District of Fenland Review of Electoral Arrangements Fenland District Council Draft Submission

DISTRICT OF FENLAND REVIEW OF ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FENLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL DRAFT SUBMISSION

Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ...... 4 2. WELCOME TO FENLAND ...... 5 3. WELCOME TO FENLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL ...... 6 6 COUNCIL SIZE & ELECTORATE FIGURES ...... 9 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 9 APPENDIX 1 CURRENT ELECTORATE BY WARD – 2011 ELECTORAL FIGURES ...... 11 APPENDIX 2 EXISTING WARDING ARRANGEMENTS ...... 12 APPENDIX 3 FORECAST ELECTORATE BY PROPOSED WARD – PROJECTED 2018 FIGURES ...... 13 APPENDIX 4 PROPOSED DISTRICT WARDING ARRANGEMENTS – OPTIONS 1 & 2 ...... 15 APPENDIX 5 INDIVIDUAL WARD PROFILES ...... 17 WHITTLESEY – NORTH – SINGLE MEMBER WARD ...... 17 WHITTLESEY CENTRAL – ...... 20 WHITTLESEY NORTH EAST WARD ...... 23 WHITTLESEY WEST ...... 26 WHITTLESEY – EAST WARD – SINGLE MEMBER WARD ...... 29 BENWICK, COATES AND EASTREA ...... 32 CHATTERIS – BIRCH WARD ...... 35 CHATTERIS – SLADE LODE WARD ...... 38 CHATTERIS – THE MILLS WARD ...... 41 CHATTERIS – WENNEYE WARD ...... 44 MARCH – MARCH WEST WARD ...... 47 MARCH – MARCH EAST WARD ...... 50 MARCH – MARCH NORTH WARD ...... 53 DODDINGTON WARD ...... 56 Option 1 ...... 58 Option 2 ...... 58 WIMBLINGTON WARD ...... 60 Option 1 ...... 62 Option 2 ...... 62 MANEA WARD ...... 64 ELM AND CHRISTCHURCH WARD...... 67

WISBECH - WATERLEES VILLAGE WARD – DUAL MEMBER WARD ...... 71 WISBECH - KIRKGATE WARD ...... 74 WISBECH – STAITHE WARD ...... 77 WISBECH – CLARKSON WARD ...... 80 WISBECH – OCTAVIA HILL WARD ...... 83 WISBECH – MEDWORTH WARD ...... 86 WISBECH – PECKOVER WARD – SINGLE MEMBER WARD ...... 89 ROMAN BANK WARD ...... 92 PARSON DROVE/ WISBECH ST MARY WARD ...... 95 OPTION 1 ...... 99 OPTION 2 ...... 99

DISTRICT OF FENLAND

REVIEW OF ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS

FENLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL DRAFT SUBMISSION

1. INTRODUCTION

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) confirmed in June 2011 its intention to carry out a review of electoral arrangements in Fenland. The review was triggered as a result of changes in electoral representation since the previous review in 2002. These changes have resulted in 9 of the 27 existing district wards having a variance greater than 10% from the average, with one of those wards carrying a variance of 34%.

The aim of the review is to improve electoral equality. This means as far as is reasonable that each district councillor represents the same number of electors. In addition, the further two criteria of effective and convenient local government and community identity, have been considered and given equal weight.

Fenland District Council decided that it would seek to put forward its own proposals at each stage of the LGBCE review project, to be ratified by Full Council. As a result the District Council formulated a cross party Member Working Group, made up primarily of Group Leaders to lead the Council through the LGBCE process. The Member Working Group was informed by in depth consultation feedback from three cycles of member Focus Groups which involved all 40 Councillors. This has ensured the District Council submission has be refined over a period of time and represents the most appropriate solution for the future warding arrangements for the District.

The cross party Member Working Group was convened to consider the current and future district warding arrangements including specific warding options informed by the Member Focus Groups. The Member Focus Groups have played a key role in identifying and refining warding options within in the extensive consultation which has been carried out as part of this stage of the project.

This submission provides details of the process followed and describes the case for the future warding arrangements. The proposed wards will vary in relation to some being single member wards and some being multi member wards. This varied proposal is believed to best reflect local established communities. There are no proposals to change the electoral cycle of all out elections every four years.

2. WELCOME TO FENLAND Located in East Anglia, Fenland covers approximately 200 square miles and is one of five districts within the county of Cambridgeshire.

Fenland is a rural and sparsely populated district with many isolated rural communities. The mid-2010 population estimate for Fenland is 94,200 and the population has grown by an average of around 1,300 people per year since the 2001 Census. Fenland residents account for 16% of the population of Cambridgeshire. There are around 42,400 dwellings in Fenland and 72% of residents live within the districts 4 market towns, with the remaining 28% scattered between the district’s 29 villages.

Fenland has an ageing population with 20% of residents aged 65 or over, and indications are that this trend will continue. The area suffers from multiple deprivation and is ranked as 94th most deprived of the 326 local authorities nationally. This includes 3 areas in the top 10% most deprived wards in the country.

Fenland has a set of unique and varied challenges as a district that the Council is working proactively with its partners to overcome

These challenges include:  High levels of deprivation with wards in the bottom 10% of the most deprived wards nationally.  Low levels of educational attainment, aspiration and skills - however, the number of pupils gaining 5 + A* - C grades in Fenland has increased, from 36% in 2000 to 62% in 2010.  Lowest levels of healthy eating and exercise in the East of England.  Highest levels of smoking in the East of England.  High levels of migration into the district – particularly from Eastern Europe leading to issues of community cohesion, housing and access to services.  One of largest populations of Gypsy Travellers in the country.  Poor public transport links and infrastructure.

Other issues also exist within the district, which are not as visible such as rural isolation, literacy levels and levels of caring for family members.

These complex challenges have led the Council with its partners to generate proactive and innovative solutions which have improved quality of life for the residents of Fenland. This includes a proactive approach to growth in the District to stimulate inward investment through the Council’s Core Strategy.

3. WELCOME TO FENLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL

Fenland District Council (FDC) has 40 Councillors, representing 27 wards, with 3 political groups. The Council has majority Conservative control with 34 Conservatives, 2 Liberal Democrats, and 4 Independents. The Council has adopted a Leader and Cabinet structure, with an Overview and Scrutiny Panel, and a Corporate Governance Committee.

The Council’s corporate priorities were developed, following comprehensive consultation with local people, to address the key demographic issues in the district. These priorities are reviewed every year as a part of the corporate planning process. Fenland’s five Corporate Priorities are:

Neighbourhood Planning: To co-ordinate public and private sector investment to deliver sustainable growth so that homes, infrastructure and jobs grow in tandem to provide a great future for people living, working and visiting Fenland in years to come.

Localism: To work with partners to tackle key quality of life issues in Fenland by providing innovative services tailored to our diverse districts’ needs so all our residents can live happy, safe and fulfilled lives.

Streets Ahead: Creating a clean, green and safe Fenland for all residents to enjoy by working with residents, businesses, community groups and partners to promote personal responsibility and foster community pride in our local area.

Open for Business: Fenland is an attractive place to do business in and the Council will do all that we can to encourage the economic recovery by supporting existing business and proactively encouraging new business and inward investment into the district.

Quality Organisation: The Council aims to train and develop our staff to put the right skills in place to deliver the excellent customer services our residents need and have prioritised through consultation, in easily accessible locations right across the district.

FDC is a highly performing District Council and is nationally recognised for the innovative services we provide to the Fenland community and for our distinctive organisational culture. We are a CPA Excellent Council that consistently punches above its weight. We are also an ambitious organisation which wants to achieve more for the local community.

Examples of notable achievements include:

 A number of national awards recognising excellent service delivery, including 3 Municipal Journal (MJ) Awards in 2010 and highly commended at the LGC Awards for Council of the Year in 2011  Corporate Customer Service Excellence – the first organisation in the country to achieve overall corporate standard.  Investors in People accredited.  98% customer satisfaction.  91% staff satisfaction.  Major project delivery in a wide range of areas.  Top performance and sound financial management in difficult circumstances. We were in the top 10 worst hit Councils in the country in terms of funding reductions.  Focus on improving quality of life – not just District Council functions.  Ambition for the future.

This ambition is to improve the quality of life of Fenland residents. To achieve this, the Council with its partners has developed a proactive and aspirational vision which will provide the catalyst for a successful and vibrant future for Fenland. This vision was developed through a robust evidence base which seeks to analyse future opportunities for the Fenland area to improve quality of life and increase prosperity over the next 20 years. This work has culminated in the production of the Fenland Communities Development Plan, the Council’s draft Core Strategy which looks to

7 ensure the future prosperity of the District through a positive and sustainable approach to growth which will also contribute to improving quality of life for all Fenland residents. This vision sets out how partners, through working together can influence the improvement of educational attainment, health outcomes, income levels, infrastructure and cohesion.

Councillors are at the center of this vision in making Fenland an attractive place to live, work and visit for years to come.

4 ELECTORAL HISTORY

Fenland was established following a Local Government reorganisation in 1974. Since the previous Local Government Boundary review in 2002 the district has been served by 40 Councillors representing 27 wards. The current average Councilor elector ratio is 1869.

The present warding structure is broadly coterminous with the 16 parish council boundaries, however the County Council electoral divisions are not coterminous. Fenland District is currently encompassed within the North East Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency. If however the proposed parliamentary constituencies proceed in accordance with the current proposals out for consultation, this will add further electoral complexity, as the district will be split across three newly formed parliamentary constituencies.

