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District Executive – 5th April 2012

10. Draft Recommendations on the new Electoral Arrangements for County Council

Executive Portfolio Holder: Tim Carroll, Finance and Spatial Planning Assistant Director: Ian Clarke, Legal and Corporate Services Lead Officer: Ian Clarke, Legal and Corporate Services Contact Details: [email protected] or (01935) 462184

Purpose of the Report

To seek Members views on the draft recommendations published by the Local Government Boundary Commission setting out proposed new electoral arrangements for . Any consultation responses to the draft recommendations must be received by the Boundary Commission by the 9th April 2012.

Forward Plan

This report did not appear on the District Executive Forward Plan as the request for a report was received after the last District Executive and the report needs to have been considered before the 9th April deadline.

Public Interest

The Local Government Boundary Commission for is an independent body which conducts electoral reviews on local authority areas. The purpose of the review is to decide on appropriate arrangements e.g. the number of councillors, their names, number and boundaries of electoral divisions for local authorities. They commenced a review of Somerset County Council in May 2011 with the aim of improving levels of electoral equality across the authority. They have completed the information gathering part of the exercise have now analysed it and have published it as their draft recommendations. The next stage is to publicise the draft recommendations and consult on them. The final stage will be to consider all the submissions received and then formulate a final recommendation for adoption.

Recommendation

That members consider the draft recommendations published by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England and make such representations as they feel are appropriate through the Leader.

Background

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is an independent body that conducts electoral reviews of local authority areas. They commenced the review of Somerset County Council in May 2011 with the aim of delivering improved levels of electoral equality for local voters on the basis that they believed that Somerset currently has high levels of electoral inequality. The Commission’s obligations in carrying out the review are to deliver electoral equality for voters, reflect local community interest and identities and promote effective and convenient local government.

The recommendations for Somerset are that the County Council should be represented by 55 county councillors, a reduction of 3 from the arrangements that currently apply.

Meeting: DE12A 11:12 41 Date: 05.04.12 DE

They believe that 55 members is sufficient to enable the council to discharge its roles effectively and reflect the different communities and community interests across the county. For this will mean a reduction of one county councillor to 17. The Boundary Commission have based their draft recommendations in relation to South Somerset on the scheme put forward by Somerset County Council. However the Commission is still proposing significant amendments to the County Council’s proposals in . In terms of the electorate figures the Commission were working with these are based on the County Council’s forecast of an increase in the electorate of approximately 7% in South Somerset’s area for the 6 year period 2011-17. The Commission are satisfied that the projected figures are the best available and have used these to form the basis of their draft recommendations.

The Commission have sought to reflect communication links, geographical factors and any representations in relation to community identity received during their information gathering exercise. The draft recommendation for a council of 55 members is comprised of 51 single member divisions and two 2 member divisions. In seeking to achieve electoral fairness, whilst ensuring the arrangements reflect communities in an area, the Commission calculate the average number of electors per councillor. The county average is then calculated by dividing the total electorate of the county by the total number of councillors representing them on the council. Under the Commissions draft recommendations the number of electors per councillor will 7,615 in 2011 and 8,137 by 2017. As only one of their proposed fifty-one 3 divisions will have electoral variances of more than 10% from the average for the county by 2017 they are satisfied that they have achieved good levels of electoral fairness under their draft recommendations.

What it means for South Somerset

Changes Proposed by Somerset County Changes Proposed by the Boundary Council Commission

Blackmore Vale

The parish of to be moved into Rimpton to be left in the Blackmore Vale from the Castle Cary Division. Parish to be Division. added to the Blackmore Vale Division.

District Wards – Blackmore Vale, and (part of) Camelot.

Castle Cary

Chilton Cantelo to be moved from Rimpton to remain in Blackmore Vale Division. Division. South Cadbury to be moved to Blackmore Vale. , and and to be to be included in this Division moved from and from Somerset County Council’s proposed Division. Division.

Rimpton to be moved to Blackmore Vale to be moved from Ilchester Division. Division.

