Local Government Boundary Commission For England Report No. 30 4 LOCAL GOVERNi-MT BOUNDARY COAIT.1I SSI OK FOR ENGLAND REPORT LOCAL UOV^'UlJ.L^'i.1 liO'JilLA^vY CUi.ii/iISSIGM FOii ISKGLAHD CHAIRMAN Sir Edmund Co rapt on GCB. KBJi DEPUTY CHAIRMAN Mr J M Rankin QC MEIvIBKRS Lady Bowden MrJ T Brockbank Professor Michael Chisholm li'ir R R Thornton C3 L Mr D P Harrison To the Rt Hon Jferlyn Bees, MP Secretary of State for the Home Department PROPOSALS TOR FUTURE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS TOR THE BOROUGH OF WORTHING IN THE COUNTY OF WEST SUSSEX 1. We, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, having carried out our Initial review of the electoral arrangements for the Borough of Worthing, in accordance with the requirements of section 63 of, and Schedule 9 to, the Local Government Act 1972, present our proposals for the future electoral arrangements for that borough. 2. In accordance with the procedure laid down in section 60(1) and (2) of the 1972 Act, notice was given on 31 December 1974 that we were to undertake this review* This was incorporated in a consultation letter addressed to Worthing Borough Council, copies of which were circulated to West Sussex County Council, the Member of Parliament for the oonsitituenoy 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 consents from members of the public and from interested bodies* 3* The Borough 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 size of the council and the proposed number of councillors for each ward. They were also asked to take into account any views expressed to them following their consultation with local interests. We therefore asked that they should publish details of their provisional proposals about a month before they submitted their draft scheme to us, thus allowing an opportunity for local comment* 4. The Borough Counoil have passed a resolution under section ?U)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 requesting the Secretary of State to provide for a system of elections by thirds* 5. On 28 May 1975, Worthing Borough Council presented their draft scheme of representation. They proposed to divide the area of the borough into 13 wards, each returning 3 members to form a council of 39* At that time they were under the impression that this would also provide 13 county electoral divisions, but when it became apparent that no agreement could be reached about the future size of the county council, Worthing Borough Council were given the opportunity to revise their scheme. 6* On 13 January 1977, the Worthing Borough Council presented a revised draft scheme. They proposed 12 wards eaoh returning 3 members to form a council of 36. 7. We considered the revised draft scheme, the comments which had been made on it, and an alternative scheme from a local political association. We decided to adopt the revised draft scheme as our draft proposals, subject to one minor realignment suggested to us by Ordnance Survey. 8. On 10 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. The Council were asked to make the draft proposals, and the accompanying map which defined the 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 members of the public and interested bodies. We asked that comments should reach us by 5 August 1977. 9« The Borough Council supported the draft proposals* 10. A local political association accepted the draft proposals In general bat asked for the realignment of the boundary between the proposed Byoadwater and Offlngton wards* A local political party asked for the reconsideration of their alternative scheme for the wards north of the railway* 11* In view of these comments, we felt 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 J Whatley was appointed an Assistant Commissioner to hold a local meeting and report to us* Notice of the meeting was sent to all who had received our draft proposals, or had commented on them, and was published locally. 12* The Assistant Commissioner held the meeting in the Town Hall, Worthing on 2 November 1977 and visited the areas which were the subject of comment. A copy of his report to us is at Schedule 1 to this-report. 13* In the light of the discussion at the meeting and his inspection of the area the Assistant Commissioner recommended that our draft proposals should be confirmed subject to the realignment of the boundary between the Broadwater and Offlngton wards. 