District Council elections follow an ‘all out’ approach every four years. This system has been in place throughout Fenland’s existence and has been recognised as an integral part of the democratic arrangements for both electors and the council.

5 REVIEW PROCESS

From the point the review was announced the Council was clear that it wished to respond fully at each stage, as a result, strong project management and governance arrangements have been put in place.

A cross party Member Working Group was established to steer the development of Fenland District Council’s response. The group comprised 5 District Councillors (2 Councillors from the Conservative Group, 2 Councillors from the Liberal Democrats and 1 Independent Councillor, the group was chaired by the Leader of the District Council). The Working Group signed off the approach and draft proposals that were shared with the wider Member focus groups for consultation.

A series of Member focus groups took place which comprised of all district councillors, however the groups were facilitated on an area basis in order to discuss detail of specific settlements. These discussions formed the basis of the draft warding proposals. Members who were not able to attend any of the 15 focus group meetings which took place, had individual briefing sessions. This approach was

8 taken in order to maximize member engagement and participation, eliciting their expertise and knowledge of the local area and the communities they serve.

The initial member focus group meetings focused on town boundaries and key settlement affiliations, these discussions enabled the initial draft district warding scheme to be designed. The initial scheme was submitted to the Member Working Group who gave the mandate for the scheme to be shared with the second round of focus groups for further discussion and refinement. This resulted in a third round of focus group meetings, at the end of which a general consensus of opinion was reached. These proposals were once again shared with the Member Working Group who sanctioned the progress of the warding arrangements to be put before Full Council.

An officer project team managed the day to day work streams relating to the review and comprised of key officers from the District Council.

6 COUNCIL SIZE & ELECTORATE FIGURES In February 2011 the LGBCE asked the Council for its view on Council size, the number of councillors required to govern the council effectively. The Member Working group and focus groups considered several options in this respect and agreed to submit to full Council and the Boundary Commission a recommendation of 40 councillors to ensure effect local government. This recommendation was agreed by all members of the Council regardless of political persuasion.

As of 1 December 2011 there were 74765 registered electors in Fenland, giving an average of 1869 electors per councillor. The district council submitted electorate figures for 2018, following the strict Boundary Commission calculations and guidance which projected an increase in electorate of 5502 to 80267. This figure correlates with Office of National Statistic estimates. Retaining 40 Councillors would result in an average of 2007 electors per councilor, this is comparable with other district councils. These figures have been used to build the new warding arrangements.

The LGBCE confirmed that it was minded to adopt a Council size of 40, reserving the right to increase or decrease the number of Councillors by 1 should a future warding scheme emerge which better reflected the Boundary Commission criteria.

7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Fenland District Council’s proposal for the future warding arrangements of the District has considered and addressed the LGBCE criteria of:

 Electoral equality

 Effective and convenient local government

 Community identity

The level of member consultation and engagement has been extensive and comprehensive, resulting in a scheme which the Council believes best reflects the LGBCE criteria, the needs of the community we represent and to ensure Council can operate effectively and to the highest standards.

The final Council submission is to retain between 24 -26 district council wards representing 39 district Councillors, this is a reduction of one Councillor from the council size recommendations. This is due to the fact that the preferred warding scheme of 39 Councillors which emerged better reflected the LGBCE criteria than a scheme for 40 Councillors. As a result the average number of electors per councilor changes to 2058.

The key factors in ensuring the LGBCE criteria have been met include:

 Ward sizes have been determined with a range of criteria to ensure they are compact, reflect the geographical features of the area, the community facilities, community identity and the electorate size.  Electoral equality has been achieved in the main and are within the LGBCE tolerance of +/- 10%, and where this is not the case, substantial evidence has been submitted.  Where possible we have utilised existing parishes as building blocks for the proposed warding arrangements  Communication networks within wards are effective and there are no major barriers within wards  The mixture of single member wards in addition to multiple member wards ensures accountability, reflect communities whilst also ensuring ease of access to elected representatives.  The structure and arrangements are understandable and meet the objectives of the review without diluting the benefits of the current structure.

As part of the warding review the Working Group and Focus Groups have considered ward names. The view was taken that for most wards the existing names should remain to ensure clarity for electors. In some cases where wards have changed significantly different names have been proposed.

The District Council’s proposed scheme has achieved cross party support, however there are two areas which the Council’s membership were not able to reach a consensus, therefore in the spirit of openness and transparency, we have put forward the options considered and their respective benefits for the LGBCE’s consideration. The two areas in question relate to Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary and the wards of Doddington and Wimblington. The issues associated with each of the options will be illustrated in greater detail later in the Council submission (APPENDIX 5)

APPENDIX 1 CURRENT ELECTORATE BY WARD – 2011 ELECTORAL FIGURES

NAME CLLRS Electors Per Cllr Variance Bassenhally Ward 1 1275 1275 -32% Benwick, Coates and Eastrea Ward 2 3462 1731 -7% Birch Ward 1 1957 1957 5% Clarkson Ward 1 1890 1890 1% Delph Ward 1 1594 1594 -15% Doddington Ward 1 1774 1774 -5% Elm and Christchurch Ward 2 3774 1887 1% Hill Ward 2 4231 2115 13% Kingsmoor Ward 1 1242 1242 -34% Kirkgate Ward 1 1833 1833 -2% Lattersey Ward 1 1890 1890 1% Manea Ward 1 1623 1623 -13% March East Ward 3 5863 1954 5% March North Ward 3 5602 1867 0% March West Ward 3 5562 1854 -1% Medworth Ward 1 2104 2104 13% Parson Drove and Wisbech St. Mary Ward 2 3870 1935 4% Peckover Ward 1 1910 1910 2% Roman Bank Ward 3 5310 1770 -5% Slade Lode Ward 1 2016 2016 8% St. Andrews Ward 1 2080 2080 11% St. Marys Ward 1 2040 2040 9% Staithe Ward 1 1875 1875 0% The Mills Ward 1 2113 2113 13% Waterlees Ward 2 4136 2068 11% Wenneye Ward 1 1995 1995 7% Wimblington Ward 1 1744 1744 -7% TOTALS 40 74765 1869

APPENDIX 2 EXISTING WARDING ARRANGEMENTS

APPENDIX 3 FORECAST ELECTORATE BY PROPOSED WARD – PROJECTED 2018 FIGURES

NAME CLLR ELECTORS PER CLLR VARIANCE Benwick, Coates & Eastrea 2 4006 2003 -2.67% Clarkson Ward 1 2237 2237 8.70% Doddington 1 1910 1910 -7.19% Elm & Christchurch 2 3904 1952 -5.15% Kirkgate Ward 1 2052 2052 -0.29% Manea 1 1924 1924 -6.51% March East 3 6278 2093 1.68% March North 3 5972 1991 -3.27% March West 3 6180 2060 0.10% Medworth Ward 1 2189 2189 6.37% Octavia Hill Ward 2 4454 2227 8.21% Parson Drove 1 2063 2063 0.24% Peckover Ward 1 2014 2014 -2.14% Roman Bank 3 5538 1846 -10.30% Slade Lode 1 2219 2219 7.82% Staithe Ward 1 1922 1922 -6.61% The Birch 1 2217 2217 7.73% The Mills 1 2184 2184 6.12% Waterlees Village Ward 2 4373 2187 6.24% Wenneye 1 2227 2227 8.21% Whittlesey Central 1 1886 1886 -8.36% Whittlesey East 1 2179 2179 5.88% Whittlesey North 1 2030 2030 -1.36% Whittlesey North East 1 2239 2239 8.79% Whittlesey West 1 2198 2198 6.80% Wimblington 1 1795 1795 -12.78% Wisbech St Mary 1 2077 2077 0.92% 39 80267 2058

FORECAST ELECTORATE BY PROPOSED WARDS – PROJECTED 2018 FIGURES

Options for wards where a consensus of opinion has not been reached.

NAME CLLR ELECTORS PER CLLR VARIANCE Parson Drove & Wisbech St Mary 2 4140 2070 0.58%

Wimblington & Manea 2 3719 1860 -9.65% Doddington & Wimblington 2 3705 1853 -9.99%

APPENDIX 4 PROPOSED DISTRICT WARDING ARRANGEMENTS – OPTIONS 1 & 2

APPENDIX 5 INDIVIDUAL WARD PROFILES

WHITTLESEY – NORTH – SINGLE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 2030 VARIANCE -1.36%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Anthony Close Northgate Close Barnes Way Owens Gardens Bowker Way Peterborough Road Bretts Way Plough Road Childers Street Reidy Gardens Commons Road Snowley Park Comptons Brook Stonald Avenue Crossway Hand Stonald Road Dapple Gardens Sudbury Court Glenfields Tower Close Harvester Road Tudor Close Headlands Way Waterside Gardens Hinton Close West Delph Holland Close West End Irving Burgess Close Yarwells Headland Morris Close Yarwells Walk Northgate

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

This ward is characterised by the external Fenland district boundary, the A605 in addition to the B1040. The community is well established and contains housing estates which have long time affiliations. The ward boundary does not follow the B1040 until its ultimate link with the A605 as this area has closer ties with the town centre rather than the suburban estates. It is proposed that Whittlesey North West is a single member ward as historically the town of Whittlesey is familiar with that arrangement and the electorate feel it provides them with effective representation. It is proposed that all the ward names in Whittlesey Town (parish) are changed to better reflect their geographical location, therefore fostering greater elector understanding.

