Local Government Boundary Commission for England Report No
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Local Government Boundary Commission For England Report No. 179 LOCAL GOVERNMENT' BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND REPORT NO. 179 LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND CHAIRMAN . ... Sir Edmund Compton, GCB»KBE« DEPUTY CHAIRMAN Mr J H Rankin,QC. MEMBERS The Countess Of Albemarle, DBE. Mr T C Benfield. Professor Michael Chisholm. Sir Andrew Wheatley,CBE. To the Rt Hon Merlyn Rees, MP Secretary of State for the Home Department PROPOSALS FOR REVISED ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DISTRICT OP BROMSGROVE IN THE COUNTY OP HEREFORD AND WORCESTER 1. We, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, having carried out our initial review of the electoral arrangements for the District of Bromsgrove in accordance with the requirements of section 63 of, and Schedule 9 to, the Local Government Act 1972, present our proposals for the future electoral arrangements for the district, 2. In accordance with the procedure laid down in section 60(l) and (2) of the 1972 Act, notice was given on 31 December 1974 that we were to undertake this review. This was incorporated in a consultation letter addressed to the Bromagrove District Council, copies of which were circulated to the Hereford and Worcester County Council, the Member of Parliament for the constituency concerned, the parish councils in the district and the headquarters of the main political parties. Copies were also sent to the editors of local newspapers circulating in the area and to the local government press. Notices inserted in the local press announced the start of the review and invited comments from members of the public and from any interested bodies* 3. Bromsgrove District Council were invited to prepare a draft scheme of representation for our consideration. In doing so, they were asked to observe the rules laid down in Schedule 11 to the Local Government Act 1972 and the guidelines which we set out in our Report No, 6 about the proposed size of the council and the proposed number of councillors for each ward. They w ere asked also to take into account any views expressed to them following their consultation with local interests. 1 We therefore asked that they should publish details of their provisional proposals about a month befofe they submitted their draft scheme to us, thus allowing an opportunity for local comment. 4. The District Council have not exercised an option in accordance with section 7(4) of the Local Government Act 1972. The provisions of section 7(6) of the Act, which provide for a system of whole council elections, will therefore apply. 5. On 29 May 1975 Bromsgrove District Council presented their draft scheme of representation. The Council proposed to divide the area of the District into 19 wards, each returning 1, 2 or 3 councillors, to form a council of 41 members* 6. We considered the District Council's draft scheme together with the comments which had been made on it. These included proposals affecting a number of wards made by a political party; proposals affecting two wards from another political party; a suggestion from Alvechurch Parish Council that the whole of the parish of Alvechurch should constitute a separate district ward; and a number of suggestions for new ward names. 7. In considering the draft scheme we noted that the standard of equality of representation on the basis of current electorates was somewhat uneven, but that, as the growth in the electorate forecast by the District Council progressed, a better standard of representation was achieved. We noted that the Council had recommended in the draft scheme that the proposed Tiffdown ward should be represented by three councillors, although they had also put forward a suggestion for its division into two wards, returning a total of five councillors, in the event of large-scale development in the ward being at an advanced stage by 1980. We decided, in view of the uncertainty about the forecast electorates, to accept the Council's suggestion for a single 3-member ward. We considered the possibility of adjusting the boundaries of two wards with a view to achieving a better standard of representation but concluded that there was nothing suitable which we could propose. 8. We reviewed the comments which had been made on the draft scheme. Where these proposed alterations to the boundaries of wards or to the representation of wards, we noted that in general the standard of equality of representation would be worsened and accordingly we decided to reject them. We concluded that none of the suggested new ward names was to be preferred to those in the draft scheme. 