Wards affected: - City -wide EXECUTIVE BOARD

REPORT OF THE 4 DECEMBER 2001 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

REVISED AREA COMMITTEE BOUNDARIES

1 SUMMARY

1.1 This report provides feedback on the consultation exercise that took place on options for revised Area Committee boundaries. It also introduces a new Option 3 that has emerged from the consultation.

2 RECOMMENDATIONS

2.1 It is recommended that Executive Board approve Option 3 for the structure of Area Committees with effect from May 2003.

3 BACKGROUND

3.1 On 11 July 2001, Executive Board agreed to invite views on two options for revised Area Committee boundaries. These options are attached to the report.

3.2 Following that decision, all Area Committees were consulted along with key organisations with an interest in Area Committee activities. These included local partnerships, the Police, Health Authority, City Primary Care Trust, the Fire Service and a large number of voluntary and community organisations.

4 CONSULTATION ON OPTIONS FOR REVISED AREA COMMITTEE BOUNDARIES

4.1 The consultation took place from mid-July to mid-September 2001.

4.2 During the consultation with Area Committees, only Area Committee 7 decided to express a clear preference between the two options, indicating their support for Option 2. Other Area Committees chose instead to express their support for the principle of aligning Area Committees more closely to identifiable communities and reducing the size of areas that they covered. They also encouraged local organisations within their areas to feedback their views directly and those that made representations are listed below:-

ASTRO (Aspley Strategy Group) - favoured Option 1 Meadows Partnership Trust - favoured Option 2 Lenton Community Centre - favoured Option 2 Stonebridge City Farm - favoured Option 2 Fire & Rescue Service - favoured Option 1 Beechdale Community Association - favoured Option 1 Bosworth Primary and Nursery School - favoured Option 2 Nottingham City Primary Care Trust - favoured Option 2 but with amendments to link Leen Valley with Berridge; Radford and Park with Arboretum Arboretum Residents Association - favoured Option 2 Vale Residents Association - favoured Option 2 Belsatra - favoured amended Option 2 that includes Leen Valley with and Aspley.

4.3 As reported to the July Executive Board, a key consideration was the desire to match Area Committee boundaries with the new Police Local Area Commands that would become effective from April 2002. While it became evident that it would not be possible to achieve a perfect match because of the different interests and operational considerations of the Police and City Council, both organisations were keen to secure as close a match as possible. The Police have agreed to use the Council’s revised ward boundaries as the basis for their new Local Area Commands which will be as follows:-

1 and Bulwell Forest 2 Bestwood, Sherwood and northern part of 3 Aspley, Bilborough and Leen Valley (with minor modification) 4 Berridge and Basford (with minor modification) 5 St Ann’s, Dales and southern part of Mapperley 6 Radford and Park and Arboretum 7 Dunkirk and Lenton; Wollaton West and Wollaton East and 8 Bridge, Clifton North and Clifton South 9 City Centre

5. A NEW THIRD OPTION

5.1 In developing options for revised Area Committee boundaries, the central area of the City proved most difficult – in particular, how to integrate the new Leen Valley ward and the knock-on effects of joining it with other wards.

5.2 Perhaps not surprisingly, a number of concerns were raised about the proposed Area Committee number 6 under Option 2 which amalgamated Leen Valley with Radford and Park wards.

5.3 Following initial consideration at the Going Fourwards Area Committee, a meeting took place with the Partnership Council, Councillor Taylor (Chair of Going Fourwards Area Committee) and the Service Manager, Area Focus. Arising from that meeting, the Partnership Council proposed an amended Option 2 that:- - linked Leen Valley with Bilborough and Aspley - joined Berridge, Arboretum and Radford and Park wards.

5.4 This option would create nine new Area Committees as against eight under Option 1 and ten under Option 2. A mapped version of this new Option 3 is included with this report along with details of the number of Councillors and size of areas.

5.5 This new Option 3 has a number of advantages – it more accurately reflects community identity; it is a better match with the views expressed by two key partners (Health and the Police); it reduces the number of Area Committees proposed under Option 2 and has local support – not just from the Partnership Council but from organisations in the ‘West’ area. At the time of preparing this report, further consultation is taking place with Area Committees and local groups on the new option three. To date, the feedback has been positive.

6. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

6.1 As indicated in the report to Executive Board on 11 July 2001, there will be financial and staffing implications arising from an increased number of Area Committees. The extent of this will very much depend on the role of Area Committees within the new political management structure, which is a matter for consideration elsewhere on this agenda. Once this has been determined, a further report on staffing will be submitted.

7. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IMPLICATIONS

7.1 Area Committees have a key part to play in involving disadvantaged groups in service delivery and decision-making.

8 CORPORATE OBJECTIVES etc

8.1 This report is most relevant to the Council’s commitment to involve and work with local communities.

9 BACKGROUND PAPERS

Correspondence received arising from consultation on revised Area Committee boundaries.

10 PUBLISHED WORKS

Report to Executive Board, 11 July 2001.

John Jackson Chief Executive The Guildhall Nottingham NG1 4BT

Contact Officer : John Robinson, Service Manager, Area Focus Tel : 9154996

(Policy\areafocu\john\REP.Rev.AcommB oundaries) OPTION 1

Option 1 proposes 8 Area Committees – 4 made up of 2 wards; 4 made up of 3 wards.

Area New Wards Population Councillors (est. 1998) Area 1 Bulwell Forest & Bulwell 31,630 6 Area 2 Basford and Bestwood 32,560 6 Area 3 Aspley & Strelley, Bilborough and Leen 46,240 8 Valley Area 4 Mapperley, Berridge & Sherwood 48,120 9 Area 5 Dales and St Ann’s 31,370 6 Area 6 Arboretum, Radford & Park & Bridge 34,120 7 Area 7 Wollaton West, Wollaton East & Lenton 33,810 7 Abbey and Dunkirk & Lenton Area 8 Clifton North and Clifton South 28,880 6

OPTION 2

Option 2 proposes 10 Area Committees, with each Area Committee comprising two wards.

Area New Wards Population Councillors (est. 1998) Area 1 Bulwell Forest & Bulwell 31,630 6 Area 2 Basford and Bestwood 32,560 6 Area 3 Aspley & Strelley, Bilborough 36,710 6 Area 4 Mapperley & Sherwood 31,150 6 Area 5 Arboretum & Berridge 28,620 5 Area 6 Leen Valley & Radford & Park 22,030 5 Area 7 Dales & St Ann’s 31,370 6 Area 8 Wollaton East & Lenton Abbey; 24,100 5 Wollaton West Area 9 Bridge, Dunkirk & Lenton 19,680 4 Area 10 Clifton North; Clifton South 28,880 6

OPTION 3

Option 3 proposes 9 Area Committees, 7 made up of two wards; 2 made up of 3 wards.

Area New Wards Population Councillors (est. 1998) Area 1 Bulwell Forest & Bulwell 31,630 6 Area 2 Basford and Bestwood 32,560 6 Area 3 Aspley, Bilborough and Leen Valley 46,240 8 Area 4 Berridge, Arboretum, Radford and Park 41,120 8 Area 5 Mapperley and Sherwood 31,150 6 Area 6 Dales and St Ann’s 31,370 6 Area 7 Wollaton East and Lenton Abbey; 24,100 5 Wollaton West Area 8 Bridge and Dunkirk & Lenton 19,680 4 Area 9 Clifton North and Clifton South 28,880 6