Boston Borough Council progress plans for a new parish or town council for Boston

Following a first phase public consultation which took place with residents and interested parties from July 14 to August 26, 2025, the working group has now developed a set of recommendations to take forward to Full Council.

Subject to Full Council approval on January 12, a further round of public consultation will follow.

A CGR is a process that involves consulting with local people and organisations about potential changes to local governance such as establishing town and parish councils and altering boundaries.

The opportunity to create a town or parish council has come as a result of Local Government Reorganisation which could potentially see Boston Borough Council and other councils abolished and replaced with larger authorities by 2028.

The CGR focuses on the unparished area of Boston, currently the area where some services and functions are provided by Boston Town Area Committee (BTAC) which operates under Boston Borough Council.

The recommendations based on the feedback and views received during the first phase of the consultation going forward to Full Council are:

• Establish a single parish of Boston for the unparished area of Boston, covering the Boston Town Area Committee footprint.
• Alter the Wyberton parish boundary to incorporate two small unparished areas south of Boston into the parish of Wyberton.
• That the Council size for the parish of Boston be 22 Councillors, based on national guidance and proportional representation for an electorate of approximately 23,000 (forecast to rise to 25,000 by 2030).
• That the parish of Boston be warded into seven wards, aligned with the existing borough ward boundaries to ensure clarity and coterminosity, as follows:

• That the first elections for the proposed new and revised electoral arrangements be in May 2027, aligning with the ordinary parish council electoral cycle.

Cllr Mike Gilbert, Deputy Leader of Boston Borough Council and CGR Working Group Chairman said: “Thank you to those who took the time to take part in the first phase of the consultation for the Community Governance Review. Your views and thoughts have been vital in shaping the recommendations which are now going to Council to decide the next steps.

“The first phase consultation attracted 126 responses and 73 % supported the creation of a town or parish council for Boston, citing the need for a local voice, stronger representation and greater control over community assets and services.

“This is an important process in deciding how future decisions are going to be made locally for the town. Since 1974, local decision-making and accountability have been the responsibility of Boston Borough Council. If Local Government Reorganisation goes ahead as planned Boston Borough Council will case to exist and without a Town Council in place, the people of Boston Town will have no truly local representation.

“Town and parish councils are made up of elected representatives who can take on such things as community events and assets as well as be a local voice to planning consultations.

“Subject to approval by Full Council, a further phase of public consultation will follow. It is important local people have a say and share your views throughout the Community Governance Review.”

More information on the consultation will follow the decision of Full Council. The working group will also be consulting directly with Wyberton Parish Council and residents in the two unparished areas.

To find out more about the Community Governance Review, visit the dedicated website pages here: www.boston.gov.uk/CGR

The agenda and council report can be found here: https://democracy.boston.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=132&MId=2317