TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE REVIEW FOR THE PARISHES OF CARDINGTON AND EASTCOTTS: June 2016 CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1 2. Consultation 4 3. Electorate Forecasts 5 4. Demographic Trends and Influences in the Area 6 5. The Present Structure of Parishes and their Electoral Arrangements 6 6. Names and Styles 10 7. Electoral Arrangements 10 8. Conclusion 10 Appendix A: Existing Parish Councils and Electoral Ratios 12 Appendix B: Existing Parish Council and Band D Council Tax 14 Precepts 2016/17 Appendix C: Outline of What Local Councils can do: Extract from 16 “The Good Councillor’s Guide” published by the National Association of Local Councils, 2016 Appendix D: Map referred to in the Terms of Reference for the 22 Community Governance Review for the Parishes of Cardington and Eastcotts 1. INTRODUCTION Setting the Context The Parish of Cardington is covered by one polling district with the designation letters NM and is within Great Barford Borough Ward. June 2016 Eastcotts Parish is comprised of two Parish Wards and three polling districts. The first of these polling districts has the designation letters NI and is comprised of Eastcotts South (Cotton End) which also covers the hamlet of Herring’s Green. The polling districts designated by the letters NJ and NK cover Eastcotts North Parish Ward (Shortstown); NJ is comprised of the area West of the A600 which also covers the hamlet of Harrowden and NK is comprised of the area East of the A600. Eastcotts Parish fully comprises the Eastcotts Ward of Bedford Borough Council. Polling district maps are available at: http://www.bedford.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/elections/polling_district_and_pla ces.aspx The following data is relevant to this review and is derived from the Revised Register of Electors published on 1 December 2015. Polling Total Local 16 + 17 Year Old Over 70 Year NonCommonwealth District Government included Olds or Irish - European Electors Union Electors Cardington NM 269 0 16 0 Eastcotts NI 636 1 40 22 NJ 1678 7 54 120 NK 509 3 6 48 These areas are the areas to which the community governance review relates Why undertake a Community Governance Review? Guidance issued by a previous Government but which has not been replaced by this Government, suggests that it is good practice to conduct a Community Governance Review every 10-15 years. The Borough Council is now able to undertake a Community Governance Review as it has the legislative powers to create and amend parishes and the electoral arrangements for Parish Councils in the Borough. The Borough Council has considered requests from Cardington and Eastcotts Parish Councils for a Community Governance Review of their areas. Some of the possible outcomes that could be examined are: - No change to Cardington and Eastcotts Parishes - The boundary of Eastcotts Parish being extended to include fully the developments to the north east of the established area of Shortstown that extend towards and would cross the common boundary with Cardington Parish. - The creation of a new Parish Ward, to provide separate representation for those people living in the developments to the north east of Shortstown, in the existing Eastcotts Parish - The renaming of the existing Cardington Parish to “Cardington Village” - The creation of a de-parished area for the developments to the north east of Shortstown. June 2016 Additionally, the Review will consider the realignment of the Parish boundaries of Eastcotts and Cardington to follow the line of Bedford’s southern bypass and invite comments on the electoral arrangements for Cardington and Eastcotts. The above outcomes are not intended to exclude in any way other potential outcomes including changes to the areas of the parishes concerned, the names of parishes, warding arrangements and the number of parish councillors to be elected. What is a Community Governance Review? A community governance review can cover a range of proposals, such as creating, merging, altering and abolishing Parishes. The review must have regard to the need to secure community governance that reflects the identities and interests of the community in the area and that is effective and convenient. The Borough Council will undertake this Community Governance Review under the powers within Part 4 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 and the relevant parts of the Local Government Act 1972, and in accordance with the following regulations: Local Government (Parishes and Parish Councils) (England) Regulations 2008 (SI2008/625); Local Government Finance (New Parishes) Regulations 2008 (SI2008/626). The Council will have regard to the statutory Guidance on Community Governance Reviews issued in accordance with section 100(4) of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 by the Department of Communities and Local Government and The Local Government Boundary Commission in April 2010. The 2007 Act has transferred powers to the principal councils which previously, under the Local Government Act 1997, had been