Suzanne Martin Electoral Services Manager Law and Governance [email protected] 01628 682935 15 December 2017 Local Government Boundary Commission for England 14th Floor Millbank Tower Millbank London SW1P 4QP Dear Sir/Madam ELECTORAL REVIEW OF THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD I write in reference to the current electoral review of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and in response to your recent consultation inviting proposals for a pattern of wards that could accommodate 43 elected members from May 2019. Further to your letter to the Managing Director in September outlining that the Local Government Boundary Commission is minded to recommend a future council size of 43 members, the cross-party Electoral Review Working Group that was established for Stage One to determine future council size, reconvened for Stage Two in order to formulate a council representation on the warding patterns. The working group made a recommendation to Full Council on 12 December 2017 for a pattern of nineteen wards consisting of fourteen wards which would each return two- members and five wards returning three-members. The report sets out the justification for how the boundaries for each new ward have been drawn and presents a pattern where each new ward is balanced and falls within the 10% tolerance of the average of 2,764 electors per councillor for an electorate of 118,838 in 2023. The warding pattern proposals ensure that electoral equality has been delivered whilst balancing this with the requirement to keep existing community identities and interests intact and delivering effective and convenient local government. I am pleased to advise that the report was fully endorsed at Full Council. The minutes of the meeting will be formally approved at the next meeting held on 20 February 2018 and will confirm that: RESOLVED: That Council: i) Agrees that the Royal Borough’s representation on the new warding patterns, Stage Two electoral review report, be submitted to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. An audio of the council meeting may be listened to at: http://rbwm.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=134&MId=6769 Alison Alexander - Managing Director Town Hall, St. Ives Road, Maidenhead, SL6 1RF W: www.rbwm.gov.uk E: [email protected] T: 01628 683800 @rbwm search: rbwm In accordance with the decision duly made by Full Council, I therefore enclose the report and accompanying appendices for your consideration which consists of the following materials: Stage Two – Ward Pattern report Working Group Terms of Reference (Stage Two) Electorate Forecasts Individual ward maps & existing ward pattern & proposed ward pattern. The Royal Borough very much looks forward to reading the LGBCE’s Draft Recommendations for Windsor and Maidenhead and hopes that its suggested warding patterns will be reflected in these recommendations. Should you require any more supplementary information in respect of the review or you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me direct. Yours sincerely Suzanne Martin Electoral Services Manager Report Title: Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Electoral Review - Stage Two: Warding Patterns Contains Confidential or NO - Part I Exempt Information? Member reporting: Councillor McWilliams - Principal Member for Housing and Communications Councillor Dudley - Leader of the Council Meeting and Date: Council - 12 December 2017 Responsible Officer(s): Alison Alexander - Managing Director and Returning Officer Wards affected: All REPORT SUMMARY 1. The Royal Borough entered into an electoral review in 2016. In July 2017 full council approved a submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE). The LGBCE launched a consultation in September 2017 setting out that it was minded to recommend a future council size for the Royal Borough of 43 members from May 2019. The LGBCE consultation invited responses on warding patterns based on the future council size. 2. The Royal Borough established a cross-party working group to review ward patterns. This report sets out a recommendation to Full Council to approve a pattern of wards that comprises 19 wards: 14 two-member wards and five three- member wards for 43 elected members from May 2019. 1 DETAILS OF RECOMMENDATION(S) RECOMMENDATION: That Council: i) Agrees that the Royal Borough’s representation on the new warding patterns, Stage Two electoral review report, be submitted to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. 2 REASON(S) FOR RECOMMENDATION(S) AND OPTIONS CONSIDERED 2.1 The Royal Borough submitted its Stage One report on future council size to the LGBCE on 26 July 2017. Following receipt of this representation and having analysed the evidence outlined in the report, the LGBCE contacted the Managing Director on 19 September to advise that it was minded to recommend a future council size of 43 elected members from May 2019. 