top of page

Hayling Parish Council is close!

 

87% of us voted FOR a Hayling Parish (or Town) Council in Havant's Phase 1 consultation, after 1600 people signed the petition for one.  Thank you!

​

In Phase 2, ​​​malicious misinformation was spread on Facebook about spiralling costs and encouraging fraudulent voting, but even then the majority voted in favour.

​​

The Full Council meeting on 20th July accepted that it's the democratic will of the island and voted for it.


But with the delay to LGR (Local Government Reorganisation), a complaint has been lodged that the circumstances have changed, so the decision will go back to a future Full Council.  

​​

We will have to wait until Full Council confirms the decision, or  LGR is resumed, before we get our Parish Council.

One final step.jpg
What is proposed?

  • Create "Hayling Island Parish Council”.

  • With 16 elected councillors.

  • Elected as a whole island, not by Ward.

  • Havant will calculate the first year's Council Tax precept, estimated at under £50 p.a. for Band D.

​

Havant's full Council meeting of July 20th voted to accept these proposals.​​​  

 

HIRA supported them, with the following comments:

  • THE NAME. Many people think of Hayling as a Town more than a Parish, so wanted "Town Council", but this can be easily changed once it's formed (the others can't).

  • 16 COUNCILLORS. The recommended size for our population was 20, but some said that finding 20 willing candidates would be a challenge, so it was reduced to 16 for the Phase 2 consultation.  But so long as we can find 6 or more, we'd be able to run, and they can co-opt more members as necessary.  But fewer could be an issue, and the number CAN'T BE CHANGED easily in future without a boundary review.  And if we get 16 or fewer candidates, we save the high cost of an election. 

  • WHOLE ISLAND ELECTION.  This is MUCH simpler than warding, and makes finding good, keen councillors much easier.  Some worry that areas such as North Hayling might be outvoted and under represented, but they can be co-opted, and Warding has such big disadvantages, that it's not recommended.

  • COUNCIL TAX PRECEPT.  This is the most controversial area, as some are worried that the a Parish Council could raise Council Tax unreasonably. 

    But Council taxes are only raised by elected councillors, so there is huge public pressure to keep them down.  And Parish Councils are notoriously good at that, by using volunteers, by being local and creative, and by applying for grants and revenue that higher councils could never get.
     

  • Since the initial transfer will just be allotments, we hope to see the initial precept far below £50 p.a., as there will be very few costs until it gets established. 

    We'd like to see future election candidates pledge to put significant tax increases to a referendum.

​​​​​

What is happening now?

  • Havant has started the legal process to make it happen. 

  • However, since LGR has been put on hold, a complaint was made that this changes the situation.  The Council's Monitoring Officer has ruled that the complaint is valid, and the decision will be need to be reconsidered by a future Full Council meeting.

  • You can find out the very latest by attending our Public Meeting on Monday October 5th, 7:15 for 7:30, at Hayling Island Community Centre!

bottom of page