Issue - meetings

To consider the Council’s submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.  

114.1         The report of the Head of Democratic Services, circulated separately at Pages No. 1-23, asked Members to agree a pattern of Borough Wards to be provided to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England in response to its consultation on Warding arrangements; and to delegate authority to the Head of Democratic Services, in consultation with the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council, to prepare the written submission to accompany the approved arrangements.

114.2         In introducing the report, the Head of Democratic Services explained that, as Members were aware, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England was in the process of undertaking an electoral review of Tewkesbury Borough. There were two stages to the process; the first being the decision on Council size; and the second being the Warding arrangements. In December 2016, the Council had approved a submission on size which proposed that the number of Members remain at 38. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England had accepted that Council size and, in January 2017, had commenced a consultation for the pattern of Wards for the Council; this consultation was due to close on 20 March 2017. The aim of the review was to agree Ward boundaries which would ensure that each Councillor represented approximately the same number of voters within a tolerance of +/-10%.

114.3         Currently, nine of the Council’s 22 Wards had an electoral imbalance outside the +/-10% ranging from -17 to +26. The submission in December had contained a projection of the development taking place in the Borough (only that where there were ‘spades in the ground’ in accordance with the Commission’s requirements) and this information had been used to show the likely projections for 2022 which had resulted in a declining position in terms of being outside of the +/-10% variance. The Commission’s statutory criteria, in addition to electoral equality, stated that the Wards should reflect the identities and interests of local communities and secure effective and convenient local government. To this end, the Boundary Review Working Group had met to consider proposals which had used the existing Parishes as building blocks. Those proposals had also been discussed individually with the Members whose Wards would be most affected and via a ‘drop in’ session for all Members. Following those sessions, some other options had been worked up in line with the wishes of local Members and any that met the criteria were also presented as options for consideration by the Council.

114.4         In terms of proposals, there were changes suggested for every Ward with the exception of the Highnam with Haw Bridge, Northway and Shurdington Wards, all of which would be within the +/-10 tolerance in 2022, and in the case of Highnam with Haw Bridge and Northway had strong definable boundaries such as the River Severn for Highnam with Haw Bridge and the M5 motorway and the railway line for Northway. In terms of the Wards to be changed these were set out in detail at Appendix 1 to the report,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 114