CGR glossary of terms

A 

Area (also known as the Review Area) 
The location the review is centred on. This might be one parish or a larger area. 

In the case of this review, it is the whole of the Canterbury City Council district.  

B 

Boundary 
The outline of each parished area. 

C 

Community Governance Review 
A process where a council looks at whether the local democratic arrangements are fit for purpose, including whether parish or town council arrangements should be established or changed 

Consultation 
Asking residents, organisations and stakeholders for their views before making a decision. 

Council (principal authority) 
The main local authority running the review – this is Canterbury City Council. 

D 

Draft recommendations 
Initial proposals the council produces after the first consultation, before final decisions are made.  

Canterbury City Council will create draft recommendations and ask people whether they agree with them or not. 

Division 

How we describe the area served by your county councillors. They are also the areas we expect to be used for the new unitary authority.  

E 

Electoral arrangements 
How elections work in a parish, including: 

• number of councillors 
• wards – meaning smaller areas within each parish (if any) 
• boundaries between parishes 

Electorate 
The people who are registered to vote in an area. 

F 

Final recommendations 
The council’s confirmed decisions after considering feedback on the draft recommendations. 

G 

Governance 
How a place is managed and how decisions are made at a local level. 

L 

Local community 
The people who live in the area being reviewed. 

Local Government Reorganisation 
The process of replacing England’s two-tier council system. Kent County Council and Canterbury City Council will be abolished and replaced with a new single-tier unitary authority which will deliver all council services in that area. 

Local identity 
How people feel about where they live such as shared history, sense of belonging etc. 

P 

Parish 
A defined local area, often based around a village or community. It usually has its own parish council. 

Parish council 
The most local level of government, representing an area. 

Precept 
An amount added to Council Tax by a parish council to pay for their services. 

R 

Reorganisation of Community Governance Order 
The legal document that brings the review decisions into effect. 

Representation (submission) 
A response or comment submitted by a resident, organisation, or group during consultation. 

T 

Town council 
A parish council that has chosen to call itself a town council – usually in larger settlements. 

U 

Unitary authority 
A type of council that provides local government services in its area – one unitary authority will replace Kent County Council and Canterbury City Council in this area. 

W 

Ward (and parish ward) 
Ward – how we describe the areas served by your district councillors.  

Parish ward – a smaller area within a parish boundary used to elect councillors for different parts of that parish.  

A ward is based on the local community. 

Electors in a ward vote to choose who their parish councillors will be and those parish councillors will represent that ward. 

Published: 19 May 2026