Have your say on the creation of a new parish council for Welwyn Garden City
Have your say on the creation of a new parish council for Welwyn Garden City (Community Governance Review)
The Government plans to replace current County Council and District and Borough Councils with unitary authorities.
Welwyn Garden City is the only area in our borough which does not have a town or parish council.
Following feedback from an initial consultation in October to December 2025 we opened a Community Governance Review (CGR).
The CGR is to explore whether we need to strengthen representation and community empowerment and engagement in Welwyn Garden City.
We have begun consulting with residents on whether to:
- set up a new parish council for Welwyn Garden City
- set up a Neighbourhood Area Committee to engage with the residents of Welwyn Garden City (or other form of community engagement)
- take no action for now.
You can find out more about what parish and town councils are and how they are funded in our frequently asked questions section.
You can view the Community Governance Review Terms of Reference the background information and frequently asked questions section.
Results from first consultation
The first public consultation for the Community Governance Review ran for six weeks from 19 May to 30 June 2026.
Next steps
The Cross-Party Community Governance Review Group acknowledged that the consultation responses showed community support for a parish council for Welwyn Garden City and agreed that officers should develop proposals for a second consultation on establishing a parish council.
This work will be presented at Full Council in September for a decision on whether to begin the second consultation.
The Council will consider the consultation responses together with other relevant factors in making its decision.
View the Community Review Timetable.
We will post updates on this page.