Pascoe, Mark From: Ken Rushton Sent: 27 September 2015 10:56 To: reviews; Pascoe, Mark Cc: Subject: RE: Birmingham Ward Boundaries - Sutton Coldfield Residents' Submission Hello Mark, Many thanks for the work you are doing. As you can see below and attached, Paul Long has been co-ordinating the formal response of our group. We are a wide group comprising all of the Sutton Forums and Resident Groups and individuals, This covers a large area of Sutton which has a long history as a Town going back before HenryV111 made Sutton a Royal Town because of his contacts here and his hunting in the park. Sutton has recently taken up Government Localism Legislation we have worked closely with the DCLG, and we have been granted Town Status which is currently being legalised. We have attended all of your public meetings, we realise that you have a job to do, and indeed we support your general aims. May I just say that because we are a very close community If we have a red line it is to maintain our existing Royal Sutton Coldfield borders. That has come to us very clearly from our public meetings with residents. Our consultations have brought forward a variance in views, and we would also like to refer you to the comment of Nick Corbett, and Tracy Cattell, who are both within our group and have placed forward valuable comment. I know that all have very much tried to remain within your aims and guidelines. Also we have worked very closely with Councillor Rob Pocock who works closely with us and is very knowledgeable of the general area. Many thanks for your work in our area, we wish your team well, regards Ken Rushton : Chairman Vesey North Neighbourhood Forum Chairman Sutton Town Council Referendum Group From: Paul Long Sent: 27 September 2015 00:11 To: [email protected]; [email protected] Cc: Subject: Birmingham Ward Boundaries - Sutton Coldfield Residents' Submission Importance: High Dear Mark Please find attached a submission of suggestions for ward boundaries in the Sutton Coldfield Constituency of Birmingham for the ward boundaries review consultation. 1 The submission is made on behalf of the Sutton Coldfield Town Council Referendum Group which consists of local neighbourhood forums and residents associations that have recently been successful in campaigning for a Town Council for the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield. This submission therefore represents the views of local residents within Sutton Coldfield and has been consulted upon by all member associations and forums. We would be grateful if you would consider this as a proposal that could be used for recommended boundaries for the next stage of consultation. Both Labour and UKIP have agreed to support our proposals as they come from residents. This is a link to a Google Maps view of our recommended boundaries ‐ https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zKBQLR8co GY.kZm5KYiTalPg I also attach a copy of our comprehensive commentary to our submission and the KML file from Google Maps that you are welcome to use to upload to your GIS software. Finally, I have attached the spreadsheet that we used to make our calculations of potential ward sizes. Yours sincerely On Behalf of Sutton Coldfield Town Council Referendum Group Paul Long (Member of Town Council Referendum Group and also on Town Council Steering Committee) Copy: Ken Rushton, Chair of Sutton Coldfield Town Council Referendum Group who has authorised this submission 2 Sutton Coldfield Town Council Referendum Group Consisting of representatives from: Banners Gate Neighbourhood Forum Banners Gate Community Association Boldmere Neighbourhood Forum Vesey North Neighbourhood Forum Wylde Green & Maney Neighbourhood Forum Walmley Residents Association Trinity representatives Four Oaks representatives including an urban designer and town planner Recommendation to LGBCE for wards in Sutton Coldfield in the City of Birmingham. The residents of The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, a constituency with its own Town Council in the North of Birmingham, submit their own recommendations to the LGBCE for wards within the Town. As residents that represent the whole of Sutton Coldfield with active neighbourhood forums and residents associations, we hope that the LGBCE will acknowledge our expertise and knowledge of our own communities and reflect this when drawing up new ward boundaries. There are currently 120 councillors in Birmingham across 40 wards. This number is to reduce to 100 across up to 100 wards with each councillor representing between 7,200 and 8,800 residents. The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield currently consists of 4 wards represented by 12 councillors. There will therefore be up to 10 wards represented by 10 councillors. The