Agenda and draft minutes

To record the names of apologies given and Deputy Members who are attending the meeting.

As noted above, apologies were received from Councillors Wallace and Councillor Langford-Smith, for whom Councillors Lee and Godfrey were deputising.  Apologies were also received from Councillors Latham and Pett.

To receive any disclosure of interests from Members or Officers in matters to be discussed.

Note: Councillors are reminded of their obligations to declare disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs), other registerable interests (ORIs) and non-registerable interests (NRIs) in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct.

There were no declarations made.

RESOLVED:

          That the minutes of the previous meeting held 15 June 2026 be agreed as a correct record.

To receive and note questions asked and statements made from members of the public on issues relating to the responsibility of this Committee.

Jerry Adamson and Patrick Davies spoke during public participation regarding report LR611 as summarised under the minute below.

The Director (Legal) advised that the final decision on the reorganisation order, originally scheduled for Council on 20 August, had been deferred until 7 October 2026. He explained that this delay was necessary to obtain definitive confirmation from the government that Winchester’s city status and historic mayoralty would be preserved alongside the proposed new parish council for the unparished Winchester town area.  He asked that reference to the Council date within the report's text should now be read as the revised October meeting date.

In introducing the report, the Director reported that the Stage 2 consultation resulted in 72% of respondents supporting a new parish council for the unparished Winchester town area. For the Kings Barton area, he highlighted that 53% of residents were in favour of a new parish council and it was also recommended to increase the number of councillors to twelve.  He further noted that as a result of the consultation feedback, the proposed boundaries for Kings Barton would be extended to include the Barton Meadows open space and Wellhouse Mews to better reflect community identity. Finally, he summarised the next steps if the recommendations were approved by Council, including the establishment of shadow councils in January 2027 and a formal vesting day of 1 April 2027.

Jerry Adamson and Patrick Davies spoke during public participation as summarised briefly below.

Jerry Adamson

Mr Adamson expressed concern that the proposed decision was undemocratic, highlighting that the respondents to the second round of consultation represented only 0.5% of the registered electorate. He argued that the review had failed the efficiency test as the level of support was significantly lower than the statutory requirements for a public petition. He concluded by asking that the committee refuse the proposed recommendations in favour of organising a local referendum.

Patrick Davies

Mr Davies spoke in opposition to the proposed parish council for the unparished area of the Winchester town, arguing that a single unitary authority would better serve the city by eliminating expensive duplication and providing clearer accountability for residents.   He expressed concern that prospective members of the new parish council were being misled regarding their limited powers and criticised the lack of transparency surrounding private discussions on asset transfers and the mayoralty. He concluded by urging the committee to reconsider the current proposals in favour of a governance structure where councillors hold real power through a unitary system.

At the invitation of the chairperson, Councillor Westwood (Winchester Town Forum chairperson) addressed the meeting as summarised briefly below.

Councillor Westwood welcomed the proposal to establish a new town council for Winchester believing that it would protect local democracy and provide a dedicated voice for the district’s largest unparished area.  The proposals had also been fully supported by the Winchester Town Forum at its meeting the previous evening.  He highlighted the consistent public support for stronger local representation and argued that a parish council was vital for protecting Winchester’s civic identity and traditions ahead of local government reorganisation. He further stressed that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.