Issue - meetings

Report of the Leader

The Leader introduced the report and reminded Members that the council had received a petition from Pittville Parish Council Campaign Group for the creation of a new parish council. This had prompted a community governance review which also considered alterations to boundaries of three parish councils: Charlton Kings, Leckhampton with Warden Hill and Up Hatherley, plus consultation on the anomaly areas in Merestones Drive and St Nicholas Drive. The council had received a large response to the consultation.

The Leader outlined the results of the consultation as follows :

·         60 % of respondents voted against the proposed parish council.

·         Respondents in each of the four areas of Charlton Kings voted in favour of their area being parished.

·         There was overall support that the boundary of Leckhampton with Warden Hill Parish Council be altered to include the additional area. The complication with this was that there were 4 different areas advertised and 1 one had voted narrowly against joining but this would leave it isolated so the proposal was to include it. After the review had finished a request came forward to include an extra field and a consultation process would be held on that area with a review on 23 January.

·         The removal of 2 properties on Merestones Drive would not be supported.

·         For Up Hatherley Parish Council one area voted clearly in favour while the other was against. The first area included part of the current Park Ward and the working group had proposed not to include this small area in the parish as it would complicate the election process and would need a separate parish councillor. Subsequent analysis has shown that 78% of those who voted in this area were favour of changing the boundary which also had the support of the Parish Council. The Leader was expecting an amendment to now include the area which he was happy to support.

The Leader went on to say that a reorganisation order would be required if Council was minded to agree the recommendations of the CGR working group to alter the boundaries of the parish councils. This was a legal document that would set out the electoral arrangements, the precept, the transition arrangements and the transfer of any assets, liabilities and services. As this would consider changes to the council tax base a special Council meeting had been scheduled for 23 January and this would also represent the final opportunity to consider further feedback.

Finally the Leader confirmed that all households affected by the changes would be written to.

When asked whether residents had been made aware that polling stations would change as a result the Leader confirmed that they had been notified about the process and the likely Council Tax but information about polling stations had only been available subsequently.

Councillor Whyborn proposed the following amendment:

Recommendation

2          That the alteration of parish council boundaries be supported as follows:

b    That the boundary of Up Hatherley Parish Council be altered to include an additional area as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15