Patrick Kitterick

For the attention of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England

Please find attached the following files in relation to Leicester City Labour Party’s submission regarding the LGBCE’s review of boundaries for Leicester City Council.

-PDF Map of the New City of Leicester Ward Boundaries as proposed by Leicester City Labour Party. -PDF Table of the numbers for each ward and variances for the New City of Leicester Ward Boundaries as proposed by Leicester City Labour Party. -Narrative on Proposed New Wards -Data files supplied by Leicester City Council which I believe are compatible with LGBCE systems which give the detailed data surrounding our proposals. If this is, in any way, incompatible with the supplied maps and narrative please contact me to resolve any confusion..

The overall approach of Leicester City Labour Party has been to produce a detailed, validated, city wide proposal for Leicester. We have used the River Soar as a primary definer of boundaries in the city, we have also made greater use of the railway lines in the city as a definer of boundaries and finally we have used major roads as a point to either divide wards or build wards depending on whether they divide communities or have communities grow around them. For the necessity of providing balanced numbers we have had to use minor roads as the final definer of boundaries.

Overall we have reduced the number of wards from 22 to 20 and we have kept wards co-terminus with current parliamentary boundaries, as they too provide strong community and natural boundaries. Combined with balancing numbers this has led to Leicester West Constituency losing 2 councillors and East and South gaining a councillor each from previous arrangements.

The work to produce this has been carried out by a large number of members of Leicester City Labour Party from across the city. The one resource from the city council we have called upon is Ian Robertson of the City Council’s Planning Department, who operates the software which validates the numbers and maps and data we have provided to you. I must re-state Ian has acted only to independently validate our proposals and produce subsequent maps and data and I would like to thank him for his help in this matter.

Overall I believe these proposals satisfy the Boundary Commission’s requirements with the largest variance in elector numbers being 7.2% and 15 of the 20 Wards having a variance of less than 5%. The boundaries of the wards are clear and represent real communities in Leicester.

I commend these proposals to the Commission.

Yours faithfully

Patrick Kitterick

Chair – Leicester City Labour Group City of Leicester New Ward Boundary Narrative

1 Abbey Ward

1.a Equality of representation Under this configuration, Abbey ward would have an electorate of 12,686, which would be represented by three Councillors. This equates to a comparable citywide electoral variation of – 2.77%, which starkly contrasts to Abbey’s current ward variance of – 21% and is well within the Local Government Boundary Commission’s tolerance of 10%.

1.b Community interests, identities and identifiable boundaries Abbey Ward would continue to be made up of six distinct but related neighbourhoods – Mowmacre, Stocking Farm, Abbey Rise, the Stadium Estate with its associated housing clusters around Abbey Park and Frog Island. Under this configuration, none of these neighbourhoods would be split by a ward boundary and they would remain connected by Abbey Lane, which forms the heart of the ward.

Mowmacre in the northern part of the ward is a clearly defined community, predominantly made up of current and former Leicester City Council housing. Residential tenures tend to be long in duration meaning that there are strong community ties between neighbours. There are a number of shared community services such as the Mowmacre Children’s Centre, Tudor Neighbourhood Centre, a very active Mowmacre Tenants Association and Mowmacre Primary School. Local residents self identify as living in Mowmacre and there is a strong sense that this area is separate from Beaumont Leys.

Stocking Farm lies directly to the south of Mowmacre and the two neighbourhoods share a lot in common, including housing type and socioeconomic mix. The Stocking Farm Youth, Community & Healthy Living Centre as well as the neighbouring row of shops on Marwood Road are at the heart of Stocking Farm. Children from both Mowmacre Hill and Stocking Farm attend Woodstock Primary School. Local residents self identify as living in Stocking Farm and again, there is a strong local sense that this area is separate from Beaumont Leys.

Abbey Rise connects Stocking Farm with Abbey Lane. It is made up of a mixture of social and private housing. Children from both Stocking Farm and Abbey Rise attend Wolsey House Primary School.

To the south of Abbey Rise lies the Stadium Estate, with Parker Drive at its heart. Stadium is predominantly made up of owner occupiers. It is less socially homogenous then other parts of the ward but has a significant, established Asian community. Local residents self identify as living on the Stadium estate.

The addition of Avebury Avenue and its associated streets to Abbey Ward is a natural fit with the Stadium estate as it is a similar housing type and residents in both areas use the Avebury Meadows Children’s Centre and Alderman Richard Hallam School.

The area around Frog Island is a less densely populated neighbourhood with some terraced housing of mixed ownership and a significant number of commercial and industrial properties.

The newly proposed configuration of Abbey Ward has very coherent boundaries, which are largely consistent with those that currently exist. Indeed, no change is recommended to the northern or eastern boundaries with only minor adjustments recommended to the south western boundary so that it accommodates Avebury Avenue and its associated streets. This enables better equality of representation whilst maintaining coterminosity with the parameters of the aforementioned neighbourhoods. Furthermore, Anstey Lane provides a much stronger south western border than is presently the case.