2.2 Further to having made a decision on the administration’s future size, the LGBCE embarked on a stage of public consultation inviting proposals from the public and other interested parties on new warding patterns which could accommodate 43 members. As the second stage of the electoral review process was open to the wider public and was not exclusive to the Borough council, as was the case for Stage One, the LGBCE had previously highlighted the importance of the Borough council making its own representation and to engage in the second stage of the process in order to shape the outcome of the review. 2.3 The cross-party Working Group that was assembled for Stage One of the review reconvened for Stage Two. The Group after considering the technical guidance published by the LGBCE on how to propose warding patterns, receiving comments from all members, who were offered consultation sessions, have approved the stage two – Warding Patters report attached as Appendix A. 2.4 The Stage Two report describes the methodology for determining the number and naming of the new wards and the number of elected members to be returned for each ward. The Working Group is recommending a pattern which best reflects the retention of existing communities and identities and which delivers good electoral equality across the Borough. Each of the nineteen new wards proposed as part of the future composition falls within the 10% tolerance level recommended by the LGBCE, where on average; each elected member will represent 2,764 electors from 2019. A universal pattern of two-member wards has been applied for the whole Borough in the first instance where appropriate, with five wards electing three members as the best arrangement for the area concerned. Table 1: Options Option Comments Support the cross-party member This option proposes a pattern of 19 Working Group Stage Two review wards comprising 14 two-member and 5 report which recommends a future three-member wards. All wards comply warding pattern of 14 two-member with the 10% tolerance level and 5 three-member wards from recommended by the LGBCE, where 2019. each elected member will represent 2,764 electors on average. The recommended option Reject the cross-party Member If the Borough’s submission were to be Working Group Stage Two review rejected by Full Council, the LGBCE report which recommends a future would not receive a formal warding pattern of 14 two-member representation and RBWM would be and 5 three-member wards from unable to influence the content of the 2019. LGBCE’s draft recommendations published in February. Furthermore, the Not recommended LGBCE would use the evidence of other submissions received from parish councils and members of the public etc. to shape their draft recommendations. 3 KEY IMPLICATIONS 3.1 The LGBCE committed to conduct an electoral review of the Royal Borough and to conclude the process by summer of 2018. The changes brought about by the outcome of the review will take effect at the next scheduled local elections in May 2019. There is no feasibility to suspend or defer the process now that a commitment to undertake the review has been made and the LGBCE has made a recommendation that it is minded to recommend a future council size of 43 elected members from May 2019. 3.2 Stage One of the review concluded in September 2017 when the LGBCE announced its recommendation on future council size. Stage Two commenced on 26 September and will conclude on 5 June 2018 once the final recommendations on the Royal Borough’s future warding patterns have been proposed. Table 2: Key implications Outcome Unmet Met Exceeded Significantly Date of delivery Exceeded Stage After 15 By 15 Before 15 Before 30 Draft Two December December December November recommendations review 2017 2017 2017 2017 announced in report deadline deadline deadline February 2018. prepared set by the set by the set by the for Full LGBCE. LGBCE. LGBCE. Final Council recommendations and announced in submitted June 2018. to the LGBCE. 4 FINANCIAL DETAILS / VALUE FOR MONEY 4.1 There are no immediate financial implications arising as a direct result of this report. However, it should be noted that as the number of elected members will reduce by 25% at the next scheduled elections, there will be efficiency savings from May 2019. 4.2 The Stage Two report recommends a pattern of 19 wards in total consisting of 14 two- member wards and five three-member wards. These are the Royal Borough’s recommendations and the LGBCE may or may not decide to adopt these patterns. The total number of wards and their composition will be finalised in June 2018, and the extent of the savings will be realised at this point. 4.3 The budget provision of £75K across 2016/2017 was not drawn upon during Stage One of the review. During the second stage of the review, arrangements for additional resource from within the Electoral Services team have been made and a new post created.