WHITTLESEY CENTRAL – SINGLE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 1886 VARIANCE -8.36%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Arnolds Lane Market Street Barratts Close Martin Court Bassenhally Court Millers Court Bassenhally Road Monks Close Blunts Lane Munday Gardens Broad Street Norman Close Bruces Court Odin Close Cemetery Road Old Crown Lane Claygate Oldfield Gardens Cross Road Orchard Street Delph Owls End Delph Street Pinewood Avenue Drybread Road Plough Crescent East Delph Plough Road Eastgate Queen Street Eastgate Mews Reubens Yard Eastrea Road Richardson Way Edgars Row Searles Court Elm Park Stonald Road Finkle Court Syers Lane Finkle Lane The Baulk Gale Gardens The Paddocks George Gardens Viking Way Gilbert Close Wash Lane Gracious Street West End Harpers Close Whitmore Street Harts Lane Windmill Street Hemmerley Drive High Causeway James Gardens Lattersey Close Low Cross Market Place

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

This ward is characterised by the A605 in part as the southern boundary, Broad Street, Market Street and Eastgate also provide the southern boundary. The western boundary is the B1040, in addition to Stonald Road and Plough Road. The eastern boundary flanks the school playing field. Discussions had taken place as to whether Coronation Avenue would provide greater clarity for the eastern boundary however this option was discounted as Coronation Avenue has greater affiliations with Victory Avenue, these two avenues are long established housing estates with close community and family connections. The ward is determined by the town centre which straddles the A605 which is why this is reflected in the make-up of the proposed ward, this naturally forms the heart of the ward in addition to the two schools Alderman Jacobs and Sir Harry Smiths. This ward is proposed as a single member ward.

WHITTLESEY NORTH EAST WARD – SINGLE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 2239 VARIANCE 8.79%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Constable Close Mallard Close Constable Crescent Moorhen Road Coronation Avenue Moretons Close Crescent Close Newlands Road Crescent Road Otago Close Curlew Close Otago Road Davie Lane Plover Road Drybread Road Redshank Close Eastrea Road Roman Close Feldale Place Sandpiper Close Godwit Close Swallow Close Grebe Close Swan Close Guildenburgh Crescent Swan Road Gull Way Teal Road Heron Close Victory Avenue Kingfisher Road Whiteacres Ladysmith Avenue Lapwing Drive

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The northern boundary is determined by the external district boundary, the eastern boundary ties closely with the urban town boundary therefore retaining the town community rather than encompassing the surrounding rural area. The southern boundary is represented by the A605. The ward encompasses Coronation and Victory Avenue which have close associations in terms of them being linked suburban housing areas, therefore both contain similar housing types, the two also have close family connections. The ward is characterised by its suburban nature and density of population. The socio economic characteristics of the ward make it well integrated. Good road links across and within the area also ensure it complies with the criteria of effective and convenient local government. This is proposed as a single member ward.

WHITTLESEY WEST - SINGLE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 2198 VARIANCE 6.80%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Abbey Way Oxford Gardens Aliwal Road Paradise Lane Ashline Grove Park Lane Ayres Grove Parkinsons Lane Barrs Street Peterborough Road Bates Court Piketts Close Boyce Close Pingle Close Braemar Gardens Poles Court Briggate Crescent Portland Place Briggate East Priors Road Briggate Quay Ramsey Road Briggate West Riverside Close Broad Street Saxon Road Church Street Scaldgate Churchfield Way Scaldgate Court Duddington Gardens Snoots Road Eastgate St Andrews Place Falcon Lane St Marys Street Fenland Court Station Road Garden Grove The Bower Hallcroft Road The Limes Horsegate The Old School Mews Horsegate Lane The Stables Inhams Road Turners Lane London Street Wakelyn Road Love Lane West End Manor View Whitmore Street Mansion Gardens Willow Close Market Place Woolpack Lane Market Street

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The proposed ward boundary to the north is largely represented by the A605 with the only deviation from this being the removal of the geographical centre of the town which is encompassed within the central ward due to the similarity of characteristics of this area. The southern boundary follows the railway line and the eastern boundary largely follows the B1093. The ward is characterised by linked housing estates which contain similar property types. The estates have close affiliations as all the local children attend The Park Lane (Foundation) Primary school which is the heart of this proposed ward. This is proposed as a single member ward

WHITTLESEY – EAST WARD – SINGLE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 2179 VARIANCE 5.88%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Aliwal Road Hunsbury Close Bank Close Inhams Court Bellmans Close Inhams Road Bellmans Grove Kendall Croft Bellmans Road Leeward Gardens Bens Close Linley Road Bramble Close Marne Road Buckles Gardens Mill Road Burdett Grove Millfield Way Cemetery Road Mountbatten Way Charles Road Mulberry Close Cherry Tree Grove Nene Close Chestnut Crescent New Road Collins Court Nursery Gardens Debdale Court Oldeamere Way Diana Close Palmer Close Duckworth Close Quinion Close Eastfield Drive Stafford Road Eastgate Station Road Eastrea Road Sycamore Road Florence Close The Byres Ford Close The Grove Forge Close The Rookery Hannington Close Walnut Close Hawthorne Drive Wild Boar Close Windsor Place

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The northern boundary is represented by the A605, the southern boundary follows the railway line. The eastern boundary follows the track between the railway line and Half Acre Drove and the western boundary follows largely the B1093 and the perimeter of the Manor Leisure Centre. The key roads within the proposed ward are Station Road and New Road as to a great extent all the other roads within the ward join to them. The nature of the proposed ward is largely suburban with the key affiliation for all the local streets being New Road Primary school, this and Lattersey Field Nature reserve form the heart of the ward and ensure there is a great sense of pride and affiliation to the local area. This is proposed as a single member ward

BENWICK, COATES AND EASTREA – DUAL MEMBER WARD 2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 4006 ELECTORS PER COUNCILLOR 2003 VARIANCE -2.67% ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD Aliwal Road Jones Lane Alpha Close Kelful Close Bakehouse Close Kings Close Barnfield Gardens Kings Delph Beggars Bridge Kings Delph Drove Benwick Road Kings Dyke Bevills Pasture Lilyholt Road Blackbush Drove March Road Blackthorn Court Marriotts Drove Bryony Close Mayfield Road Buntings Drove Nene Parade Burnthouse Road Neneside Burnthouse Sidings Nobles Close Cambers New Drove North Green Cambridge Row Oilmills Road Chapel Gardens Old West Estate Chapel Lane Peakes Drive Chaplins Close Quakers Drove Chase Road Ramsey Road Church Gardens Reach Drove Coates Road Red Barn Cock Bank River Close Crease Bank School Close Cricketers Way Skeifs Row Cross Drove Slatebarn Drove Doddington Road South Green Drybread Road Springfields Duncombes Road Station Road Eastrea Road Storers Walk Eldernell Lane Summerfield Way Farcet Road Sunnyville Road Fields View The Drove Fieldside The Fold Floods Ferry Road The Old Orchard Forty Foot Bank Thornham Way Fountain Close Turf Drove Glassmoor Bank Turningtree Road Green Lane Underwood Close Grounds Way White Hart Drive Hakes Drove Whitecross Hartlands Whittlesey Road Heron Way Willowbrook Drive High Street Wisbech Road Ibbersons Drove Wype Road Jones Drove

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The northern boundary is determined by the external Fenland district boundary as is the case for the majority of the western boundary, however other elements of the western boundary follow the urban town boundary. The eastern boundary follows the existing Whittlesey parish boundary as we were keen to utilise existing parishes as building blocks for the district warding arrangements. This ward also encompasses the parish of Benwick. There are minimal changes to this warding proposal from the existing warding arrangements. The villages encompassed within the ward have a clear sense of community identity, the villages encompass schools, shops and GP surgeries therefore the villages are largely self- sufficient. Electors within the villages do not associate themselves with the Town of Whittlesey for electoral purposes. Due to the scale of the ward, in order to achieve electoral equality, we propose this remains a dual member ward.

CHATTERIS – BIRCH WARD – SINGLE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 2217 VARIANCE 7.73%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Anvil Close New Road Augustus Way Newlands Road Birch Avenue Old School Drive Birch Close Palmers Walk Briar Close Queensway Bridle Close Saddlers Way Chantry Close St Francis Drive Church Lane St Martins Close Church Walk St Martins Road Curlew Avenue St Pauls Drive Delve Terrace St Peters Drive Elder Place St Stephens Drive Farriers Gate Swan Drive Furrowfields Road Teal Close Glebe Close The Elms Green Park The Orchards Hazel Close The Pastures Hunters Close The Shrubbery Juniper Drive Vicarage Close Mallard Close Wesley Drive Windsor Close

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The north and eastern boundary is formed by the town bypass the A142, the internal boundary follows Furrowfields Road and then weaves round the roads off Market Hill, all these roads with the exception of New Road (B1098) are cul-de-sacs which is why they are proposed to remain within the neighbouring Wenneye Ward to ensure convenient and effective local government. The proposed ward is made up primarily of housing estates, the majority of which come off subsidiary roads from the B1098. All of the estates are connected by a series of footpaths therefore community links are established. In addition all the local children attend Glebelands Primary school which is at the heart of the proposed ward. It is proposed this is a single member ward.