1.c Promoting effective and convenient local Government There are three key benefits to proposing minimal changes to Abbey Ward in terms of effectiveness of local Government:

First, Abbey is demonstrably of an appropriate size so as to be easily manageable in terms of representation.

Secondly, the Ward has significant levels of deprivation and social disadvantage with all the associated poor outcomes in terms housing, health, education, employment and personal income. There is a very high level of Council and Social Housing and these factors combined put a huge demand on local Councillors in terms of casework. Having three councillors represent this ward assists with the distribution of work and provides resilience in the event of illness and/or other council commitments such as scrutiny positions or civic roles.

Third, by broadly maintaining the status quo, local residents will already be familiar with their ward boundaries.

2 Aylestone Village & Eyres Monsell Ward

2.a Equality of representation Under this configuration, Aylestone Village & Eyres Monsell Ward would have an electorate of 12,108, which would be represented by three Councillors. This represents a comparable citywide electoral variation of 7.2%, and is well within the Local Government Boundary Commission’s tolerance of 10%.

2.b Community interests, identities and identifiable boundaries The ward is based around three clear areas, the village of Aylestone, the area known as Gilmorton, and the Eyres Monsell estate. To the west is the boundary is the River Soar, to the south the city/county boundary and to the west a line following Saffron Lane, and up behind Wigston Lane and Aylestone Drive cutting across west at Duncan Road.

The newly proposed configuration brings three clear areas together into one ward without the confusion of having part of the Saffron Estate in a ward called Eyres Monsell with all three areas often looking towards the Aylestone Village Centre.

2.c Promoting effective and convenient local Government There are three key benefits to the proposed changes to Aylestone Village and Eyres Monsell Ward in terms of effectiveness of local Government:

First, Aylestone & Eyres Monsell is demonstrably of an appropriate size so as to be easily manageable in terms of representation.

Second, the ward covers 3 clear areas in the south of the City.

Third, people in the area strongly identify with living in Aylestone, Eyres Monsell and Gilmorton and the ward will have a strong sense of identity whilst fulfilling the optimum size of ward.

3 Beaumont Leys Ward

3.a Equality of representation Under this configuration, Beaumont Leys ward would have an electorate of 12,191, which would be represented by three Councillors. This equates to a comparable citywide electoral variation of – 6.56%, which starkly contrasts to Beaumont Ley’s current ward variance of – 15% and is well within the Local Government Boundary Commission’s tolerance of 10%.

Furthermore, whilst the review is based on the current electorate, we anticipate significant increases in the size of Beaumont Ley’s electorate as developments such as Ashton Green take place.

3.b Community interests, identities and identifiable boundaries Beaumont Leys ward would continue to be predominantly made up of the large Beaumont Leys estate. With Strasbourg Drive at its core, it stretches from Beaumont Leys Secondary School in the south to Beaumont Lodge Primary School in the north.

This is a clearly defined community, predominantly made up of current and former Leicester City Council and housing association properties. Residential tenures tend to be long in duration meaning that there are strong community ties between neighbours. There are a number of shared community services such as Beaumont Leys Police Station, Beaumont Leys Library, Leicester Leys Leisure Centre, Beaumont Lodge Community Centre, Barley Croft Community Centre and Home Farm Neighbourhood Centre. The area is also served by the large Beaumont Leys shopping centre.

In additional to the properties associated with the original Beaumont Leys estate, the proposed new configuration of Beaumont Leys ward continues to contain three self contained, newer developments, namely Glebelands and Bradgate Heights in the north of the ward and Heathley Park in the south. Each of these are neighbourhoods in their own right, largely made up of owner occupiers. Glebelands is centred on the local primary school and both have Bradgate Heights and Heathley Park have strong residents associations.

The newly proposed configuration of Beaumont Leys ward has very coherent boundaries, which are largely consistent with those that currently exist. Indeed, no change is recommended to the northern, western or eastern boundaries with only minor adjustments recommended to the south boundary. To maintain Beaumont Leys as a three member ward and to promote better equality of representation, it is proposed that the new configuration would take in the properties immediately to the south of Groby Road on and around Stokes Drive and Copeland Avenue. These properties again constitute a fairly self contained, owner occupier community, which potentially has more in common with Heathley Park then it does with the New Parks estate, despite previously being in the New Parks ward.

3.c Promoting effective and convenient local Government There are three key benefits to proposing minimal changes to Beaumont Leys ward in terms of effectiveness of local Government:

First, Beaumont Leys is demonstrably of an appropriate size so as to be easily manageable in terms of representation.

Second, the Ward has significant levels of deprivation and social disadvantage with all the associated poor outcomes in terms housing, health, education, employment and personal income. There is a very high level of Council and Social Housing and these factors combined put a huge demand on local Councillors in terms of casework. Having three councillors represent this ward assists with the distribution of work and provides resilience in the event of illness and/or other council commitments such as scrutiny positions or civic roles.

Third, by broadly maintaining the status quo, local residents will already be familiar with their ward boundaries.

4 Belgrave Ward

4a Equality of representation

Under this configuration, the Belgrave ward would have an electorate of 12,870 and be represented by 3 councillors. This results in a minimal variation from the city wide average of –1.36% and is therefore well within the Local Government Boundary Commission’s tolerance of + / - 10%.