electorate in December 2014 was 76,007 which represents 7,600 residents per councillor. The projected electorate for 2021 is 83,765 which represents 8,377 residents per councillor. These number fall within the guidelines set by the LGBCE for councillor representation. Sutton Coldfield is in the unique position of being a Royal Town and having a brand new Town Council. Sutton Coldfield is a community itself and its current constituency boundaries should be maintained. A Town Council was supported by 70% of voters in July 2015. In order to maintain effective working relationships with the constituency’s MP and the soon to be elected Town Councillors, it is only sensible to maintain Sutton Coldfield’s historic boundaries. Sutton Park which was bestowed to the people of Sutton Coldfield is the centre piece of the Sutton Coldfield Community. King Henry VIII gave Sutton Coldfield its Royal Charter and there are very strong feelings from residents that this should remain as a separate entity. A summary of Sutton’s history can be found here - http://www.transformingcities.co.uk/bishop-vesey%E2%80%99s-1528-masterplan-for-a- royal-town/ When a previous governance review was conducted, there were suggestions of incorporating parts of Kingstanding into Sutton Coldfield and parts of Sutton Coldfield New Hall ward into Erdington. This made very little sense apart from the political gain by one party in particular. The residents of both Kingstanding and Erdington were not happy with this suggestion and made their own representations as did the residents of Sutton Coldfield on the borders of these areas. The residents’ objections were upheld and this should be considered by the LGBCE. We have taken a bottom up approach and divided Sutton Coldfield into 10 communities which could either have one councillor each or potentially be merged to be 2 or 3 member wards. The 10 communities that we have identified collectively are as follows and can be seen in the Google Map at https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zKBQLR8co GY.kZm5KYiTalPg: Community Estimated Dec 2021 Electorate Calculation of estimate using PDs Banners Gate 8,303 DKA DKB DKG Boldmere 8,539 DKD DKE DKF Town Centre 8,641 DJA DJB 40% of DJD Wylde Green & Maney 7,920 DKC DIA DKC Walmley Village 8,231 75% of DIB 70% of DIE 10% of DIC New Hall & Minworth 8,492 90% of DIC 30% of DIE DIF 25% of DIB 90% of DID Reddicap 8,474 DJE DJF 50 % of DJG 10% of DID 40% of DJD Roughly & Whitehouse 8,756 DHE Common DJC 60% of DJD 60% of DJH 50% of DJG Mere Green 8,396 DHC DHD DHF Four Oaks 8,012 DHA DHB The estimation of electorate is based on existing polling district data provided by the LGBCE. In drawing up the ward boundaries, we looked at PDs that were entirely within a new ward and added their electorate together. We then made estimations for percentages of the size of a PD that would be within a ward where a PD crossed our community boundaries. These area because there are tarmacked routes from Boldmere Gate all the way through to Streetly Gate although Streetly Gate is used by Walsall residents (outside of Birmingham) as well as some residents within Streetly that are part of Sutton Coldfield. We have kept the area South of the railway within the Boldmere Community because it reflects the users of this part of the park. Routes across the railway are used very little. o Boldmere has as its focal point the Boldmere Road which is a vibrant high street. Community spirit is very high. o Boldmere Library is also included here. There are a few pubs and restaurants which are frequented by residents. o There is a smaller set of shops at the South of Boldmere Road. o There is a Boldmere Community Partnership which is working together with the local neighbourhood forums and the Boldmere Independent Traders’ Association to formulate a neighbourhood plan for the Boldmere area and so this is a natural community that should fit in nicely with the neighbourhood plan. o The area chosen for Boldmere is very similar to the Parish boundaries for St Michael’s C of E Church which is in the centre of this community. o Boldmere Infant and Junior School and Boldmere Health Centre both serve this community. Wylde Green & Maney o Wylde Green & Maney used to be in the New Hall ward but had very little community links due to the separation from Walmley and New Hall by 2 large hotels, a golf club, a railway line, a stream and the New Hall Valley. o The area to the West of these natural dividing lines is identified as Wylde Green & Maney. o The Walmley Golf Club is included within Wylde Green & Maney because access is via the Wylde Green & Maney side. o Wylde Green has a large shopping centre at the South of the community and Maney has a smaller shopping area at the North of the community.