AS Chair of Better Swindon I have been involved in extensive discussions on this issue. I produced a list of pros and cons, which I posted on Better Swindon’s Facebook page. I have also had discussions with Swindon Civic Voice – they have done some work on what constitutes natural communities, which deserves a wider audience.
I attended last night’s meeting at Lethbridge and learnt a great deal from Kirsty Cole’s useful presentation. It is a shame this information is not more widely available.
Even so, and after all the discussions last night, I still don’t fully understand exactly what it is I’m being asked to comment on.
In principle I quite like the idea – I used to be a parish councillor.  Although most parish councillors are not elected, I feel they do enhance democracy at a local level. They are certainly held to account! 
Discussions are focused on what is best for the local community and are completely and refreshingly free of party politics. Borough councillors attend, and offer a good means of engagement with the council.
However, it is clear that creating parishes and devolving some services to them is mainly a means to allow these services to continue, funded by large increases in the parish precepts.
I have great sympathy with the position the council finds itself in – having to make huge cuts in services, at least one of which (closing Childrens’ Centres) flies in the face of evidence that closure results in poorer outcomes for the most deprived children.  At last night’s meeting, several attendees spoke eloquently about austerity not necessarily being the only way, but we are where we are.
The main confusion is around which services may be devolved, to whom, on what basis, who will provide them and at what cost. I appreciate it’s a Catch-22 situation, for the council as well as respondents. How do you know what to comment on if it isn’t clear and how does the council develop a proposal without people’s views?  In reply to a question about the administrative costs, the answer was £5-7 per household.
During last night’s discussions Coun Brian Mattock confirmed that no other ideas had been put forward as to other alternatives.  There was a widespread view that the council, along with others, should have objected strongly to the drastic reductions in the Government grant that have led to these measures being considered.
Councillors also accepted that so far not a single person or organisation in the non-parished area has come forward to express an interest in forming a parish. If nobody does, parishes can still be formed, but run by existing borough councillors, with their inevitable political “baggage”.
My view is that as I don’t have enough information, my contribution, sent today to cgr@swindon.gov.uk is a “NO”.  Apparently very few comments have been received. The deadline is the end of this month, so please e-mail the address I’ve given.
CHRIS BARRY
The Bramptons, Swindon