Local Residents Submissions to the Warrington Borough Council Electoral Review
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Local Residents submissions to the Warrington Borough Council electoral review This PDF document contains 49 submissions from Local Residents with Surnames from A to J. Some versions of Adobe allow the viewer to move quickly between bookmarks. Dear sir/madam, Having viewed the proposed boundary changes in relation to Lymm I see that the current ward would be split into two separate wards i.e Lymm North & Thelwall and Lymm South. It seems logical to me that making these changes would result in increased representation for Lymm. On this basis I would strongly support the proposals. This increase in councillors would also give Lymm a greater voice on the Borough Council. Lymm will continue to be well served by the Parish Council, which I assume will combine both of the existing wards. Yours faithfully, Malcolm Joseph Askew 1 Dear Sirs, I was extremely disappointed to hear of the possible erosion of the Hatton Stretton and Walton ward. As a Walton resident, I am very concerned that the ward might be lost and have no future representation. The ward has a very strong identity and I know that the local Walton council work tirelessly to ensure that the area is a strong thriving community. I trust that this decision is not a fait accompli and strong consideration will be given to retaining the ward. Regards Matthew Barnes 1 Morrison, William From: Mayers, Mishka on behalf of reviews Sent: 20 October 2015 09:23 To: Morrison, William Subject: FW: Electoral review of Warrington Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Flagged Dear Sirs I am writing to comment on the proposed boundaries for Warrington. Firstly, as Warrington’s submitted Local Plan has been challenged in the High Court, it is under urgent review. This review will almost certainly increasee th number of houses built each year until 2017 significantly and the number currently proposed is 826. These will be built only in a small number of areas in the town and it is hard to predict which areas will be affected at present. In these circumstances a radical and disruptive change of ward boundaries, which will soon likely not fit the population pattern is not appropriate. I believe that a solution closest to the status‐quo, but adjusting wards which are significantly outside the 10% variance should be adopted. Warrington Borough Council’s plan offered such a solution. As a Lymm resident I am most concerned with the impact on Lymm. Lymm is, and has been historically, a recognisable community with a strong identity and clear boundaries. It is not at all clear that Lymm has suffered through being numerically “under‐represented” on the Council. Lymm Borough Councillors are historically almost always also Parish Councillors and the two Councils work together effectively, particularly as tasks and responsibilities are being devolved to the Parish Council. To create an entirely artificial ward of Lymm North and Thelwall will disrupt this relationship leading to poorer governance and does not reflect strongly felt community identity. If Lymm has to change, I would favour the four‐ member ward solution within existing boundaries. Finally, a standard criterion of good boundaries, not adopted by the Boundary Commission on this occasion, is geographical compactness and coherence. Some of the Wards proposed by the Boundary Commission including Lymm North and Thelwall are not compact and are strung out to almost to half the width of the Borough. This smacks of a classic “Gerrymander” where a sensible boundary is abandoned in favour of a particular outcome. While I have no doubt than none of the submissions, nor the Boundary Commission proposal, have any political intent other than fair elections, contrived boundaries lead to suspicions and are technically a poor solution. I strongly support a new set of Boundaries for Warrington that minimises change, particularly as change in population patterns is inevitable in the near future and which retains the community integrity of Lymm. Robert Barr 1 Local Boundary Commission for England Consultation Portal Page 1 of 1 Warrington Personal Details: Name: R Bayne E-mail: Postcode: Organisation Name: Comment text: I live in the area of Appleton, south of the Bridgewater canal that is proposed to become part of Stockton Heath. The proposal to move the boundary from the Bridgewater canal seems totally illogical. It will totally change the community identity and I do not feel part of Stockton Heath, but Appleton. The organisation will be a nightmare if the boundaries are no longer the same as the Parish boundaries, bringing more work, paperwork and time spent, and therefore money, unnecessarily. Overall I am very unhappy with the proposals to change the Appleton boundary. Uploaded Documents: None Uploaded https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/print/informed-representation/6139 19/10/2015 Local Boundary Commission for England Consultation Portal Page 1 of 1 Warrington Personal Details: Name: Caroline Beardsell E-mail: Postcode: Organisation Name: Comment text: We received notice of the proposed changes through our Local Lib Dem newsletter. Is someone having