Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
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Submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England by Rotherham MBC Proposed New Ward Boundaries 1. Introduction This paper sets out the response of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) consultation on warding arrangements for Rotherham based on the agreed future council size of 59 councillors. At the Council meeting on 8th March, the Chief Executive was authorised to respond to the LGBCE consultation, in consultation with the Constitution Working Group which is chaired by the Leader of Council and has representatives from both the majority Labour group and opposition UKIP group. The Constitution Working Group agreed draft warding proposals for internal consultation. Following consultation sessions attended by the majority of RMBC councillors and further other discussions, the working group met on 21st April to agree revised proposals taking account of the views expressed where possible. The Leader of the Council and Leader of the Opposition have indicated that their groups support the final warding proposal as described below which are made on behalf of the Council. This does not preclude individual councillors from making representations about their own wards. 2. Proposed Pattern of Wards The LGBCE has agreed that Rotherham MBC should have fifty nine members from May 2020. This has determined the permitted size range of possible wards. Rotherham’s move to all-out elections from 2016 means that wards with one, two or three members are possible in place of previous arrangements where only three-member wards were permitted. The Council’s proposal is for twenty-five wards; nine three-member wards and sixteen two member wards. The location and boundaries of these are shown on the map below, referenced by the following table which sets out the reference number, suggested name, number of councillors, forecast 2022 electorate and variance from the average quotient for electoral equality. 1 Map Showing Boundaries of Proposed Wards Reference Table for Proposed wards Ward Name Councillors Electorate Variance 1 Anston and Woodsetts 3 9,675 -7.8% 2 Aston and Todwick 2 7,269 +3.9% 3 Aughton and Swallownest 2 6,934 -0.9% 4 Boston Castle 3 10,658 +1.6% 5 Bramley and Ravenfield 2 7,598 +8.6% 6 Brinsworth 2 7,682 +9.8% 7 Dalton and Thrybergh 2 7,507 +7.3% 8 Dinnington 3 10,137 -3.4% 9 Greasbrough 2 6,568 -6.1% 10 Hoober 3 10,049 -4.2% 11 Keppel 3 11,072 +5.5% 12 Kilnhurst and Swinton 2 6,391 -8.6% East 13 Maltby East 2 6,989 -0.1% 14 Maltby West 2 6,429 -8.1% 15 Rawmarsh East 2 7,194 +2.9% 16 Rawmarsh West 2 7,465 +6.7% 17 Rother Vale 2 6,552 -6.3% 18 Rotherham East 3 10,829 +3.2% 19 Rotherham West 3 10,807 +3.0% 2 20 Sitwell 3 10,292 -1.9% 21 Swinton Rockingham 2 6,454 -7.7% 22 Thurcroft and Wickersley 2 7,575 +8.3% South 23 Wales 2 7,483 +7% 24 Wath 2 7,047 +0.8% 25 Wickersley North 3 9,693 -7.6% 59 206,349 3. Overview of Proposed Arrangements This submission delivers the required electoral equality through the proposed warding pattern for Rotherham, forming wards which do not vary by more than 10% from the relevant electoral quotient / ratio. Eleven of the twenty-five wards proposed are within 5% variance whilst those with greater variance reflect the need to reflect community identity. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England have stated that they are minded to agree that a future council size of fifty-nine and this has been reflected in the preparation of this proposal. The forecast electorate of Rotherham in 2022 is 206,349, which divided by 59 gives an electoral quotient or ratio of 3,497 electors per councillor. The move to all-out elections in Rotherham, which took place in 2016, means that it is possible to have new wards with one, two or three members. The permissible ranges are as follows: • A three-member ward must have an electorate of 9,442 to 11,540 • A two-member ward must have an electorate of 6,295 to 7,693 • A one-member ward must have an electorate of 3,147 to 3,847 This proposal uses two and three member wards only. No one-member wards are proposed as these are better suited to more rural areas and carry the risk that residents will go un-represented for some time in the event of the resignation, death or absence of their only councillor. Rotherham is a mixed metropolitan borough with a large urban area surrounded by a large number of small towns and villages which grew up around traditional industries such as coal mines and steelworks, as well as suburban developments and rural areas. Half of Rotherham’s electorate live in civil parishes and these proposals take account of their boundaries where possible. The ward descriptions set out the areas covered