Salford councillors have unanimously rejected plans to establish a parish council in the Broughton Park area.
The proposals, which would have created a new tier of local government covering the area from St Mark’s Lane and Highclere Avenue in the east to the River Irwell in the west, were voted down at a full council meeting this morning.
Earlier this year, Kersal and Broughton Park councillor Andrew Walters advocated for a parish council in his ward to give residents more control over bins and public spending.
The council held a consultation on plans for a breakaway town council after a petition was signed by 7.5% of people in the affected area, meeting the threshold to trigger a mandatory governance review.
But, after 58.85% of the 1,769 survey respondents opposed the creation of a parish council in the Broughton Park area, Cllr Walters voted against the plans in the interest of “democracy.”
“Nearly 59% the Greater Broughton Park area do not want a parish council and, therefore, I believe that a parish council should not go ahead,” he told the chamber.
“This has been the most successful consultation in our history in the sense of the number of responses. The information we have received has been more than a binary yes or no, and shows that people want to engage.”
442 people responded to the survey with extra comments outlining concerns about services in the area. 77 highlighted a need for more frequent bin collections, 45 were concerned about the cleanliness of the area’s streets and 40 asked for greater attention to potholes or pavement damage.
Mayor of Salford Paul Dennett said: “The creation of a parish council does not offer sufficient benefits for the Broughton Park area community.
“Introducing an additional tier of local government would add unnecessary bureaucracy, along with associated costs and inevitable inefficiencies.
At a time when our residents are grappling with the ongoing cost of living crisis, imposing an additional council tax burden through a parish precept is not a course of action I nor the wider Executive could support.
The consultation on plans to introduce a parish council in Broughton Park has taken place amid concerns over the impact on the area’s concentrated Jewish community.
According to Broughton Councillor Jim King, “A veritable coachload of 62 rabbis wrote two letters, came marching over the cliffs of Broughton, saying, we are opposed to this and want plans to be voted down.”
Mayor Dennett received letters from faith leaders to ‘veto’ plans for the parish council after concerns were raised that it could put community relations at risk and present the site as an ethnically Jewish district, which may be targeted by hate crimes.
Before casting a vote to reject the proposal, he said: “I would also echo the concerns expressed to me as City Mayor by several faith leaders from Broughton Park during the consultation period. Salford has long been a diverse, multicultural and inclusive city.
“This diversity is a vital part of what makes Salford such a welcoming and vibrant place.
“I remain deeply concerned that establishing a parish council in the manner proposed could undermine social and community cohesion within the Broughton Park area and beyond.
“That said, I acknowledge that the consultation has highlighted legitimate concerns regarding the need for local communities to have adequate access and opportunities to engage with this city council. “
“We strive to ensure that the council’s operations are as transparent and accountable as possible, and full council, cabinet and scrutiny meetings are all open to the public.”
After the vote, Mayor Dennett hailed the decision not to establish the parish council and said the move “reflects the overall opinion of residents, businesses, community and voluntary groups.”
“The consultation achieved one of the highest response rates (19.9%) in recent years with the majority opposing the proposal. We respect that outcome and thank everyone who took part and shared their views with us. Listening to local voices is at the heart of what we do and responding to feedback is a vital part of local democracy.
“I commend the efforts of members in the area to engage their community on this matter and communicate this position. I also commend the council’s conduct of a comprehensive and inclusive community governance review which followed all required procedures,” he said.
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