a laugh, if I wanted to live in the Grappenhall area I would have bought a house in Grappenhall and not Stockton Heath. There are various issues that I feel have not been taken into consideration one of those being the current links within the Stockton Heath Community. As A Scout Leader in Stockton Heath with a young family I feel that the links with the local community, library and festivals would be diluted. Grappenhall does not have the thriving community network and feel of Stockton Heath. Also moving the boundary to Grappenhall would also effect the price of my house. I really do struggle to see what benefit these changes will make to the Stockton Heath Community, this to me seems a decision based on Councillor/elector balance. I strongly object to being transferred to an area where the local Tesco is the only landmark in the area. Would the Government being footing the cost of any documents, registration papers that reference Stockton Heath. One absolutely furious and confused Denbury Avenue resident Uploaded Documents: None Uploaded https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/print/informed-representation/6141 19/10/2015 Local Boundary Commission for England Consultation Portal Page 1 of 1 Warrington Personal Details: Name: Jane Bell E-mail: Postcode: Organisation Name: Homeowner Comment text: Who is the idiot that thought up this idea? What a waste of tax payers money. I am totally against the changes. Uploaded Documents: None Uploaded https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/print/informed-representation/6094 12/10/2015 Local Boundary Commission for England Consultation Portal Page 1 of 1 Warrington Personal Details: Name: Judith Biggin E-mail: Postcode: Organisation Name: Comment text: Dear Sir, I live in Thelwall, South Warrington. The Boundary Commission is considering putting us together with Lymm. Currently we work with Grappenhall, we are joined together by housing whereas Lymm is separated by countryside and a motorway. We have the same needs as Grappenhall, not Lymm. Lymm is almost a small town whereas Grappenhall and Thelwall are villages. Why would you consider dividing Lymm and putting half with another village.The thought that we may divide upsets me. We may lose some of our wonderful Councillors and the Parish Council is awful. They run social events for us, buy things between us and work exceptionally hard for our communities. I am not alone with these thoughts, I have spoken to many people and it is this that has prompted me to write. My fellow villagers are appalled. It is not just about politics it is about people and you do not seem to be thinking about us. Yours sincerely Judith Biggin (Miss) Uploaded Documents: None Uploaded https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/print/informed-representation/6004 16/09/2015 Local Boundary Commission for England Consultation Portal Page 1 of 1 Warrington Personal Details: Name: Susan Bradshaw E-mail: Postcode: Organisation Name: Comment text: I object to the Boundary Commission erasing the ward of Hatton, Stretton & Walton and merging it with Appleton & Stockton Heath. Currently we are fairly represented and have accountability but feel this would lost if merged into a larger ward. Uploaded Documents: None Uploaded https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/print/informed-representation/5985 07/09/2015 Local Boundary Commission for England Consultation Portal Page 1 of 1 Warrington Personal Details: Name: Aitken Brotherston E-mail: Postcode: Organisation Name: Comment text: My comment refers to the proposal as it affects Lymm. While the proposal might well satisfy the numerical requirement it will cleave a separate and identifiable community down the middle. I understand that the separation would be convenient for administration and implementation with the Postcode for areas of Lymm to the north of the Bridgewater Canal having WA13 9xx postcodes and those to the south having WA13 0xx, however that convenience does not justify the destruction of a community that has worked well for many years. I also have no doubt that the predominantly Labour Warrington Borough Council would welcome the divide and presumably conquer opportunity that the division of Lymm would present them. That would be nicely convenient for the Labour administration but would certainly not promote effective local Government and to my mind might quite easily produce an accusation of Labour bias aimed at the Commission. Of the 4 requirements Numerical equality Community Identity Convenient government Effective Government this proposal satisfies only the Numerical Equality requirement and fails on the other three unless you are a Labour supporter where it would make it more convenient via the divide and conquer efffect. I am totally opposed to the changes as they affect LYMM. Uploaded Documents: None Uploaded https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/print/informed-representation/6144 19/10/2015 Local Boundary Commission for England Consultation Portal Page 1 of 1 Warrington Personal Details: Name: Christine and Alan Brown E-mail: Postcode: Organisation Name: Comment text: Equalising number of electors to Councillors across Borough - future housing people numbers not yet know.