Agenda and minutes

To consider any business, which by reason of special circumstances, the Chairman proposes to accept, under Section 100(b)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Delegated decision taken by the Chief Executive for Urgency Purposes - Discovery Centre Trustee

The Chief Executive reported that he, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder had used his delegated authority to respond to the request from the North Lynn Discovery Centre for the Council to appoint a further Trustee to ensure they have the two Trustees as required for them to operate.  Accordingly he had appointed Lorraine Gore, Executive Director as a temporary Trustee.

The Chairman agreed for the report to be submitted to this meeting as a recommendation to Council as the Polling Places schedule had to be approved by Council before the Parliamentary Election on 8 June.  The Polling station at North Creake was unavailable therefore the electorate were being sent to South Creake polling station to vote.

RECOMMENDED:      The Polling District and Polling Place Review Schedule relating to North Creake and South Creake be adopted for the 8 June 2017 Parliamentary election.

Reason for Decision

To ensure that the Council meets its statutory obligations.

Please indicate if there are any interests which should be declared.  A declaration of an interest should indicate the nature of the interest (if not already declared on the Register of Interests) and the agenda item to which it relates.  If a disclosable pecuniary interest is declared, the member should withdraw from the room whilst the matter is discussed.

These declarations apply to all Members present, whether the Member is part of the meeting, attending to speak as a local Member on an item or simply observing the meeting from the public seating area.

None

To receive any Chairman’s correspondence.

None

To note the names of any Councillors who wish to address the meeting under Standing Order 34.

Councillor Mrs S Fraser attended for the Boundary Review item.

To receive any comments and recommendations from other Council bodies which meet after the dispatch of this agenda. 

The feedback from the Cross Party Boundary Review Task Group is included with the report.

The feedback from the Cross Party Boundary Review Task Group was included with the report.

Cabinet considered a report which set out the process to date for the Boundary Commission’s review of the Borough Council area.  The Cross Party Task Group set up at the Cabinet meeting on 11 April 2017 met twice to consider the draft report and to discuss the number of Councillors for the future Council, along with the preferences for the number of Councillors per ward.

Following the first meeting on 12 April 2017, all Councillors were invited to a workshop session to discuss the Council’s position on numbers of Councillors.

Feedback from that session was given to the Task Group at its next meeting on 18 April along with information on the LGBC’s position to date on reviews carried out across Norfolk.  The Task Group considered this information and recommended to Cabinet that a proposal be taken forward for 54 Councillors for the Borough Council.

In considering the preferences for the numbers of councillors per ward the Task Group agreed to recommend that the preference would be for single member wards, but for larger areas 2 member wards, and only in exceptional circumstances should a 3 member ward be agreed in order to retain the community element.

The Boundary Commission had since recommended that the comments regarding the numbers of Councillors per ward and the fact that deliberation had been undertaken as to the number of Councillors should also be included in the report for further clarity.

Under Standing Order 34 Councillor Mrs Fraser addressed the Cabinet and asked if a person could register to vote if they had a second home.  It was confirmed that if they spent a good proportion of their time at the property they could register and vote in local elections, but only vote once.

In response to questions from Members on the mathematics of the proposals it was explained that the figure of 54 Councillors would give 2,274 electors per councillor.   It was explained that the next part of the process would be to fit the communities into wards for presentation to the Commission.  It was also confirmed that 4 member wards would not be permitted.

RECOMMENDED:   1)       That the report be approved for submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission, with the recommendation of 54 Councillors for the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk.

2)     That the preference would be for single member wards, but for larger areas 2 member wards, and only in exceptional circumstances should a 3 member ward be agreed and the reference to deliberations undertaken on the numbers be included within the report.

Reason for Decision

To agree the Borough Council’s submission to the LGBC on the future size of the Council.