CHATTERIS – SLADE LODE WARD – SINGLE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 2219 VARIANCE 7.82%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Albert Way Huntingdon Road Alma Terrace Johnson Way Angoods Lane Kempston Court Ash Grove Kingfisher Close Badney Drove Larham Way Beaufort Drive Lode Way Beckett Way Marritt Close Beezling Fen Drove Old Station Place Black Horse Lane Parkers Close Bridge Street Pecks Yard Burnsfield Estate Plover Close Burnsfield Street Porters Yard Chapel Lane Pound Road Coxs Lane Quaker Way Curf Fen Drove Quayside Cygnet Drive Railway Lane Dobbs Yard Ravenscroft Dock Road Second Drove Doddington Road Slade Way Drake Avenue Station Street Fenland Way Tern Gardens Fenton Way The Grove First Drove Treeway First Furlong Drove Turf Fen Lane Forty Foot Bank Westmoor Drove Furrowfields Road Whaleys Yard George Way Windmill Mews Gipson Close Grenadiers Drive Gull Way Harbour Court Heronshaw High Street Honeysome Road

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The north and western boundaries following the existing Chatteris parish boundary, therefore building on existing established communities. The eastern boundaries follow in part the A141 until it crosses the forty foot drain, from there the boundary cuts through to the eastern A142 then snaking through the town until it links back with the A141 then onto the centre of the Twenty Foot Drain which links to the parish boundary. Initial discussions centred around the town boundary being restricted to the A142 to the north and east, with the southern boundary being derived from the external district boundary and the western boundary being the A141 until it links with the A142. The issue with this consideration is that the electorate residing in Curf and Willey Terrace to the west of the town clearly identify themselves as town residents, they use the town for shopping and local children attend the local schools namely, Burnsfield Infants School and King Edward Junior School which are both located in this proposed ward. As a result the Focus groups considered the consultation feedback and agreed the boundary of the proposed Slade Load ward should extend to the existing parish boundary to truly reflect established communities of interest. It is proposed that Slade Load is a single member ward.

CHATTERIS – THE MILLS WARD – SINGLE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 2184 VARIANCE 6.12%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Beechwood Gardens Mayfly Close Blackmill Road Meadow Close Blackthorn Close Millfield Close Chatteris Road Neils Way Clare Street Reed Close Eden Crescent Rosemary Lane Fairbairn Way Salem Court Fairview Avenue Southampton Place Fairview Crescent Station Road Fairview Drive Stocking Drove Fairview Gardens The Jetty Fairway The Sycamores Fen View Vincent Close Garretts Yard Waterfields Gibside Avenue West End Close Haighs Close West Street Harold Heading Close Westbourne Close Hinchingbrooke Drive Westbourne Road Hive End Court Whitemill Road Huntingdon Road Willow Tree Close James Gage Close Wimpole Street Linden Drive York Road London Road Lyons Court

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The south, east and western boundaries of the proposed ward are determined by the external district boundary. The northern boundary follows Horseley Fen Drove track until it meets Burrow Pond, cutting across to London Road B1050 until it meets the Station Road junction.

The proposed ward encapsulates the interlinked West Street and Fairway Housing Estates that are located to the west of London Road. The rural properties to the south of the ward are accessed from London Road, although these properties are rural in nature, London Road provides the only effective transport link to any settlement without crossing the district boundary, therefore these properties are included within this ward. It is proposed this is a single member ward.

CHATTERIS – WENNEYE WARD – SINGLE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 2227 VARIANCE 8.21%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Allens Yard Market Hill Belmont Gardens Megans Way Boadicea Court Old Auction Yard Boxing Boys Mews Old Forge Gardens Cricketers Way Park Street East Park Street Parkside Eastbourne Close Railway Lane Eastbourne Road Ronalds Way Eastwood Ruston Court Ellingham Gardens South Park Street Halsbury Court St Martins Road High Street Station Road Hilda Clarke Close Station Street Honey Lane The Hawthorns Horsegate Gardens Tithe Road Joshua Close Tribune Close King Edward Road Victoria Street Lindsells Walk Wenny Court London Road Wenny Estate Manor Gardens Wenny Road Marian Way Wood Street Woodside

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The eastern boundary is the A142, the western boundary is provided by the B1050.

There is a well-established community contained with the proposed ward as it is made up of suburban estates including housing developments within the town centre. The local children attend the local Cromwell Community College which is a central focus within the ward. The ward is essentially self contained including school faciliites, shops, GP surgeries and two local places of worship.

In addition this ward contains the proposed development at Tithe Farm, the forecast electoral figures ensure that even in the unlikely event that this development does not progress to the scale which the Council considers it realistically might, then the electorate will remain within the tolerance figure by the LGBCE

MARCH – MARCH WEST WARD – THREE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 6180 ELECTORS PER COUNCILLOR 2060 VARIANCE 0.10%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Acre Road Dahlia Close Norwood Road The Birches Adelaide Place Daisy Avenue Nursery Drive The Causeway Almond Drive Dartford Road Oak Tree Close The Chase Anglers Close Deben Close Orwell Drive The Green Aspenwood Grove Deptford Close Oxbow Crescent The Windsors Atlantic Close Duncombes Road Pacific Close Truman Avenue Babble Close East Close Park View East Turnbull Road Beck Close Ellingham Avenue Park View West Waveney Drive Birchwood Avenue Elliott Road Peas Hill Road West Close Blossom Terrace Ermine Close Pentland Way West End Bluebell Way Fishermans Drive Peyton Avenue West Fen Drove Boundary Drive Floods Ferry Road Phillips Chase White Horse Brewin Avenue Gas Road Plowright Close Gardens Broad Street Gaul Road Poppy Lane Whitemoor Road Brook Close Goosetree Estate Princess Avenue Whittlesey Road Brooks Road Grandford Drove Prospect Road Willow Drive Burberry Close Grange Road Ravenhill Drive Wimblington Road Burrowmoor Road Grays Lane Rectory Drive Windsor Drive Butt Avenue Gresley Way Richards Close Wisbech Road Buttercup Close Hakes Drove Richmond Avenue Woodville Drive Causeway Close Harvester Close Riverbank Close Yardy Close Causeway Heritage Way Rookswood Road Yarrow Close Gardens High Street Russell Avenue Chapel Street Hillside Road Saxon Way Cherryholt Avenue Hundred Road Shaw Drive Cherrywood Jobs Lane Smiths Chase Avenue Jones Close Springfield Avenue Cherrywood Green Kent Way St Thomas Drive Chestnut Crescent Kingswood Road St Wendredas Church Close Kirk Ogden Close Drive Church Street Knights End Road Staceys Way City Road Lewis Close Staffurths Bridge Clover Close Linwood Lane Road Coalville Close Maiden Stile Close Steeple View Coneywood Road Marina Drive Summer Gardens Conway Close Marram Court Sunflower Avenue Corn Mill Marylebone Road Swale Close Coronation Close Meadowlands Swanley Gardens Cousins Close Middle Road Sycamore Close Cricketers Close Mill Hill Lane The Avenue Cross Road Millfield Close Crown Close

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The proposed March West ward covers the whole western section of the town, hence local electors will easily identify with the ward name. The northern, southern and western boundaries are provided by the existing March town parish boundary with the eastern boundary commencing from the Mill Hill Roundabout in the south (at the junction with the A141) north via Wimblington Road, High Street, Broad Street, Wisbech Road, Norwood Road, Hundred Road to the northern town boundary. The proposed ward contains the March bypass (A141) and all the areas accessed from this main trunk road, thus ensuring effective and convenient local government.

The proposed changes to this ward are minimal as strong local feedback confirmed it reflects local communities. It is recommended that all the March town wards are three member wards, this has been a long established governance arrangement within the town and due to the relative density of population it is felt that a three member ward gives electors ease of accessibility to their elected representatives.

There are housing developments scheduled to be built in this proposed ward by 2018, as a result the warding proposal locates some of the proposed development in March West ward and a proportion in March East, this is to ensure that even if the development does not progress at the expected rate, then the estimated increase in electorate is spread across two town wards. This proposal reduces the risk to the forecast electoral figures whilst ensuring that both wards will retain electoral equality as they will remain within the LGBCE tolerance figure of +/- 10% from the average number of electors represented by each councillor.

MARCH – MARCH EAST WARD – THREE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 6278 ELECTORS PER COUNCILLOR 2093 VARIANCE 1.68%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Abbeygate Court Haslehurst Close Rosedene Drive Alberts Drive Heathcote Close Roses Close Aldeby Close Henry Orbell Close Rosewood Close Apple Grove Heron Walk Scargells Yard Apple Tree Close High Street Shaftesbury Court Ashbeach Road Hook Drove Sheppersons Grove Asplin Avenue Hook Road Sherbrooke Close Badgeney End Horsemoor Road Silt Road Badgeney Road Hunters Chase Smiths Drive Barkers Lane Hurst Avenue South Drive Belmont Road Hussars Court St Johns Road Bevills Place Ingoldsby Close St Peters Road Binnimoor Road Ireton Way Station Road Bittern Way Jordans Close Stonecross Way Bosworth Way Kelsey Way Strawberry Way Breton Avenue Kingfisher Close Suffolk Way Britannia View Mallard Way Swallow Way Broad Street Mallett Close Swift Close Camargue Drive Market Place The Avenue Cavalry Drive Meadow Drive The Bramleys Cavalry Park Mill View The Causeway Chandlers Way Mills Gardens The Greys Cleveland Bay Milner Close The Shires Clydesdale Close Monte Long Close The Walnuts Coleseed Road Monument View Town End Pits Lane Collingwood Avenue Morton Avenue Upwell Road Cotswold Close Nene Parade West Drive Creek Road New Road Wherry Close Deerfield Road Noble Gardens White Lion Close Dragoon Drive Norico Bay Wigstones Road East Drive North Drive Wimblington Road Eastwood Avenue Olivers Way Woodlands Avenue Elwyn Court Orchard Close Worsley Chase Elwyn Road Orchard Road Elwyndene Road Orchard Road South Fairfax Way Papworth Road Field Baulk Percheron Drive Fleetwood Close Plover Drive Fleming Court River Drive Gimbert Square Robshaw Close Green Street Rodham Road Grounds Avenue

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The eastern and southern boundaries of this proposed ward are provided by the existing March (town) parish boundary, thus we intend to utilise the existing parishes which representative of existing established communities as building blocks for the proposed warding arrangements. The western boundary follows the main Wimblington Road through the High Street and Broad Street where it meets the northern boundary at Station Road, this boundary progresses to St John’s Road back to the river at which point the boundary follows the river where it joins the eastern boundary.