4b Community interests, identities and identifiable boundaries

The current wards of Latimer, Belgrave and Rusheymead contain communities who have many similarities bounded on the left by the river and on the south by the A47. Therefore the divisions have been largely focused on using natural identifiable boundaries , specifically the River Soar, railway line and major roads such as Melton Road.This proposal encompasses the whole of the existing Latimer ward as well as some of the existing Belgrave ward. Residents on either side of the Belgrave Road and to the left of the Melton Road as set out in the proposal, would very much identify themselves as Belgrave and would also recognise this as a name. Belgrave is regarded as the heart of inner city Leicester and is one of the most famous inner city shopping areas in the UK. The previous name Latimer does not relate to any particular part of this area and is not recognisable from a community perspective.

The proposals divide off the area down Berridge Lane and Checketts Road because the area of Clarke Street and the streets off this road are a newer housing estate which would associate themselves with Rushey Mead much more than the traditional village of Belgrave.

This proposal would also place 3 schools within the ward who would strongly associate themselves with the Belgrave area.

4c Promoting effective and convenient Government

By making minimal change to retain the existing Latimer ward but encompassing the relevant area of Belgrave to create an area which residents would identify with, ensures a ward of an appropriate size with communities of a similar nature and ensures a ward configuration that will be familiar and make sense to local residents.

5 Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields

5.a Equality of representation Under this configuration, Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields ward would have an electorate of 13746, which would be represented by three Councillors. This equates to a comparable citywide electoral variation of 5.36%, which contrasts to Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields’ current ward variance of – 6% and is well within the Local Government Boundary Commission’s tolerance of 10%.

5.b Community interests, identities and identifiable boundaries As suggested by the name, Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields ward is made up of two distinct communities.

The Braunstone Estate is one of Leicester’s oldest Council housing developments with Braunstone Park as its key point of reference. Residential tenures tend to be long in duration meaning that there are strong community ties between neighbours. There are a large number of shared community services, including the Oak Centre, Court Crescent Community Centre, Braunstone Sure Start, Braunstone Leisure Centre, Braunstone Health & Social Care Centre and the Brite Centre, which is a library and learning complex. Some of these services alongside others, are supported by a community charity called the Braunstone Foundation, which was established to build on the work of the Braunstone Community Association with it’s significant investment through the New Deal for Communities programme.

Rowley Fields, on the opposite side of the Narborough Road is closely linked to Braunstone, especially in terms of the shared use of facilities, however it has a higher concentration of owner occupiers and is perceived to be a distinct community in its own right. Local residents would respectively self identify as living either in Braunstone or in Rowley Fields.

The newly proposed configuration of the Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields ward has very coherent boundaries, which are largely consistent with those that currently exist. Indeed, it is only suggested that the northern and eastern boundaries are extended along the railway line to extend as far as the canal. As much as anything, this is a tidying up exercise as many residents in the streets off Compton Road would already identify themselves as living in Rowley Fields. The Railway provides for a much stronger boundary than the current configuration. There is one further benefit to this boundary, in that it would bring the Manor House community centre into the same ward as the majority of residents who run and use it.

5.c Promoting effective and convenient local Government There are three key benefits to proposing minimal changes to Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields ward in terms of effectiveness of local Government:

First, Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields ward is demonstrably of an appropriate size so as to be easily manageable in terms of representation.

Second, the majority of the ward has significant levels of deprivation and social disadvantage with all the associated poor outcomes in terms housing, health, education, employment and personal income. There is a very high level of Council and Social Housing and these factors combined put a huge demand on local Councillors in terms of casework. Having three councillors represent this ward assists with the distribution of work and provides resilience in the event of illness and/or other council commitments such as scrutiny positions or civic roles. Third, by broadly maintaining the status quo, local residents will already be familiar with their ward boundaries. 6 Castle Ward

6.a Equality of representation Under this configuration, Castle Ward would have an electorate of 13185, which would be represented by three Councillors. This equates to a comparable citywide electoral variation of 1.06%, which brings Castle Ward significantly into line with the average size of Council Wards from its current position of being too large by 20%.

6.b Community interests, identities and identifiable boundaries Castle Ward in its altered form would be made up of 5 distinct but related areas, the City Centre within the inner ring road, the New Walk/Victoria Park Corridor, Clarendon Park, South Highfields and the St Andrews area.

The City Centre within the inner ring road is a very well defined area, which is important for businesses and residents to have a clear local representation.

Less populous but linking the ward is the Historic New Walk Corridor which sees a continuation of city centre related activity.

To the east of London Road sees the area of South Highfields currently in Castle Ward but extended to take in properties up to Highfield Street. This extension makes sense as this area suffers many of the challenges of the City Centre and New Walk Corridor such as street drinking. It is reflected in council policy with the Cumulative Impact Zone for off licences covering both Granby Street in the City Centre and London Road, recognising this issue extends into South Highfields. The extension of the area covered in South Highfields covered by Castle Ward is also reflective of the South Highfields Conservation Area and the original residents’ parking scheme which ran up to Highfield Street.

