SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL
REPORT TO: Electoral Arrangements Committee 21 November 2011 AUTHOR/S: Corporate Manager, Community and Customer Services
PARLIAMENTARY BOUNDARY REVIEW
Purpose
1. To consider a member led response to proposed amendments to parliamentary constituency boundaries.
Recommendations
2. At a meeting of Council on 22 September, the Leader of the Council asked the Chairman of the Electoral Arrangements Committee to review the proposals with a view to formulating a response for the authority.
3. The Electoral Arrangements Committee will need to review the guidance issued by the Boundary Commission regarding submission of consultation responses. Key points for consideration are:
(a) The consultation period ends on 5 December 2011 (b) The clearly defined electorate range (72810 – 80473) is critical (c) Other issues considered by the Commission include geographical considerations, local government boundaries and ties, and existing constituency boundaries. (d) The Commission are clear that the above points are taken into account, subject to the primacy of the statutory electorate range. (e) The Commission will listen to requests for amendments to proposed constituency names where appropriate.
It is clear from the documentation that an objection with a counter proposal will carry more weight than a standalone objection. Members should bear this in mind should they choose to object.
4. Full guidance, along with maps of the proposals across England can be sought from the Commission website:
http://consultation.boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk
Considerations
5. The Boundary Commission for England has recently published their proposals for amendments to parliamentary constituency boundaries.
6. The nationwide review has been led by two main objectives:
- a desire to equalise the electorate size of each constituency (within 5% of 76,641) - a desire to reduce the number of MPs in parliament by 50
7. This authority currently contains within its area most of the parliamentary constituency of South Cambridgeshire. This constituency is made up of the South Cambridgeshire wards of:
Bar Hill Harston and Hauxton Barton Haslingfield and the Eversdens Bassingbourn Longstanton Bourn Melbourn Caldecote Meldreth Comberton Orwell and Barrington Cottenham Papworth and Elsworth Duxford Sawston Fowlmere and Foxton Swavesey Gamlingay The Abingtons Girton The Mordens Hardwick The Shelfords and Stapleford Whittlesford
The constituency also includes the City Council ward of Queen Edith’s.
8. This authority also includes part of the existing parliamentary constituency of South East Cambridgeshire. This constituency incorporates the following wards of South Cambridgeshire District Council:
Balsham Teversham Fulbourn The Wilbrahams Histon and Impington Waterbeach Linton Willingham and Over Milton
This constituency also covers a number of wards within East Cambridgeshire District Council’s area.
9. The Boundary Commission has proposed several changes for the constituencies within the district.
10. The first proposal would see the South East Cambridgeshire wards of Balsham. Fulbourn, Histon and Impington, Linton, Milton, Teversham, The Wilbrahams and Waterbeach be moved into the South Cambridgeshire constituency.
11. The current South Cambridgeshire wards of Bar Hill, Bassingbourn, Bourn, Caldecote, Comberton, Gamlingay, Hardwick, Longstanton, Papworth and Elsworth, Swavesey and The Mordens, along with the South East Cambridgeshire ward of Willingham and Over, are proposed to move to a new constituency called St. Neots.
12. This new constituency would see these wards joined with 10 drawn from Huntingdonshire District Council, including the town wards of St Neots.
13. The two constituencies formed by these changes both meet the government’s electorate quotas, with 76,320 electors in South Cambridgeshire and 77,721 in St. Neots.
Options
14. The Electoral Arrangements Committee may choose to pursue one of the following options: (a) that no authority response is submitted to the Commission (b) that a response from the authority is submitted to the Commission in support of the proposals (c) that a response from the authority be submitted to the Commission objecting to the proposals. An objection should include a counter proposal.
15. The Committee (and all members) should be aware that personal responses are also welcomed by the Commission should a member wish to do so.
Implications
16. Financial There are no financial implications. Legal There are no legal implications. Staffing There are no staffing implications. Risk Management There are no risk issues. Equality and There are no equality issues Diversity Equality Impact No EqIA has been completed. Assessment An EqIA is not necessary, as the authority is not leading the completed review. Climate Change There are no climate change / sustainability implications.
Summary
17. Any response to the consultation must be submitted by 5 December 2011.
18. Any objection made should include possible alternative arrangements, and these are unlikely to be successful if the statutory electorate is not heeded.
19. It is possible for an objection to be lodged in relation to the name of a constituency.
Background Papers: the following background papers were used in the preparation of this report: None
Contact Officer: Andrew Francis – Electoral Services Manager Telephone: (01954) 713014