Issue - meetings

To give consideration to the recommendations coming from the Task Group for the Boundary Review of the Borough.

RECOMMENDED:  Cabinet agreed to endorse and recommend the proposals for a new pattern of electoral wards from the Task Group, as set out in Appendix 1, together with the revisions put forward at today’s meeting which could be accommodated, and recommended them to Council for approval as the Borough Council submission to the LGBC.

Reason for Decision

To ensure that the Council is able to submit a credible and evidence based proposal for a new pattern of electoral wards in accordance with the LGBC timetable, which meets the Commissions three statutory criteria.

In presenting the report, the Chief Executive reminded Members that Council submitted to the Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBC) recommending that the number of Members be reduce to 54 at its meeting on 11 May 2017.  On 27 June the LGBC wrote to the Council confirming that the Commission is minded to recommend this to Parliament.  The Commission also invited proposals from the Council, interested parties and members of the public on a pattern of electoral wards to accommodation this number of Councillors.  The deadline for the submission for such proposals was 4 September 2017.

The Cross Party Electoral Review Cabinet Task Group had subsequently held three further meetings to guide officers in the preparation of a draft pattern of electoral wards for the Borough.

The Chief Executive outlined the criteria set out in 1.3 of the report and explained that the Task Group proposals were therefore designed, as far as was practically possible to meet all three criteria.  In addition, the Task Group, in accordance, in accordance with the wishes of Council sought to maximise the number of single member wards.  Parish Council boundaries had been used as the building blocks for the proposed wards in the parished areas of the Borough, in the unparished areas (King’s Lynn) every attempt had been made to build on natural communities.

The Chief Executive advised Cabinet that earlier that day Councillor Chenery had pointed out an error regarding parish boundaries which would affect a maximum of 20 houses and that this minor tweak would be corrected as it was a simple process to do so.

The Chief Executive also informed Cabinet that that there had been a couple of changes identified by the Task Group.

The Leader, Councillor Long explained that Councillor Blunt had advised that the proposal had inadvertently chopped the parish of Walpoles (St Andrew and St Peter) had been divided up but were in fact one parish.  Councillor Blunt provided an overview of the effect of Walpole St Andrew being added to Terrington and Walpole St Andrew/Walpole St Peter and highlighted that there was no need to split the Wapoles parish.  The Leader, Councillor Long commented that it was important to keep the parish together.  The Chief Executive advised that this amendment could be made with little knock on effect.

The Leader, Councillor Long explained that at the Special Council meeting, Members would be advised that anomalies on the GIS work was still progressing and that the Borough Council were fortunate to have employees to undertake the required work.

Under Standing Order 34, Councillor Mrs Fraser addressed Cabinet.  Councillor Fraser explained that the parishes of Grimston, Pott Row and Roydon form a well established natural rural community. The addition of Congham to the Ward would make sense and would resolve the current issue of one side of Low Road being in Grimston Ward and the opposite side being in Valley Ward. It would also make for a more cohesive community. Having being able to check the numbers given for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53