Changes to this proposed ward are limited as the ward takes in existing well established communities. The ward is self sufficient encompassing shops, health care provision in addition the community is linked by Cavalry Primary School.

A new housing development is scheduled to be developed in this area prior to 2018, this forecast in electorate growth has been considered when formulating the proposed warding arrangements. Should the development not progress as expected the electorate figures are future proof as the development is split between the proposed March East ward and March West, therefore electoral equality is maintained if the development progresses in accordance with expectations or not.

Similar to March West it is proposed to retain this ward as a three member ward due to the long established governance arrangement within the town, whilst also enabling ease of accessibility for local electors to their respective political representatives.

MARCH – MARCH NORTH WARD – THREE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 5972 ELECTORS PER COUNCILLOR 1991 VARIANCE -3.27%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Acacia Grove Harebell Close Roman Way Alder Close Hawthorne Grove Shaftesbury Avenue Alexander Gardens Henford Gardens Silver Street Alftruda Close Henson Road Southwell Close All Saints Close Hereward Street St Johns Chase Alpha Street High School Close St Johns Road Ash Grove Highfield Road St Marys Drive Beech Grove Hobart Court Station Road Berryfield Hundred Road Stephenson Close Blue Ridge Gardens Kingsley Street Stevens Way Bramble Walk Laburnum Grove Swan Court Bronze Street Landau Way Swanton Close Burn Street Lime Grove The Hollies Burnet Gardens Locomotive Drive The Junction Campbell Way Longhill Road The Laurels Cawood Close Maple Grove The Parks Cedar Close Marsh Close Thornton Road Century Way Mayors Close Wake Road College Gardens Nene Parade Waterside Gardens County Road New Park Westwood Avenue Cowslip Place Newlands Avenue Wheel Centre Creek Fen Nightall Drive Wigstones Road Creek Road North Street Wilkinson Close Cromwell Road Norwalde Street Willowherb Close Dagless Way Norwood Avenue Wisbech Road Dartford Road Norwood Crescent Darthill Road Norwood Road Elm Close Peterhouse Crescent Elm Road Poplar Close Estover Road Primrose Crescent Flaggrass Hill Road Princes Walk Foxglove Way Queen Street Close Gold Street Queens Street Gordon Avenue Regent Avenue Great Eastern Road Riverdown Great Northern Close Robingoodfellows Lane

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The northern boundary is provided by the existing March (town) parish boundary along Twenty Foot River. The eastern boundary follows the river to ST John’s Road and Station Road through Dartford Road onto Wisbech Road. The mini roundabout at Wisbech Road, Norwood Road is the split for the western boundary, which follows Norwood Road north into Hundred Road past Her Majesty’s Prison, Whitemoor where it terminates at the existing (town) parish boundary.

Due to the nature of the proposed ward it is self-sufficient containing shops, schools including Westwood Junior School, Maple Grove Infants School and All Saints Inter- church Primary School, all of which are a hub for local community activities. In addition the ward contains one of the largest employers in the town, Whitemoor Prison therefore transport links within the areas are well established and the social club provides a focus for local community activities.

Similar to March West and East it is proposed to retain this ward as a three member ward due to the long established governance arrangement within the town. These proposed warding arrangements reflect established local communities whilst also enabling ease of accessibility for local electors to their respective political representatives.

DODDINGTON WARD – SINGLE MEMBER WARD / DUAL WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE AS A SINGLE MEMBER WARD 1910 VARIANCE -7.19%

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE AS A DUAL MEMBER WARD WITH WIMBLINGTON 3705 ELECTORS PER COUNCILLOR 1853 VARIANCE -9.99%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Ancaster Way Hunts Close Beech Avenue Ingles Lane Beezling Fen Drove Knights Close Benwick Road Manor Estate Bevills Close Miller Close Brickmakers Arms Lane New Street Burdett Close Newgate Street Carpenters Way Oaktree Close Cedar Avenue Orchard Drive Chestnut Close Parsons Land Drove Childs Lane Peyton Close Church Lane Primrose Hill Cooks Green Puddock Road Cornfields Ronalds Way Cowslip Close Sutton Way Cypress Close The Cherries Dexter Close The Grange Doddington Road The Larches Drivers Close The Oaks Dykemoor Drove The Rowans Dykemoor Drove North Thistledown Eastalls Close Turf Fen Lane Eastmoor Lane Walden Close Fen View Willow Close Floods Ferry Road Wimblington Road Forty Foot Bank Wood Street Harvest Close High Street Holly Drive Hospital Road Huntingdon Road

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

During the extensive consultation period, Doddington Ward, as highlighted earlier in the report, is one of the wards where a consensus of opinion was not reached. As a result, the cross party Member Working Group agreed that, both options considered should be put forward to the LGBCE to enable them to make an informed decision as to the warding arrangement they would like to consult the wider public in relation to.

Option 1: This option is strongly supported by Doddington Parish Council, it proposes to retain Doddington as a single member ward. In this scenario it is proposed that the ward should reflect entirely the existing Doddington Parish Boundary. This option is felt to reflect the strong sense of community, which is long established in the area. Doddington is self-sufficient as the proposed ward contains a local non- emergency hospital, it has a village social club, various public houses, shops and other local amenities including Lionel Walden Primary School, all of which feature in community activities.

Retaining Doddington as a single member ward would achieve electoral equality as the forecast electorate at 2018 falls within the LGBCE threshold.

Option 2: This option would involve the neighbouring ward Wimblington. Should this option be taken forward by the LGBCE Doddington and Wimblington would be combined and become a dual member ward. This option has been considered during the consultation phase as Wimblington as a single member ward does not achieve the LGBCE threshold in terms of electoral equality. The projected electorate in 2018 would result in the ward having an electoral variance of -12.78% from the average. Whilst Doddington and Wimblington can both be access via the A141 both are also linked by the B1093, the two villages are separate settlements however there are houses along the B1093 between the two villages creating linkages. Should this option be pursued by the LGBCE, electoral equality across the dual warding arrangement would be established and therefore represent a future proof scheme. In this scenario the dual ward would follow the existing parish boundaries of Doddington and Wimblington. Doddington Parish Council are strongly against this proposal as they believe it will result in a dilution of community identity.

OPTION PROS CONS

OPTION 1 SINGLE  Achieves electoral  Neighbouring ward MEMBER WARD equality for cannot attain Doddington electoral equality  Maintains community identity  Reflects Parish Council views  Achieves LGBCE criteria of effective and convenient local government

OPTION 2 DUAL MEMBER  Achieves electoral  Dilution of WARD equality across community neighbouring  Local opposition parishes, Doddington and Wimblington  Builds on links between the villages which are informally established  Future proof  Achieves LGBCE criteria of effective and convenient local government

WIMBLINGTON WARD – SINGLE MEMBER WARD / DUAL WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE AS A SINGLE MEMBER WARD 1795 VARIANCE -12.78%

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE AS A DUAL MEMBER WARD WITH DODDINGTON 3705, ELECTORS PER COUNCILLOR 1853, VARIANCE -9.99%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Access Road Off Manea Road King Street Addison Road Lyon Walk Ash Tree Close Manea Road Block Fen Drove March Road Blue Lane Meadow Way Bridge Lane Meadow Way South Byall Fen Drove Morley Way Chapel Lane Morton Way Church Street Nixhill Road Coney Walk Norfolk Street Coneywood Road Norman Way Dobson Walk Old Bakery Close Doddington Road Orchard Way Dolby Close Parkfield Lane Eastwood End Pond Close Eaton Estate Ray Court Fenland Close Rhonda Park Frogs Abbey Lane Rose Cottage Gardens Fullers Lane Sixteen Foot Bank Governess Close St Peters Drive Greenwood Way The Chase Hassock Way The Paddocks Honeymead Road Tudor Place Hook Lane Waggoners Way Hook Road Walnut Tree Walk Horsemoor Road Webb Gardens Wimblington Road Woodysfield

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

As documented in the previous evidence relating to Doddington Ward, Wimblington is an area where, during the consultation period, consensus was not reached. As a result there are potentially three options for Wimblington which the cross party Member Working Group have agreed be put forward to the LGBCE for consideration.

Option 1: This option would retain Wimblington as a single member ward, should this be the preferred option of the LGBCE, the proposed ward would follow entirely the existing Wimblington parish boundary. Wimblington is very similar to Doddington in that the village is self- sufficient, containing shops, a public house, Thomas Eaton Primary School and local cricket club, all of which contribute and form a focus for community activities.

