At July’s respective meetings Nether Poppleton and Upper Poppleton councillors discussed whether the two Parish Councils should consider merging. Currently, as they always have been, Nether and Upper are run as separate councils reflecting the two historic different villages, however there is increasingly overlap in the areas of influence and or issues that affect residents of one area sit absolutely under the other and the two communities have long since joined to work together on specific projects. Many residents do not realise where each village starts and ends and few would have any confidence to draw an absolute boundary!
Although both Nether and Upper share a clerk and have worked together on areas like the new website, listing buildings and the significant project of the Neighbourhood Plan both villages retain their separate status. Merging the two councils has been looked at in the past with a considerable amount of research being done by some but there has not overall been sufficient enthusiasm to take the project forward.
Each Parish Council has now appointed two councillors who will meet to look at the process and pros and cons which will include the likes of financial changes, how committees may then function and whether the new parish would be split into wards with a certain number of councillors having to represent Nether and a number representing Upper and indeed whether it would become a larger Parish Council or would become a Town Council.
The sub group will then report to their respective Parish Councils who will look at taking the project further or not. It must be emphasised that this exercise is just councillors looking at possibilities, if anything was to happen it would be subject to a formal consultation and process led by City of York Council. However we are always interested in your thoughts and if you have any please contact the clerk James Mackman.
