ELECTORAL REVIEW OF COUNTY COUNCIL DIVISIONS IN COUNCIL

Introduction

It is acknowledged that each year, the Local Government Boundary Commission for (LGBC) audits the levels of electoral imbalances arising in each English local authority area in order to establish whether there is a need for an electoral review. Imbalances can arise from changing demographics and new developments, and movement of electors between local authority areas, as well as within individual areas.

The Boundary Commission for England have identified that the County Council’s electoral variance has triggered the Commission’s selection criteria as more than 34% of the divisions have an electoral variance of more than 10%. Consequently the Commission is undertaking an electoral review of the Council.

Background to the Review

In November 2012 the Council set up a Boundary Committee comprising 11 members, (six Conservative, four Labour and one Liberal Democrat) which reflected the Council’s political balance to deal with the Borough’s Boundary Review implemented on 7 May 2015.

That Committee has been maintained in the knowledge that there was to be a County Council Review.

In view of the Borough and Parliamentary Elections that Committee was only able to meet twice.

In view of the time scales the of the Consultation period the Committee was unable to make recommendations to full Council and therefore sought and received delegated authority to make representations to the LGBC.

The Boundary Committee comprised amongst others, the Leader of the Council, the Leader the Labour Group and the Leader of the Liberal Democratic Group and four County Councillors

It also comprised a majority of the Boundary Committee members that oversaw the Borough Council’s Boundary Review implemented on 7 May 2015.

Council Size

The Committee noted the County Council’s wish to make no changes to the number of County Councillors and the consequential result that South Ribble would return 8 County Councillors.

It also noted that with a projected population for South Ribble of 92911, eight County Councillors would be an under representation for South Ribble and consequently any division arrangements will lead to a variances from the elector / councillor ratio of 11083.

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Division Arrangements

Consideration

The proposals in this submission are based on a projected electorate that would be in place by 2021. It takes into account new developments that are proposed within the Site Allocations DPD and likely to be developed by 2021. These figures previously submitted to the Boundary Commission give an elector / councillor ratio of 11083 based on the agreed proposal of councillor numbers of 84. However, these electorate estimates are a cautious figure for South Ribble as it is likely that some of the major development sites proposed could be brought forward following confirmation of the Preston & Lancashire City Deal.

Boundary Committee considered a number of options and were mindful of the need to reflect existing communities and on the advice of the Commission that the warding arrangements could be based on one, two, or three member wards depending on what best suited the communities they served.

The Committee considered a two member pattern for divisions but felt that it did not lead to a better reflection of existing communities because of the resulting geographical size of the resulting divisions.

The Boundary Committee considered a number of alternative patterns including the one being recommended to the Lancashire County Council by the Counties Political Governance Working Group

The Boundary Committee did not believe that South Ribble: Political Governance Working Group Proposal 1, which had been drawn by County Council officers purely on the need to achieve electoral equality properly reflected community interests particularly in relation to the proposed Leyland Central and Division. They also noted that the proposals split six of this Councils newly created Wards which if possible should be avoided.

They also considered a proposal “South Ribble version 1” developed and presented by the Labour Group on the Council which provided an alternative pattern that in the view of the Boundary Committee, using their local knowledge, better reflected the existing communities and retained intact more of this Council’s newly created Wards.

They also noted that the “South Ribble version 1” proposal produced a better average variance than South Ribble: Political Governance Working Group Proposal 1.

Following an in depth study of the proposed “South Ribble version 1” the Boundary Committee with cross party support adopted this proposal as the Council’s preferred pattern for the County Divisions in South Ribble Borough Council and therefore recommend this proposal to the Commission.

A map of the proposal and spreadsheet is also submitted.