Retaining Wimblington as a single member ward would achieve two of the LGBCE criteria, namely convenient and effective local government in addition to maintaining a sense of community however the third criteria, electoral equality would not be achieved, as the forecast electorate for 2018 would be -12.78% below average for the ward.

Option 2: This option would combine Wimblington with Doddington and create this as a dual member ward. As mentioned previously, Doddington Parish Council are not in support of this option. This option would achieve electoral equality. In addition there is some movement of electors between the two villages in particular because of the non- emergency hospital provision in Doddington, demonstrating informal established links between the existing communities.

OPTION PROS CONS

OPTION 1 SINGLE  Maintains  LGBCE criteria of MEMBER WARD community identity electoral equality is  Reflects Doddington not achieved in Parish Council views Wimblington  Achieves LGBCE  Limited future criteria of effective proofing and convenient local government

established  Future proof  Achieves LGBCE criteria of effective and convenient local government

MANEA WARD – SINGLE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 1924, VARIANCE -6.51%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Access Road From Iretons Way To Normoor Drove Greys Farm Horsle* Orchard Close Acorn Lane Orchard Way Annabelle Avenue Park Road Barkclay Court Parkview Lane Bedford Bank Poppyfields Bedford View Providence Place Block Fen Drove Purls Bridge Drove Byall Fen Drove Rutland Way Carpenters Close Scholars Close Cathedral View School Lane Charlemont Drive Short Drive Days Lode Road Sixteen Foot Bank Dunvegan Close Station Road East Street Straight Road Edwards Way Swallow Court Engine Bank Teachers Close Fallow Corner Drove The Bank Festival Close Tucks Yard Fifty Road Valentine Close Fodder Fen Road Wenny Road Georgina Close Westfield Road Glebe Close Williams Way Hiblings Row Willow Drive High Street Wimblington Road Holly Close Wisbech Road Horseway Hutchinson Close Iretons Way Jolley Close Langwood Fen Drove Langwood Hill Drove New Road Nightingale Walk

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The proposed ward largely encapsulates the existing parish of Manea, therefore retaining existing established communities; this is certainly reflected in the northern boundary, the eastern boundary is the external Fenland district boundary, it is proposed to extend the southern boundary down to the proposed new boundary for Birch and The Mills ward in Chatteris, namely the A142 to the Forty Foot Drain where it joins back to the A141. Whilst the proposed changes to Manea appear geographically substantial, it is not proposed that the ward name is changed as the rural properties which are proposed to move into the Manea ward from the existing Chatteris parish, all currently associate themselves with Manea rather than Chatteris. The proposal includes moving all the properties along the route from Manea to A142, via Horseway and all the properties accessed from the A142. This ensures the LGBCE criteria of convenient and effective local government is addressed as all the properties have good road access to Manea village, which is the natural focus of the ward. Making these changes does involve moving more than 100 electors from the existing Chatteris parish, therefore warding this area until such time as a community governance review can be under taken to realign all the boundaries, would be viable.

Manea ward is rural in its nature, the central village is self- sufficient, as it contains a local shop, post office, public house, village hall and Royal British Legion Hall, both of which tend to be the focus of community events. In addition Manea also has a primary school which is a focal point for local children. The village also hosts a retained Fire Station and in addition benefits from a railway station, as a direct result of the station there tends to be movement from the surrounding rural properties into the village.

ELM AND CHRISTCHURCH WARD – DUAL MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 3904, ELECTORS PER COUNCILLOR 1952, VARIANCE -5.15%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD Abington Grove Long Drove All Saints Close Low Road Atkinsons Lane Main Road Back Road Maltmas Drove Begdale Road Maple Road Belt Drove March Riverside Birch Grove March Road Bramley Court Mill Way Bullfinch Way Molls Drove Cedar Way Mumbys Drove Church Grove Needham Bank Church Road Nettle Bank Coldham Bank New Bridge Lane Coldham Estate Oldfield Avenue Colletts Bridge Lane Orchard Close Crown Avenue Outwell Road Crown Drove Overstone Drive Crown Road Overstone Road Curston Close Padgetts Road Ecton Grove Peartree Way Elm Low Road Poulters Drove Elmwood Mews Primrose Gardens Euximoor Drove Queens Drive Fen View Redmoor Bank Fen Way Reed Way Flint Way Rose Lane Fridaybridge Road Roseberry Road Goosetree Estate Rotten Drove Gosmoor Lane Scotts Road Grace Court Sixteen Foot Bank Graysmoor Drove South Brink Green Lane St Giles Grove Grove Gardens Station Road Halfpenny Lane Sywell Grove Halfpenny Toll Road The Croft Henry Warby Avenue The Hill High Road The Leam Holly Avenue The Oaks Ingle Road The Stitch Jew House Drove Thurlands Drove Kilderkin Close Tower Road Kirkhams Lane Turf Lot Drove Laddus Drove Twenty Foot Road Laurel Drive Upwell Road

Limes Avenue Wales Bank Wayside Estate Well End West Drive Wisbech Road

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The proposed ward encapsulates entirely the Parishes of Elm and Christchurch, this is currently a dual member ward and it is proposed the current governance arrangements remain in place. Retaining the current ward boundary maintains the rural character of this area as both parishes have a village association at the heart of their communities, even though Elm is geographically close to Wisbech. Maintaining the current warding arrangement builds on existing communities, achieves electoral equality in addition to facilitating effective and convenient local government albeit over a large geographical area. There is strong local opinion that Elm and Friday Bridge remain linked in a warding arrangement as the two settlements have close associations and evidence suggests electors travel between the two settlement areas.

Although further afield from the other main settlements in the area, Christchurch is similar in character to Elm and Friday Bridge, all three of the main settlements in the area are self- supporting with shops, public houses and places of worship, all three settlements are of a similar socio-economic make-up. It is proposed to retain this area as a dual member ward.

WISBECH - WATERLEES VILLAGE WARD – DUAL MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 4373, ELECTORSPER COUNCILLOR 2187, VARIANCE 6.24%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD Acacia Avenue Lynn Road Admirals Drive Maple Avenue Apeldoorn Walk Mount Pleasant Road Armada Close Myles Way Bath Road Nursery Drive Beatrice Road Ollard Avenue Beechwood Close Osborne Road Beechwood Road Payne Avenue Braeburn Avenue Potter Court Bramley Road Prince Of Wales Close Brigstock Road Prins Avenue Buckingham Walk Prins Court Cherry Road Richard Young Close Coblands Savory Road Coldhorn Crescent Sherwood Avenue Conference Way Southfields Close Crab Marsh Southwell Road Eastfield Road St Martins Road Edinburgh Drive St Michaels Avenue Gloucester Court Storbeck Road Goddard Crescent Tindall Close Godwin Road Tinkers Drove Granger Close Walton Road Grosvenor Road Waterlees Road Haley Close Westfield Road Hawthorne Avenue Weston Miller Drive Hedgelands Windmill Gardens Henson Close Windsor Drive Jubilee Walk Worcester Road Kinderley Road Kooreman Avenue Lime Avenue

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

Waterlees Villages Ward boundary to the north is provided by the external Fenland District boundary, Lynn Road provides the eastern boundary, the south western boundary is provided by Mount Pleasant Road to the point at which it reaches the River Nene which provides the strong geographical western boundary. The proposed ward is densely populated, a substantial proportion of registered electors in the area do not have English as their first language. The ward is recognised as having deprivation issues and therefore the area is made up of similar socio-economic factors. The area contains within it a local Primary school, Cherry Orchards which tends to be the focus of community activities. In addition the area also benefits from the Oasis Community and Children’s Centre which features centrally in the ward and is a hive of activity within the community. There are a number of play parks located within the ward, such as Waterlees Adventure Playground, run by Cambridgeshire County Council, which also provides a focus for local children. There is a strong sense of community within the ward, which is reflected in the proposed name change to Waterlees Village Ward, it is felt this will further encourage that sense of community and local pride in the area. It is proposed this is a dual member ward.

WISBECH - KIRKGATE WARD - SINGLE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 2052, VARIANCE -0.29%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Baxter Close Old Lynn Road Black Bear Lane Pendula Road Church Road Petts Close Clarence Road Rectory Gardens Fen Close Rowan Close Fenland Road Sandringham Avenue Grimmers Road Sefton Avenue Jasmin Close Steeple View Jeffery Avenue Tavistock Road Kirkgate Street Trafford Park Laburnum Close Trafford Road Lebanon Drive Turnpike Close Lerowe Road Wistaria Road Lilac Close York Gardens Lucombe Drive York Road Lynn Road Norwich Road Oaklands Drive

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The north east boundary to the proposed ward is represented by the external Fenland district boundary, the south eastern boundary is provided by Norwich Road to the point it joins the back of Colville Road, across Trafford Park onto York Road and Clarkson Avenue to the point at which it joins Lynn Road (B198) which formulates the western boundary.

The ward is characterised by its urban feel. Whilst it is not the town centre it is a busy and densely populated ward. The main focus of the ward tends to be the two schools located in Trafford Road, namely Clarkson Infant and Nursery school in addition to St Peters Church of England aided Junior School. The area also centres around Fenland Park which is the old site of Wisbech Town Football club. It is suggested that Kirkgate ward is not subject to any changes as part of the LGBCE review of warding arrangements as the strength of feedback received supported the fact that the ward was well established and reflected the sense of community in the area. In addition the existing warding arrangements also meet the LGBCE criteria in relation to electoral equality and convenient and effective local government. It is proposed this is a single member ward.

