Parishes to hold elections after securing permission for judicial review of their abolition

Two parish councils due to have been abolished on 1 April must hold elections after all next month having secured a judicial review of Slough Borough Council’s decision to scrap them.

Wexham Court and Britwell parish councils were due to be abolished after a governance review conducted for Slough.

In Wexham Court's case a review by audit firm RSM found a series of problems including “issues where immediate management action is necessary in relation to the pre-signing of cheques and uploading of confidential meeting minutes to the internet”.

The parishes won permission for a judicial review hearing at which they intend to challenge the findings of the governance review.

Britwell Parish Council pointed out that in a public poll undertaken by Slough for its review prior to the abolition decision, a majority of electors in had voted against abolition.

The parish council claimed that the borough council had acted contrary to statutory guidance and that the judicial review application would succeed.

Britwell PC Councillor Orlando Isernia said: "Unless our democratic country has gone to pot, then I can't see why not, because the people have spoken. People are disappointed that their democratic right has not been adhered to."

A Slough statement said: “The council continues to be confident the community governance review was conducted in accordance with the statutory guidance and the reasons for the council’s decision to abolish Wexham Court and Britwell Parish Councils are sound.”

It said the council’s decision followed the review and was based on findings “relating to the parish councils’ poor financial and general management and lack of improvement following the previous community governance review in 2013”.

The statement said Slough had acted to benefit residents by “relieving them of the requirement to contribute towards the costs of what the council considered to be ineffectual bodies who were failing to observe the highest standards of governance and probity”.

Slough said it would await the outcome of the judicial review but would proceed with the 2 May parish elections as legally required.

Mark Smulian