Wilsthorpe Future Governance Survey
With Derbyshire County Council and Erewash Borough Council set to be replaced by a single unitary authority in 2028, the council is consulting on creating a Town Council for Long Eaton.
This would bring Long Eaton into line with other parished areas, such as Sawley, which already have this level of local government.
Town and parish councils raise money through a small addition to Council Tax. In Sawley, the charge is £22 a year for a Band A property. In return, it maintains Lakeside Park and organises community events such as a Remembrance Service and Christmas light switch-on.
Without a Long Eaton Town Council, many local events and services could disappear. On the other hand, a town council may cost more than Sawley's. For example, Belper Town Council charges Band A households £78 a year more than the cheapest parish in neighbouring Amber Valley.
We want to know what Wilsthorpe residents think. Would you prefer to be part of a Town Council, join another parish, or remain unparished? A new unitary council is unlikely to focus on local events, bus shelters or floral displays, especially when parish councils provide these services in most other communities.
This survey is intended to find out what people actually want. It is not a simple Change.org petition that some parties may setup that invites bots from all over the world to comment. The data will be linked to the copy of the electoral register (that the Liberal Democrats as a political party are entitled to obtain). Because of this it can be submitted to Erewash Borough Council or a future planning committee hearing regarding the site as a record of what the residents of Sawley actually want.
Wilsthorpe's Future - Should we join Sawley Community Council / Long Eaton Town Council or Neither
With local government reorganisation on the horizon, Wilsthorpe has a choice. Do nothing and we will likely be part of a Long Eaton town council, or petition Sawley to join the existing Sawley Community Council which currently serves the are south of the railway line. We are already represented by the same Derbyshire County Councillor as Sawley and the new Unitary authority is likely to be on the same boundaries, and much of Wilsthorpe is also described on maps as New Sawley, not to mention the links between the Dales Estate and the Sawley estates via the underpasses. But we are undoubtedly also part of Long Eaton with strong connections to the town as well. Both options come with costs and benefits. The costs are likely to be higher to be part of Long Eaton so we should only go for an option that has broad support.
Sign up on this survey to indicate your preference. Your signature will be presented to Sawley Community Council and to Erewash Borough Council as appropriate depending on the option that has most popular support.