To the south there is the community clustered around the Queens Road shopping area of Clarendon Park. The submission contains a movement of the semi-detached streets bounded by Greenhill Road and Gainsborough Road out of Castle Ward and into Knighton. This reflects the fact that the vernacular of housing in this “triangle” has much more in common with suburban Knighton than the terraces of Clarendon Park which are prevalent in the Castle Ward.

The final area is St Andrews which contains the De Montfort University Campus and Leicester Royal infirmary. This means that Castle Ward contains both of Leicester’s University campuses. In order to release the appropriate number of electors this proposal seeks to move electors south of Walnut Street into Saffron & Aylestone Park Ward. Although the communities north and south of Walnut Street have much in common, Walnut Street as one of the arteries into and out of the west side of the city is an appropriate place to make a split if one needs to be made. The current polling district is already very large at nearly 5,800 voters. There are 2 separate residents’ parking schemes one north and one south of Walnut Street, even reflected in the fact that the streets north of Walnut Street are names after lakes and the ones South are named after nuts

6.c Promoting effective and convenient local Government There are three key benefits to proposing minimal changes to Castle Ward in terms of effectiveness of local Government:

First, Castle is demonstrably of an appropriate size so as to be easily manageable in terms of representation.

Second, the Ward has all of the areas associated with the City Centre and its challenges in one ward, making a clear line of accountability for city centre matters. Both universities are contained in one ward and even the outlying edges of the ward look towards the city centre.

Third, Castle has had to lose a significant number of voters to bring it into line with the average number of electors. This has been done with the minimum of disruption to the status quo so local residents will already be familiar with their ward boundaries.

7 Evington Ward

7a Equality of representation

Under this configuration Evington would have an electorate of 12,570 which would be represented by three Councillors. This results in a variation from the city wide average of -3.66% and is therefore well within the Local Government Boundary Commission’s tolerance of + / - 10%.

7b Community interest, identities and identifiable boundaries The current wards of Evington and Charnwood, in an ideal situation would form one large ward; however the population is of the size that would require six Councillors.

The proposed ward is bounded by the County on the right and by strong natural boundaries including major roads such as Coleman Road and the A47, and the old dismantled railway line / nature reserve. These hard boundaries do effectively create a clear and recognisable area for communities.

7c Promoting effective and convenient Government

The use of strong natural boundaries for this configuration keeps communities together who would identify themselves as a community whilst also achieving an optimum size for the ward.

8 Fosse Ward

8.a Equality of representation Under this configuration, Fosse ward would have an electorate of 9104, which would be represented by two Councillors. This represents a comparable citywide electoral variation of 4.67%, which contrasts to Fosse’s current ward variance of – 8% and is well within the Local Government Boundary Commission’s tolerance of 10%.

8.b Community interests, identities and identifiable boundaries The proposed Fosse ward would comprise of the small neighbourhoods off Fosse Road North. These can be defined as clusters of interconnected communities located around specific points of reference but with Fosse Road North as their main centre of orientation.

To the west of Fosse Road North, the terraced streets, including those between Glenfield Road and Hinckley Road up as far as Gimson Road, along with Henley Road and Tetuan Road, look to Fosse Recreation Ground. Newfound Pool is a distinct block of terraced housing with its own Community Centre but it is also closely linked to the surrounding streets including Stephenson Drive and Swannington Road. To the east, Tudor Road is the reference point in terms of local identity. Fosse Neighbourhood Centre is located off Tudor Road on Mantle Road. The area in and around Buckminster Road is considered to be its own neighbourhood as is Woodgate, which is also home to the Woodgate Resource Centre.

These individual neighbourhoods, with their subtle nuanced differences, create a collective grouping that shares much in common, including a highly transient population, the use of shared facilities such as the precinct of shops on Fosse Road North as well as a housing stock which is predominantly industrial terraced housing with mixed ownership and a significant number of homes in the private rented sector.

The newly proposed configuration of the Fosse ward has very coherent boundaries, which are not dissimilar to the current ones, if not slightly stronger. To the north, Anstey Lane forms a strong and clear boundary. The eastern boundary of the River Sour remains unchanged, as does the southern boundary of King Richards Road except it runs a little further east onto the adjoining Hinckley Road. The Sandhurst Road and Gimpson Road western boundary is coherent, clear and logical. The communities to the west of this boundary definitely identify more with Western Park and New Parks then they do Fosse.

8.c Promoting effective and convenient local Government There are three key benefits to the proposed changes to Fosse Ward in terms of effectiveness of local Government:

First, Fosse is demonstrably of an appropriate size so as to be easily manageable in terms of representation.

Second, the majority of the ward is densely populated and whilst there are significant demands on the Councillors, there is not the same level of casework or geographical ground to cover as is found in the outer estates. It therefore makes sense to make this a two member ward.

Third, by broadly maintaining a similar ward with Fosse Road North at its centre, most local residents will already be familiar with their ward boundaries.

