An update from Hersham Community Council Committee provided at the HRA AGM on 19th May 2016

It was noted that Hersham Community Council Committee, Chaired by Chris Chauncy, had been established as a separate group to take this forward in an inclusive way and to avoid these discussions dominating HRA business.

A Community Council for Hersham

It was explained that promotion of a community council for Hersham had been triggered by the recent ward boundary changes which would be likely to redefine people’s perception of Hersham as covering a much smaller area.

It was stated that the creation of a community council would be the only logical active response to reinstate Hersham’s boundaries and protect its identity and also assure its future as an identifiable caring and cohesive community. It was noted that national government strongly supports the creation of community councils in these kind of circumstances where local people are behind it and want to fight for their community.

Advantages of a Community Council

With reference to a draft leaflet circulated at the meeting, some of the advantages of a community council were mentioned during the update, as follows: –

It was highlighted that a community council would direct money from a small additional council tax charge and substantial money collected from planning application fees. This money would be spent specifically in Hersham on what local people decide is important. As an official organisation representing Hersham, a community council would also be able to lever in match funding and attract grants from other organisations for the benefit of local residents – to help support existing and future local initiatives and good works in the community.

A community council would also play a significant role in providing a strong voice for Hersham and making sure the interests of the village are not overlooked or discounted. The community council would help to influence decisions about future development, individual planning matters, and the provision and maintenance of local amenities which really make a difference to Hersham and its residents.

Apart from all the above significant advantages of a community council, it would also cement Hersham’s boundaries, support the community and help secure Hersham’s sense of identify and community which makes it a desirable and great place to live.

An invitation to get involved

Chris explained that the Community Council Committee was a widely drawn group with no political affiliations and would welcome expressions of interest and support from all voluntary organisations and businesses in Hersham. Any individuals who wanted to find out more about the current discussions and how they might assist in taking this exciting initiative forward were encouraged to get in touch.

Chris can be contacted via the following email address: info@hershamresidents.info

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