Submission from the Cheshire West & Chester Council Labour Group To
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Submission from the Cheshire West & Chester Council Labour Group to the Boundary Committee in the Boundary Review of the Council’s 75 seat Council. Forward The Labour Group (12 of 13) of the Cheshire West & Chester Council has spent some considerable time discussing, and, agreeing these proposals that are attached. We feel very strongly that the Bid, as submitted to the Secretary of State, and then Parliament, has the approval of both, to the Principle of Single member wards. The Boundary review was to take place against a background advocated by the DCLG with ‘Single Member’ advocacy. Parliament recognised It would afford clear and accountable elected representation with closer and more local links to the community. This allowed for the more local representation of communities. Alternative multimember wards are unwieldy, are cobbled together with different distant communities in most cases which is unnecessary. In the end, any departure from the principles Parliament agreed must be rejected. The Submission In March 2008 Parliament made its view clear in the issuing of the following order ‘This Order implements, without modification, a proposal, submitted to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government under section 2 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007(1), that there should be a single tier of local government for the county of Cheshire. The proposal was made by Chester City Council, Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council, Macclesfield Borough Council and Vale Royal Borough Council, acting jointly (statutory instruments 2008 No 634 Local Government, England The Cheshire (Structural Changes) Order 2008 Made 4th March 2008) The People and Places submission was accepted by the Secretary of State as the basis for the efficient delivery of local government in Cheshire and included the creation of single member wards. The order quoted under 1 above includes the words ‘without modification’ and as such provides firm documentary evidence of the expectation of single member wards. The People and Places submission clearly states ‘both authorities will quickly explore the range of options available and with the help of the Boundary Committee for England, will adopt single member wards.’ (People Places Page 5) The accepted submission makes a strong case for the thinking behind single member wards. 1 It states ‘Councillors able to fulfill all their roles effectively, in particular representing and speaking for the people who elect them and the communities they represent’ (People Places Page 4) Following on from 6 it adds ‘The need for them to be clearly accountable to the electorate for each aspect of their role (People Places Page 4) It also makes the point ‘local service delivery centered around local people and needs.. through community influence over service delivery.’(People Places Page 3) Single member wards improve accountability and therefore representation. It is easier for electors to know who their Councillor is and judge his or her performance over the electoral cycle. ‘Place shaping at a local level.’ (People Places Page 13) is closely linked with knowing who ‘our’ Councillor is. The present three member wards as illustrated in the attached table are not place but each include a number of very different communities. Electors want to feel that their representative, their Councillor, will represent their issues in their community. To do this a Councillor will need to focus on one community and champion their concerns. In a larger two or three member wards a Councillor could easily be in the position of trying to represent conflicting views across the different communities in this very large ward. For example a proposed school closure issue will have mixed views across a large ward as it may well affect other schools but in a small single member ward the view will be easily represented. Single member wards have a clear relationship between the elected member and the elector. The question ‘Who is my Councillor?’ is often a difficult one to answer when an elector has several Councillors. With one Councillor the answer is much easier. Importantly single member wards allow elected members to be strong community leaders Rural seats would also benefit from single member wards. As population densities are lower in these areas, rural wards do cover a wider geographical area than urban wards do. Multi member wards make the size of the ward even bigger. So for example the present Broxton three member ward covers about 15 miles north/ south and 13 miles west/east. It contains the large distinct villages of Malpas, Tattenhall and Farndon. Single member wards would give these historic villages a stronger identity. Present Division Distinctive Communities Abbey Hartford, Davenham, Moulton Blacon Blacon Point, Blacon Lodge or Blacon Boughton Heath/Vicars Cross Boughton Heath, Vicars Cross, Huntingdon, Dodleston Broxton Malpas, Tattenhall, Farndon 2 Central and Westminster Stanney Grange, Westminster, Wolverham, Town Centre, Ince City Boughton, Newtown, College, City Centre Eddisbury Cuddington/Sandiway, Utkinton/Eaton, Tarporley Frodsham and Helsby Frodsham and Helsby Gowy Kelsall, Tarvin, Christleton and Waverton Grange and Rossmore Little Sutton, Great Sutton, Overpool, Rivacre, Town Centre Groves and Whitby Whitby, Groves, Strawberry Fields, Stanney Oaks Hoole and Newton Plas Newton, Kingsway, Hoole Ledsham and Willaston Little Sutton, Willaston, Hooton, Childer Thornton, Burton, Ness Marbury Higher Whitley/Antrobus, Barnton, Comberbatch Mickle Trafford Mickle Trafford, Elton, Saughall Neston and Parkgate Neston, Little Neston, Parkgate Northwich E and Shackerley Rudheath, Witton, Lostock, Northwich West Winnington, Castle, Leftwich, Kingsmead Overleigh Handbridge, Lache, Curzon Park, Westminster Park Sutton and Manor Pooltown, Manor and Great Sutton Upton Bache, Upton Heath, Plas Newton Weaver Weaverham, Manley/Norley, Sutton Weaver Winsford North/East Wharton, Gravel, Verdin Winsford South/West Over, Dene, Swanlow Map A PDF file of the map has been attached entitled Draft Single member model. One has been posted along with this submission. Derek Bateman Leader of the Labour Group County Hall, Chester CH1 1SF Office; 01244 972114 Home; 0151 355 6575 Mobile; 07802 583909 30th July 2009 3 Single-Member Wards for Cheshire West & Chester Electorate Electorate Variance Variance 2008 2013 2008 2013 Boughton Heath 2801 2770 -16.39 -18.55 1 Great Boughton 2885 2790 -13.88 -17.97 1 Knight's Grange 2667 2810 -20.39 -17.38 1 Little Neston 2996 2910 -10.57 -14.44 1 Hartfordbeach 2974 2976 -11.22 -12.50 1 Hoole 3102 3010 -7.40 -11.50 1 Dene 2871 3040 -14.30 -10.61 1 Handbridge 3143 3040 -6.18 -10.61 1 Clayhill 