Southwell Town Council
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Parish and Town Council submissions to the Newark and Sherwood District Council electoral review This PDF contains 18 submissions from parish and town councils. Some versions of Adobe allow the viewer to move quickly between bookmarks. Click on the submission that you would like to view. If you are not taken to that page, please scroll through the document. From: Balderton Parish Council [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 25 July 2013 15:19 To: Reviews@ Subject: Electoral Review of Newark and Sherwood District Council Dear Sirs, Thank you for notification of the above review. I write on behalf of Balderton Parish Council in response to the consultation of new ward boundaries within Newark & Sherwood District Council. Having reviewed the information members expressed the following concerns and asked that they be submitted: a) Balderton could not afford to lose a District Councillor as it is a very busy, heavily populated village. b) Balderton should retain four District members, particularly with the imminent amount of residential development to take place in the village resulting from the agreed Newark Growth Point. c) The confusion should be removed for parishioners on Staple Lane because one half of the properties along Staple Lane are in Fernwood Ward and one half are in Balderton Ward for County Council purposes, but the whole of Staple Lane residents are included within the Balderton District and Parish Wards. The parish map boundary includes Staple Lane properties, so for the sake of the few houses concerned they should all be included in the County’s Balderton Ward. Thank you, Mrs Cheryl Davison‐Lyth Clerk to Balderton Parish Council 1 From: Catherine Millward Sent: 24 June 2013 12:16 To: Reviews@ Subject: Electoral review of Newark and Sherwood - Caunton Parish Council response Dear Sirs Caunton Parish Council discussed the electoral review at its meeting on 12 June 2013. The councillors are concerned that Caunton, as a small rural village, has particular needs and concerns which are specifically compatible with those of other similar communities. These communities share the same issues with regard to, for example, access to schools, transport, youth and elderly services and rural business needs. Naturally, the larger towns and villages in the area have different needs and priorities. With this in view, the Council unanimously agreed that, to ensure meaningful, effective and equal representation of the Caunton populace, any proposal should ensure that Caunton is grouped with villages and parishes of a similar character as it is now. As you will appreciate, the Council's small size and very limited resources preclude the collation of detailed data. However, the Council strongly feels that, for the reasons set out above, any proposals should take account of the Council's view, formed on the basis of its in depth knowledge of its community and of those around it. Yours faithfully, Catherine Millward Clerk to Caunton Parish Council 1 Local Government Boundary Commission for England Consultation Portal Page 1 of 2 Newark and Sherwood District Personal Details: Name: Margaret Evans E-mail: Postcode: Organisation Name: Halloughton Parish Meeting Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database rights 2013. Map Features: Comment text: I am writing on behalf of Halloughton Parish,its Chair Mr Richard Elliott and Clerk Mr Paul Birks. Halloughton Parish met on August 2nd 2013, and unanimously agreed the following statement: 1. "The new pattern should mean that each councillor represents roughly the same number of voters as elected members elsewhere in the authority." The small settlement of Halloughton, which has been located in the West Ward of Southwell since time immemorial, comprises around 55 people. The total population of Southwell West Ward is 3011, and of the whole of Southwell, including Halloughton, 7297 (2011 Census). It is appropriate for Halloughton to remain part of Southwell West Ward and part of the overall total for Southwell. The small number of voters in Halloughton would not adversely affect any new ward divisions for Southwell. 