Agenda item

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 shown in amended appendix 4

 

6.12     The Working Group’s recommendations are therefore as follows:

·                   That the boundary of Up Hatherley Parish Council be altered to include an additional area as shown in amended appendix 4;

·                   That this area be split into two parish wards; one within the Warden Hill area and one to cover the area that lies within Park ward.

·                   That the area is represented by three parish councillors; one for the Park ward area and two for the Warden Hill area

·                   That electors in the Park ward area of the additional area continue to vote at St Stephens Church but their details will be on a separate register as they would need to be offered both Borough and Parish ballot papers,

·                   That the names of these two parish wards be determined in consultation with Up Hatherley Parish Council

·                   That a new polling district is created to serve electors in the Warden Hill area that would vote at St. Margaret’s Hall;

He proposed that there were 123 houses in Hatherley Road between Dean Close School and the current ward boundary and felt there was a moral and community case for including these in the Up Hatherley Parish Council boundaries.  He acknowledged that it did create a problem with polling districts and the area would have to have its own representation however this problem could be addressed when the next ward boundary review was carried out.

 

It was confirmed that the area concerned included the driveway to the allotments but would not include the allotments themselves. It was noted that some residents were still confused by the changes and they needed to be clearly explained.

 

The Leader accepted the amendment.

 

In his summing up of the substantive motion he advised that a note of clarification regarding the allotments would be provided and the location of polling stations would be reviewed as part of the annual review of polling stations after the elections in May 2018.

 

Upon a vote the following recommendations as amended were CARRIED with one abstention.

 

1.    That the creation of a parish council for Pittville not be supported

 

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

a.    The boundary of Charlton Kings Parish Council be altered to include the additional four areas as shown in appendix 3.

b.    That the boundary of Up Hatherley Parish Council be altered to include an additional area as shown in the amended appendix 4

c.    That the boundary of Leckhampton with Warden Hill Parish Council be altered to include the additional area as shown in appendix 5.

d.    That the boundary of Prestbury Parish council be altered to include the area of St Nicholas Drive as shown in appendix 6

3.    That the removal of the Merestones Drive properties from Leckhampton with Warden Hill Parish Council is not supported following the results of the consultation.

 

4.    That additional consultation is undertaken regarding the request to further extend the boundary of Leckhampton with Warden Hill Parish Council to include the area as set out in section 10 and as shown in appendix 7 and that the Chief Executive be requested to make and publicise recommendation(s) to Council upon the results of that consultation.

 

5.    That the parish warding, polling districts and representation for the additional parished areas be supported as follows:

 

a.    For the four additional areas of Charlton Kings Parish Council as detailed below:

                                          i.    Area 1; The parished part of EB and ED are merged with EC and vote at Sacred Hearts;

                                        ii.    Area 2; This area joins EC and votes at Sacred Hearts;

                                       iii.    Areas 1 and 2 are part of the West ward of the parish council;

                                       iv.    West ward will be represented by two additional councillors;

                                        v.    Area 3 and 4 are added to the North Ward of the parish council;

                                       vi.    Area 3 and 4 are added to polling district BB;

                                      vii.    There is a change of polling station for electors in areas 3 and 4, from Holy Apostles Primary School to Holy Apostles Church Hall;

                                    viii.    There is no requirement for an additional parish councillor to serve areas 3 and 4.

 

b.    For the additional area of Up Hatherley Parish Council as detailed below:

                                          i.    That the boundary of Up Hatherley Parish Council be altered to include an additional area as shown in appendix 4 which is an area wholly within Warden Hill Ward;

                                        ii.    That a new polling district is created to serve electors in this area that would vote at St. Margaret’s Hall;

                                       iii.    That this new area to be called North Ward;

                                       iv.    That the area is represented by two parish councillors;

                                        v.    That the boundary not be extended to cover the area in Park Ward.

 

c.    For the additional area of Leckhampton with Warden Hill Parish Council as detailed below:

                                          i.    All areas to be added to the Leckhampton ward of the parish council;

                                        ii.    To increase the number of parish councillors for Leckhampton Parish Ward from 5 to 11;

                                       iii.    Areas to the west of Leckhampton Road to remain in IC (which could be merged with IB to create one polling district) and vote at Leckhampton Primary School;

                                       iv.    Areas to the east of Leckhampton Road to remain in IA and vote at Zion Hall.

 

d.    For the additional area of Prestbury Parish Council as detailed below:

                                          i.    All 8 St Nicholas Drive properties are added to the Prestbury North Ward;

                                        ii.    These properties are added to polling district MB.

 

6.    That the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Borough Solicitor and Leader of the Council, be authorised to prepare the Reorganisation Order and that the Order be brought back to Council on January 2018 for approval.

 

7.    That householders residing in the properties originally written to are informed of the outcome of the consultation and the intentions of Council as set out in the above recommendations.

 

8.    That the Chief Executive be authorised to take such actions and decisions as are necessary to move forward and facilitate the recommendations and matters set out in this report, including consultation, if she so decides, with the CGR Working Group (which shall remain constituted with the current terms of reference and membership)