1. On 8th May 2025, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council received a written request from both Balsall and Berkswell Parish Councils to conduct a Community Governance Review with a view to merging the two parish councils.
2. In the joint letter, they have proposed reducing the number of councillors to 11 and the following warding patterns have been suggested:
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Balsall Common and Berkswell — Local Debate at Solihull Council

A “rural” east ward to include Berkswell village and Duggins Lane
A “rural” west ward to include Temple Balsall and Fen End
Two wards for Balsall Common itself, split either North/South of Station Road or
East/West of Kenilworth Road.

Who Knew!

​A short reflection on a long debate about where to draw a line on a map

“If you didn’t know this was happening, you weren’t alone.”
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If you live in Balsall Common or Berkswell, there’s a fair chance you didn’t realise that a Community Governance Review was under way — let alone that it involved some quite intricate decisions about parish boundaries, warding arrangements, and councillor numbers.

If that’s you, don’t worry. You weren’t alone.

Because while awareness outside the council chamber was limited, what was happening inside it was something very different indeed.

“While awareness outside was limited, the debate inside the room was extensive.”

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​Meanwhile, inside the meeting…

Inside the Governance Committee, the review was taken seriously — very seriously.
There were deputations from parish councillors and residents, a detailed officer report, and a discussion that ran on at length. People were thoughtful, careful, and clearly trying to get things right. No one was dismissive. No one was casual.
“This wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t careless. It was earnest local democracy.”
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This was local democracy in its most conscientious form.
And much of that earnestness focused on a deceptively simple question.

Q.Who Knew?

A. Not ​Dinah Edwards Vice Chair of Berkswell Parish Council

Where to draw a line on a map
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“A surprising amount of time was spent debating where, exactly, a line should be drawn on a map.”
A great deal of time was spent debating precisely where a boundary should run.
Not metaphorically — quite literally.
Should it follow:

• a road?
• a railway line?
• which railway line?
• a main street?
• the HS2 route (even though it isn’t finished)?
• or should it avoid cutting through back gardens?

​“Roads. Railways. A different railway. Even one that isn’t finished yet.”
Fields, farms, new housing developments, historic villages — all were carefully weighed. Maps were produced. Alternatives suggested. Amendments to amendments considered.
“At times, it felt less like policy and more like cartography.”
One could almost imagine the debate continuing with:
“What if we follow the hedge until the oak tree, then turn left?”
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Where do you Draw the Line?
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council's Bob Grinsell, Member for St Alphege, explains where the Residents of Balsall and Berkswell want it.

​How to consult people… about something they didn’t know about

Alongside the boundary debate ran another equally serious discussion: how best to consult residents.
Members openly acknowledged that the response to the first consultation was low — around 2-3%. To be exact 236 ( two hundred and thirty six )people from an an electorate of 8,087. There was concern that many residents didn’t fully understand what was being asked, or in some cases didn’t even realise a consultation was taking place.

“Only a small percentage of residents responded — something openly acknowledged inside the meeting.”
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Considerable time was then spent debating:

• online responses versus paper copies
• email, library drop-ins and public meetings
• whether SMS responses would help or confuse
• how questions should be worded
• whether people should reply with postcodes and house numbers
• how responses could be verified

All of it was well-intentioned.
Which led to an unavoidable conclusion:
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“A long debate about how to consult people… who largely didn’t know they were being consulted in the first place.”
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Above. "The time is now approriate..." Andrew Burrow, Solihull Council Member for Meriden Ward diggs in.

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​Earnest, serious — and slightly surreal
None of this is to mock the people involved.
The recording shows councillors and officers genuinely grappling with complexity:

• worried about fairness,
• anxious not to disadvantage any area,
• conscious of future development,
• and keen to improve engagement.

“Everyone was trying to get it right.”
There are even moments where members acknowledge that the discussion itself is becoming difficult to follow — and might be harder still for residents outside the room.
“The complexity was real — and openly recognised.”
That’s where the slightly surreal quality creeps in. Not because anyone is acting badly, but because the process becomes so detailed that it risks drifting away from everyday experience.

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So… who knew?
“Inside the room: detailed debate. Outside the room: quiet confusion.”

For most residents, parish boundaries are invisible. Parish councils do their work quietly, often effectively, and with little public attention.
But this episode is a reminder of how important early, clear, visible communication is when changes are being considered — and of how different local democracy can look from the inside compared with the outside.

“It’s a reminder of how different local democracy can look from the inside.”
Inside the room:
careful deliberation, detailed maps, and thoughtful debate.
Outside the room:
a lot of people asking, “What is this about?”
“Who knew?”
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​For those who want to explore further, the meeting papers and recordings are publicly available, along with details of the ongoing consultation.

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Councillor Grinsell Speaks on HS2 in Balsall and Berkswell

​Councillor Grinsell 

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