Tamworth Borough Council has launched a public consultation asking residents for their views on proposals to create a new parish council for Tamworth. The consultation is part of an ongoing community governance review.

The move follows an initial engagement phase earlier this year, when residents were first asked whether Tamworth should have its own parish council. A cross-party working group of councillors — Carol Dean, Stephen Doyle, Lee Wood, Bernard Skeen, Gareth Coates and Dave Foster — have used that feedback to draw up draft recommendations, which are now open for public comment.

Why is this happening?

The review has been prompted by local government reorganisation. Tamworth Borough Council will cease to exist from April 2028 and be replaced by a new unitary authority covering South and Mid Staffordshire. As Tamworth becomes part of a much larger council, the working group has been considering how local decisions and services could be managed differently in future, including through a parish council.

Tamworth is currently the only area in South and Mid Staffordshire with any parish councils.

What are the draft recommendations?

The working group proposes creating a parish council funded through a precept — an additional amount added to council tax. Based on an indicative annual budget of £500,000, this would cost residents 24 pence a week for a Band A property up to 79 pence a week for a Band H property.

The proposed parish council would operate across five wards, matching existing Staffordshire County Council ward boundaries.

How to have your say

Councillor Carol Dean, chair of the cross-party working group, said: "This is an important moment in a process that will shape how Tamworth is represented and run in the years ahead. We know a change of this scale raises a lot of questions, and for many residents this may be the first time they've heard about it. That's exactly why we want to hear from as many people as possible before any final decision is made."

The consultation runs until 4 October 2026. Residents can complete the survey online at www.tamworth.gov.uk/cgr. A letter about the community governance review is being sent to all homes in the borough.

What happens next

Once the consultation closes, the working group will consider all responses and prepare a report for a decision by full council, expected on 8 December 2026. If approved, the new parish council would begin operating from 1 April 2027, with the first parish councillors elected on 6 May 2027.