Agenda item

To approve the Council’s submission to the LGBCE as set out in Appendix 1.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Council approves its submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBCE) as recommended by the Electoral Review Working Group and set out in Appendix 1 and the accompanying maps.

Council considered the proposed response to the Local Government Boundary Commission consultation.

It was proposed by Prue Bray and seconded by Stephen Conway that the recommendation be agreed.

Prue Bray thanked the Electoral Review Working Group and officers for their work.  The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) was looking at the Borough’s internal ward boundaries as part of a review, with the aim that so far as possible each councillor represented a similar number of residents.  Prue Bray indicated that because the Council had opted to undertake elections by thirds, the LGBCE assumed that all wards would be three Member wards, unless there was a good reason not to.  The LGBCE had agreed that the Council should continue with 54 councillors.

The LGBCE had asked for proposals by 7 November.  Prue Bray commented that Town and Parish Councils, individuals and political parties were likely to submit their own responses.  The report detailed the Council’s submission as detailed by the Working Group and contained both majority recommendations and also minority recommendations in the few areas where there was not consensus.

Michael Firmager stated that wards should reflect the area that they represented.  He questioned having Sonning, Charvil, Wargrave and Remenham as one large northern ward, and expressed concern that they would lose their identities.  Michael Firmager was of the view that there was a better relationship with residents and a better understanding of local issues, in one Member wards.

Stuart Munro questioned why the Council was continuing with elections by thirds.

Peter Harper stated that the Working Group worked well.  However, he felt that in two cases the proposed structure did not match the community.  He was of the view that rural Hurst had little in common with Twyford, and Swallowfield had little in common with Shinfield and Spencer’s Wood. 

Gary Cowan favoured the inclusion of single Member wards.  He felt that independent candidates would be discouraged from standing in a three Member ward system.

Jim Frewin emphasised that it was about what residents recognised as a community not balancing numbers.

Andy Croy felt that the villages would not lose their identities if they were part of larger wards.

Stephen Conway emphasised that nothing was prescribed and that the report contained both majority and minority recommendations.

Prue Bray indicated that the Commission had made it clear that three Member wards were expected given the Council’s use of elections by thirds.  She emphasised that the retention of Sonning as a single Member ward had not been raised at the Working Group, and that the existing ward of Swallowfield already contained the villages of Riseley and Farley Hill.  Prue Bray stated that it the submission was not agreed at Council she would submit it as the Chair of the Working Group and explain what had happened at the meeting.

In accordance with Section 4.2.15.5 a recorded vote was requested. 

The result of the voting is as follows:

RESOLVED:  That the Council’s submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBCE) as recommended by the Electoral Review Working Group and set out in Appendix 1 and the accompanying maps, be approved.