9 Green Lane Ward

9a Equality of representation

Under this configuration, the previous Charnwood ward would be known as Green Lane and would have an electorate of 12,568, which would be represented by three Councillors. This results in a variation from the city wide average of -3.67% and is therefore well within the Local Government Boundary Commission’s tolerance of + / - 10%. 9b Community interest, identities and identifiable boundaries The community in Charnwood is indistinguishable from the community in Evington and rather like Belgrave/Latimer/Rushey Mead the division between the two wards is based on natural boundaries rather than communities. The communities have settled around places of worship including mosques, temples and Sikh temples within the area, it contains the largest mosque in Leicester – The Jame Mosque, which serves the local community.

The new ward will take part of the old Coleman ward that is already seen as an integral part of the local area bounded by strong roads, Coleman Road, Broad Avenue, St Saviours Road and Humberstone Drive, with the railway on the left forming an clear identifiable boundary.

The name “Charnwood” creates no community identity. It is also the same name as an area in the Leicestershire Countryside and creates confusion. A better name is one that reflects the local area. Green Lane Road is already known as a shopping hub and as it will be community shopping area it would be sensible for this ward to be renamed Green Lane. It will give it a very important community identity which it currently lacks.

9c Promoting effective and convenient Government

By using clearly identifiable natural boundaries which encompass the old Charnwood ward but also bringing in communities that would also associate themselves with this area, ensures a ward of an appropriate size and one which is identifiable to local communities with a name which is more relevant to them.

10 Humberstone & Hamilton Ward

10a Equality of representation

Under this configuration Humberstone and Hamilton ward would have an electorate of 12,617 which would be represented by three Councillors. This results in a variation from the city wide average of -3.30% and is therefore well within the Local Government Boundary Commission’s tolerance of + / - 10%.

10.b Community interest, identities and identifiable boundaries Humberstone and Hamilton with its new build will remain virtually unchanged, it is a three member ward and brings together in harmony the old estate of Netherhall and the new build of Hamilton.

Due to the growing numbers the only section of Humberstone that has been removed and added to the new Troon ward, is the new build area around Herongate Road, which is the part separated from the rest of Hamilton by the Golf Course. There is no need to change the name as it is widely recognised by the community.

10.c Promoting effective and convenient Government

Minimal change to this ward enables the ward to be manageable in terms of representation whilst largely retaining the status quo which residents are already familiar with.

11 Knighton

11.a Equality of representation Under this configuration, Knighton Ward would have an electorate of 13,448 which would be represented by three Councillors. This equates to a comparable citywide electoral variation of 3.07%, and is well within the Local Government Boundary Commission’s tolerance of 10%.

11.b Community interests, identities and identifiable boundaries

Knighton Ward at its heart has the historic parish of Knighton, together with South Knighton, West Knighton and Knighton Fields and Knighton Park. This is supplemented by the area of Stoneygate west of London Road with a reduced area east of London Road but bounded by Stoughton Road to the north. The main change from the existing Knighton Ward is the strengthening of the Midland Mainline as the ward boundary to the west of the ward by the bringing in of Knighton Fields from Freemens Ward. The bringing in of the Greenhill Road/Gainsborough Road triangle from Castle makes a more homogenous suburban vernacular to its northern boundary; and the movement of a number of streets to the east of London Road out of Knighton and into Stoneygate strengthens London Road as the ward’s eastern boundary. Some of the ward, however, still crosses London Road to ensure electoral number balance

11.c Promoting effective and convenient local Government There are three key benefits to proposing minimal changes to Knighton Ward in terms of effectiveness of local Government:

First, Knighton is demonstrably of an appropriate size so as to be easily manageable in terms of representation.

Second, the Ward is a homogenous area characterised by suburban family housing. The vast majority of people living in the area would clearly identify themselves as living in Knighton.

Third, by broadly maintaining the status quo, local residents will already be familiar with their ward boundaries, which strengthens the ward boundaries to the east, west and north of the ward.

11 Rushey Mead Ward

12.a Equality of representation Under this configuration Rushey Mead would have an electorate of 13,185 which would be represented by three Councillors. This results in a very small variation from the city wide average of 1.06% and is therefore well within the Local Government Boundary Commission’s tolerance of + / - 10%.

12.b Community interest, identities and identifiable boundaries

To a large extent the ward boundary is determined largely by natural boundaries including the railway line and key roads. The reconfigured ward takes in part of Belgrave which previously was in Rushey Mead in the last but one review, and are communities who would see themselves as aligned to Rushey Mead.

The proposals are centred on the Melton Road and bounded by Nicklaus Road, but again the boundary of Nicklaus Road represents the maximum figure that the ward can take as a three member ward. It also incorporates the three major schools; Rushey Mead Secondary, Soar Valley College and Rushey Mead Primary within its boundary who would see themselves as being part of Rushey Mead.

12.c Promoting effective and convenient Government

The use of strong natural boundaries for this configuration keeps communities together who would identify themselves as a community whilst also achieving an optimum size for the ward.