Meeting: DE12A 11:12 42 Date: 05.04.12 DE

Changes Proposed by Somerset County Changes Proposed by the Boundary Council Commission

District Wards – Cary, (part of) Camelot, (part of) Ivelchester and (part of) Tower.

Chard North

No changes proposed. Transfer small part of Chard Avishayes to Chard South Division.

District Wards - Blackdown, (part of) Chard Avishayes, Chard Combe and Chard Crimchard.

Chard South

No changes proposed. A small part of Avishayes transferred from Chard North.

District Wards – (part of) Chard Avishayes, Chard Holyrood, Chard Jocelyn and and Forton.

Coker Division

Part of (Wraxhill Ward) and Both Wraxhill Road and Sampsons Wood part of (Sampsons Wood Ward to remain in Yeovil South Division. Ward) to be moved from Yeovil South Division. Barwick to remain in Coker Division.

Montacute to be moved from Ilchester Divisions.

Norton-sub-Hamdon to be moved from Division.

Barwick to moved to Yeovil South Division.

District Wards – Parrett, (part of) Coker, (part of) Hamdon, (part of) St Michaels and (part of) Yeovil South.

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Changes Proposed by Somerset County Changes Proposed by the Boundary Council Commission

Crewkerne

Wayford and West to be moved SCC proposal adopted. from Division.

District Wards – Crewkerne and (part of) Windwhistle.

Curry Rivel

Ashill, Broadway, and Horton to be The Boundary Commission will agree the moved to Ilminster Division. revised Ilminster Division, the new and Division and the , , Curry Rivel, revised and Islemoor Drayton, and Hambridge and Division. The Boundary Commission do not Westport to be moved to a new Curry Rivel agree to the transfer to South Petherton & and Langport Division. Islemoor Division of Hambridge & Westport. The Curry Rivel Division , Isle Abbotts and to be becomes the new Curry Rivel and moved to a new South Petherton and Langport Division. Islemoor Division.

District Wards for new Curry Rivel & Langport Division – part of Burrow Hill, Curry Rivel, part of Islemoor, Langport and Huish and part of Turn Hill.

Ilchester

A name change to Brympton Division. A new 2 member Division to be created called Brympton and Yeovil West Division, Chilton Cantelo to be moved to Castle which will include the north-west of Yeovil, Cary Division. Brympton Parish and part of including Yeovil Marsh and Brimsmore. to be moved to Coker Division. Limington, Yeovilton and part of Mudford to Ilchester, and (part of) Stoke-sub- be moved to Castle Cary Division. Hamdon (Stanchester Ward) to be moved to Martock Division. Other SCC proposals adopted.

District Wards for the new Brympton & Yeovil West Division – Brympton, part of Yeovil West, part of Yeovil without, part of Yeovil South and part of St. Michaels.

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Changes Proposed by Somerset County Changes Proposed by the Boundary Council Commission

Ilminster

Wayford and West Crewkerne to be moved SCC proposal adopted. to Crewkerne Division.

Ashill, Broadway, Donyatt and Horton to be moved from Curry Rivel Division.

District Wards – Ilminster, Neroche and part of (Windwhistle).

Langport

Proposed name change – Curry Rivel and Not agreed that Langport Division. be moved from Curry Rivel Division – to be moved to the South Petherton and Beercrocombe, Curry Mallet, Curry Rivel, Islemoor Division instead. Drayton, Fivehead and Hambridge and Westport to be moved from Curry Rivel Other SCC proposals adopted. Division.

Barrington, and to be moved to South Petherton and Islemoor Division.

Long Sutton to be moved to Somerton Division.

District Wards for new Curry Rivel & Langport Division – part of Burrow Hill, Curry Rivel, part of Islemoor, Langport and Huish and part of Turn Hill.

Martock

Norton-sub-Hamdon to be moved to Coker SCC proposal adopted. Division.

Ilchester, Tintinhull and part of Stoke-sub- Hamdon (Stanchester Ward) to be moved to this division from the Brympton Division.

District Wards – Martock, part of Hamdon, part of Ivelchester, part of St Michaels.

