Elmbridge Electoral Review – Submission by the Elmbridge Liberal Democrats Introduction On 3 February 2015 the Local Government Boundary Commission for England announced that it is minded to recommend that 48 councillors should be elected to the council of Elmbridge Borough in future and it now invites proposals from interested parties on a pattern of electoral wards to accommodate those councillors. Elmbridge Liberal Democrat Local Party represents the party members living within the borough and wishes to make a proposal for the consideration of the commission. History On 10 April 2013 the full council of the Borough of Elmbridge decided by a vote of 26 to 23 to support the recommendation that the borough determine whether to confirm its request for an electoral review to be undertaken by the local government boundary commission for England in order to consider reducing the number of members of the council. The Liberal Democrat Group in the council voted against the recommendation given that, inter idea, the ensuing review could force the borough to accept warding arrangements that do not suit the settled communities. This is because of the commission’s view that an electoral system based on election by thirds could only use three member wards – one council member must be elected from each ward each year. The Liberal Democrat Group felt that such a rule was unnecessary and would rather wait until England reformed its voting system to introduce the single transferrable vote using multi- member wards on a rolling election basis before making any changes of this nature. The Liberal Democrats had noted that Ireland, Scotland and Wales have already moved along this route with the concomitant increase in voter turnout and quality of councillor. Principals Having regard for the position of the commission the Elmbridge Liberal Democrat Local Party has approached the allocation of wards using the following principles: All wards will have three members. All wards will be as close to 6,200 electors (99,268 divided by 16) as possible. As far as possible, the constituent towns of the borough: Claygate, Cobham, Ditton, Esher, Hersham, Molesey, Walton and Weybridge, will maintain their boundaries. Claygate, having its own parish will be protected. Changes will be at a minimum so that present wards will be enlarged. As far as possible, neighbourhoods within towns: for example, Hinchley Wood, Oatlands Park, St Georges Hill and Weston Green will be not be split between wards. Present English constituency and Surrey divisional boundaries will be ignored. There are various occasions where these principles will be in conflict and so a judgement has to be made as to balance taken between them. Elmbridge Government History Elmbridge has been a unit of government since Saxon times. Indeed the modern borough is almost coterminous with the original Saxon hundred of the same name. It contained four parishes: Ditton, Molesey, Stoke D’Abernon and Walton. The parishes of Cobham (1150), Weybridge (1180), Thames Ditton (1250), and Esher (1292) were formed later. In 1894 Walton and Weybridge were designated as towns. In 1895 Ditton, Esher and Molesey followed suit. In 1933 Walton and Weybridge along with parts of Byfleet were merged as were the towns of Ditton, Esher and Molesey along with the parishes of Cobham and Stoke D’Abernon to form Esher. In 1974 Walton and Weybridge was merged with Esher to form Elmbridge. None of the original parishes remained. In 2000 a new parish of Claygate was created from the erstwhile medieval parish of Thames Ditton. Although Hersham never formally became a civil parish (having been created after the Poor Law Act of 1834) it is locally regarded as quite separate from Walton from which it broke away in 1851. The boundary is the London and Southampton Railway, built in 1838. The map below shows the constituent towns of the borough and the date their boundaries were formed. Internal Elmbridge Structure The borough of Elmbridge has, over the years, developed its statuary plans and government business based on the ancient Saxons parishes and Victorian towns described above. These are known as the settlements: Claygate, Cobham, Ditton, Esher, Hersham, Molesey, Walton, and Weybridge. Although the current ward boundaries almost follow the settlement’s borders they do not do so completely. We therefore take the opportunity of reverting to the original boundaries. Claygate and Cobham do not require any changes, Ditton require two small boundary changes: one with Esher and the other with Molesey. Hersham requires a minor change with Weybridge and Walton requires two minor changes: one with Molesey and one with Weybridge. These are shown in Appendix