shared with the Electoral Commission’s Boundary Committee for England. Parish Governance in the Review Area Town and parish councils are important stakeholders within the Borough. The Borough Council wants to ensure that there is clarity and transparency as to the areas that town and parish councils represent and that the electoral arrangements of parish councils – the warding arrangements and the allocations of Councillors – are appropriate, equitable and readily understood by their respective electorate. The Borough Council wants to ensure that any parish governance in the Borough is robust, representative and enabled to meet the challenges that lay before it. Ultimately, the recommendations made in a community governance review should bring about improved community engagement, more cohesive communities, better local democracy and result in more effective and convenient delivery of local services. 2. CONSULTATION How Consultations will be Conducted June 2016 This section sets out how the Borough Council proposes to conduct consultations during the separate stages of the Review. Specific details of the consultation periods are set out in the timetable below. In coming to its recommendations in this Review, the Borough Council will take into account the views of local people. The Borough Council will consult the local government electors for the area under review, Cardington and Eastcotts Parishes, and any other person or body who appears to have an interest in the Review and to take the representations that are received into account by judging them against the criteria in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. The decision of the Council will be taken in public and the reasons publicised in the area affected by the Review. Details of the consultation will be circulated by letter to all electors in the area under review and, subject to the timing of publication, will also be published in the parish newsletters of the area concerned. In addition, this information will be posted on the parish council noticeboards of Cardington and Eastcotts. All stakeholders will be invited to complete a response form. Public meetings will be held at a community facility in Cardington and Eastcotts. Details will be available on the Borough Council’s website and the Borough Council will also engage with the media to publicise the consultation. It is hoped that the Parish Councils for Cardington and Eastcotts will include the review in any meetings they have during the period of the review and on any websites they have. How to contact us For further details please contact Democratic and Registration Services, Bedford Borough Council, Borough Hall, Cauldwell Street MK42 9AP or e-mail: [email protected] with the words Cardington-Eastcotts in the e-mail heading. A Timetable for the Review The Community Governance Review commences with the publication of these Terms of Reference and the review must be completed within twelve months of that date. An indicative timetable for this review is as follows: Action Timetable Date Stage 1: Terms of 1 July 2016 reference are published. Start of formal Community Governance Review Stage 2: Initial Three months 1 July 2016 – June 2016 submissions are invited 14 September 2016 Stage 3: Consideration 15 September 2016 – of submissions received 14 October 2016 and draft (Date for General Purposes Recommendations are Committee meeting: 1 prepared November 2016) Stage 4: Draft Three months 24 November 2016 – Recommendations are 21 February 2017 published – consultation on them Stage 5: Consideration 22 February 2017 – of submissions received 6 March 2017 (Date for and Final General Purposes Recommendations are Committee meeting: 7 prepared and March 2017) published; interested parties informed Recommendation and draft Order submitted to March 2017 Council (Date for Council meeting: 22 March 2017) Application of Decision and reasoning and As soon as practicable interested parties informed. Copy of Order with thereafter map(s) placed on deposit and notification as required. 3. ELECTORATE FORECASTS The Borough Council is required to consider the number and distribution of electors which is likely to occur in the period of five years beginning with the day when the review starts. The following electorate forecasts have been developed by the Intelligence Team at Bedford Borough Council and their methodology is available upon request. It is the Government’s guidance that these forecasts should be made available to all interested parties as early as possible in the review process, ideally before formal commencement of the review, so that they are available to all who may wish to make representations. This data is as follows: Parish Area Polling District Electorate 2015 Electorate 2021 Cardington NM 269 270 Eastcotts NI 636 660 South Eastcotts NJ 1678 1750 North NK 509 2070 4. DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS AND INFLUENCES IN THE AREA Individual Borough ward profile data is available for Eastcotts and for Great Barford Wards (which includes the parish of Cardington).