3070 3050 -8.36 -10.32 1 Blacon 3150 3050 -5.97 -10.32 1 Hartford & Whitegate 3033 3064 -9.46 -9.91 1 Neston & Parkgate 3128 3070 -6.63 -9.73 1 Netherpool 2427 3090 -27.55 -9.14 1 Rivacre Valley 3183 3090 -4.99 -9.14 1 Pooltown 3187 3090 -4.87 -9.14 1 Elton 3174 3090 -5.25 -9.14 1 Abbot's Mead 3179 3100 -5.10 -8.85 1 Sutton Green 3207 3110 -4.27 -8.56 1 Forest 3002 3110 -10.39 -8.56 1 Brook 3203 3110 -4.39 -8.56 1 Upton Heath 3221 3120 -3.85 -8.26 1 Kingsway 3264 3150 -2.57 -7.38 1 Upton Grange 2931 3160 -12.51 -7.09 1 Comberbach 3121 3170 -6.84 -6.79 1 Huntington 3151 3170 -5.94 -6.79 1 Gravel 3210 3210 -4.18 -5.62 1 Willaston 3236 3210 -3.40 -5.62 1 Rossmore 2450 3240 -26.87 -4.73 1 Farndon 3299 3270 -1.52 -3.85 1 Malpas 3265 3280 -2.54 -3.56 1 Seacombe 3388 3290 1.13 -3.26 1 Verdin 3294 3300 -1.67 -2.97 1 Seven Oaks 3168 3350 -5.43 -1.50 1 Weaverham 3350 3360 0.00 -1.21 1 Swanlow 3368 3400 0.54 -0.03 1 Strawberry Fields 3513 3410 4.87 0.26 1 Boughton 3454 3410 3.10 0.26 1 Leftwich 3289 3430 -1.82 0.85 1 Tarvin 3532 3470 5.43 2.03 1 Hoole Park 3603 3480 7.55 2.32 1 Milton 3472 3490 3.64 2.62 1 Weaver 3468 3500 3.52 2.91 1 Ledsham 3507 3500 4.69 2.91 1 Saughall 3614 3510 7.88 3.20 1 City 2669 3510 -20.33 3.20 1 Little Sutton 3566 3540 6.45 4.09 1 Manor 3659 3550 9.22 4.38 1 Wolverham 3213 3550 -4.09 4.38 1 Wharton 3550 3560 5.97 4.68 1 Over 3464 3560 3.40 4.68 1 Mickle Trafford 3706 3580 10.63 5.26 1 Ridgeway 3616 3600 7.94 5.85 1 Winnington 3548 3610 5.91 6.15 1 Ellesmere Port Town 3325 3620 -0.75 6.44 1 Witton 3340 3630 -0.30 6.73 1 Barnton 3457 3640 3.19 7.03 1 Rudheath 3591 3650 7.19 7.32 1 Christleton & Waverton 3769 3660 12.51 7.62 1 College 2517 3660 -24.87 7.62 1 Tattenhall 3731 3670 11.37 7.91 1 Kingsmead 3699 3700 10.42 8.79 1 Frodsham South 3689 3700 10.12 8.79 1 Stanney 3851 3730 14.96 9.67 1 Lache 3829 3730 14.30 9.67 1 Castle 3522 3750 5.13 10.26 1 Shakerley 3736 3760 11.52 10.56 1 Higher Whitby 3878 3760 15.76 10.56 1 Westminster 3835 3760 14.48 10.56 1 Frodsham North 3601 3820 7.49 12.32 1 Little Neston 3952 3830 17.97 12.61 1 Sealand 3639 3830 8.63 12.61 1 Tarporley 3824 3850 14.15 13.20 1 Helsby 3832 3870 14.39 13.79 1 Cuddington & Sandiway 4009 4030 19.67 18.49 1 Davenham & Moulton 4103 4110 22.48 20.85 1 251270 255070 75 Draft Single-Member Model 34 38 41 48 S±cale: X 1:250,000 9 42 15 17 37 62 43 11 2 X 63 18 31 65 58 6 64 24 X 66 23 33 52 X 32 X 40 46 70 X 51 35 59 Legend 45 36 51 22 X 44 Draft Single-Member Model 29 67 X 56 13 label 3 29 12 & 26 25 5 68 21 32 49 0 - Knight's Grange 57 3 X X 1 -Abbot's Mead 47 14 0 61 2 -Barnton 10 X 4 X 8 3 -Blacon 86 39 X 19 60 20 4 -Boughton 47 53 X 7 5 -Brook 27 54 69 6 -Castle 7 -Christleton & Waverton 8 -City 16 45 -Saughall 55 -Tattenhall 65 -Wolverham 9 -Clayhill 46 -Seacombe 56 -Upton Grange 66 -Elton 10 -College 47 -Sealand 57 -Verdin 67 -Forest 11 -Comberbach 28 -Kingsmead 48 -Seven Oaks 58 -Weaver 68 -Ridgeway 12 -Cuddington & Sandiway 29 -Kingsway 49 -Shakerley 59 -Weaverham 69 -Tarporley 13 -Davenham & Moulton 30 -Lache 55 50 -Stanney 60 -Westminster 70 -Milton 14 -Dene 31 -Ledsham X 51 -Strawberry Fields 61 -Wharton 71 -Upton Heath 15 -Ellesmere Port Town 32 -Leftwich 52 -Sutton Green 62 -Willaston 86 -Boughton Heath 16 -Farndon 33 -Little Neston 53 -Swanlow 63 -Winnington 87 -Malpas 17 -Frodsham North 34 -Little Sutton 18 -Frodsham South 35 -Manor 54 -Tarvin 64 -Witton X - To be split For Council Business use only.