Draft recommendations on the future electoral arrangements for Wakefield February 2003 © Crown Copyright 2003 Applications for reproduction should be made to: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office Copyright Unit. The mapping in this report is reproduced from OS mapping by The Electoral Commission with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, © Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Licence Number: GD 03114G. This report is printed on recycled paper. 2 Contents Page What is The Boundary Committee for England? 5 Summary 7 1. Introduction 13 2. Current electoral arrangements 15 3. Submissions received 19 4. Analysis and draft recommendations 21 5. What happens next? 55 Appendix A Draft recommendations for Wakefield: 57 Detailed mapping B Code of practice on written consultation 59 3 4 What is The Boundary Committee for England? The Boundary Committee for England is a committee of The Electoral Commission, an independent body set up by Parliament under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. The functions of the Local Government Commission for England were transferred to The Electoral Commission and its Boundary Committee on 1 April 2002 by the Local Government Commission for England (Transfer of Functions) Order 2001 (SI 2001 No. 3692). The Order also transferred to The Electoral Commission the functions of the Secretary of State in relation to taking decisions on recommendations for changes to local authority electoral arrangements and implementing them. Members of the Committee are: Pamela Gordon (Chair) Professor Michael Clarke CBE Robin Gray Joan Jones Ann M Kelly Professor Colin Mellors Archie Gall (Director) We are required by law to review the electoral arrangements of every principal local authority in England. Our aim is to ensure that the number of electors represented by each councillor in an area is as nearly as possible the same, taking into account local circumstances. We can recommend changes to ward boundaries, the number of councillors and ward names. We can also recommend changes to the electoral arrangements of parish and town councils. 5 6 Summary We began a review of the electoral arrangements for Wakefield on 8 May 2002. • This report summarises the submissions we received during the first stage of the review, and makes draft recommendations for change. We found that the current arrangements provide unequal representation of electors in Wakefield: • in five of the 21 wards the number of electors represented by each councillor varies by more than 10% from the average for the district and one ward varies by more than 20% from the average; • by 2006 this situation is expected to worsen, with the number of electors per councillor forecast to vary by more than 10% from the average in eight wards and by more than 20% in two wards. Our main draft recommendations for future electoral arrangements (see Tables 1 and 2 and paragraphs 194-195) are that: • The City of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council should have 63 councillors, as at present; • there should be 21 wards, as at present; • the boundaries of 20 of the existing wards should be modified, and one ward should retain its existing boundaries. The purpose of these proposals is to ensure that, in future, each district councillor represents approximately the same number of electors, bearing in mind local circumstances. • In 20 of the proposed 21 wards the number of electors per councillor would vary by no more than 10% from the district average. • An improved level of electoral equality is forecast to continue, with the number of electors per councillor in 19 wards expected to vary by no more than 10% from the average for the district in 2006. Recommendations are also made for changes to parish and town council electoral arrangements which provide for: • revised warding arrangements and the redistribution of councillors for the parishes of Crofton, Featherstone and Normanton. This report sets out our draft recommendations on which comments are invited. • We will consult on these proposals for eight weeks from 11 February 2003. We take this consultation very seriously. We may decide to move away from our draft recommendations in the light of comments or suggestions that we receive. It is therefore important that all interested parties let us have their views and evidence, whether or not they agree with our draft recommendations. • After considering local views, we will decide whether to modify our draft recommendations. We will then submit our final recommendations to The Electoral Commission which will be responsible for implementing change to local authority electoral arrangements. • The Electoral Commission will decide whether to accept, modify or reject our final recommendations. It will also determine when any changes come into effect. 