Electoral review February 2013

Final recommendations on the new electoral arrangements for Summary Council

Who we are: Council size Electoral arrangements The Local Government The Commission recommends Our final recommendations Boundary Commission for that Arun District Council should propose that Arun’s 54 councillors is an independent be represented by 54 councillors should represent 15 two-member body which conducts in future: two fewer than the wards and eight three-member current arrangements. wards across the district. electoral reviews of local authority areas. In previous phases of the review, The Commission believes its final the Commission was minded to recommendations meet its recommend 53 councillors for the obligations - which are set out in district. Following its public law - to: Electoral reviews: consultation on draft The purpose of an electoral recommendations, the ■ Deliver electoral equality for review is to decide on the Commission now believes that 54 voters. appropriate electoral councillors would deliver a arrangements – the number warding pattern that best reflects ■ Reflect local community interests and identities. of councillors, the names, the statutory criteria that guide electoral reviews. number and boundaries of ■ Promote effective and wards – for a local authority. The Commission considers that a convenient local government. council size of 54 district councillors will ensure the council Why Arun? can discharge its roles and responsibilities effectively and will We are conducting an provide for a pattern of wards that electoral review of Arun reflects community interests District Council to deliver across Arun. improved levels of electoral equality for local voters. You can read the full report and view the maps on our website at www.lgbce.org.uk and consultation.lgbce.org.uk. Arun currently has high levels of electoral inequality Stage starts Description so that the value of your 28 February 2012 Public consultation on new vote - in district council warding arrangements elections - varies depending 8 May 2012 LGBCE analysis and formulation on where you live in the of draft recommendations district. 4 September 2012 Publication of draft recommendations and consultation on them 4 December 2012 Analysis of submissions and formulation of final recommendations Submissions received for 11 two-member wards called: be a two-member Ferring ward The Commission received 104 East, Aldwick West, where the boundaries are responses to the consultation on East, Felpham West, coterminous with the parish. Hotham, Marine, Middleton-on- its draft recommendations. The knock-on effects of our Sea, Orchard, , proposals in Ferring mean that we All submissions can be viewed on Pevensey and and one are now proposing to change our our website at www.lgbce.org.uk three-member ward. draft recommendations so that General analysis , and the boundaries remain the same and Bersted Barnham as the existing arrangements for The Commission considered the The Commission considered East Preston ward and possibility of including the whole evidence that suggested there East ward. of the parish of Bersted in a single would not be close community and Rustington ward. However, the Commission ties across all parts of its proposed three-member Arundel West did not believe the evidence The Commission proposes to & Walberton ward. However, presented to it could justify such a alter its draft recommendations so splitting the proposed ward into high level of electoral inequality that the north-western part of two parts would lead to high where voters in Bersted would be Rustington parish is included in levels of electoral inequality in the significantly under-represented Rustington West ward and not Arundel area which would have compared to other parts of the Brookfield ward as previously 16% fewer electors than the district. We therefore confirm our suggested. The changes are in average for Arun. draft recommendations for line with representations received Bersted as final. Similarly, the Commission noted from local people and groups. evidence which proposed a Felpham and Yapton In Littlehampton, the Commission single-member Findon ward. In this part of Arun, the carefully considered evidence However, such a ward would also Commission carefully considered submitted by Littlehampton Town deliver poor levels of electoral the area of Flansham and Council. As a result, we propose equality for local voters. representations to include it as to rename our proposed Central part of Yapton ward. We noted In both cases, the Commission ward as River ward and our that there is no direct road access therefore confirms its draft proposed Wick with Toddington between Flansham and the recommendations as final. As ward as Courtwick with village of Yapton without travelling such, our final recommendations Toddington ward. through the parish of Middleton- for the central rural part of Arun The final recommendations for on-Sea. Given the lack of are for three three-member wards the Greater Littlehampton area complete internal access called & Findon, are for four two-member Beach, throughout a ward which includes Arundel & Walberton and Barnham. both Yapton and Flansham, the Brookfield, Ferring and Commission recommends to East Preston, Ferring and Rustington East wards, and four retain its draft recommendations Rustington East three-member Courtwick with as final and that the Flansham The Commission considered the Toddington, East Preston, River area should form part of Felpham objections made to its draft and Rustington West wards. East ward. recommendation to include part of Angmering parish in Ferring ward. What happens next? The Commission notes the view In addition to strong We have now completed our expressed to it that a future representations against our draft review of Arun District Council. Community Governance Review recommendations, the Commission could recommend to change the The recommendations we have received persuasive evidence in published must now be approved parish boundary between Yapton favour of a two-member ward and Middleton-on-Sea so that by Parliament. A draft order - the which would incorporate the legal document which brings into there is access between Yapton parish of Ferring only. and Flansham. If Arun District force our recommendations - will Council were minded to undertake A two-member Ferring ward be laid in Parliament. Subject to a review and to recommend such would include 16% fewer voters parliamentary scrutiny, the new an alteration to the boundary, the than the average for Arun district. electoral arrangements will come Commission would consider a However, under a council size of into force at the district council related alteration to the district 54 councillors, the variance would elections in 2015. ward boundary. be reduced to 14%. The The full report and maps are Commission therefore proposes available at: www.lgbce.org.uk Our final recommendations for the that Arun should have 54 and consultation.lgbce.org.uk. Greater Bognor Regis area are councillors and that there should