2. "Ward patterns should - as far as possible - reflect community interests and identities and boundaries should be identifiable." Halloughton people have always considered themselves part of Southwell, situated within its Civil Parish. Halloughton shares the same post code as Southwell, its inhabitants are registered with the Southwell Health Centre, attend the dentist in Southwell and the children attend the local pre-, primary and secondary schools in Southwell. The nearest local shops, Post Office and Library are all in Southwell. At only 1.9km distant from the centre of Southwell and less from the Minster School and Leisure Centre (10 minutes walk), Halloughton is nearer to many Southwell facilities than poeple living within the urban settlement area in the north of Southwell. Halloughton is located immediately adjacent, across the A612 road, to the Brackenhurst campus of Nottingham Trent University, which similarly has very close links with the town of Southwell and is also located within Southwell Civil Parish. Its students use Southwell as their main centre for retail and leisure needs and Brackenhurst students also find placements in farms within Halloughton. The boundary between the next ward, Trent Ward, is clearly identified by Halloughton Dumble, some 1km distant from Halloughton. This separates the ancient Halloughton parish from the land surrounding the villages of Bleasby (3km distant) and Thurgarton (also 3km distant). 3. "The electoral arrangements should promote effective and convenient local government..." Halloughton voters have always voted withon Southwell West Ward (at Holy Trinity School polling station), the nearest voting station available to them. The proposal that Halloughton should remain withon Southwell Civil Parish and West Ward would retain this. Local access to voting for elected representatives that reflect the reality of electors' life experiences, and the use of services that they rely on, should be maintained. https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk//node/print/informed-representation/2149 05/08/2013 Fuller, Heather From: North Muskham Parish Council <[email protected]> Sent: 02 August 2013 17:54 To: Reviews@ Subject: ELECTORAL REVIEW OF NEWARK & SHERWOOD Attachments: MUSKHAM response re boundary changes- ward contents.xls Importance: High This submission is supported also by the Parish Councils of Bathley, Little Carlton & South Muskham, Cromwell and Norwell We suggest that the submission by Newark and Sherwood District Council, whilst meeting one of the 4 main criteria( the numbers in each ward), it does, in many instances and in particular with the old Muskham Ward parishes and Sutton On Trent parish, not satisfy the other three criteria regarding identity, cohesion, accessibility to services etc . We suggest that the numbers criteria is the lesser of the 4 and should not be the key basis for determination of the ward constituents. Whilst we respect the need to reduce the number of wards and Members, we have therefore amended the Newark and Sherwood proposals and attach an alternative matrix proposal showing ward constituents. We accept there are two wards where the numbers are low in comparison with the other rural parishes but geographically those two areas are large, sparsely populated but highly connected with regards to identity, access to facilities and geographic empathy. We respectfully suggest that “ Localism” is absolutely key in the determination of local boundaries and compilation of wards that influence and direct the quality of life and public service delivery on a much greater scale than just District Council democracy With regards to the Muskham area, the shape of this previous ward we suggest should stay given that: With the exception of Norwell all the parishes are part of the Riverside Church Parishes –COE and have been for hundreds of years Bathley has no community facility and shares the Muskham Rural Community Centre- funded by the Lottery to provide an excellent facility to the parishes within the proposed ward group. Bathley people are baptised and buried and worship at North Muskham All of the villages in our proposed “Muskham” ward share the same threat from Wind Turbine development, gravel extraction and flood risk is a common issue. Issues with congestion in villages when the A1 is blocked are common to all of our proposed ward constituents All of the villages share the gravel; extraction risk, have formed a fighting group which collectively has appointed a legal expert to defend against what we consider to be inappropriate policy of extraction in our area. We are basically a Trent Valley catchment area 1 The garage at North Muskham, the shops at Cromwell, Norwell and North Muskham, the pubs at Norwell, North Muskham and Bathley and at Kelham are commonly frequented by residents of all the proposed ward villages. HGV weight restrictions will soon apply to all villages within our proposed ward One main landowner and farmer operates in all of the 8 villages The natural boundary encompassing the 8 villages is afforded by the River Trent to the east and the Debdale/Norwell hills to the west Jayne Saunders Clerk to North Muskham Parish Council 2 Projected Number of Polling District Parliamentary County Division District Parish/Town 2019 members Ratio Variance Variance % AAAA1 Newark Newark East Beacon Newark Town - Beacon Ward 2491 AAAA2 Newark Newark East