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Changes Proposed by Somerset County Changes Proposed by the Boundary Council Commission

Somerton

Long Sutton to be moved from Curry Rivel SCC proposal adopted. and Langport Division.

District Wards – Northstone, Wessex and part of Turnhill.

South Petherton Division

Proposed name change – South Petherton SCC proposal adopted. and Islemoor.

Ilton, Isle Abbotts and Isle Brewer to be SCC proposal adopted. In addition moved from the Curry Rivel Division. Hambridge & Westport to be moved from the Curry Rivel division Barrington, Puckington and Stocklinch to be moved from the Curry Rivel and Langport Division.

District Wards – Eggwood, South Petherton, part of Burrow Hill and part of Islemoor.

Wincanton and Bruton Division

Bratton Seymour and Pitcombe to be SCC proposal adopted. moved to Castle Cary Division.

District Wards – Bruton, Wincanton and part of Tower.

Yeovil and Surrounding Parishes

There were a number of concerns raised with the County Councils proposals for this area so the Boundary Commission have developed their own proposals for some parts of this area. They are proposing a 2 member ward Brympton and the Yeovil West Division which would include the north-west of Yeovil, Brympton Parish and part of Yeovil Without Parish (and would include the planned Brimsmore development area). In addition to the central and east of Yeovil Town Division boundaries have been chosen that reflect transport links and at the same time ensure good electoral equality. To help Members understand the changes that have been proposed, attached as Appendix 1 are

Meeting: DE12A 11:12 46 Date: 05.04.12 DE the current County Council arrangements for the Yeovil District Wards together with the proposed arrangements as endorsed by the Boundary Commission.

Parish Arrangements

The Boundary Commission are required to have regard to certain criteria which means that if a parish is divided between different divisions or wards it must also be divided into parish wards. As a consequence of this the Boundary Commission are proposing three changes to Chard Town Council, Yeovil Town Council and Yeovil Without Parish Council. In relation to Chard Town Council the 15 current councillors should represent 6 wards – Avishayes (2 members); Cerdic (1 member); Combe (3 members); Crimchard (3 members); Holyrood (3 members) and Jocelyn (3 members). For Yeovil Town Council the proposal is that the 24 councillors represent 9 wards – Central (2 members); East (4 members); Hollands (2 members); Milford (4 members); Park (1 member); Preston (2 members); Sherborne (2 members); South (4 members) and West (3 members). For Yeovil Without Parish Council the proposal is that 15 councillors represent 3 wards – Brimsmore (5 members); Combe (5 members) and Lyde (5 members) as currently is the case but propose slight boundary changes between the existing wards. It is understood that all three councils have already considered the proposals and will be making their own representations direct to the Boundary Commission.

Population Statistics

As has been mentioned earlier the County Council has forecast an increase in electorate of approximately 7% across the whole county for the 6 year period 2011-1017. For South Somerset this means the electorate will increase to 137,651 by 2017. Planning policy have confirmed that on the basis of the 2008 base population projections, they broadly concur with County's 7% forecast.

Financial Implications

There are no financial implications resulting this report.

Risk Matrix

Impact Impact

R, CpP,

CP, CY, F

Likelihood

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Key

Categories Colours (for further detail please refer to Risk management strategy) R = Reputation Red = High impact and high probability CpP = Corporate Plan Priorities Orange = Major impact and major probability CP = Community Priorities Yellow = Moderate impact and moderate CY = Capacity probability F = Financial Green = Minor impact and minor probability Blue = Insignificant impact and insignificant probability

Corporate Priority Implications

There are none that relate specifically to the subject matter.

Carbon Emissions & Adapting to Climate Change Implications (NI188)

There have been none as a consequence of this report.

Equality and Diversity Implications

This is a matter for the Boundary Commission to address as part of their community engagement arrangements surrounding this review.

Background Papers: The Local Government Boundary Commission for England Draft Recommendations Report and associated plans published February 2012.

Meeting: DE12A 11:12 48 Date: 05.04.12