ELECTORAL REVIEW OF HIGH PEAK - BLACKBROOK WARD Chinley, Buxworth & Brownside (CBB) Parish Council wishes to respond to the invitation to comment on ward arrangements in the High Peak. Our comments concern only Blackbrook ward, within which CBB parish lies. Blackbrook ward takes its name from the Blackbrook river and the Blackbrook valley. Most of the residents of Blackbrook ward live within the Blackbrook valley, which covers a very distinctive area from east of Chapel-en-le-Frith to north of Whaley Bridge. It comprises a series of largely interconnected settlements in the valley bottom – Chapel Milton, Wash, Bridgeholm Green, New Smithy, Chinley, Whitehough, Leaden Knowle, Brierley Green and Buxworth - of which Chinley is the largest and acts as the main service centre for the valley. Buxworth is the next largest village and also provides a number of local services. The Blackbrook valley is clearly defined - physically, visually and geographically - by the imposing hills of South Head and Chinley Churn to the north and Eccles Pike to the south. There is a strong community of interest and identity within and between the settlements of the Blackbrook valley. All lie within CBB parish, with the exception of Whitehough, which is something of an anomaly. In this context we believe the present boundaries and extent of Blackbrook ward are illogical and extend too far to the south. As well as the Blackbrook valley the ward currently includes the western parts of the town of Chapel-en-le-Frith (Crossings Road & Manchester Road) and the smaller settlements of Tunstead Milton and Combs, together with their surrounding countryside. These areas, lying to the south of Eccles Pike, are physically and geographically unrelated to the Blackbrook valley and in terms of service provision they look to Chapel-en-le-Frith. Our view is that these parts of Blackbrook ward, which lie wholly within Chapel-en-le-Frith parish, should be removed and transferred to Chapel West ward. This would ensure that Blackbrook ward follows more logical boundaries and genuinely reflects the community of interest within the Blackbrook valley, from which the name derives. The consequence would be a simpler, more effective and less confusing pattern of local representation and local government. Having regard to the 3 criteria set out in the guidance our view is as follows: 1. Delivering electoral equality for local voters We acknowledge that transferring the western part of Chapel-en-le-Frith, Tunstead Milton and Combs to Chapel West ward would reduce the total number of electors in Blackbrook ward and could upset the current balance of the average number of electors per councillor. We do not seek to include any additional areas in Blackbrook ward to compensate for this because this simply would not make any sense in terms of local identity. However, the vast majority of the electorate would continue to reside in the Blackbrook valley and, to some extent, the loss of electors would be counterbalanced by the recent approval of 182 dwellings on the former Dorma works site adjoining Chinley and Whitehough, together with other smaller housing permissions recently granted within the Blackbrook valley. We have no strong views on whether Blackbrook ward would be best served by one or two councillors following our proposed changes. However, we do believe that criterion 1 should not carry as much weight as the criteria 2 and 3, since it is more important that the Blackbrook councillor(s) can properly and effectively represent the interests of the Blackbrook valley, rather than having to devote some of their valuable time to dealing with issues that are unrelated to the area. 2. Reflecting the interests and identities of local communities In short, those parts of the Blackbrook ward that lie to the south of Eccles Pike have little or no relationship with the Blackbrook valley, either physically or in terms of community interest. The main communication routes run east-west through the Blackbrook valley: notably the A6, the B6062, the Hope Valley (Manchester-Sheffield) railway line, the Peak Forest Tramway (a popular walking and cycling route) and the Peak Forest Canal from Bugsworth Basin to Bridgemont. The B6062, in particular, physically connects and links most of the Blackbrook villages and provides the local bus route. The other parts of Blackbrook ward, outside the Blackbrook valley, are linked by, or to, the B5470 which runs between Chapel- en-le-Frith and Whaley Bridge on the south side of Eccles Pike. Furthermore, transport links from north to south within the ward are poor, the only link of any significance being the minor road from Chinley to the western part of Chapel-en-le-Frith (Whitehough Head Lane/Crossings Road). There is strong community identity within the Blackbrook valley, with a number of local organisations and groups serving the local area. Some take their name from the Blackbrook itself (e.g. Blackbrook Valley Arts, Blackbrook Conservation