligation on Maidstone Borough Council to transfer any assets to a newly created parish or town council, except for allotments. Therefore, any transfer of assets other than allotments would be entirely at the discretion of MBC.

The legislation regarding allotments means that any allotments in the area of a newly formed parish or town council can only be administered by that newly formed parish or town council, therefore should be transferred to the parish or town council.

Should the recommendation be that a new parish and/or town council(s) be formed, a list of assets that it is proposed would transfer from MBC to any new council(s) would be included in the Draft Recommendations published at the end of the review.

Further asset transfers could happen in the future, whether via MBC or any Unitary Council formed as part of Local Government Reorganisation.

No, parish and town councillors are not usually paid an allowance but may incur costs which can be reimbursed.

If created the first elections to any new parish and/or town council(s) would be in May 2027, with elections held every four years thereafter.  However, if Local Government Reorganisation goes ahead the timings of elections for parishes could be changed.

The exact number of councillors that would be elected to any new parish or town council is not yet known. If the creation of a Parish or Town Council is taken forward to Stage 2 of the review, we would consult on more detailed proposals, including wards and numbers of councillors.

Yes, all responses to the surveys are being considered. We particularly want to hear from people living in the affected areas however all options and views will be taken into account.