Filey Town Council Warding Submission

Local Government Boundary Commission for England 2017-2018 Electoral Review of Scarborough Borough Council Filey Town Council Warding Submission

September 2017 Filey Town Council – Warding Submission – September 2017

Introduction

In submitting the warding proposal, Filey Town Council (FTC) has met the requirements set out in the 2014 Electoral Reviews: Technical Guidance and legislation. In particular, FTC has taken note of Schedule 2 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.

FTC accepts and supports the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s (LGBCE) ‘minded to’ size of a 45-member Scarborough Borough Council (SBC).

A 45-member council would by the year 2023 lead to each councillor representing about 1,953 electors, which is broadly in line with local authorities that are ‘similar’ to SBC.

Before creating a submission, FTC gathered together information relevant to the review. The information was used to develop the proposal and forms the supporting evidence for the submission.

The focus of this submission will be on the Filey area. FTC feels like it is best placed to comment on the Town and the surrounding area.

It will leave detailed whole-Borough ward patterning proposals to those with a more global view. However, this should not be taken as a lack of interest as FTC will continue to take a keen interest in the boundary review process for the whole Borough.

Filey Town Council – Warding Submission – September 2017

The Borough of Scarborough (Electoral Changes) Order 2000 – Current Arrangements

In 1998 the LGBCE began a review of SBC with the final recommendations for electoral arrangements published in November 1999, which set out that: • Scarborough Borough Council should have 50 councillors; • There should be 25 wards; • The boundaries of 19 of the existing wards should be modified, resulting in a net increase of three, and only three wards should retain their existing boundaries; • Whole-council elections should continue to take place every four years; • 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 Newby & Scalby and Whitby, and; • New warding arrangements for the parishes of Filey and Glaisdale.

The Borough of Scarborough (Electoral Changes) Order 2000 (‘the 2000 Order’) implemented the final recommendations, with the first elections under the new boundaries taking place in 2003.

Since the 2000 Order was implemented there have been no further reviews. The fact that SBC has not needed an interim review in the meantime is a testament to the tremendous foresight of the LGBCE.

The effect of the 2000 Order was that on average each councillor would by the year 2003 represent approximately 1,775 electors.

Figures produced by SBC as part of the review suggest that under the existing arrangements each councillor currently represents approximately 1,634 electors. The proposal to reduce the size of the Council to 45 members would see each councillor representing 1,953 by 2023.

In preparing this response FTC felt that the numbers produced by SBC throw up some interesting questions. For instance, it seems unlikely that the Borough’s electoral population would grow by 6,172 between 2017 and 2023i, when currently it has approximately 5,087 electors less than it did in 1998ii.

Another interesting aspect is that for many areas there is no projected growth or reduction in electoral population, for instance, five of the seven polling districts in Seamer and Derwent Valley County Division are predicted not to change at alliii. However, questions around the validity of the numbers are for the LGBCE to consider. FTC leave it to the LGBCE to consider whether it wishes to revaluate the figures produced by SBC.

Filey Town Council – Warding Submission – September 2017

Character of Filey

There has been a community in Filey for more than twelve centuries. In the late fourth century, the Romans built a signal station on Carr Naze, just to the north of the Town. For many centuries Filey was a farming and fishing community with a few hundred inhabitants who, for the most part, lived in the area Queen Street.

In the eighteenth-century things began to change when visitors came from Scarborough to Filey to walk on the beach. Filey Bay stretches from Filey Brigg peninsula in the north to the cliffs of Flamborough Head to the south.

Foords Hotel in Queen Street was opened as the first establishment to be built with visitors in mind. In 1835 John Wilkes Unett, a Birmingham solicitor, created plans for what was to become The Crescent, which is now one of the finest terraces of domestic buildings in the country. Between 1910 and 1912 the Filey Flying School was established on the cliffs between Primrose Valley and Hunmanby Gap.

Though Filey had much changed in recent years, it retains many of its features which made it so popular in Victorian and Edwardian days, what is equally important for its residents; there still remains a strong and valued sense of community

For more than forty years Butlin's Holiday Camp was central to the area’s economy. Construction started in 1939 and continued through the war, during which it became RAF Hunmanby Moor. From 1945 onwards it was a popular holiday centre. It finally closed in 1984.

