Should a Town Council be established in Sutton Coldfield?

Town and parish councils are at the heart of many communities in England and now, residents in Sutton Coldfield can decide for themselves whether they would like to see their own community governance body launch.

Sutton Coldfield residents are being reminded that they will receive ballot papers and background information through the post next week concerning the proposal for a Town Council.

The consultive postal ballot will take place from the 25 June and 16 July as part of a wider consultation.

The question that residents will be asked will be "Should a Town Council be established for the parliamentary constituency of Sutton Coldfield, within the city of Birmingham?"

The 76,000 large electorate in the area will need to assess what the advantages and disadvantages would be of having a Town Council.

A town council can exercise a variety of powers and duties, including services that contribute to crime prevention, tourism activities and markets.

However, residents need to consider the financial implications of a town council as they are funded principally through additional Council Tax levied on local tax payers

The results of the ballot will be announced during the week beginning 20 July.

More information can be found here.