Local Government Boundary Commission for England Report No
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Local Government Boundary Commission For England Report No. 345 LOCAL GOVERNiUMT BOUNDARY FOR ENGLAND REPORT NO. LOCAL GOVKHIiMENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR FIKJIJUID CHAIRMAN Sir Nicholas Morrison KGB DEPUTY CHAIRMAN Mr J M Rankin QC MEMBERS Lady Bowden Mr J T Brockbank Mr R R Thornton CB DL Mr D P Harrison To I ho Secretary of State for the Home Department PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE liLECTORAL ARRANflWfKNTS FOR Tin-: METROPOLITAN DISTRICT OF THE CITY .OF SHEFFIELD 1. We, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, having carried out our initial review of the electoral arrangements for the metropolitan district of the GLty of Sheffield in accordance with the requirements of section 63 of, and Schedule 9 to, the Local Government Act 1972, present our proposals for the . r future electoral arrangements for that district. 2. In accordance with the procedure laid down in stction 60(1) and (2) of the 1972 Act, notice was given on 22 August 1975 that we were to undertake this review. This was incorporated in a consultation letter addressed to Sheffield City Council, copies of which were circulated to South Yorkshire County Council, parish councils and parish meetings in the district, the Members of Parlit-jnent for the constituencies concerned and the headquarters of the main political parties. „ Copies were also sent to the editors of local newspapers circulating in the area and of the local government press. Notices inserted in the local press announced the start of the review and invited comments from members of the public and from interested bodies. 3» Sheffield City Council were invited to prepare a draft scheme of representation for our consideration. When doing so, they were asked to observe the rules laid down in Schedule 11 to the Local Government Act 1972 and the guidelines which we set out in our Report No 6 about the proposed sise of the council and the proposed number of councillors for each ward. They were also asked to take into account views expressed to them following their consultation with local interests. We therefore asked thnt they should publish details of their provisional proposals about a month before they submitted their draft scheme to us, thun allowing an opportunity for local comment. *t. Section 7O) of tho Local Govornmont Act 197? requires th.it in metropolitan districts there .shall be elections by thirds. Section 6(2)(b) of the Act requires thnt evnry metropolitan district shall bo divided into wards each returning a number of councillors divisible by three. Tho Sheffield City Council's draft scheme was prepared accordingly. 5. On 6 September 1976, Sheffield City Council presented their draft scheme of representation, which provided for a council of 87 members elected from 29 wards. 6. We considered the draft scheme submitted by the Council and the comments which had been made upon it. We noted that the number of councillors proposed was outside the suggested 50-&0 range of our guidelines, but v/e decided this would be acceptable for a metropolitan district.with an estimated population (mid-1976) of 558,000. We received a number of objections to proposals in the draft scheme. To accord with local wishes, we decided to retain the existing arrangements whereby the whole of the Ecclesfield and Grenonide wards of the Parish of Ecclesfield were combined with the Parish of Bradfield to form the South Wortley ward. In order to achieve numerical balance, we transferred an area of the Meynell Road polling district from the proposed Owlerton ward into the Southey Green ward. On the recommendation of Ordnance Survey we adopted a number of minor modifications to ward boundaries in order to secure alignments which were readily identifiable on the ground. Subject to these modifications we adopted the Council's draft scheme as our draft proposals. 7. On 2^ June 1977 we issued our draft proposals and these were sent to all who had received our consultation letter or had commented on the Council's draft scheme. -T&e City Council were asked to make the draft proposals, and the accompanying maps which defined tho proposed ward boundaries, available for inspection at their main offices. Representations on our draft proposals were invited from those to whom they were circulated and, by public notices, from other members oi' the public and interested bodies* We asked for comments to reach us by 19 August 1977. 8. We received some support for our draft proposals'but also a number of objections. Sheffield City Council and a parish council asked for a reconsideration of the proposals for South Wortley ward. Five local branches of a political party advocated adoption of the City Council's draft scheme in its entirety. Two local councillors each submitted detailed observations suggesting alterations to a number of wards to reflect local ties or to improve the balance of representation* These suggestions received some support in comments received from a further councillor and a number, of local electors. 