by the proposed wards, their boundaries and changes from current arrangements. Consideration of the proposed wards addresses the three main principles: 3 i) Electoral equality – ensuring that wards electing the same number of councillors have broadly similar electorates and are within 10% of the electoral quotient. ii) Community identity – wards reflect natural communities where possible and seek to unite communities rather than divide them. iii) Effective and convenient local government – wards are internally coterminous and coherent, have regard for parish boundaries where applicable and use polling districts as building blocks where possible. In addition, account has been taken of the existing pattern of wards and historical associations of electors and communities with wards to maximise perceived continuity of representation, where practical to do so. For example, everyone living in Anston and Woodsetts ward will continue to live in a ward of the same name covering a broadly similar area. Although none of the proposed wards has the same boundaries as at present, the perception of 92% electors will be either that they will continue to live in the same or very similar ward or that they will live in a more appropriate ward. References to the electorate of any area in the ward descriptions below use the forecast electorates for 2022. These take account of new housing development which is why some are significantly higher than current electorates. 4. Description of Wards Ward 1: Anston and Woodsetts Anston and Woodsetts is a long standing ward in south east Rotherham which was created in 1980 and was unchanged in the 2004 boundary changes. The existing ward consists of the twin suburban villages of North and South Anston (forming a parish with 7,510 electors), and the rural village and parish of Woodsetts (1,461 electors) giving a combined electorate of 8,971. Whilst the existing ward provides a good level of community identity and continuity, is now too small to meet the new three-member electoral quotient range of 9,442 to 11,540. However, it can readily form the basis for a new three-member ward if additional electors from adjoining areas are included. These are proposed to be the small parish of Thorpe Salvin (377 electors), currently in Wales ward and Monksbridge polling district (326 electors) from Dinnington St John’s parish, giving an electorate of 9,675. The Monksbridge residential area (off Rotherham Road) would join Anston and Woodsetts but the Brooklands Park Industrial Estate would remain in Dinnington. Whilst any division of the Dinnington parish is regrettable, such an addition is required for Anston and Woodsetts to meet the minimum size for a three- 4 member ward. Whilst a two-member ward would be viable for Anston, this would leave Woodsetts too small to form a one-member ward even with Thorpe Salvin (not that these two parishes share a common boundary). The proposed Anston and Woodsetts ward would be bounded by Bassetlaw District to the east, Bolsover District to the south, Wales and Aston & Todwick wards to the west, and Dinninton and Thurcroft & Wickersley South wards to the north. Ward 2: Aston and Todwick This two-member ward combines 5,800 electors from the existing Holderness ward in Aston (Aston cum Aughton parish) with the village and parish of Todwick (1,469 electors) which is currently in Wales ward. The remainder of Holderness ward would be in a new Aughton and Swallownest ward. This gives Aston and Todwick an electorate of 7,269 which is 4% over the electoral quotient. With 12,014 electors, the parish of Aston cum Aughton is slightly too large to form a viable three-member ward and therefore must be divided between wards as at present. In agreement with Aston cum Aughton Parish Council, is now proposed to divide Aston cum Aughton almost equally into two two- member wards. The eastern ward covers the urban and suburban area of Aston along with the separate rural village of Todwick. Whilst Todwick relates well to the villages of Kiveton Park and Wales, it is proposed to join Aston to allow the creation of viable two-member wards for both Wales and Aston and Todwick. The western half of Aston cum Aughton is proposed to form the majority of the new Aughton and Swallownest ward. The proposed Aston and Todwick ward would be bounded by Anston & Woodsetts to the east, Wales to the south, Aughton & Swallownest to the west and Thurcroft & Wickersley South to the north. Ward 3: Aughton and Swallownest As a counterpart to the ward of Aston and Todwick (see above), the two- member ward of Aughton and Swallownest is proposed based on 6,214 electors in the western part of Aston cum Aughton parish, together with the parish of Ulley (139 electors) and the southern part of Orgreave parish (582 electors).