Check your parish area using online checker

Households in Swindon can now check what parish council area they will live in, thanks to a new postcode checker on the Council’s website.

Last month, the council decided to create four new parish councils in Swindon, which will mean that 64,000 additional properties will be incorporated within a parished area for the first time.

Parish councils are already well-established in other areas of the Borough and have provided local services for the residents there for many years.

The four new parishes being created are West Swindon, Central Swindon North, and Central Swindon South, all of which are in previously unparished areas, while a new St Andrews Parish has been created from part of the current Blunsdon St Andrew Parish. In addition, the existing Parish of Nythe has been extended to include Eldene and Liden.

Residents can find out which parished area they live in by using the postcode checker at: www.swindon.gov.uk/parishes

In each of the new parishes, a shadow parish council has been formed. This is made up largely of Swindon Borough Council ward councillors from each area. The shadow parish councils are responsible for deciding which services they wish to provide in each of their areas, setting their budget and the resulting precept, and putting in place arrangements for services to be provided from 1st April 2017.

Work is currently underway with Swindon Borough Council staff to make these arrangements.

The webpage has links to information for each new shadow parish council, including a list of all shadow parish councillors. The shadow parish council details will be updated with further information when available, such as when public meetings will be held.

Elections for the new parish councils will be held on 4 May and details of these and how to become involved in parish councils is also available on the webpage.

The decision to parish previously unparished areas of the Borough followed a year-long Community Governance Review process which involved extensive engagement and formal consultation with residents and parish councils.