What happens next? We have now completed our review of Richmondshire District Council. April 2018 Summary Report The recommendations must now be approved by Parliament. A draft order - the legal document which brings The full report and detailed maps: into force our recommendations - will be laid in Parliament. consultation.lgbce.org.uk www.lgbce.org.uk Subject to parliamentary scrutiny, the new electoral arrangements will come into force at the local elections in @LGBCE May 2019.

Our recommendations:

The table lists all the wards we are proposing as part of our final recommendations along with the number of Richmondshire voters in each ward. The table also shows the electoral variances for each of the proposed wards, which tells you how we have delivered electoral equality. Finally, the table includes electorate projections for 2023, so you can see the impact of the recommendations for the future. District Council Final recommendations on the new electoral arrangements

Ward Number of Electorate Number of Variance Electorate Number of Variance Name: Councillors: (2017): Electors per form (2023): Electors per from Councillor: average % Councillor: Average %

Catterick & 3 4,783 1,594 7% 5,008 1,669 4% Brompton-on- Swale Colburn 2 2,245 1,123 -25% 3,228 1,614 1% Croft & 2 2,872 1,436 -4% 2,949 1,475 -8% 1 1,692 1,692 13% 1,713 1,713 7% , High 1 1,504 1,504 1% 1,522 1,522 -5% Abbotside & Upper 2 2,957 1,479 -1% 3,058 1,529 -4% 2 2,934 1,467 -2% 3,266 1,633 2% Lower 1 1,455 1,455 -3% 1,462 1,462 -8% Who we are: Why Richmondshire? Swaledale & ■ The Local Government Boundary Commission for ■ Richmondshire District Council submitted a is an independent body set up by Parliament. formal request to the Commission for an electoral Lower 1 1,450 1,450 -3% 1,497 1,497 -6% ■ We are not part of government or any political party. review. ■ We are accountable to Parliament through a 1 1,539 1,539 3% 1,638 1,638 3% committee of MPs chaired by the Speaker of the House 1 1,483 1,483 -1% 1,514 1,514 -5% of Commons. Our proposals: ■ Our main role is to carry out electoral reviews of local ■ Richmondshire District Council currently has 34 Richmond East 1 1,623 1,623 8% 1,681 1,681 5% authorities throughout England. councillors. Based on the evidence we received, the Richmond 1 1,646 1,646 10% 1,705 1,705 7% Commission recommends that 24 councillors should North serve the district in the future. Richmond 2 3,209 1,605 7% 3,288 1,644 3% Electoral review: ■ Richmondshire will have 16 wards in future, eight West An electoral review examines and proposes new fewer than now. The boundaries of all wards should Scotton 2 2,974 1,487 -1% 3,268 1,634 2% electoral arrangements for a local authority, including: change. Yoredale 1 1,542 1,542 3% 1,542 1,542 -3% ■ The total number of councillors representing the ■ The Commission believes the final recommendations council’s voters (‘council size’). meet our statutory criteria to: Totals: 24 35,908 - - 38,339 - - ■ The names, number and boundaries of wards or (1) Deliver electoral equality for voters. Averages: - - 1,496 - - 1,597 - electoral divisions. (2) Reflect community interests and identities. ■ The number of councillors for each ward or division. (3) Promote effective and convenient local government. Summary of our recommendations Key: 1 Catterick & 7 Leyburn The final recommendations propose that Richmondshire Overview of final recommendations Brompton-on- 8 Lower Swaledale & District should have 24 councillors in future. This is 10 Swale Arkengarthdale fewer than the current number of councillors. 2 Colburn 9 Lower Wensleydale for Richmondshire District Council 3 Croft & Middleton 10 Melsonby The Commission received around 100 responses during its Tyas 11 Middleham consultation on its draft recommendations. Having View this map online and explore it in more detail at: 12 Richmond East considered them, it has decided to alter its proposals. consultation.lgbce.org.uk 4 Gilling West 5 Hawes, High 13 Richmond North A considerable number of objections were made to the Follow the Commission on Twitter: @LGBCE Abbotside & Upper 14 Richmond West proposed inclusion of parish in Scotton Swaledale 15 Scotton ward. Residents and community organisations provided If you are viewing this page online, click on the map to go 6 Hipswell 16 Yoredale detailed evidence, particularly regarding the relationship straight to our interactive consultation area. between Newton-le-Willows and to Lower Wensleydale. The Commission accepted the arguments made and recommends that Patrick Brompton be included in Lower Wensleydale ward. Hunton parish will be included in Scotton ward.

The Commission now recommends that parish be included in Lower Wensleydale ward. This follows representations which described in particular, the relationship between communities in Harmby and . It had been suggested that we include both parishes in Leyburn ward, but doing so would result in excessive degrees of electoral inequality.

Whilst there were objections to the creation of a three- councillor Catterick & Brompton-on-Swale ward, the Commission received no persuasive evidence that effective representation of residents in a three-councillor ward could not be achieved in this instance. Furthermore, no alternative proposal would provide the required balance of the criteria we are obliged to consider. The Commission has however, decided to recommend that parish be included in the ward, as suggested by objectors.

Whilst support for the draft recommendations in the Upper Dales area was strong, it was suggested that we reflect the geography of Upper and Lower Swaledale in the names of wards. The Commission agrees, and the final recommendations are for Hawes, & Upper Swaledale and for Lower Swaledale & Arkengarthdale.

Stage of Description review

27 June - Public consultation on new ward 4 September 2017 boundaries

31 October 2017 - Public consultation on draft 15 January 2018 recommendations Find out more: : Publication of final consultation.lgbce.org.uk 3 April 2018 recommendations ■ view the map of our recommendations down to Subject to parliamentary approval street level. ■ zoom into the areas that interest you most. May 2019 - implementation of new contains Ordnance Survey arrangements at local elections ■ find more guidance on the review process. data (c) Crown copyright and ■ read the full report of our recommendations. database rights 2018