Society), whilst others take their name from the two main villages (e.g. Chinley, Buxworth & Brownside Community Association; Chinley & Buxworth WI; Chinley & Buxworth Transport Group; as well as CBB Parish Council. The common factor is that these groups are based within, and draw their membership and support almost entirely from, the Blackbrook valley. The Blackbrook valley is served by two primary schools (Chinley and Buxworth), a range of local shops for day-to-day needs and local services, including a doctor’s surgery, post office, community centre, churches and a railway station. Chinley is the main centre, although there is also a good deal of interdependence between the villages. For example, Chinley Scouts and Cubs are based at Victory Hall in Whitehough, Chinley residents tend to frequent the two pubs in Whitehough, and Bugsworth Memorial Club is a venue for the whole valley for local entertainment, meetings and events, as are the WI Hall and Community Centre in Chinley. St Mary’s Church, Chinley and St. James’ Church, Buxworth are served by the same vicar. Whilst there clearly is a relationship with the towns of Chapel-en-le-Frith and Whaley Bridge, e.g. for larger/weekly shopping items, petrol, secondary school education etc., the majority of local needs can be satisfied within the Blackbrook valley. By contrast, there is little or no dependence by residents of Chapel, Tunstead Milton or Combs on services and facilities in the Blackbrook valley, because their needs can be satisfied more locally either within their own villages or in Chapel-en-le-Frith itself. 3. Promoting effective and convenient local government and reflecting electoral cycles. Residents in the west of Chapel-en-le-Frith, Combs and Tunstead Milton may be surprised to find themselves being represented by Blackbrook ward councillors and having to contact a councillor who most likely lives in Chinley or Buxworth, rather than one who lives much more locally and has a better understanding of the needs of their area. Similarly, new councillors to Blackbrook ward may be surprised to find that they are expected to represent residents, and deal with matters, with no affinity whatsoever to the Blackbrook valley. This causes confusion, is illogical and cannot possibly make for effective and convenient local government. Our proposal to remove from Blackbrook ward those parts that have little or no relationship with the Blackbrook valley itself is designed to strengthen effective local representation and decision-making. It would have no bearing whatsoever on electoral cycles, since these would remain as at present. Whilst not a matter for the Boundary Commission, we also believe it would make much more sense, and be less confusing for the local electorate, if the ward boundary were to coincide with the CBB parish boundary. Indeed, if the Blackbrook ward boundary is amended in line with our suggestion it would, for the most part, follow the existing parish boundary. The ward boundary would continue to be coterminous with the parish boundary to the north, east and west. To the south it would be amended to follow the parish boundary to the south of Buxworth. (Please note that the parish boundary shown on the interactive map is incorrect. It was amended, following local consultation, by High Peak Borough Council in 2008, and now covers a more extensive area to the south of Buxworth, as far south as Eccles Road). The anomaly would still be Whitehough, which lies within Chapel-en-le Frith parish, despite being physically adjoined with, and closely related to, Chinley. In due course, the Parish Council would intend to ask High Peak Borough Council to review the parish boundary in this area, to make the ward and parish boundaries fully coterminous, so providing for the most effective and convenient pattern of local government possible for the Blackbrook valley. The new southern boundary that we propose for the Blackbrook ward is based on strong, identifiable local features. Eccles Pike, a dominant physical and visual barrier, forms the logical dividing line between the Blackbrook valley to its north and Chapel-en-le-Frith and the other smaller settlements and countryside to its south. As shown on the interactive map, we suggest that the ward boundary should follow the (new) parish boundary which runs to the south of Buxworth just below the summit of Eccles Pike; then back to Eccles Road to its junction with Crossings Road and Whitehough Head Lane; then Whitehough Head Lane north to Charley Lane; then Charley Lane north-eastwards down to the Blackbrook river at Bridgeholm Green to follow the existing parish boundary eastwards along the Blackbrook to Chapel Milton where it would re-join the existing ward boundary. This is our preference. However, there are other strong boundaries, such as the ones following the polling district boundary (BL7), that could be considered and which we would be happy to discuss if the principle of our case is accepted.