2 Existing Polling Electorate Electorate District Description of area Parish Parish ward district/borough/city Existing county division Variance district June 2015 June 2021 ward 1 Leyland South County Division South Ribble SR1 ‐ BW1 Worden Buckshaw and Worden Leyland Central 1,981 1,981 South Ribble SR2 ‐ BW2 Buckshaw Buckshaw and Worden Leyland Central 1,845 1,859 South Ribble SR6 ‐ SA1 Chapel Brow St Ambrose Leyland Central 1,263 1,322 South Ribble SR7 ‐ SA2 St Ambrose North St Ambrose Leyland Central 1,115 1,115 South Ribble SR8 ‐ SA3 St Ambrose South St Ambrose Leyland Central 1,019 1,037 South Ribble SR15 ‐ SS1 Lowerhouse Seven Stars Leyland South West 1,690 1,694 South Ribble SR16 ‐ SS2 Wade Hall Seven Stars Leyland South West 1,573 1,924 Leyland South County Division Total and Variance 10,932 ‐1.36

2 Leyland Central County Division South Ribble SR3 ‐ LC1 Leyland Central North Leyland Central Leyland Central 1,108 1,108 South Ribble SR4 ‐ LC2 Leyland Central West Leyland Central Leyland Central 967 971 South Ribble SR5 ‐ LC3 Leyland Central East Leyland Central Leyland Central 1,608 1,613 South Ribble SR9 ‐ B1 Broadfield North Broadfield Leyland Central 2,561 2,590 South Ribble SR10 ‐ B2 Broadfield South Broadfield Leyland South West 1,250 1,250 South Ribble SR11 ‐ EB1 Earnshaw Bridge Earnshaw Bridge Leyland South West 2,052 2,065 South Ribble SR12 ‐ EB2 Dunkirk Earnshaw Bridge Leyland South West 1,560 1,727 Leyland Central County Division Total and Variance 11,324 2.13

3 Moss Side and Farington County Division South Ribble SR13 ‐ MS1 Moss Side Moss Side Leyland South West 3,030 3,037 South Ribble SR14 ‐ MS2 Moss Side Leyland South West 247 814 South Ribble SR35 ‐ FE3 St Davids Farington East Leyland Central 308 645 South Ribble RV1 ‐ FW Farington West Farington Farington Central Farington West Farington 3,019 4,047 South Ribble RV2 ‐ FE1 Farington East Farington Farington East Farington East Farington 2,107 2,705 South Ribble RV3 ‐ FE2 Leverhouse Farington East Farington 420 420 South Ribble RV23 ‐ NLHE3 Farington Farington West and Hutton East Farington 195 199 Moss Side and Farington County Division Total and Variance 11,867 6.61

4 South Ribble West County Division South Ribble SR28 ‐ H1 Little Hoole Hoole South Ribble Rural West 1,773 1,858 South Ribble SR29 ‐ H2 Much Hoole Hoole South Ribble Rural West 1,612 1,623 South Ribble SR30 ‐ LHW1 Longton West Longton Longton West Longton and Hutton West South Ribble Rural West 2,651 2,660 South Ribble SR31 ‐ LHW2 Longton East Longton Longton West Longton and Hutton West South Ribble Rural West 1,358 1,684 South Ribble SR33 ‐ NLHE1 Hutton East Hutton Hutton East New Longton and Hutton East South Ribble Rural West 1,163 1,257 South Ribble SR34 ‐ NLHE2 New Longton Longton Longton East New Longton and Hutton East South Ribble Rural West 2,426 2,437 South Ribble West County Division Total and Variance 11,519 3.79

5 West County Division South Ribble SR32 ‐ LHW3 Hutton West Hutton Hutton West Longton and Hutton West South Ribble Rural West 720 724 South Ribble SR17 ‐ HP1 Howick and Priory Penwortham Howick and Priory Howick and Priory Penwortham North 3,133 3,146 South Ribble SR18 ‐ HP2 Whitefield West Penwortham Howick and Priory Howick and Priory Penwortham North 1,491 1,491 South Ribble SR19 ‐ HP3 Whitefield East Penwortham Howick and Priory Howick and Priory Penwortham North 1,147 1,147 South Ribble SR20 ‐ BO1 Broad Oak North Penwortham Broad Oak Broad Oak Penwortham North 2,823 2,825 South Ribble SR21 ‐ BO2 Broad Oak East Penwortham Broad Oak Broad Oak Penwortham North 840 840 South Ribble SR23 ‐ M2 Middleforth North Penwortham Middleforth Middleforth Penwortham South 1,717 1,870 Penwortham West County Division Total and Variance 12043 7.97