14. We reviewed our draft proposals in the light of the comments which we had received and of the Assistant Commissioner's report. We concluded that the recommendation made by the Assistant Commissioner should be accepted and, subject to the modification he had suggested, we decided to confirm our draft proposals as our final proposals. 15. Details of these proposals are set out in Schedule 2 to this report and on the attached map. 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 on the map. A detailed description of the proposed ward boundaries is set out in Schedule 3. to this report. PUBLICATION . 16. In accordance uith section 60(5)(b} of the Local Government Act 1972, a copy of this report and a copy of the map are being sent to Worthing Borough Council and will be available for public inspection at the Council's mn-)n offices. Copies of this report (without map) are being sent to those who received the consultation letter and those who made comments. L.S. SIGNEDi EDMUND COMPTON (CHAIRMAN) JOHN M RANKIN (DEPUTY. CHAIRMAN) PHYLLIS BOWDEN T BROCKBAKK MICHAEL CHISHOLM D P HARRISON R R THORNTON N DIGNEI (Secretary) 21 September 1978 CHEDULE 1 LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND REPORT ON ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS BOROUGH OF WORTHING J. Whatley, December 1977 TO: THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND REPORT of a local meeting held at the Town Hall, Worthing at 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 2nd November, 1977 to consider the Commission's draft proposals concerning the electoral arrangements for the Borough of Worthing PRESENT: Name Organisation Represented Lewis Elliott Borough Secretary, Wo.rthing Borough Counci Harold E. Herrtage Secretary, Worthing Conservative Assn. Catherine M. Morey Chairman -do- G. E, Freelove Deputy Chairman .-do- H. W. Yates Borough Councillor, representing West Tarring Branch, Worthing Conservative Associ ation D. 0, Terrett Worthing Conservative Association R. J, Stanford Arun District Council, Littlehampton A. M, Thomas West Sussex County Council (Secretariat) I. J, Hudson Offington Branch Conservatives ; A. H, Hudson Hon. Secretary, Offington Branch Conservative Associat ion L. Ingram. Liberal Association Mr. A, Pescott 46 Ruskin Road, Worthing Mr. c'. Pescott 46 Ruskin Road, Worthing Stella M. Yates 14 St. Lawrence Avenue, Worthing S. M. Searle 37 Nutbourne Road, Worthing P. J, Perry Castle Goring Branch Labour Party P. V, 0. Drummond 7 Coniston Road - Worthing Constituency Labour Party H. 'C. Ash 49Coniston Road, Worthing N. W. Batty Principal Administrative Officer, Worthing Borough Council Hilda Griffin 29 Meredith Road R. D. Clamp Worthing Borough Council R. Mills Worthing Gazette B. C. Bettelley Worthing Borough Council - 2 - COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS The Commission's draft propo'sals were issued on 10th June 1977 and are as follows :- NAME OF WARD NUMBER OF COUNCILLORS BROADWATER 3 CASTLE 3 CENTRAL . 3 DURRINGTON 3 GAISFORD - 3 GORING 3 HEENE . 3 . MARINE 3 OFFINGTON 3 SALVINGTON 3 SELDEN ... 3 TARRING ,3 A description of the boundaries of the wards proposed by the Commission is attached as Annex A OBJECTIONS TO THE COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS Worthing Conservative Association The Association accepted the draft proposals subject to a modification to the boundary between the proposed Offington and Broadwater wards. The Association suggested that this boundary should follow the line of the western portions of Broadwater Street West and Upper Brighton Road to the point where the two roads meet instead of going down Cissbury Road. Worthing Constituency Labour Party The Labour Party accepted the draft proposals except for three wards -Salvington, Durrington and Castle. They suggested modifications to these three wards which would' affect the boundaries of all the seven wards north of the main railway line which runs east to west through the Borough. Generally, the Labour Party suggested that the ward boundaries should run along main roads such as the Boulevard, Durrington Lane, Tarring Road, Findon Road and St. Laurence Avenue. Their reasons for these suggestions were that the Commission1s proposals tended to divide compact communities and that voters would be compelled to cross busy main roads in order to record their votes. In their written submission the Labour Party-also suggested .that part of the proposed Durringtori ward should be called "Northbrook" and that the proposed Castle Ward should be called "Maybridge" but these matters were not mentioned at the hearing.