7 You should express your views by writing directly to us at the address below by 7 April 2003: Team Leader Wakefield Review The Boundary Committee for England Trevelyan House Great Peter Street London SW1P 2HW 8 Table 1: Draft recommendations: Summary Number of Large Map Ward name Constituent areas councillors reference 1 Ackworth, North Elmsall & 3 The parishes of Ackworth, Badsworth, Hessle & Hill Maps 2, 3, Upton Top, Huntwick with Foulby & Nostell, North Elmsall, 5 and 6 Thorpe Audlin, Upton and West Hardwick 2 Airedale & Ferry Fryston 3 Part of Castleford Ferry Fryston ward, part of Maps 2 and (unparished) Castleford Glasshoughton ward, part of Knottingley 3 ward 3 Altofts & Whitwood 3 Part of Featherstone parish (the proposed Ackton Maps 1 and (part-parished) Pasture parish ward); part of Normanton parish 2 (the proposed Altofts parish ward); part of Castleford Glasshoughton ward; part of Castleford Whitwood ward 4 Castleford Central & 3 Part of Castleford Ferry Fryston ward; part of Maps 2 and Glasshoughton Castleford Glasshoughton ward; part of Castleford 3 (unparished) Whitwood ward 5 Crofton, Ryhill & Walton 3 Part of Crofton parish (the proposed West parish Maps 1, 2 ward); the parishes of Chevet, Havercroft with Cold and 5 Hiendley, Notton, Ryhill, Walton and Wintersett 6 Featherstone 3 Part of Featherstone parish (the proposed Central, Maps 2, 3 East, North West and South parish wards); part of and 5 Crofton parish (the proposed East parish ward); Sharlston parish 7 Hemsworth 3 The parishes of South Hiendley and Hemsworth Maps 5 and 6 8 Horbury 3 Part of Horbury ward; part of Ossett ward Maps 1 and (unparished) 4 9 Knottingley 3 Part of Castleford Ferry Fryston ward; part of Map 3 (unparished) Knottingley ward 10 Normanton 3 Part of Featherstone parish (the proposed Western Maps 1 and Gales Way parish ward); part of Normanton parish 2 (the proposed Normanton, Normanton Common and Woodhouse parish wards); the parishes of Newland with Woodhouse Moor and Warmfield cum Heath; part of Castleford Whitwood ward 11 Ossett 3 Part of Horbury ward; part of Ossett ward; part of Map 1 (unparished) Stanley & Wrenthorpe ward 12 Pontefract North 3 Part of Knottingley ward; part of Pontefract North Maps 2 and (unparished) ward 3 13 Pontefract South 3 Part of Knottingley ward; part of Pontefract North Maps 3 and (part-parished) ward; part of Pontefract South ward; the parishes 6 of Darrington and East Hardwick 14 South Elmsall & South 3 The parishes of South Elmsall and South Kirkby & Map 6 Kirkby Moorthorpe 9 Number of Large Map Ward name Constituent areas councillors reference 15 Stanley & Outwood East 3 Part of Stanley & Altofts ward; part of Stanley & Maps 1 and (unparished) Wrenthorpe ward; part of Wakefield East ward 2 16 Wakefield East 3 Part of Stanley & Altofts ward; part of Wakefield Map 1 (unparished) Central ward; part of Wakefield East ward 17 Wakefield North 3 Part of Stanley & Wrenthorpe ward; part of Map 1 (unparished) Wakefield Central ward; part of Wakefield East ward; part of Wakefield North ward 18 Wakefield Rural 3 Unchanged – the parishes of Crigglestone, Maps 1, 4 Sitlington, West Bretton and Woolley and 5 19 Wakefield South 3 Part of Wakefield Central ward; part of Wakefield Maps 1, 4 (unparished) East ward; part of Wakefield South ward and 5 20 Wakefield West 3 Part of Ossett ward; part of Wakefield Central Map 1 (unparished) ward; part of Wakefield North ward; part of Stanley & Wrenthorpe ward 21 Wrenthorpe & Outwood 3 Part of Ossett ward; part of Stanley & Altofts ward; Map 1 West part of Stanley & Wrenthorpe ward; part of (unparished) Wakefield North ward Notes: 1) There are two separate unparished areas in the north-west and north-east of the district, comprising 12 wards and part of two further wards, as indicated above. 2) The wards on the above table are illustrated on Map 2 and the large maps. 10 Table 2: Draft recommendations for Wakefield Ward name Number Electorate Number Variance Electorate Number Variance of (2001) of from (2006) of from councillors electors average electors average per % per % councillor councillor 1 Ackworth, North 3 12,317 4,106 3 12,256 4,085 2 Elmsall & Upton 2 Airedale & Ferry 3 11,767 3,922 -1 11,638 3,879 -3 Fryston 3 Altofts & Whitwood 3 11,244 3,748 -6 11,915 3,972 -1 4 Castleford Central 3 11,620 3,873 -3 11,719 3,906 -3 & Glasshoughton 5 Crofton, Ryhill & 3 11,912 3,971 0 11,969 3,990 -1 Walton 6 Featherstone 3 13,159 4,386 10 13,042 4,347 8 7 Hemsworth 3 11,724 3,908 -2 11,774 3,925 -2 8 Horbury 3 12,494 4,165 5 12,511 4,170 4 9 Knottingley 3 10,755 3,585 -10 10,605 3,535 -12 10 Normanton 3 11,719 3,906 -2 12,278 4,093 2 11 Ossett 3 12,357