Today Filey still has a strong community. There are many community organisations active in the Town including: Filey Lions, U3A, the Rotary Club, RNLI, Filey Ornithological Society and Probus. There is still a strong connection with the sea with a small number of summer fishing boats still operating from Coble Landing. The Coastguard also has many volunteers from the Town and surrounding area.

In terms of the economy tourism still plays a big role, both in the town and further south in the Parish around Primrose Valley. The Town is comparatively well served with a large supermarket, a railway station, shops, pubs and restaurants. Several A-roads pass through or near the FTC area meaning that it is relatively well connected.

Filey Town Council – Warding Submission – September 2017

Our Proposal

Summary FTC’s proposal is relatively straight forward and would see one three-member ward created with boundaries that are co-terminus with that of the Town Council.

FTC feels that the current arrangement of SBC elections happening once every four years is satisfactory and has no further comment to make.

Overview The new ward would comprise the following SBC polling districts: IA, IB and KA. The IA polling district covers the eastern part of the town and IB the western part. The two polling districts make up the current Filey borough council ward.

The KA polling district covers the area to the south of the town, including: Hunmanby Gap, Primrose Valley, Royal Oak, Filey Golf Club and Muston Grange. KA is in the current Hertford and Cayton borough ward.

FTC believes that the proposed ward would achieve the following: • Secure equality of representation The proposed ward would have a variance of 5.16% from the SBC average by 2023.

• Reflect the identities and interests of local communities The proposed ward would have clear boundaries that are the same as FTC. The Town Council’s boundaries have existed since the mid-1890s and are therefore well understood and longstanding. It would also see the Primrose Valley community, which has a lot of links with Filey included in the same ward. It is fair to say that most people in the proposed ward would shop and socialise in Filey.

• Ensure effective and convenient local government The proposed borough ward would have co-terminus boundaries with FTC. This would allow for more effective and convenient local government as the Town Council would not be split between two borough wards. It would also mean there is one point of contact for the Town Council in communicating and working with the Borough Council.

FTC note that the ‘Electoral reviews Technical guidance April 2014’ at paragraphs 1.12, 3.6, 3.17-3.22iv, makes clear the LGBCE’s commitment to having parishes (in this case a Town Council) as the building blocks for wards. It is the view of FTC that there is no need to split the Town Council in the review and that the area it covers would provide sufficient electoral population to be a ward in its own right.

In relation to paragraph 1.7 ‘Electoral reviews Technical guidance April 2014’. FTC has no fixed view on whether a separate Primrose Valley ward would be required if the Borough ward and FTC had coterminous boundaries. It might be that no separate Primrose Valley

Filey Town Council – Warding Submission – September 2017

ward is required. FTC therefore asks that the LGBCE consider the matter further and put forward a proposal in the next round of consultation.

Proposed Name for the Ward FTC consider that the most appropriate name for the ward would be: ‘Filey ward’. The option of Filey ad Primrose Valley was considered. However, as the ward proposed is coterminous with FTC, on the grounds of efficiency and convince, simply calling the proposed ward ‘Filey ward’ would work best. Filey is also by far the largest community and inhabitation in the proposed ward.

Electoral Population Projection Figures provided by SBC on the LGBCE’s website suggest that the arrangement would produce the following electoral population under a 45-member Borough Council:

Polling District & Electorate Variance Variance Electorate Variance Variance Area 2017 % 2023 % IA - Filey 3318 3498 IB - Filey 2054 2327 KA - Primrose 335 335 Valley Totals 5707 261 4.79% 6160 302 5.16%

Filey Town Council – Warding Submission – September 2017

Map of the proposed Filey ward

i 2017. Scarborough Electorate Proforma. SBC. ii 1998. Final recommendations on the future of electoral arrangements for Scarborough in North Yorkshire. LGCE. iii 2017. Scarborough Electorate Proforma. SBC. iv2014. Electoral Reviews Technical Guidance. LGBCE.