WISBECH – STAITHE WARD – SINGLE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 1922, VARIANCE -6.61%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Ardleigh Close Money Bank Boyces Road Musticott Place Bush Lane Norwich Close Chapnall Road Norwich Road Church Road Oakley Close Claremont Road Octavia Close Clayton Close Orchard Drive Cocketts Drive Peldon Drive Council Road Quaker Lane Felsted Avenue Rochford Walk Frinton Way Salcott Drive Fundrey Road Seabank Road Guild Road Staithe Road Halstead Close Stow Gardens Hawkins Drive Stow Lane Hermitage Close Stow Road Holmes Drive Sylvden Drive Kirkgate Street Trinity Road Maldon Road Welbeck Road Meadowgate Lane Medway Close

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The northern, eastern and western boundary of the ward is provided by the Fenland external district boundary the western boundary meets the other internal town boundaries the boundary is provided by Quaker Lane onto Money Bank, which links into Boyces Road to the junction with Norwich Road where it travels north to the external district boundary.

It is recommended that Staithe ward remains as it is currently with no changes proposed as a result of the LGBCE warding arrangement project. The ward contains Staithe Road which is where the name for the ward was derived and therefore local electors can identify clearly with the area. The ward is suburban in its nature. It features Meadowgate School within the area which is a school for children with Special Needs. In addition the other main feature within the ward is the College of West Anglia Isle Campus which is a further education college for students aged 16+, the college serves a wide geographical area therefore transport links within the ward are well established. It is proposed this is a single member ward.

WISBECH – CLARKSON WARD – SINGLE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 2237, VARIANCE 8.70%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Albany Road Nelson Gardens Albion Place Nene Quay Balding Close New Bell Lane Bedford Street New Inn Yard Blackfriars Road Norwich Road Blencowe Terrace Oakroyd Crescent Bowthorpe Hall Gardens Opportune Road Bowthorpe Road Palmers Place Chase Street Park Avenue Church Mews Park Road Church Terrace Park Street Clarkson Avenue School Lane Clarkson Court Scrimshires Passage Colvile Road Silver Street De Havilland Road St Augustines Road Falcon Road Sybil Road Hampden Road Tavistock Road Hanchant Court Townshend Road Henry Street Trafalgar Court Hereward Road Trafford Road High Street Union Street Hill Street Verdun Road Hogherds Lane Wellington Terrace Kenlan Road Wilberforce Road King Street William Road Legion Walk York Terrace Little Church Street Lynn Road Market Place Marsh Walk Mill Close Mount Pleasant Road

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

Clarkson Ward features one of the central areas of Wisbech, the northern boundary is provided by Mount Pleasant Road, adjoining Waterlees Village Ward. The eastern boundary adjoins Kirkgate and Staithe Wards, following Lynn Road (B198) to Clarkson Avenue where it takes in Nelson Gardens and Colville Road. At the junction with Norwich Road the boundary takes a southerly direction to Churchill Road (A1101) to Church Terrace where it cuts through Wisbech Market Place, onto Bridge Street and then joins the Nene River which then provides the Western boundary back to Mount Pleasant Road.

The ward is a busy and thriving community, containing an industrial area to the north and a greater density of electors in the east. At the heart of the ward is the award winning Wisbech Park which is a key feature in the community used by all age groups. The ward also features the hospital, ambulance station, Police station and Court House, the ward also contains several places of worship. Clarkson Avenue is contained within the ward which is where the area derived its name, this fosters affinity and a sense of pride in the area. It is proposed this is a single member ward.

WISBECH – OCTAVIA HILL WARD – DUAL MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 4454, ELECTORS PER COUNCILLOR 2227, VARIANCE 8.21%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Albert Court Heron Road Rhone Place Arles Avenue John F Kennedy Court Robin Mews Awdry Drive Kestrel Drive Roscoe Terrace Blenheim Way Kingfisher Drive Rose Fair Close Borough Close Kingswood Park Second Avenue Boyces Road Lake Court Seventh Avenue Boyden Court Larksfield Sixth Avenue Bruce Close Leach Close Spartan Close Camargue Place Les Baux Place Sunset Gardens Chapel Street Lonsdale Terrace Third Avenue Churchill Road Mansell Road Thurloe Close Copperfields Mayflower Road Trotwood Mews Coppins Court Meadowgate Lane Victoria Place Cordon Street Mikanda Close Victoria Road Corporation Road Milner Road Weasenham Lane Discovery Walk Money Bank Wedgwood Drive Duke Street Mount Drive West Street Earl Street New Drove Westmead Avenue Eighth Avenue Norwich Road Weston Road Elizabeth Terrace Peckover Drive Wickfield Court Elm High Road Penrose Gardens Willow Way Elm Low Road Pippin Place Elm Road Prince Street Falklands Drive Prospect Place Fifth Avenue Provence Place First Avenue Quaker Lane Fourth Avenue Queen Elizabeth Drive Golding Place Railway Road Halfpenny Lane Ramnoth Road Harrys Way Raymond Street Hazel Gardens Redwing Drive

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

Octavia Hill Ward exactly reflects the existing Hill Ward of Wisbech, the name change is suggested as the current name Hill is not widely understood by the local electorate, where as Octavia Hill was born in the area and is famous for her work in Social Reform and as the co-founder of the National Trust. The name change is proposed in order to foster greater understanding by local people whilst also facilitating a sense of pride in the area. The northern boundary adjoins Clarkson ward and Staithe ward in the town. The northern boundary commences at Norwich Road to the point it branches east onto Boyces Road. The eastern boundary follows Boyces Road to Money bank and onto Quaker lane. This follows onto Meadowgate Lane which provides the boundary until it reaches the back of Westmead Avenue which follows the existing Wisbech town (parish) boundary onto the A47 until it meets New Bridge Lane then onto New Drove which formulates the start of the western ward boundary. The boundary follows New Drove onto Weasenham Lane, north to Sandall Road, Railway Road, along Victoria Road, then via West Street to Churchill Road (A1101) until it meets the northern boundary.

The ward is characterised by its urban nature. It is a busy area which benefits from local schools including Ramnoth Junior School, The Nen County Infant and Nursery school, the College of West Anglia on Elm High Road in addition to the Thomas Clarkson Academy, all of which provide a focus for the community and support local activities. Attendance at the local schools also unites the residents in the area. It is recommended Octavia Hill ward remains a dual member ward due to the density of population therefore ensuring electors have access to their locally elected representative.

WISBECH – MEDWORTH WARD – SINGLE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 2189, VARIANCE 6.37%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Abraham Drive New Bridge Lane Alexandra Road New Drove Artillery Street Norfolk Street Broad Drove Norwich Street Burdett Road Old Convent Fields Cannon Street Oldfield Lane Castle Mews Onyx Court Chapel Lane Orange Grove Charles Street Post Office Lane Chestnut Road Princes Road Church Terrace Queens Road Cox Close Railway Road Crescent Passage Redmoor Lane Cromwell Road Rigg Close Crooked Bank Riverside Way Ellerby Drive Sandall Road Elm Road Somers Court Ely Place Somers Road Fardell Road South Brink Great Eastern Road St Pauls Close Hillburn Road St Peters Road John Thompson Road Station Drive Kings Road The Crescent Kings Walk Union Place Kingsley Avenue Victoria Road Lickings Drove Victory Road Loring Lane Weasenham Lane Love Lane West Street Malt Drive Wisbech Bypass Market Place York Row Market Street Museum Square

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

The proposed ward of Medworth broadly reflects the existing ward. The northern boundary represents the only change in the area. It is proposed this moves south to enable the ward to achieve electoral equality. The proposed northern boundary will now follow Bridge Street, High Street and Wisbech Market Place and follows Church Terrace onto the A1101. As a result the Cresent, which is a key Georgian feature in the ward, remains within the curtilage of Medworth Ward. The eastern boundary meets Churchill Road (A1101) to the West Street junction, it continues to travel south west onto West Road, Victoria Road, Railway Road, Sandall Road and into Weasenham Lane continuing south onto New Drove over the A47 and ultimately to the existing Wisbech Town (parish ) boundary which we are proposing to retain as the southern boundary in order to preserve established communities and utilise parishes as the building blocks for the proposed warding arrangements. The western boundary then follows the River Nene right back to the point where it joins the northern boundary.

Medworth ward adjoins Clarkson to the North, Octavia Hill to the East and Peckover to the west. The ward encapsulates the town centre and key commercial areas of the town including the Cromwell Road developments, thus ensuring effective road links within the area to support convenient and effective local government. It is proposed this is a single member ward.

WISBECH – PECKOVER WARD – SINGLE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 2014, VARIANCE -2.14%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD

Ashdale Park Morgans Court Barton Road North Brink Bevis Lane North End Brampton Close North Street Burcroft Road Octagon Drive Cambridge Drive Oil Mill Lane Cattle Market Chase Old Market Chapel Road Panswell Lane Coxs Lane Pedley Lane Cricketers Way Pickards Way Cross Lane Purbeck Close Exchange Square Richmond Court Gadds Lane Rose Walk Grange Road Sandy Lane Harecroft Road Sovereign Close Leverington Common Strawberry Close Leverington Road Summerfield Close Lords Lane The Lawns Magazine Close The Water Gardens Magazine Lane Tower Gardens Manor Gardens West Parade Marlborough Court Woodcote Park Mile Tree Lane

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

It is recommended that Peckover Ward is not subject to any changes as a result of the LGBCE review of district warding arrangements. The northern, southern and western boundaries of the ward all following the existing Wisbech Town (parish) boundaries therefore utilising these established communities as building blocks for the proposed warding arrangements. The eastern boundary adjoins Medworth ward and is provided entirely by the River Nene representing a strong geographical boundary.

