Cheshire West & Chester Labour Local Government Committee The Cheshire West and Chester Unitary Authority Review Boundary Committee for England Trevelyan House Great Peter Street London SW1P 2HW 30th March 2009 Dear Sir The Cheshire West and Chester Unitary Authority Review Thank you for your invitation to comment on council size, as the first stage of the electoral review of CWAC. I will list for ease of reference the comments from Cheshire West and Chester Labour Local Government Committee. 1. The People and Places submission that was accepted by the Secretary of State as the basis for the efficient delivery of local government in Cheshire proposed 72 councillors and also envisaged the creation of single member wards. 2. The governance principles agreed in the People and Places submission included ‘councillors able to fulfil their roles effectively, in particular representing and speaking for the people who elect them and the communities they represent. The need for them to be clearly accountable to the electorate for each aspect of their roles’ 3. The principle of about 72 councillors for Cheshire West and Chester has therefore been established. 4. 24 County Councillors covered the CWAC area delivering 70% of the services to this part of Cheshire. Increasing the number threefold significantly helps delivering these same services and taking on the responsibilities of the former borough councils. 5. In the light of experience the CWAC LGC feels that a small increase in councillor numbers would assist representation without significantly straying from the original submission. 6. Areas such as Northwich (3902 electors per councillor) and Winsford (3769 electors per councillor) are under represented by one councillor each (7 required not 6). 7. Increasing the ratio of electors to councillor by two would give urban areas slightly better representation (3334 electors per councillor) than rural areas (3510 electors per councillor) and as such we would suggest a further councillor making a total of 75. Chair : David Robinson Secretary : Sue Pugh Treasurer : Peter Barnard Orchard 1 Kings Crescent West, Chester 54 Black Lion Road, Little Sutton, Cottage, Dodleston Lane, Pulford, CH3 5TQ Ellesmere Port Chester CH4 9DS [email protected] CH66 4UD [email protected] 01244 319555 [email protected] 01244 570891 07809 861 609 Cheshire West & Chester Labour Local Government Committee 8. The present representation is about 3500 electors per councillor. 75 councillors would make it about 3350. This reduction in the number of electors will improve representation. 9. The government have stated that they are keen to improve the interaction between elected members and their constituents and indeed to become local champions. As the new council develops, area working will increase and already a provisional system of local working has been put in place, This will obviously increase councillor work load and in itself justifies a small increase in the number of councillors. 10. At this stage of the review ward boundaries are not a detailed consideration but CWAC Labour LGC feels that increasing the number of councillors to 75 will assist in creating wards that more accurately reflect their communities. Whilst I understand that the committee will not be deciding, at this stage, on the number of councillors per ward it has been suggested that some indication of general thinking on this issue would be helpful. The CWAC Labour Local Government Committee are supportive of the principle of single member wards, though it recognises that exceptionally there may need to be some multi member wards to avoid splitting communities. Our rationale for single member wards is as follows 1. The People and Places submission clearly states ‘both authorities will quickly explore the range of options available and with the help of the Boundary Committee for England, will adopt single member wards.’ 2. Where single member wards were proposed in various bids, they clearly were part of Minister's calculations in terms of judging the merits of a bid on grounds of strong leadership and accountability. 3. Single member wards improve accountability and therefore representation. It is easier for electors to know who their councillor is and judge his or her performance over the electoral cycle. 4. Council representation as a councillor should include community leadership and single member wards help to achieve this. 5. In three seat wards the reply to who is your councillor is often difficult especially where different political parties are represented. 6. Single member wards more accurately reflect communities than do most of the existing three seat wards. 7. Some distinct communities are too small to have one councillor but a collection of adjacent small communities would achieve the required representation levels. Chair : David Robinson Secretary : Sue Pugh Treasurer : Peter Barnard Orchard 1 Kings Crescent West, Chester 54 Black Lion Road, Little Sutton, Cottage, Dodleston Lane, Pulford, CH3 5TQ Ellesmere Port Chester CH4 9DS [email protected] CH66 4UD [email protected] 01244 319555 [email protected] 01244 570891 07809 861 609 Cheshire West & Chester Labour Local Government Committee 8. By way of illustration examples are given in the table below of distinct communities within the existing 24 wards. Present Division Distinctive Communities Abbey Hartford, Davenham, Moulton Blacon Blacon Point, Blacon Lodge or Blacon Boughton Heath/Vicars Cross Boughton Heath, Vicars Cross, Huntingdon, Dodleston Broxton Malpas, Tattenhall, Farndon Central and Westminster Stanney Grange, Westminster, Wolverham, Town Centre, Ince City Boughton, Newtown, College, City Centre Eddisbury Cuddington/Sandiway, Utkinton/Eaton, Tarporley Frodsham and Helsby Frodsham and Helsby Gowy Kelsall, Tarvin, Christleton and Waverton Grange and Rossmore Little Sutton, Great Sutton, Overpool, Rivacre, Town Centre Groves and Whitby Whitby, Groves, Strawberry Fields, Stanney Oaks Hoole and Newton Plas Newton, Kingsway, Hoole Ledsham and Willaston Little Sutton, Willaston, Hooton, Childer Thornton, Burton, Ness Marbury Higher Whitley/Antrobus, Barnton Mickle Trafford Mickle Trafford, Elton, Saughall Neston and Parkgate Neston, Little Neston, Parkgate Northwich E and Shackerley Rudheath, Witton, Lostock, Northwich West Winnington, Castle, Leftwich, Kingsmead Overleigh Handbridge, Lache, Curzon Park, Westminster Park Sutton and Manor Pooltown, Manor and Great Sutton Upton Bache, Upton Heath, Plas Newton Weaver Weaverham, Manley/Norley, Sutton Weaver Winsford North/East Wharton, Gravel, Verdin Winsford South/West Over, Dene, Swanlow I trust that this response is useful and look forward to your comments and participation in the next stage of the review. Yours faithfully David Robinson Chair CWAC Labour Local Government Committee Chair : David Robinson Secretary : Sue Pugh Treasurer : Peter Barnard Orchard 1 Kings Crescent West, Chester 54 Black Lion Road, Little Sutton, Cottage, Dodleston Lane, Pulford, CH3 5TQ Ellesmere Port Chester CH4 9DS [email protected] CH66 4UD [email protected] 01244 319555 [email protected] 01244 570891 07809 861 609 .