9. In view of these comments, we decided that we needed more information to enable us to reach a conclusion. Therefore, in accordance with section 65(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 and at our request, Mr P W Musther, MBE was appointed an Assistant Commissioner* He was asked to hold a local meeting and to report to us. 10. Notice of the meeting was sent to all who had received our draft proposals or had commented on them, and was published locally. .. 11. The Assistant Commissioner held a meeting at the Town Hall, Sheffield on 7 December 1977. A copy of his report to us is at Schedule 1 to this report. 12. Prior to the meeting, the Assistant Commissioner received further alternative suggestions for electoral arrangements for the city which had been mutually agreed between the two largest political parties represented on the Council. These vere discussed at the meeting and received general support. The earlier alter- native suggestions were withdrawn. In the light of the discussions at the meeting, the Assistant Commissioner recommended that the amendments to our draft proposals embodied in these further suggestions should be adopted. Shortly after the meeting the City Council confirmed that they were in agreement with these revised proposals. 13. We reviewed our draft proposals in the light of the comments which we had received and of the Assistant Commissioner 's report. We decided to accept the amendments recommended by the Assistant Commissioner and to incorporate them in our final proposals. 1't. Details of those final proposals are set out in Schedule 2 to this report and on the attached maps. Schedule 2 gives the names of the wards and the number of councillors to be returned by each. The boundaries of the new wards are defined un the maps. A detailed description of the proposed ward boundaries is set out in Schedule J to this report. PUBLICATION 15. In accordance with section 6o(5)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 a copy of this report and a copy of the maps are being sent to Sheffield City Council and will be available for public inspection at the Council's main offices. Copies of this report (without maps) are being sent to those who received the consultation letter and to those who made comments. L.S. Signed: NICHOLAS MORRISON (CHAIRMAN) JOHN M RANKIN (DEPUTY CHAIRMAN) PHYLLIS BOWDEN TYRR1&L BROCKBANK D P HARRISON R R THORNTON LESLIE GRIMSHAW (Secretary) March 1979 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 HOME OFFICE BOOHDAKY COMMISSION FOB MQLAKD B£VI£W 0? THE ELECTORAL ARRAWGEKENTS THE CITY OF SHEFFIELD DATE OF MEETING 7TH DECEMBER 1977 ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER P.W. MDSTHER M.B.E, REFERENCE LGBC/D/42/3 166 Mottraa Roadt STALYBRIDGE SK15 2BT. 50th December 1977- The Secretary, Local Government Boundary Commission for Room 123, 20 Albert &nbankment, LONDON SEL 7TJ. Sir, Review of Bleotoral Arrangements for the City of Sheffield I have the honour to report that by virtue of my appointment dated 4th October 1977 by the Secretary of State, as Assistant Commissioner of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, on Wednesday, 7th December 1977* a meeting was held at the Town Hall, Sheffield, to hear representations on the draft proposals published by the CommieBion for the electoral arrangements for the City of Sheffield. Attendances 1. A list showing the names and addresses of thoae attending the meeting and the interests they represented, is attached. THE COMMISSION'S DRAFT PROPOSALS 2. The City Council submitted their draft scheme to the Commission on 6th September 1976* They had previously published provisional proposals locally and Invited comments on them which comments were forwarded along with their draft scheme, to the Commission. ?• The draft scheme provided for a Council of 87 members elected from 29 wards. The Commission decided to adopt the City Council*e scheme as the basis for the Commission's draft proposals but with two alterations to take account of local objections s- (1) To retain the existing arrangements whereby the whole of the Kcclesfield and Grenoeide Wards of the Parish of Ecclesfield were combined with the Parish of Bradfield to form the South Wortley Ward, and (2) To amend the boundary between the proposed OWLERTOM and SOUTHEY GREEN Wards by transferring part of the Keynell Road Polling -1- District from the former to the latter* 4* The Commission also mode a substantial number of minor changes to take aooount of suggestions made by the Ordnance Survey. Only four of these alterations affected electorate* COMKESTS OH THE KRAFT PROPOSAL 5« The Commission's draft proposals were advertised locally and comments were invited* The comments, objections or alternative proposals are outlined below.