The Electoral Review Committee of Wiltshire Council met on Tuesday 7 July 2026 to discuss draft recommendations from a Community Governance Review and to consider areas for future reviews. The meeting's agenda focused on proposed changes to parish boundaries and electoral arrangements.

Community Governance Review 2025/26 - Consultation on Draft Recommendations

The committee was scheduled to receive a report on the consultation for the Community Governance Review 2025/26. This review, which took place between 21 May and 22 June 2026, involved considering responses to draft recommendations concerning parish governance. The report was expected to detail the feedback received and present options for confirming, amending, or withdrawing these draft recommendations.

The draft recommendations themselves covered several areas within Wiltshire, including proposals for:

• Purton, Braydon, and Lydiard Milicent: This section of the report detailed proposals regarding the warding of Purton parish and a potential transfer of land from Lydiard Milicent to Purton. The committee was to consider feedback on these proposals, which had generated significant responses, with many expressing disagreement regarding the proposed transfer. The report noted that the committee had considered proposals regarding a merger between Braydon and Purton, and the transfer of a property from Lydiard Milicent to Purton. The committee was also to consider representations that Purton parish would benefit from a warding arrangement. A specific recommendation was to transfer an area marked as 'A' from Lydiard Milicent to Purton, forming part of a new Ridgeway Farm and Moulden View ward. This recommendation also included a request to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) to amend Electoral Divisions to align with the revised parish boundaries.

• Lydiard Milicent and Lydiard Tregoze: The report indicated that no recommendations were made regarding proposals between these two parishes, following consideration of representations from both parish councils.

• Lydiard Tregoze and Royal Wootton Bassett: This part of the report addressed proposals for land transfer from Lydiard Tregoze to Royal Wootton Bassett. The committee was scheduled to consider the arguments for and against this transfer, taking into account electorate forecasts and potential development. The committee was to consider whether to recommend a transfer at this time, citing developmental uncertainties and administrative impacts. However, it was also to consider proposed adjustments to ward boundaries within Royal Wootton Bassett town itself, including transferring areas from the Royal Wootton Bassett East ward to the North and South & West wards, and increasing the number of councillors for the South & West ward.

• Bishops Cannings and Devizes: This section focused on a proposal to transfer an area known as the SG2 polling district from Bishops Cannings to Devizes. The report detailed the arguments presented by both Devizes Town Council and Bishops Cannings Parish Council. The committee was to consider whether to recommend this transfer, but instead proposed realigning the boundary along Coate Road and London Road to provide greater certainty. It was also to consider proposals for transferring specific areas marked as 'D' and 'E' from Devizes to Bishops Cannings.

• Devizes, Potterne, Rowde, Stert: This part of the report covered further proposals from Devizes Town Council concerning internal warding changes and minor transfers impacting the parishes of Potterne and Rowde. Recommendations were to be made to adjust and rename the wards of Devizes Town Council and to transfer small areas between Devizes and Potterne, and from Rowde to Devizes.

• Other parishes within the Devizes, Royal Wootton Bassett & Cricklade, and Marlborough Area Board regions: For many other parishes within these areas, the committee had considered whether to make recommendations for changes to governance arrangements or boundaries, as formal responses from parish councils indicated no perceived need for alterations.

Community Governance Review 2026/27

The committee was also scheduled to consider areas for inclusion in a future Community Governance Review for 2026/27. Following a scoping exercise and survey of parish councils, it was proposed to include parishes within the Southern Wiltshire, South West Wiltshire, and Stonehenge Area Boards. This would encompass approximately 79 parishes. The aim of this proposed review is to periodically assess parish governance arrangements, ensuring they remain aligned with statutory criteria, reflecting community identities and interests, and ensuring effective and convenient local governance.

The meeting also included standard procedural items such as the election of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman for the upcoming year, apologies, and the approval of minutes from the previous meeting. There was also provision for public participation, allowing for statements and questions from members of the public.