ACTION NECESSARY FOR THE TRANSFER OF BLACKMINSTER – QUESTION LEFT IN ABEYANCE FOR TIME BEING
Mr. C. A. Binyon presided at a meeting of the Badsey Parish Council held at the Council Schools on Monday evening, when also present were Messrs P. A. R. Butler. F. E. Jones, G. A. King, G. Phillips , G. H. Stewart, A. W. E. Wheatley and D. A. Jelfs (Clerk).
The Clerk reported that as instructed at the previous meeting, he had written to the Worcestershire County Council, informing them that the Parish Council had made a recommendation that that part of Blackminster, in the parish of Offenham, on the Badsey side of the Great Western Railway, be transferred to the parish of Badsey.
In reply, the Clerk of the County Council pointed out that the procedure for the transfer of a part of a parish to another parish is laid down in Section 141 of the Local Government Act 1933, and is that where the County Council consider, either on the receipt of proposals from a local authority or otherwise, that a prima facie case exists for the change, they hold a local enquiry after publication and service of notices. At the local enquiry, any local authority or person appearing to the County Council to be concerned is entitled to be heard.
If the County Council are satisfied after holding the local enquiry that the change is desirable, they may make an Order giving effect to the change and submit it to the Minister of Health for confirmation. They must publish a notice in one or more local newspapers advertising the Order they have made, and stating that Petitions with respect to the Order may be made to the Minister within six weeks after the publication of the notice.
PETITION THE MINISTER
If within six weeks of the publication of the notice any local authority of not less than 100 or one-third of the total number of the electors of any parish affected by the Order petition the Minister to disallow the Order, or if assuming the Minister refuses to confirm the Order a local authority or the County Council request, the Minister himself must before taking further action cause a second local enquiry to be held.
The letter asked whether the matter was so urgent as to justify a special application at the present time when local authorities are so heavily engaged and have their time so fully occupied with urgent business.
The Chairman said that it should not be done in a piecemeal manner as there may be alterations to be done in other parishes, and it may be better to consult a map and go into the whole question. Perhaps it would be better if some of the smaller parishes were amalgamated.
Following a discussion it was resolved to leave the matter in abeyance for the time being.