9« We understood that it was the County Council's intention, when the county electoral arrangements were reviewed, to propose the representation of the District of Bromsgrove by thirteen county councillors. We recognised that, on this basis, it might not be possible to achieve total compatibility between the boundaries of the proposed wards and future county electoral divisions. We noted, however, that there were major uncertainties about the future shape of the county electoral arrangements. In the circumstances, we decided that, although as a matter of policy it was important, wherever there was a local desire for it, to try to achieve compatibility between district and county electoral arrangements, there were at this .time no steps which could reasonably be taken to ensure that end. 10. We decided that the Council's draft scheme provided a reasonable basis for the future electoral arrangements of the district in compliance with the rules in Schedule 11 to the 1972 Act and our guidelines and we resolved to adopt it as our draft proposals. 11. On 28 November 1975 we issued our draft proposals and these were sent to all who had received oxer consultation letter or had commented on the Council's draft scheme. The Council were asked to make these draft proposals and the accompanying maps which defined the proposed ward boundaries available for inspection at their main offices. Representations on our draft proposals were invited from those to whom they were circulated and, by public notices, from other members of the public and interested bodies* We asked that any comments should reach us by 30 January 1976. 12. We understood from Bromsgrove District Council that they had no comments to make on our draft proposals. 13. The local political party which had previously made representations submitted proposals, some of which were different from those made earlier, affecting several wards. The other political party reiterated their suggestions relating to two wards. Alvechurch Parish Council reaffirmed their request for the whole of the parish to form a separate district ward. The Hereford and Worcester County Council informed us that it would be difficult for them to draw up county electoral divisions consistent with the boundaries of the proposed wards or a combination of those wards and that this would be likely to cause confusion to the electorate. 14« In view of the objections we considered that we needed further information to enable us to reach a conclusion. Therefore, in accordance with section 65(2) of the 1972 Act and at our request, Mr D B F P Leigh was appointed an Assistant Commissioner to hold a local meeting and to report to us. 15* The Assistant Commissioner held a local meeting at Bromsgrove on 23 September 1976. A copy of his report to us of the meeting, without enclosures, is attached as Schedule 1 to this report* 16* The Assistant Commissioner recommended that our draft proposals should be modified only by the division of the proposed Stoke Prior ward into two wards each returning one councillor. 17. V/e considered again our draft proposals in the light of the comments which we had received and of the Assistant Commissioner's report. We decided that the modification recommended by the Assistant Commissioner should be adopted and that the new qards should be named Stoke Prior and Tardebigge. Subject to this change we decided to confirm our draft proposals as our final proposals. 18. Details of these final proposals are set out in Schedule 2 to this report and on the attached maps. Schedule 2 gives the names of the wards and the number of councillors to be returned by each. The boundaries of the new wards are defined on the maps. PUBLICATION 19. In accordance with section 60(5)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 a copy of this report and a copy of the maps are being sent to Bromsgrove District Council and will be available for public inspection at the Council's main offices. Copies of this report are also being sent to those who received the consultation letter and to those who made comments. A detailed description of the boundaries of the proposed wards, as defined on the maps, is set out in Schedule 3 to this report. L.S. Signed ETMUND COMPTOH (CHAIRMAN) JOHN M RANKEN (DEPUTY CHAIRMAN) DIANA ALBEMARLE T C BENFIELD MICHAEL CHISHOLM ANDREW WHEATLEY H DIGNEY (SECRETARY) 4 November 1976 6F SCHEDULE 1 LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND REVIEW OF ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS DISTRICT OF BROMSGROVE REPORT OF ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER Assistant Commissioner! Mr. D.B.F.P. Leigh Date of Meeting! 23rd September 1976 File Nos LGBC/D/18/2 1.1 On the 23rd September 1976 I held a meeting at the Council Offices, Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove, to hear representations on the draft proposals published by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England for the electoral arrangements for the District of Brorasgrove. 1.2 Later the same day I visited areas discussed at the meeting* 1.3 A list showing the names and addresses of those attending the meeting and the interests they represented is attached* (Document 1) Alternative Scheme - Bromsgrove and Bedditch Divisional Liberal Association 2.1 Commission's Proposals The Commission's proposals provide for the division of the district into 19 wards returning a total of 41 Councillors.