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Summary
Sefton Borough Council are asked to consider making a Grouping Order for the purpose of forming a grouped parish council with Formby Parish Council and Little Altcar Parish Council to be known as Formby and Little Altcar Parish Council.
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England recommend that it is good practice for a principal council to consider conducting a review every 10 to 15 years and that this includes re-drawing boundaries that have become anomalous. The last review was concluded in March 2003. The Parish Councils recognise that a governance review is a costly exercise, however a grouping order can be achieved without that expense.
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Background
Formby and Little Altcar Parish Councils propose to make one local council for the whole of Formby.
Formby Parish Council was established in 2004.
Little Altcar Parish Council was established in 1974, but its origins go back to 1894.
When Formby Parish Council applied for designated status to do a Neighbourhood Plan, the consultation undertaken by Sefton Council concluded that this process could not exclude Little Altcar as this parish having no schools, shops, doctors, dentists or parks is an integral part of the Formby community.
The Neighbourhood Plan process has demonstrated that Formby is a single cohesive community with a shared vision for the future challenges that are faced in terms of the housing allocation and employment allocation identified in the Sefton Local Plan.
The community of Formby has recognisable barriers to the north and south with the Woodvale aerodrome and the Altcar rifle range and a natural barrier to the west with the shared coast line. The boundary to the east of Formby is with West Lancashire. It is a distinct settlement and the existing boundaries between the 2 parishes are hard to define by walking around the area.
The two parishes form one community who have a shared sense of place and the geography of the area contributes to its local identity.
The two parishes form one community where residents benefit from the same locally provided public sector facilities and private sector services.
At present Formby Parish Council has 15 members and Little Altcar has 7 members who are all unpaid volunteers. The 7 members for Little Altcar are also Formby Parish Councillors; that is, they all serve on both councils.
Since mid-2017 Little Altcar has been supported by Formby Parish Council, who entered into an agreement to provide Clerk and administrative services to Little Altcar. In the new arrangement there would not be duplication of Parish Council meetings, which would be a saving on Clerk and administrative support.
At the May 2022 Annual Parish Meetings of electors for both Formby and Little Altcar it was agreed to submit the business case for a grouping order to Sefton Council. Unfortunately, at this time Sefton Council were subject to a Boundary Commission Review and responded to say that any consideration by Sefton Council for a grouping order would not be undertaken until the completion of the Review.
As part of the Boundary Commission Review the Parish Council were invited to make a submission, which they did. Subsequently the Boundary Commission have published their recommendations and have advised that any merger of the parishes is a matter for Sefton Council.
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The Legal Situation
A Grouping Order is a means of grouping together parish councils to form one local council for an area.
Provision for this exists in the 1972 Local Government Act.
A way of pooling resources whilst preserving the identity of each of the individual parishes or settlements within it.
The order must name the group and must provide for the representation on the council of each parish on the council.
The reorganisation of localities by means of grouping orders means the units (parishes) concerned retain their identity and their electors meeting and such orders can be made by the principal council without the formalities of a governance review. LGA 1972 ss 11(1)-(3) and 29(1)-(3).
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Financial Statements and Employees
Formby Parish Council:
Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2025-26
Annual-Return-for-publication-FPC-2026.pdf
Employees
Parish Clerk p/t
Administrative Assistant p/t
Little Altcar Parish Council:
Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2025- 2026
Annual Governance and Accountability – Little Altcar Parish Council
Employees – Provided by Formby Parish Council under an agreement.
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The Desired Outcome
Sefton Council have the legal authority to make a Grouping Order, and both Parish Councils are in favour of this.
A Grouping Order does not have the financial cost of a governance review, so provided this is achieved in a timely manner prior to the parish council elections in May 2027, there is no financial burden on Sefton Council.
The Grouping Order must name the group, and the suggestion is “Formby and Little Altcar Parish Council”.
The Formby and Little Altcar Parish Council would meet each month (except August and December) in addition to the annual Parish Meetings (the electors meeting) to be held between 1 March and 1 June.
Formby has 2 wards Formby East and Formby West. Little Altcar would form part of the Formby East ward within the grouped council, which aligns with the Ward Cllrs for Formby East who already serve both Formby and Little Altcar residents.
To provide greater flexibility financially across the two parishes.
The existing employees would continue to provide Clerk and administrative services to the newly formed combined Parish Council.
The Parish Council would comprise 15 members (or as Sefton Council determine) split between Formby East and Formby West wards based on the electorate numbers.
Claire Jenkins
Parish Clerk to Formby Parish Council
And Parish Clerk to Little Altcar Parish Council