A. The distribution of the electorate for each town is as follows. Town Electorate Claygate 5,509 Cobham 12,915 Ditton 17,306 Esher 5,021 Hersham 9,832 Molesey 14,196 Walton 18,978 Weybridge 15,511 Total 99,268 Given that the Elmbridge electorate is 99,268 and the number of proposed councillors is 48 the average electorate for each three member ward is 6,204. On this basis the councillors would be distributed among the towns as follows. Town Electorate Cllrs Claygate 5,509 3 Cobham 12,915 6 Ditton 17,306 8 Esher 5,021 2 Hersham 9,832 5 Molesey 14,196 7 Walton 18,978 9 Weybridge 15,511 8 Total 99,268 48 Three towns have the required number of councillor to enable them to consist of three member wards: Claygate (3), Cobham (6) and Walton (9). Clearly the other towns cannot, by themselves, consist of three member wards so we grouped those together Ditton and Molesey in one group (15) and Esher, Hersham and Weybridge (15) in another. Town Electorate Cllrs Electorate/ward Claygate (Parish) 5,509 3 5,509 Cobham 12,915 6 6,458 Ditton and Molesey 31,502 15 6,300 Esher, Hersham and Weybridge 30,364 15 6,073 Walton 18,978 9 6,326 Total 99,268 48 6,204 Claygate This ward remains as it is, a three member ward with 5,509 electors coterterminus with the parish boundary. Cobham One of the three current wards, Cobham Fairmile, is split equally between the other two wards to become Cobham Downside (6,466) and Oxshott and Stoke D’Abernon (6,449). Walton One of the four current wards, Walton Ambleside, is shared between the remaining three wards to become Walton Central (6,172), Walton North (6,398) and Walton South (6,408). Ditton and Molesey If these two towns were self-standing, because of the need to have three member wards, it would mean that: Ditton would require three wards of 5,769 electors – which is just within the 10% permitted range; but, Molesey would require two three member wards of 7,098 electors – which well outside the permitted range. By bringing the two towns together there can be five three member wards of 6,300 electors. Just as Ditton consists of the two localities of Long Ditton and Thames Ditton (Hinchley Wood and Weston Green are neighbourhoods within Thames Ditton); Molesey consists of two localities of West Molesey and East Molesey. However, the current wards are North and South so we have taken the opportunity of reorienting the wards to reflect more closely the localities involved. Ditton and Molesey will have five three member wards: East Molesey - 6,319 electors; Hinchley Wood and Weston Green - 6,342 electors; Long Ditton - 6,270 electors; Thames Ditton - 6,218 electors; and, West Molesey 6,353 electors. All the wards would be within 3% of the mean. Esher, Hersham and Weybridge If these three towns were self-standing, because of the need to have three member wards, it would mean that: Esher would require one three member ward of 5,021 electors; Hersham would require two three member wards of 4,916 electors; and, Weybridge would require three three member wards of 5,170 electors. All these would be outside the 10% permitted range. By bringing the three towns together and reducing the number of three member wards by one there can be five three member wards of 6,073 electors. Esher, Hersham and Weybridge would have five three member wards: Esher – 6,195 electors; Hersham – 6,044 electors; Oatlands Park – 6,069 electors; Weybridge Riverside – 6,007 electors; and, Weybridge St George’s Hill – 6,049 electors. One wards will be within 1% of the mean; three within 3% and one within 4%. Summary Whilst keeping fidelity to the long understood communities within the borough we have maintained a ward system with all but one ward (Claygate civil parish) close to the mean. New Ward Electors Deviance Esher 6,195 0.1% Thames Ditton 6,218 0.2% Walton South 6,266 1.0% Long Ditton 6,270 1.1% Walton Central 6,314 1.8% East Molesey 6,315 1.8% Hinchley Wood and Weston Green 6,342 2.2% West Molesey 6,347 2.3% Weybridge St George's Hill 6,049 2.5% Hersham 6,044 2.6% Oatlands Park 6,038 2.7% Weybridge Riverside 6,038 2.7% Walton North 6,398 3.1% Oxshott and Stoke D'Abernon 6,449 3.9% Cobham Downside 6,466 4.2% Claygate (civil parish) 5,509 11.2% Total - mean 99,268 6,204 Claygate could be brought within the 10% range by including Arbrook, Brandan and Milbrook from Esher (Esher is very close to the mean) but we feel that such a move would be regrettable. Further Documentation The street data is included as an Excel workbook as is a more detailed map. The summary map in shown below. Appendix A Adjusting the town’s boundaries to their historical location In each case the current ward boundary is in black and the original settlement boundary is in red.