Local Government Boundary Commission For England Report No. 97 LOCAL GOVERMHENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND REPORT NO. LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND CHAIRMAN Sir Edmund Compton, GCB.KBE. DEPUTY CHAIRMAN Mr J M Rankin,QC. MEMBERS The Countess Of Albemarle, DBS. Mr T C Benfield. Professor Michael Chisholm. Sir Andrew Wheatley,CBE. Mr P B Young, CBE. To the Rt Hon Hoy Jenkins, MP Secretary of State for the Home Department PROPOSALS FOR RLVLSSD ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE BOROUGH OF STOCKTON-ON-TKKS IN THE COUNTY OF CLEVELAND 1. We, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, having carried out our initial review of the electoral arrangements for the borough of Stockton-on-Tees 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 13 May 197^ that we were to undertake this review. This was incorporated in a consultation letter addressed to the Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, copies of which were circulated to the Cleveland County Council, .Parish Councils or Parish meetings in the district, the Members of Parliament for the constituencies 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 in the local press announced the start of the review and invited comments from members of the public and from any interested bodies. 3- Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council were invited to prepare a scheme of representation for our consideration. In 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 asked also to taka 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 Council had passed a resolution under section 7(*0(a) of the Local Government Act 1972 requesting a system of whole council elections. 5. On 6 December 197^ the £tockton-on-Tees Borough Council submitted their draft scheme of representation. They proposed to divide the area of the borough into 29 wards each returning 1, 2 or 3- councillors to form a council of 56 members* 6. We considered the draft scheme, an alternative scheme and the comments we had received. Most of the comments related to the arrangements for the rural area whero it was eaid that the standard of representation was lower than that of the urban area. We noted that the Council's draft scheme allocated ^9 councillors to the urban area and 7 councillors to the rural area and that, using the Council's estimated electorate figures for 1979 the urban area would be over-represented and the rural area would be under-represented. We examined the alternative proposals but decided to adopt the council's draft scheme as the basis of our draft proposals but with some modifications. We reduced the representation of two of the urban wards, the Elm Tree ward and the Stainsby ward, by 1 councillor each, and re-prouped the rural parishes to give 6 wards returning a total of 8 councillors. Aftor consultation with Ordnance Survey we also decided to moke a few minor boundary realignments in the urban area. We formulated our draft proposals for a 55 member council accordingly. 7. On 4 'Virch 1975 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 these draft proposals, and the accompanying maps which defined the 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 any comments should reach us by 29 April 1975* 8. The Borough Council accepted our draft proposals for the urban area but recom- mended that the proposed wards of Yarm and Ingleby Barwick should be combined to form a 2-member ward and that the proposed wards of Wolviston and Whitton should be combined to form a single member ward until such time as their electorate justified the formation of two single member wards. The Council had revised their forecast fibres for the rural area as a result of amendments to the Structure Plan and considered that, in view of the likely postponement of I'uture development, the rural wards could be adequately represented by 6 councillors at the 1976 electionsr^and by 7 at the 1C.)79 elections. The 1'arish Councils, on the other hand, were stronrly in favour of our draft proposals. There was some criticism of our proposed boundaries in the urban area which could only be tested by inspection. 9. In view of those differences oi' local opinion we considered that we needed further information before reaching a conclusion. Therefore, in accordance with section 65(2) of the 1972 Act, and at our request, you appointed Mr J Stoker iu; an Assistant Commissioner to hold a local meeting and report to us. 10. The Assistant Commissioner held a local meeting on 10 September and carried out an inspection of the area. A copy (without enclosures) of his report to us is attached at Schedule 1 to this report. 11. The Assistant Commissioner has recommended that the Commission's draft proposals ehould be confirmed except in the area of the proposed Norton, Blue Hall and Mount Pleasant wards whore the boundaries should be redrawn to form three new wards known as Cllebe, Blue Hall and Norton respectively, and involving a slight adjustment to the Portrack and Tilery ward. These alterations are recommended in the interests of preserving local ties. 12. We have considered a^ain our draft proposals in the light of the comments which we had received and of the Assistant Commissioner's report. We accept the Assistant Commissioner's recommendations and, subject to these modifications, confirm our draft proposals as our final proposals. 1j$. Details of these final proposals are set out in Schedule 2 to this report and on the attached maps. 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 maps. 14. In accordance with section 60(5)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972f-a copy of this rej-ort and a copy of the maps are being sent to Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and will be available for public inspection at the Council's main offices, Copies of this report are also being sent to those who received the consultation letter and to those who made comments. A detailed description of the proposed wards, as defined on the maps, is set out in Schedule 3 to this report. L.S. Signed EDMUND COMPTON (CHAIRMAN) JOHN M RANKIN (DEPUTY CHAIRMAN) DIANA ALBEMAKLE T C BENFIELD MICHAEL CHISHOLM ANDREW WHEATLEY y B YOUNG DAVID R SMITH (Secretary) 9 October 1975 jr TO: TH!<: CHAIRMAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND REVIEW OP ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS: BOROUGH OF STOCKTON-ON-TEES Meeting held on the 10th September 1975 Enclosed herewith: 1) Two lists of persons who attended the meeting and copies of additional statements which were submitted by objectors. 2) The Local Government Boundary Commission's proposals together with all the plans enclosed with the Commission's Brief. The objections and observations were heard in the following order:- STOCKTON-ON-TEES BOROUGH The Borough of Stocktcn-on-Tees was represented by Mr Boatswain, a solicitor, who stated that since the Council had submitted their objections tc the Commission's proposals, they had changed their views, with particular reference tc the rural representation on the Council and they now propose that there be 6 representatives for the rural areas, and in 1979 the membership be increased to 7. The Borough Council, however, have now agreed with the Comminnion1a proposals that the representation in the Stninnby and Elm Tree V/nrds bo reduced to ? nnd 1 renpoctivoly. The rnanonn Stockton have chnnged their original views on the Commission's proposals are that after the publication and the public examination of the Structure Plan which was 1. heard in Jun e 1975, they came to the conclusion that very few new dwellings could be erected in the Ingleby Barwick area before 1979 (see the Council's amended statement paragraph 4). They were also of the view that the development at Wolviaton would not be as large as had been previously anticipated (see page 2 of the amended statement by the Borough). The Council then gave their estimates for the increases in the electorate up to 1979. These new estimates are set out in the Council's amended statement on pages 2 and 3. The Council representative, however, did state that in 1978 to the 80*s there would be development in the Ingleby Barwick area and the Wolviston. area. The Council's proposal is now for a Council of 53 members, only 6 from the rural areas and in 1979 the membership of the Council be increased to 54, 7 from the rural areas (see page 12 of the Council's amended proposals).