Simon Eardley
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Carlsson-Hyslop, Dan From: Simon Eardley Sent: 31 October 2017 23:30 To: reviews Subject: Cheshire West and Chester Consultation - personal submission by Simon Eardley Attachments: Great Boughton sign.jpeg; Hoole and Newton Roundabout.jpeg Simon Eardley 31 October 2017 Dear Sir, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the draft proposals for new electoral boundaries in Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council. I am a resident of Chester (residing in the existing ward of Hoole) and a Parish Councillor on Upton‐by‐Chester and District Parish Council but I also have strong personal links to the village of Ince (currently in the Elton ward, proposed to be in an Elton & Mickle Trafford ward) and would therefore like to comment on the following: ‐ The proposals in general terms as they affect Chester, with particular reference to Hoole where I live; ‐ The proposals as they specifically affect the general area of Upton‐by‐Chester and District Parish Council, and ‐ The proposed Elton & Mickle Trafford ward. Chester and Hoole Broadly I welcome the Commission proposals as they affect the city of Chester. I believe you have treated the area sensitively and sought to maintain and promote community relationships where they exist in seeking to give them the most effective possible representation at local government level. For example, in areas such as Blacon, which has long and established community links within itself, you have sought to ensure they continue to enjoy strong representation in a multi‐councillor ward for the whole area with a logical expansion into that part of the current Garden Quarter ward which borders the current Blacon ward. This area has, in my view, a more established and less transient population than the remainder of the Garden Quarter which is rather dominated by the local student 1 population. It makes sense to place it in with an established community such as Blacon which is very well connected in terms of local transport links and geographical proximity. The Garden Quarter area of Chester does have an important community identity but to suggest it encompasses the whole of the current ward is to overstate the case. As I have noted already, the fact of a large student population that is mobile and changes over a short period of time, makes this an increasingly fluid community. Students living in 'Garden Quarter' are unlikely to refer to it as that, they are much more likely to say they live in Chester. The area naturally looks towards Chester as a city in any case and would be better served by city‐focused councillors who would also be dealing with similar issues in the remainder of their ward. I also welcome moves to create a strong 'City' ward which draws into itself those areas that have a strong attachment to the city as a whole and look naturally towards it but haven't necessarily been part of its local government representation in recent times. The city has strong transport links within it and unique issues of concern which span across the core of Chester as a whole. Issues such as traffic congestion (inevitable in a relatively small area), air quality and the need for thriving local businesses within the city centre itself. I believe the proposals of the Commission create a logical community of interest and one that can be effectively represented by a strong team of three‐councillors. I know less of areas such as Vicars Cross and Boughton Heath and the area of the south of the river, Handbridge Park and Lache. I would, however, note that in the case of Vicars Cross and Boughton Heath they are linked via parish council representation (see image attached) and there is very little to differentiate housing within the existing Great Boughton ward. Roads links are strong within it and there is a large crossover of shared services and community amenities (the shops along Christleton Road, for example) and local schools from primary to secondary level. I wonder whether this area ought to be an ongoing and strong two‐councillor ward rather than the two one‐ councillor wards currently proposed. In using the term 'south of the river' I would merely say that this is a well understand collection of communities that have strong precedents for working together in the past and I would therefore suggest it is entirely logical for there to be a three‐councillor Handbridge Park and Lache ward under the historic name, Overleigh. Finally, in respect of Hoole where I live, I welcome the proposals to join this area largely with its immediate neighbour, Newton. Again, there are strong and established links between the two areas in terms of transport, the make‐up of housing stock across the proposed ward, shared shopping and leisure facilities. I recently received our local community magazine, the 'Hoole & Newton Roundabout' (see attached image) which is delivered across large areas of the proposed ward, if not all. This neatly illustrates the relationship between the two areas and how local residents look to businesses, local amenities and other services that are within the Newton and Hoole community as being therein rather than in other parts of Chester. Indeed, as a resident in Hoole I frequently make use of local shops in the Newton area, such as the veterinary practice on Brook Lane which can also be accessed easily on foot from where I live on the edge of the current Hoole ward. Sharing of local police services and the close geographical proximity of the two areas make the case compelling for a joined‐up approach in this part of Chester which I feel sure will find support from other residents. Whether the ward name should be 'Newton & Hoole' or 'Hoole & Newton' is a debating point; personally I would prefer the latter although this is a minor point really as whatever combination would clearly recognise these two areas in any case. Upton 2 I was elected to represent the Upton Heath ward of Upton‐by‐Chester and District Parish Council in June 2016. I was immediately struck when joining the council how there is a very strong local sense of identity and understanding of 'Upton' as an area and I therefore strongly welcome the proposals that would see the grouped parish of Upton‐by‐ Chester remain as the main building block for a new ward. I am aware that this is the collective view of the parish council also, passed as a resolution at one of our recent meetings. Issues and concerns that arise in Upton are often just that, Upton‐wide, and therefore a strong two‐councillor ward is the best possible option which I note the Commission recommend. There is widespread sharing of community facilities and services across Upton and it is a strong, distinct community, one of only two parished areas in the city of Chester. I cannot see how one could make a sensible case for a different configuration of ward members in Upton. As a parish councillor I represent the Upton Heath parish ward but in reality this is meaningless to local residents. They identify with Upton as a whole and I believe largely expect me as a parish councillor to act in the interests of the whole parish even if there are very occasional and specific parochial issues to deal with. I welcome a tidying up of some peripheral boundaries that this exercise affords, such as the Plas Newton Lane area of Upton where it borders the current Newton ward and the uniting into an Upton ward the whole of roads such as 'The Beeches' which is off Plas Newton Lane. I would suggest that it would make a lot of sense to local residents if the whole of Wealstone Lane were placed into Upton as this is a major road within the ward on which our pavilion building and major playing fields sit. It is an anomaly that a small number of houses at the 'Newton end' are separate from the remainder of the ward so consideration to a further amendment in that area would make sense. On closer examination of the map facility on the Commission website, I also noticed that the boundary has been pushed a little further along into the current Newton ward than I believe is desirable or makes sense from a local community perspective. I am referring specifically to Wealstone Court, Queensway and Newton Hall Drive which are proposed to move into Upton. These roads have longstanding and historic identification with the current Newton area and should remain in a ward where Newton is a large component part in my view. On the whole I believe the Commission have done a good job for local residents in configuring their new local government ward and I'm pleased to add my support to the proposals with the minor tweaks mentioned above. Elton & Mickle Trafford I was born in Ince, (via the Countess of Chester hospital!) which is currently in the Elton ward and where my family have farmed for many years. I am currently churchwarden in the Parish of Thornton‐le‐Moors with Ince and Elton which is an ecclesiastical parish encompassing the villages in its name but also the hamlet of Wimbolds Trafford which extends the border more or less to Mickle Trafford itself with Bridge Trafford in between. For many years the village of Ince, a small and rural community with a long history, was tagged onto the large urban sprawl of Ellesmere Port with which it had very little affinity or long term association. Issues such as rural transport, the lack of rural services such as shops and other amenities were anathema to the remainder of the ward of which Ince was part, a 'chalk and cheese' relationship.