Brigg Town Council undertook what is described as an informal survey, to gauge locall opinion.
Also included in the survey were households in Scawby Brook (currently in Scawby parish) and people living at the far end of Western Avenue, who are currently within Wrawby's boundary.
SCAWBY BROOK/CASTLETHORPE WITHIN BROUGHTON PARISH, INCLUDING WATERS EDGE ESTATE
319 properties were surveyed, 87 giving a response, of which 66 have living in Brigg as their preferred option, 19 wish to remain in Broughton and 2 want to be transferred to Scawby.
SCAWBY BROOK (SCAWBY)
73 properties were surveyed, 63 giving a response, of which 13 want to go into Brigg and 50 to stay in Scawby.
WESTERN AVENUE
24 properties were surveyed, all giving a response, 19 having Brigg as their preferred option and 5 wishing to stay in Wrawby.
Brigg Town Council considered the findings of this survey at its latest meeting.
It decided to take no further action about people living in Scawby Brook (Scawby parish).
However, it was agreed that the survey results for Western Avenue (within Wrawby parish) and Scawby Brook/Castlethorpe (within Broughton parish) should be placed before North Lincolnshire Council.
This to be done with a further recommendation that "in the spirit of Community Governance, the opinion of the residents of both of these areas should be heard and they should now be offered the opportunity to determine their own parish boundary through a Community Governance Review."
It hardly needs pointing out that Broughton Town Council and Wrawby Parish Council will have the opportunity to make their views known to North Lincolnshire Council, the district's unitary authority.
This is an unusual issue for North Lincolnshire, and a potentially complicated one.
Even though it is written in plain English, the Government needs 53 pages to present its Boundary Commission Guidance on Community Governance Reviews.
And here it is, to explore in more detail...
One small section of this lengthy document notes that, over time, communities may expand with new housing developments.
It states: "This can often lead to existing parish boundaries becoming anomalous as new houses are built across the boundaries, resulting in people being in different parishes from their neighbours."
In such circumstances, the guidance document suggests, the council should consider undertaking a community governance review.
And what exactly is that?
The Boundary Commission report explains: "A community governance review offers an opportunity to put in place strong, clearly defined boundaries, tied to firm ground features, and remove the many anomalous parish boundaries that exist in England."
The guidance document adds: "It is important that principal councils seek to address parish boundary anomalies when they arise. Principal councils should therefore consider carefully changes to parish boundaries as these can have consequential effects on the boundaries for other tiers of local government."
North Lincolnshire Council, we assume, is classed as our principal council. And the ball is now, very much, in their court, to decide how to proceed.