6 Penwortham East and Walton le Dale County Division South Ribble SR22 ‐ M1 Kingsfold West Penwortham Middleforth Middleforth Penwortham South 1,056 1,056 South Ribble SR24 ‐ M3 Middleforth South Penwortham Middleforth Middleforth Penwortham South 1,451 1,453 South Ribble SR25 ‐ M4 Kingsfold East Penwortham Middleforth Middleforth Penwortham South 1,575 1,575 South Ribble SR26 ‐ C1 Charnock North Penwortham Charnock Charnock Penwortham South 1,289 1,289 South Ribble SR27 ‐ C2 Charnock South Penwortham Charnock Charnock Penwortham South 1,615 2,549 South Ribble RV7 ‐ WDW1 Walton‐le‐Dale West ‐ South Walton‐le‐Dale West Penwortham South 590 1,148 South Ribble RV8 ‐ WDW2 Walton Park Walton‐le‐Dale West and Walton‐le‐Dale 1,399 1,415 South Ribble RV9 ‐ WDW3 Walton Green Walton‐le‐Dale West Bamber Bridge and Walton‐le‐Dale 1,420 1,434 Penwortham East and Walton le Dale County Division Total and Variance 11,919 7.01

7 and Bamber Bridge County Division South Ribble RV4 ‐ LH1 Lostock Hall North Lostock Hall Penwortham South 2,305 2,453 South Ribble RV5 ‐ LH2 Lostock Hall Central Lostock Hall Farington 1,897 1,924 South Ribble RV6 ‐ LH3 Lostock Hall South Lostock Hall Farington 983 983 South Ribble RV10 ‐ WDE1 Duddle Lane Walton‐le‐Dale East Bamber Bridge and Walton‐le‐Dale 1,308 1,308 South Ribble RV12 ‐ BBW1 Bamber Bridge West ‐ North Bamber Bridge West Bamber Bridge and Walton‐le‐Dale 2,350 2,350 South Ribble RV13 ‐ BBW2 Bamber Bridge West ‐ South Bamber Bridge West Bamber Bridge and Walton‐le‐Dale 919 921 South Ribble RV15 ‐ BBE2 Bamber Bridge East ‐ Central Bamber Bridge East South Ribble Rural East 1,686 1,704 Lostock Hall and Bamber Bridge County Division Total and Variance 11,643 4.81

8 South Ribble East County Division South Ribble RV11 ‐ WDE2 Holland House Walton‐le‐Dale East Bamber Bridge and Walton‐le‐Dale 1,943 2,199 South Ribble RV14 ‐ BBE3 Bamber Bridge East ‐ North Bamber Bridge East Bamber Bridge and Walton‐le‐Dale 573 638 South Ribble RV16 ‐ BBE1 Bamber Bridge East ‐ South Bamber Bridge East South Ribble Rural East 1,212 1,574 South Ribble RV17 ‐ CGGL1 Hospital Inn and South Ribble Rural East 773 1,088 South Ribble RV18 ‐ CGGL2 Gregson Lane Coupe Green and Gregson Lane South Ribble Rural East 1,719 1,728 South Ribble RV19 ‐ CGGL3 Coupe Green Coupe Green and Gregson Lane South Ribble Rural East 1,119 1,121 South Ribble RV20 ‐ SW1 Walton‐le‐Dale and Walton South Ribble Rural East 1,022 1,022 South Ribble RV21 ‐ SW2 Higher Walton Samlesbury and Walton South Ribble Rural East 1,185 1,318 South Ribble RV22 ‐ SW3 Samlesbury Samlesbury & Samlesbury and Walton South Ribble Rural East 969 980 South Ribble County Division Total and Variance 11,668 5.01