The proposed ward is densely populated in the north and properties of a more rural nature in the south, all however are linked by strong road networks and all can be access via North Brink. The northern more densely populated area benefits from having Peckover Primary school located within it which is the focus for local residents and community activities. The ward also encompasses The Hudson Leisure Centre and sports fields off Harecroft Road, which again are a key focus for community events. Peckover House is an elegant Georgian Town House with walled garden this in addition to Elgoods Brewery provide two of the key tourist attractions for Wisbech. It is recommended Peckover ward is a single member ward.

ROMAN BANK WARD – THREE MEMBER WARD

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE 5538, ELECTORS PER COUNCILLOR 1846, VARIANCE 10.30%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD Allens Drove Ferry Lane Malvern Gardens The Barracks Anderson Close Field Avenue Mays Lane The Chase Back Road Fieldside View Maysfield Drive The Paddocks Bank Drive Fitton End Road Middle Broad Drove The Still Bedford Row Fold Lane Mill Lane Top Field Bees Lane Franks Lane Milton Drive Troughton Way Birds Drove Front Road Mountbatten Drive Walsingham- Black Dyke Gadds Lane Munday Way Court Black Lane Gate End Bridge Newgate Road Walton Road Bledwick Drove Glebe Close Orchard Close Waverley- Bona Lane Glendon Gardens Orchard Gardens Gardens Brewers Lane Goodens Lane Oxburgh Close West End Broad Drove East Goredike Bank Oxfield Drive Westfield Road Broad Drove West Gorefield Road Park Lane Wolf Lane Bythorne Bank Gote Lane Park Road Woodford- Carlton Close Grangehill Road Parson Drove Lane Gardens Catlings Lane Green Lane Pear Tree Crescent Woodgate- Cats Lane Gypsy Lane Peatlings Lane Road Cattle Dyke Hall Bank Perry Road Woolcroft Close Chalk Road Hannath Road Popes Lane Chapel Lane Harolds Bank Popple Drove Chapter Gardens Hassock Hill Drove Rectory Road Chaucer Close High Broadgate Redgate Road Christopher Drive High Road Richmond Green Church End High Side Richmond Way Church Lane Hockland Road Ringers Lane Church Road Hogens Lane River Terrace Church View Honeyhill Road Roman Bank Churchill Road Horseshoe Terrace Roman Court Colvile Road Ivesdyke Close Sandy Lane Cross Drove Karrow Meadows Seafield Road Crown Close Keillers Close Sees Lane Decoy Road Kentra Close Short Lane Donington Park Kirkgate St James Close Dowgate Road Knights Close St Leonards Road Eaudyke Bank Leafere Way St Marks Road Elloe Bank Leverington St Pauls Close Farriers Court Common Stables Court Fen Road Leverington Road Sutton Meadows Fendyke Lane Little Dowgate Sutton Road Little Ramper Swains Drove Littlechild Drive Swallow Lane Main Road

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

It is recommended that Roman Bank Ward remains the same as the existing warding arrangements and is therefore not subject to any changes as a result of the LGBCE warding review. The ward encapsulates in its entirety the parishes of Tydd St Giles, Newton, Leverington and Gorefield, these are recognised and long established village communities, which are all serviced by individual parish council’s.

Whilst all the main villages do have their own parish council arrangements they are similar in nature, they are all characterised by their rural focus. Each of the main village settlements benefits from a local primary school with the exception of Newton, these local children attend Tydd St Giles Primary school, which forges links between the two villages. Due to the relative sparsity of population in this area maintaining the already established linkages between villages effectively achieves electoral equality. The distribution of the electorate in the area between the four parishes does not easily facilitate splitting them into single member wards. The amalgamation of four parishes to form one, three member ward is the best solution in terms of electoral equality, even though this does result in elector figures reaching the LGBCE outside tolerance threshold. The options for alternative warding arrangement in relation to this area are also constrained by the external district boundary which formulates the ward boundary on three sides. It is proposed that Roman bank remains a three member ward.

PARSON DROVE/ WISBECH ST MARY WARD – TWO SINGLE MEMBER WARDS/ DUAL MEMBER WARD.

PARSON DROVE AND MURROW 2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE AS A SINGLE MEMBER WARD 2063, VARIANCE 0.24% WISBECH ST MARY AND GUYHIRN 2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE AS A SINGLE MEMBER WARD 2077, VARIANCE 0.92%

2018 FORECAST ELECTORATE FIGURE FOR PARSON DROVE, WISBECH ST MARY AS A DUAL MEMBER WARD 4140, ELECTORS PER COUNCILLOR 2070, VARIANCE 0.58%

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD WISBECH ST MARY AND GUYHIRN

Barton Road Nene Close Beechings Close New Drove Bevis Lane North Bank Blundell Terrace North Brink Cannon Close Panswell Lane Cants Drove Plash Drove Chapel Avenue Rat Row Chapelfield Road Riverbank Close Church Road Rummers Lane Churchfield Way Sandbank Churchgate Sayers Crescent Folleys Drove School Close Galls Drove Selwyn Corner Garden Lane Spencer Drove Glebe Gardens St Marys Close Gull Drove Station Drive Gull Road Station Road High Road The Birches Hillcrest Drive The Jetty Homelands Thorney Road Jackson Close Walnut Close Mayfair Gardens Waverley Close Mouth Lane Willock Lane Mowbray Close Woodhouse Close Murrow Lane Woodland Gardens Wykes Drive Yokine Gardens

ROADS IN THE PROPOSED WARD PARSON DROVE AND MURROW

Back Road Mill Close Black Drove Mill Road

Brewery Close Murrow Bank Bridge Drove Murrow Lane Cants Drove Newlands Road Common Bank Parnell Road Common Drove Patricks Way Common Road Pentelow Close Cross Guns Road Riverside Gardens Elbow Lane Seadyke Bank Fen Road Sealeys Lane Front Road Silvers Lane Gull Drove Springfield Road Harolds Bank Station Avenue High Side Station Road Hooks Drove Swan Bridge Ingham Hall Gardens Swan Gardens Inhams Close The Bank John Bends Way The Pigeons Johnsons Drove Thorney Road Lakeside Close Wisbech Road Lindens Close Long Drove Main Road Marshalls Bank

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST

During the extensive consultation period, Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary Ward, as highlighted earlier in the report, is one of the wards where a consensus of opinion was not reached. As a result, the cross party Member Working Group agreed that, both options considered should be put forward to the LGBCE for enable them to make an informed decision as to the warding arrangement they would like to consult the wider public in relation to.

OPTION 1: Retain Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary as a dual member ward, should this be the preferred option of the LGBCE, the proposed ward would follow entirely the existing Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary parish boundaries. The northern and western boundaries for which are represented by the external district boundary, the eastern boundary adjoins the proposed Roman bank Ward and Wisbech Town (parish) boundary, with the southern boundary provided by the A47 and Elm and Christchurch ward boundary. Retaining the ward as a dual member ward maintains the status quo, which electors are familiar with. Parson Drove, as the larger of the village settlements in the area, tends to be visited by electors from the surrounding villages in order to attend the Post Office, Butchers and GP surgery, therefore providing evidence in support of maintaining these established communities together. Similarly Wisbech St Mary has a number of services which other villages use including the car dealers and fish and chip shop. The dual member ward option provides electors with choices regarding who to contact as their political representative

OPTION 2: Split Parson Drove and Murrow into a single member ward and also make Wisbech St Mary and Guyhirn a single member ward. In the event that this is the preferred option of the LGBCE, the proposed Parson Drove Ward would benefit from having the northern and western boundaries provided by the external district boundary the eastern boundary would adjoin Roman bank ward to the north then follow the drain network to the south of Murrow to the B1187. The boundary then follows the dismantled railway line to the boundary of the Elm and Christchurch ward at the southern boundary. This option would facilitate and forge stronger links between Parson Drove and Murrow whilst also enabling the area to benefit from dedicated member attention

The newly created Wisbech St Mary ward would adjoin Roman Bank ward to the north, adjoin Peckover ward to the east, Elm and Christchurch ward to the south and the newly formed Parson Drove ward to the west. This option would potentially forge closer links between Wisbech St Mary and Guyhirn enabling this area to benefit from having dedicated member attention. In addition there is a road network from Guyhirn, through Tholomas Road, Bunkers Hill into High Road Wisbech St Mary, ensuring the LGBCE criteria of effective and convenient local government is addressed.

Creating two single member wards in this area is felt would create greater transparency and accountability for the elected representative. In order to achieve this it would result in the parish of Wisbech St Mary being split.

Whether the ward is a dual member ward or two newly created single member wards, either option achieves the LGBCE criteria for electoral equality. In addition both options enable effective and convenient local government.

OPTION PROS CONS

OPTION 1- RETAIN  Achieves electoral  Local opposition EXISTING DUAL MEMBER equality for WARD  Maintains community identity  Achieves LGBCE criteria of effective and convenient local government  Builds on existing elector comprehension of warding arrangements  Future proof

OPTION 2 -ESTABLISH  Achieves electoral  Dilution of TWO SINGLE MEMBER equality community WARDS  Greater  Local opposition transparency of political representation  Facilitates greater links between villages in single member wards  Future proof  Achieves LGBCE criteria of effective and convenient local government

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