13 Saffron & Aylestone Park Ward

13.a Equality of representation Under this configuration, Saffron & Aylestone Park Ward would have an electorate of 12,933 which would be represented by three Councillors. This equates to a comparable citywide electoral variation of 0.87%, which is a significant improvement on the current small size of the Freemen Ward which is 16% below the city average.

13.b Community interests, identities and identifiable boundaries The new Saffron & Aylestone Park addresses 3 current anomalies within the current ward make up. Firstly it re-unites the Saffron local authority estate (which is currently split between Freemen and Eyres Monsell Ward) back into one ward. This has been a matter of contention locally as people who live on Saffron Estate see themselves as distinct from those living on the Eyres Monsell Estate. The current Freemens Ward lies across the Midland Mainline with Knighton Fields sitting to the east of the Midland Mainline with the rest of the Ward to the west. The third anomaly is the small size of the ward which is largely addressed by bringing in the “Nuts” streets south of Walnut Street.

This leaves 4 areas in the ward. To the south of the Ward is the Saffron Estate with a small amount of private housing south of Stonesby Avenue. As you move to the north you have largely private housing to the west of Saffron Lane. Both sides of Saffron Lane in the area (both private and public housing) look towards Saffron Lane as an area for shopping and socialising. Further north you have the Aylestone Park area and at the northern end you have the “Nuts” streets.

The railway line is given a stronger role in defining the ward’s boundaries but it does cross around the area of the Freemens Common industrial estate. This keeps the whole of the industrial estate in Saffron & Aylestone Park ward rather than splitting it in two which in council terms is important as the City Council is the freeholder for this area.

The new ward has the honour of hosting Leicester’s major sporting and leisure facilities, including the King Power Stadium, Tigers Ground, Grace Road County Cricket Club, the City’s Athletics Track and Aylestone Leisure Centre.

13.c Promoting effective and convenient local Government

First, Saffron & Aylestone Park ward is demonstrably of an appropriate size so as to be easily manageable in terms of representation.

Second, the ward unites the Saffron Estate in one ward and ends the anomaly of a big chunk of the ward split across the Midland Mainline. The new proposal minimises this.

Third, the changes proposed will be clearer for people to understand their ward boundaries.

14 Spinney Hills Ward

14.a Equality of representation Under this configuration, Spinney Hills Ward would have an electorate of 9145, which would be represented by two Councillors. This equates to a comparable citywide electoral variation of 5.14%, which addresses the current oversized Spinney Hill Ward variation of 28%.

14.b Community interests, identities and identifiable boundaries The proposed Spinney Hills ward would be based around 3 areas. The first is the tight terraced streets around Spinney Hill Park. Then as the housing becomes less dense it heads east to the Crown Hills area and the area around Mayflower Road and Horston Hill.

14.c Promoting effective and convenient local Government There are three key benefits to proposing a two member ward that covers these neighbourhoods:

First, Spinney Hills Ward appears to be of an appropriate size so as to be easily manageable in terms of representation.

Second, the ward is quite compact and whilst not as compact as Wycliffe Ward arguably the deprivation and councillor caseload is not as heavy as Wycliffe justifying two member coverage of this ward.

Whilst these boundaries are largely based on the south eastern end of the current Spinney Hill Ward, people are largely familiar with the ward boundaries, with the area around Mayflower Road completing the suburban edge of the ward.

15 Stoneygate Ward

15.a Equality of representation Under this configuration, Stoneygate Ward would have an electorate of 12,900, which would be represented by three Councillors. This represents a comparable citywide electoral variation of 1.13%, and is well within the Local Government Boundary Commission’s tolerance of 10%.

15.b Community interests, identities and identifiable boundaries The ward is based around four areas, the tight terraces off St Stephens Road, the streets that lead off Evington Road, the “Way” Roads to the east of the ward and the “Stoneygate” area of the ward that gives Stoneygate its name. The changes to the ward see a few streets moving into Castle from its north west edge, the Mayflower area moving into the new Spinney Hills Ward, and Stoneygate regaining the streets round the Stoneygate shops of Francis Street and Allandale Road. This strengthens the London Road boundary and Stoughton Road to its west and south.

15.c Promoting effective and convenient local Government There are three key benefits to the proposed changes to Stoneygate Ward in terms of effectiveness of local Government:

First, Stoneygate is demonstrably of an appropriate size so as to be easily manageable in terms of representation.

Second, the ward covers 4 clear areas with extensive clear boundaries along London Road, St Peters and Chesterfield Road, Stoughton Road and Stoughton Drive.

Third, as the new ward is largely based on the current Stoneygate Ward there is already a strong identification with the ward. Returning the area around Stoneygate shops creates a stronger sense of identity with Stoneygate Ward.

16 Thurncourt Ward

16.a Equality of representation

Under this configuration Thurncourt ward would have an electorate of 8,697 which would be represented by two Councillors. This configuration results in no significant variation from the city wide average (0.01% variation) and is therefore very strong in relation to electoral equality.

