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HELP Eliminate Letchworth Parish Council

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Abolition Granted - 31 January 2013

On 31st January 2013, North Hertfordshire District Council resolved that
“Letchworth Town Council and the Parish arrangement be abolished with effect from 31 March 2013”.
The motion was carried without opposition and only one abstention.

This was the culmination of the year-long Community Governance Review, and enacts the course of action which NHDC decided upon in November 2012 in response to the very clear results from the review.

Democracy has won over in the end. It has taken five years of campaigning, and a huge amount of work and perseverance by many individuals, to fulfil the legislative requirements necessary to reach this point.

Well done everyone. That is a great result for Letchworth Garden City.

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Consultation Survey Results - November 2012

The questionnaire results show again that 75% of Letchworth voters support the abolition of Letchworth Town Council.

27,576 surveys were sent out; 7,138 were returned. (That's a 25.88% turnout).

Yes to abolish: 5,358 votes (75.06%)
No: 1095 (15.34%)
Don't Know: 685 (9.6%)

Abolition will clearly be an excellent outcome for the people of Letchworth. In the four years that HELP councillors have managed and wound down the Town Council, no Parish Council Tax has been levied on the people of Letchworth, representing a £2million saving, so far, when contrasted with the £0.5million annual bills imposed on the Letchworth tax-payers by the previous councillors. Abolition of the Town Council will secure this annual £0.5million tax saving for every year from now on.

What happens now?

North Herts District Council meet later this month to make a decision on the outcome of the Community Governance Review based upon the results of the consultations. Accordingly, it is expected that the decision will be to formally abolish the Town Coucil. The decision will be published and a period of about one month given to allow any comment from the public. NHDC meet again in January 2013 to review any comments and resolve the final outcome of the Community Governance Review.

On this basis, it is anticipated that Letchworth Town Council will be formally abolished in January 2013.

Questionnaire

Abolition Questionnaire - September 2012

NHDC's second stage questionnaire is now arriving at Letchworth households. There is one question. Please cross the YES box:

North Hertfordshire District Council proposes the abolition of Letchworth Garden City Town Council and the civil parish arrangement. No alternative arrangements are proposed.

What is the Civil Parish Arrangement?

In 2005, when NHDC created Letchworth Parish Council, it also had to create a civil parish for it to govern. The civil parish duplicated the five existing wards which the existing Letchworth Area Committee of NHDC already governed (and still do govern): South West, South East, East, Grange and Wilbury wards.

This is why NHDC is proposing to abolish both the Town Council and the civil parish arrangement. This will restore Letchworth Garden City to the governance state which existed prior to the start of the Town Council in 2005.

Please vote

A high response rate will greatly benefit the abolition process, so be sure to return your form even though you've already answered the same ballot question several times already over the last few years. This time should be the very last time.

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Questionnaire Results - July 2012

The questionnaire results show that 74% of respondents support the abolition of Letchworth Town Council.

Accordingly, at their meeting of 12th July 2012, North Herts District Council passed a proposal for the abolition of Letchworth Garden City Town Council and the civil parish arrangement, and to re-consult Letchworth residents with a very simple question to gauge public agreement with the proposal.

This final consultation is due to be sent to Letchworth residents on 24th August 2012, and if it verifies agreement with the proposal, Letchworth Town Council will be formally abolished in early 2013.

Please look out for your ballot form in the post at the end of August, and return it showing your agreement with the proposal to abolish the town council. A high response rate will greatly benefit the abolition process, so be sure to return your form even though you've already answered the same ballot question several times already over the last few years. This time should be the very last time.

Click here to read more...

Questionnaire

Abolition Questionnaire - May 2012

NHDC's questionnaire is now arriving at Letchworth households. Please answer YES to both these questions:

Q3a. Do you support the proposal to abolish the Town council?

Yes.

Q3b. Do you support the proposal to abolish the civil parish arrangement?

Yes.

PLEASE NOTE: Abolishing the Town Council and the civil parish arrangement will NOT result in the loss of Letchworth as a town, or change the name from Letchworth Garden City, or lose its status as First Garden City. Our town will still be Letchworth Garden City, exactly as it was prior to 2005. All that will happen is we will no longer have the bureaucratic governance layer that was set up in 2005 in order for the expensive and unnecessary Town Council to exist.

Click here to read more...

Questionnaire

Opportunity to Abolish - May 2012

At the start of 2012, having resolved all the issues left us by the first administration, we asked NHDC to undertake the process by which the Town/Parish Council can be officially abolished.

The most important part of that process is now taking place: A consultation for Letchworth residents. Click here for full details.

Information

The facts about the former staff and progress to date - November 2011

A lot has been going on over the last 2½ years, much of it quietly happening behind the scenes.

So, let's now take this opportunity to fill you in on both the truth behind the staffing issues, and also bring you up to date on all the other things we have been doing... Click here for full details.

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HELP Council Again Saves £½ Million per Year - December 2010

The HELP led parish council has again voted in a zero tax precept for the coming financial year - that's another £½ million saving on what was being charged to the town by the previous parish councillors two years ago. To keep this cost permanently at zero we urge the town's tax-payers and voters to continue supporting us while we work towards the final abolition of the parish council. Under the current legislation it is looking like this will come in 2013.

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HELP Council Saves £½ Million per Year - December 2009

The new HELP led parish council has voted in a zero tax precept for the coming financial year - £½ million down on last year. Click here for more details.

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HELP Council's Transition Plan - October 2009

There has been huge progress in delivering the elected mandate to close down all town council activities. Click here for more details.

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New Council's Progress - July 2009

Read about how much the new councillors have already achieved in the first month Click here.

Scales of Justice

First Meeting of the New Council : AGM Wednesday 17th June 2009

The newly elected Letchworth Parish Council met for the first time at 7:30pm on Wednesday 17th June 2009.

After the outgoing chairman passed over to the new HELP chairman, the meeting was run very professionally with clear direction and proper consideration to the public voice. A positive and welcome new beginning in working towards the end...

Click here to read the agenda.

At the meeting the new council voted in the following primary policy:

     “To close down all the Council activities as soon as legally and morally
     possible, leading to a non spending Council so that its dissolution may then
     be sought.”
 

Election 4th June 2009

HELP win 91.67% of Council Seats - June 2009

In a landslide victory, on 4th June 2009, Letchworth Garden City voters resoundingly backed HELP to abolish the expensive and unnecessary town council.

An unequivocal message was given to both the out-going chairman and the person who instigated the town council in 2005, as they each received the lowest number of votes out of the candidates in their wards.

Click here to see the results in full.


Announcments

Further Announcements soon...

Further details will be announced here as the progress continues with working to achieve the democratic mandate of carefully and considerately shutting down the town council...