REVIEW OF ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS Warding Patterns Submission 1. Introduction The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) is undertaking an electoral review of South Somerset. The LGBCE has completed its consultation on the size of the Council and is minded to recommend that 60 Councillors continue to represent South Somerset. The review has been triggered because of electoral imbalances of the number of electors per Councillor across some of the Wards in South Somerset. For example, the Brympton Ward has 23% more electors per Councillor than the average. The Council recognises the importance of electoral equality to a fair democratic process by ensuring that each vote carries the same value, whilst at the same time it must ensure that the governance of the Council is maintained at a level which can best serve the electorate. The Commission has invited proposals from the Council, interested parties and members of the public on a warding pattern to accommodate 60 Councillors. In preparing the submission proposing new ward arrangements for South Somerset, the Council must take account of:- • Equality of representations • Reflection community identities and interests • Providing for convenient and effective local government South Somerset District Council set up a cross‐party working group of councillors to consider proposals on the warding patterns with support from officers. The group recognised that changes were required in order to gain electoral equality across the district. Some wards are already outside the +/- 10% variance and other wards will be by 2023 following expected housing development. The electoral forecast for 2023 is 137,592 electors which equates to 2,293 electors per Councillor (currently at 2,196 per councillor). Because of the close political divide (30 Liberal Democrats, 26 Conservatives, 4 Independent) it was agreed that the two main political groups would make their own submissions to the Local Government Boundary Commission. However, they asked that officers work on a separate submission as well and so this is an officer submission. In making this submission, officers recognise that there are areas within its Proposed Warding Pattern where no agreement could be reached, in particular in relation to the Yeovil Town and the immediate surrounding Wards, and asks the Boundary Commission to consider the options presented by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats as their knowledge of the local communities and natural ward boundaries is more detailed and specific than officers. The officer submission is based solely on existing polling districts within the town and to minimise any split of parishes. 2. Proposed warding arrangements In order to achieve acceptable levels of variance (from the ideal elector to councillor ratio) it has been necessary in some circumstances to regroup parishes into revised wards. However, the proposed warding arrangements have maintained all existing parish boundaries. All joint parish councils have been kept within the same ward. Each proposed ward will be represented by one or more councillors. In order to do this effectively, those councillors will be required to interact with both parish councillors, and local events and activities. A ward which includes multiple parishes is likely to involve considerably more specific events and travelling time than one which is contained within a single parish. It is therefore important to ensure that the workload from multiple parish wards will be reasonably achievable within the time available to a councillor. Although many wards include 6 parishes or less, the maximum number of parishes represented by a single councillor under the proposed warding arrangements is 11 (Windwhistle) - however, this includes 5 parish meetings which present less of a time/work commitment. It is felt that these arrangements are likely to represent a sustainable level of time commitments for councillors over the long term. The proposal suggests changes to the District Council ward boundaries within Yeovil and Chard and the Boundary Commission may consider making similar changes to the Town Council ward boundaries. 3. Equality of Representation The Commission is minded to recommend that 60 councillors will represent electors in South Somerset from 2019 onwards and as mentioned above, the electorate is projected to grow in 2023 to 137,592. This will mean that the average number of electors represented by each councillor should be approx. 2,283. This has been calculated by taking our predicted growth rate (as calculated by the Council’s Planning Policy Team), and then multiplying by an estimate 1.50 electors per dwelling, plus the 2017 Electorate. The guidance on review of warding suggests that each ward should have a ratio of electors to councillor(s) as close to that average as possible. The proposed warding pattern will ensure that no ward varies by more than +/- 10% from that ideal ratio. 4. Ward Proposals Blackdown / Tatworth and Forton The current ward of Tatworth and Forton is within tolerance of the expected electorate. However, due to proposed development to the south of Chard, which will be in the ward of Tatworth & Forton it will be outside the 10% tolerance by 2023. It is therefore proposed to join with the adjacent Blackdown ward to make this a two member ward. Chard Crimchard This ward is within tolerance and no change is proposed to this single member ward. Chard Avishayes This ward is within tolerance, however, it is proposed to realign the boundary along Victoria Avenue to the centre of the road and move those properties to the West (1 – 92 Victoria Avenue, Victoria Mews and High View Mews) into Chard Combe ward (mapped). This will remain a one member ward. Chard Jocelyn This ward is currently within tolerance however development is anticipated to the south of the ward by 2023. It is proposed to move the ward boundary along the B3162 to the centre of the road and so move the properties in Vicarage Close and the western side of Forton Road into Chard Holyrood ward (mapped). This will remain a one member ward. Chard Holyrood This ward is currently within tolerance however further development is anticipated to the south of the ward and it will be outside tolerance by 2023. It is suggested that the area around Snowdon Heights and Shepherds Lane, 35 – 115 High Street and the Toll House Way, Wambrook Place and Brian Mooney Close (mapped) be moved to Chard Combe. The Ward Member does not agree with the proposal to move the Toll House Way, Wambrook Place and Brian Mooney Close as he feels they relate to the remainder of properties off Mitchell Gardens. However he does agree to the proposal to move the area around Snowdon Heights and Shepherds Lane, 35 – 115 High Street. Therefore both these proposals are mapped. If the Commission are minded to go with the Ward Member proposal and only move the areas around Snowdon Heights and Shepherds Lane, and, 35 – 115 High Street then, they, may wish to disregard the suggested boundary alignment listed under Chard Jocelyn to move the ward boundary along the B3162 to the centre of the road and so move the properties in Vicarage Close and the western side of Forton Road into Chard Holyrood ward. This will remain a one member ward. Chard Combe This ward is currently below tolerance. Moving the section of properties from Holyrood ward (as detailed above) and the properties from the west of Victoria Avenue from Avishayes ward will bring this ward within tolerance. This will remain a one member ward. Ilminster and Neroche Due to the proposed development on the outskirts of Ilminster we are unable to keep the existing wards and stay within tolerance for a two member ward. We therefore propose to join Ilminster with Neroche as a 3 Member ward. There was a proposal to move Whitelackington parish into the South Petherton ward, however, the parish is closer to and relates better with Ilminster. Windwhistle This is a large and very rural ward with no significant housing proposed for the foreseeable future. It is currently under tolerance and it is proposed to add the parish of Dinnington (from the Eggwood ward) to this single member ward. Eggwood Whilst this ward is within tolerance, we have proposed moving Dinnington into Windwhistle ward. Also, we propose adding Lopen parish from the South Petherton ward to meet the tolerance levels. The business park in Lopen currently straddles both parish and Area boundary so placing Lopen and Merriott in one ward will eliminate this issue. The Ward Member for Eggwood has agreed with this proposal. Crewkerne This ward is within tolerance and no change is proposed to this three member ward. Parrett Although this ward is within tolerance, it is proposed to move Chiselborough parish into Hamdon ward. This is because there is a community housing development which currently straddles the parish boundary and moving Chiselborough into Hamdon means residents will be represented by the same member. It is also proposed to move Hardington parish into Parrett ward to compensate for the loss of Chiselborough. This facilitates the entire parishes of the Cokers being in the Coker ward rather than parts of Yeovil (i.e. Sampson’s Wood and East Coker Parish Wards). This will remain a one member ward. Islemoor This ward is close to the higher tolerance level and it is proposed to move the larger parish of Hambridge and Westport into the Burrow Hill ward and take the smaller parish of Puckington into Islemoor ward. There is no large scale development planned for this ward and this change of parishes will bring it within tolerance by 2023. This will remain a one member ward. Curry Rivel / Huish / Langport Langport and Huish already exceeds the tolerance levels and part of Huish parish is currently in Turn Hill ward.