16.b Community interests, identities and identifiable boundaries

The ward configuration for Thurncourt is virtually unchanged. Thurncourt Ward is bounded by 2 strong roads Uppingham Road and Scaptoft Lane. . The seven additional roads are very similar to the roads contained in the triangle that includes Barbara Avenue and Havencrest Drive, some are however small such as Abbotsford Road and Coleman Close, but it would be sensible to add to Thurncourt as this presents one community. The rest of the community of Thurnby Lodge and Thurncourt is unchanged as it has a strong identity which should not be altered.

16.c Promoting effective and convenient local Government

Minimal change to this ward enables the ward to be manageable in terms of representation whilst largely retaining the status quo which residents are already familiar with.

17 Troon Ward (New)

17.a Equality of representation

Under this configuration Troon ward would have an electorate of 8,712 which would be represented by two Councillors. This configuration results in no significant variation from the city wide average (0.16% variation) and is therefore very strong in relation to electoral equality.

17.b Community interest, identities and identifiable boundaries

The new Troon ward brings together similar communities including the houses and the community that forms part of the Golf Links Estate, and restores parts of the previous wards of West Humberstone. The old West Humberstone ward brought together the old civil war estate, Northfields estate and the present RMF in one ward.

The Herongate Road area is an extension of housing for people from Rushey Mead, therefore we are reuniting the community that was artificially taken away and placed in Humberstone and Hamilton. It has two strong roads as its boundaries, the railway line on the left and on the right it is bounded by Thurmastone Lane and Keyham Lane. This provides exactly the right numbers for a new two member ward.

In effect that it is the new creation; it brings together groups that have become disparate because of the industrial estates. Troon Way is a major road in the ward and much of this area is known as Troon, hence the proposed name.

17.c Promoting effective and convenient Government

The use of strong natural boundaries for this configuration keeps communities together who would identify themselves as a community whilst also achieving an optimum size for the ward.

18 Westcotes Ward

18.a Equality of representation Under this configuration, Westcotes ward would have an electorate of 9098, which would be represented by two Councillors. This equates to a comparable citywide electoral variation of 4.6%, which contrasts to Westcotes’ current ward variance of – 10% and is well within the Local Government Boundary Commission’s tolerance of 10%.

18.b Community interests, identities and identifiable boundaries The proposed Westcotes ward is a clearly defined community comprising the streets off Narborough Road. This is largely industrial terraced housing of mixed owner occupier and private rented tenure with the only significant exception being the Herb Estate, which is a newer housing association development in the east of the ward.

The shops, restaurants and other facilities along Narborough Road form the heart of this community but other shared facilities include the East West Community Centre, the West End Community Centre and the West End Children’s Centre. All contribute to a very strong sense of community identity.

The newly proposed configuration of the Wescotes ward has very coherent boundaries, which are largely consistent with those that currently exist. It is suggested that the western boundary be extended to Wyngate Drive. As much as anything, this is a tidying up exercise as the current boundary splits eight reasonably small roads, such as Westleigh Road or Ashleigh Road, between two Council wards and this has led to confusion amongst residents. The roads to the north of Westcotes Drive are clearly different in their orientation in that they look to Western Park as their point of reference over and above Narborough Road. It is proposed that the southern boundary is reconciled to run along the railway line in its entirety. Firstly, because many of the residents in streets off of Compton Road would already identify themselves as living in Rowley Fields and secondly because it provides a clearer, more coherent boundary.

18.c Promoting effective and convenient local Government There are three key benefits to the proposed changes to Westcotes Ward in terms of effectiveness of local Government:

First, Westcotes is demonstrably of an appropriate size so as to be easily manageable in terms of representation.

Second, the majority of the ward is densely populated and whilst there are significant demands on the Councillors, there is not the same level of casework or geographical ground to cover as is found in the outer estates. It therefore makes sense to make this a two member ward.

Third, by broadly maintaining the status quo, local residents will already be familiar with their ward boundaries, except the revised boundaries will be clearer for those who live on streets that are split between two Council wards.

19 Western Ward

19.a Equality of representation Under this configuration, Western ward would have an electorate of 13962, which would be represented by three Councillors. This equates to a comparable citywide electoral variation of 7.01%, which addresses the current deficit in the New Parks ward of -11% and is well within the Local Government Boundary Commission’s tolerance of 10%.

19.b Community interests, identities and identifiable boundaries The proposed Western ward would be made up of four distinct but related neighbourhoods - the streets off of (and between) Hinckley Road and Glenfield Road, the properties in and around Park View, New Parks and Braunstone Frith. Under this configuration, none of these neighbourhoods would be split by a ward boundary and each is connected by their proximity to Western Park.

The streets off of, and between, Hinckley Road and Glenfield Road constituent a clearly defined community, which is strongly associated with Western Park. This is a mainly affluent area with large, privately owned, high value properties.

The Streets off of Park View to the east of Western Park constitute a small neighbourhood, which is mainly made up of private houses and has a slightly different identity to the rest of the streets off of New Parks Way.

New Parks estate is largely made up of Council, or former Council housing. It is a clearly defined community that should not be split between council wards. There are a wide range of shared community services including New Parks Leisure Centre, New Parks Library, New Parks Community Centre as well as a number of small shopping precincts such as the one on Aikman Avenue. New Parks estate also has a strong neighbourhood management panel.

Braunstone Frith, to the south west of New Parks estate is similar in terms of housing type and social economic mix, however residents identify it as a neighbourhood within its own right with it’s own junior school and community centre. It has a particularly strong tenants and residents association.

The proposed configuration of Western ward has very coherent boundaries, which are largely consistent with many of the features of the current New Parks and Western Park ward boundaries. On the northern boundary, the only difference to the current New Parks boundary is that the properties immediately off of Groby Road in and around Stokes Drive and Copeland Avenue would move into Beaumont Leys as these are distinct from the likes of Bonney Road, which is clearly part of the New Parks estate. The western boundary remains identical in that it runs along the outer perimeter of the local authority area. There is a strong, southern boundary created by the railway line, which also reflects existing arrangements. The eastern boundary is coherently made up of Sandhurst Road, Gimson Road and Wyngate Drive. The Roads to the east of this boundary identify more with Fosse Road North and Narborough Road then they do Western Park.

As already outlined, the proposed configuration of this ward keeps intact four distinct but related neighbourhoods. These four neighbourhoods would not be numerically viable as individual Local Government Wards in their own right but in grouping them together, it is important to recognise community sensitivities in respect of the ward name. For example, under current arrangements, residents in Braunstone Frith or Park View have been known to object to being described as living in New Parks. It is therefore suggested that most residents would be comfortable with the inclusive name of Western ward.

This name captures the fact that Western Park forms the heart of the proposed ward but it also acknowledges the departure from the existing Western Park ward boundaries. Furthermore, this ward is in the heart of the Leicester West Parliamentary constituency, whilst the Boundary commission do not actively consider this a factor, many residents identify with their long standing parliamentary boundary name.

19.c Promoting effective and convenient local Government There are three key benefits to proposing a three member ward that covers these neighbourhoods:

First, Western Ward appears to be of an appropriate size so as to be easily manageable in terms of representation.

Second, large parts of the ward have significant levels of deprivation and social disadvantage with all the associated poor outcomes in terms housing, health, education, employment and personal income. There is a very high level of Council and Social Housing in large parts of the ward and these factors combined put a huge demand on local Councillors in terms of casework. Having three councillors represent this ward assists with the distribution of work and provides resilience in the event of illness and/or other council commitments such as scrutiny positions or civic roles. Furthermore, in the context of the local authority area, Western Ward is geographically large and is therefore better suited to three members.

Whilst these boundaries are a departure from those that exist now, they do not split any of the four, clearly defined neighbourhoods and so residents are likely to be very clear on which ward they live in and who, therefore, there Councillor is.

20 Wycliffe Ward

20.a Equality of representation Under this configuration, Wycliffe Ward would have an electorate of 9,117, which would be represented by two Councillors. This equates to a comparable citywide electoral variation of 4.82%, which contrasts to Spinney Hills current ward variance of 28% over optimum and brings the area back into line in terms of representation.

20.b Community interests, identities and identifiable boundaries The ward largely consists of the St Matthews and St Peters Estates and the tight terraced streets between Vulcan Road and Berners Street. This is a very densely populated ward so can be covered by two councillors.

The newly proposed ward is carved out of the north western half of the current Spinney Hill Ward but addresses the size of the ward which is currently the largest in the city.

20.c Promoting effective and convenient local Government There are three key benefits to the proposed changes to Wycliffe Ward in terms of effectiveness of local Government:

First, Wycliffe is demonstrably of an appropriate size so as to be easily manageable in terms of representation.

Second, the majority of the ward is densely populated and whilst there are significant demands on the Councillors in terms of deprivation and casework, it is a very compact ward. It therefore makes sense to make this a two member ward.

Third, by carving this ward out of the existing Spinney Hill Ward, local residents will already be familiar with their ward boundaries.

Actual Expected Target Absolute Percent Proposed Ward Electorate Members Electorate Difference Difference Abbey 12,686 3 13,047 -361 -2.77% Aylestone Village and Eyres Monsell 12,108 3 13,047 -939 -7.20% Beaumont Leys 12,191 3 13,047 -856 -6.56% Belgrave 12,870 3 13,047 -177 -1.36% Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields 13,746 3 13,047 699 5.36% Castle 13,185 3 13,047 138 1.06% Evington 12,570 3 13,047 -477 -3.66% Fosse 9,104 2 8,698 406 4.67% Green Lane 12,568 3 13,047 -479 -3.67% Humberstone and Hamilton 12,617 3 13,047 -430 -3.30% Knighton 13,448 3 13,047 401 3.07% Rushey Mead 13,185 3 13,047 138 1.06% Saffron and Aylestone Park 12,933 3 13,047 -114 -0.87% Spinney Hills 9,145 2 8,698 447 5.14% Stoneygate 12,900 3 13,047 -147 -1.13% Thurncourt 8,697 2 8,698 -1 -0.01% Troon 8,712 2 8,698 14 0.16% Westcotes 9,098 2 8,698 400 4.60% Western 13,962 3 13,047 915 7.01% Wycliffe 9,117 2 8,698 419 4.82% 234,842 54