Electoral Review of North

Independent/Green group – proposal for warding pattern

Background

The Independent/Green Group on Council includes eight councillors, representing the following wards (as currently constituted):

Backwell (including Flax Bourton, Barrow Gurney and Brockley) Cllrs Karen Barclay and Geoff Coombs (two member ward) East Cllr David Shopland (single member ward) Cllr Tom Leimdorfer (single member ward) East Cllr Andy Cole ( in two member ward) Pill Cllr Donald Davies (single member ward) (including Dundry, Felton and Regil) Cllr Hugh Gregor (single member ward) (including Cleeve, Kenn, ) Cllr Tony Moulin (in three member ward)

Independent councillors are elected because of their local knowledge and ability to represent and work with their local communities. While members of our group have found common ground over a range of issues and have been able to co-operate effectively, we hold a wide range of political views. Our contribution to the Boundary Review process has been based entirely on what we feel works best for the communities we represent. Based on our own experience and extensive casework, our initial view was that there should be no significant reduction in the number of councillors. In the light of other group submissions, we supported the proposal to reduce the number to 51. However, in some of the rural areas we currently represent the new wards will cover a larger area than ideal and change is not supported by some parish councils.

Baseline assumptions:

* average number of electors per councillor needs to be 3300 +/- 300 * parishes would not be split unless warded and there is a logical division * wards will be one or two member wards (no three member wards)

We assumed that the proposed expansion of Weston-super-Mare and Portishead will be taken into account, though not to the full capacity of the proposed Weston villages as it will take a decade or more for that to be realised. At the same time, we noted that some of the estimates for growth of electorates to 2018 in our villages looked too low. For example, in the case of Congresbury, there are as many houses currently in the course of construction as the number of extra electors projected between now and 2018, with planning permission for more.

P2 of this submission gives the summary of our proposed warding pattern and p3 provides some additional notes. A map to show details of the Nailsea wards are attached to paper copy by post.

Electoral Review of North Somerset Independent/Green group – proposal for warding pattern

Weston-super-Mare and surrounding villages 22 councillors

This includes all the area south of the and west of the M5 Single member wards proposed with the possible exception of South ward (Bourneville & Oldmixon) 2 member ward Hutton & Locking 2 member ward Single member wards (along the lines proposed by Liberal Democract Group): Uphill, Clarence, Ellenborough, Central, Earlham, Birnbeck, Ashcombe, Milton, Worle Moor, Worle West, Worle South, Worle Central, Worle North, Worle East, West Wick; Hutton Moor, Worlebury & Kewstoke, St. George & Wick St. Lawrence

Portishead single member wards 6

Clevedon single member wards 5

Nailsea single member wards 4 Nailsea north, Nailsea south, Nailsea east, Nailsea central & west – see attached detail

Gordano (as currently) 1

Pill (with Easton & Gordano, but not Abbots Leigh) 1

Yatton (with Kenn, Kingston Seymour, Claverham) 2

Banwell & (with Loxton) 2

Congresbury & Puxton 1

Long Ashton, Abbots Leigh, Barrow Gurney, Flax Bourton, * 2

Backwell, Brockley, Wraxall & Failand, * 2

Winford, Dundry, Felton, Redhill ( NE), Butcombe 1

Blagdon, Burrington, Churchill 1

Wrington & Cleeve * 1

Total 51

* These wards may not be seen as ‘natural communities’ by all parishes (see notes)

Supplementary notes

Weston-super-Mare and surrounding villages We feel that a change to single member wards would be beneficial, wherever possible. We have no view on whether South Ward should stay as a single (two member) ward or be split. Electoral numbers would indicate that Hutton & Locking may need to stay as a two member ward.

Portishead -- we have no views on details of ward division

Clevedon -- the logical reduction from 6 to 5 members should be easy to achieve. Surrounding rural parishes of Kenn, Kingston Seymour and Tickenham would probably not wish to be joined to parts of a town in any new wards.

Nailsea -- four single member wards as suggested by Cllr Andy Cole are supported by Nailsea Town Council. A map of the proposed ward boundaries is attached (in hard copy only).

Gordano – unwieldy, but electoral numbers fit within new limits.

Pill – logical unit and manageable for single member ward, even though above guidelines.

Yatton – will work as two-member ward without Cleeve. Both Kingston Seymour and Kenn have close links with North End of Yatton and Claverham with main part of village.

Banwell & Winscombe – while distinct in character, the two villages have transport and other links; Sandford shares a parish council with Winscombe and closely borders on Banwell.

Congresbury & Puxton – the west end of Congresbury and Puxton share the moor area with historic links between the parishes and good transport links along the A370.

Long Ashton, Abbots Leigh, Barrow Gurney, Flax Bourton (2 member ward) Leigh Woods sits within the parish of Long Ashton and shares some of the issues associated with being close to . Abbots Leigh is a natural fit in this grouping of villages with some of the same issues and an ecclesiastical link to Leigh Woods. Some Long Ashton residents feel that there should be a link in governance between Barrow Gurney and Long Ashton (such as over the issue of a proposed major planning development in Barrow Gunrey). However, both Flax Bourton and Barrow Gurney residents have a strong preference for current link with Backwell.

Backwell, Brockley, Wraxall & Failand (2 member ward) becomes the logical outcome of creating the ward above, but may not be a ‘natural fit’.

Winford, Dundry, Felton, Redhill (Wrington NE), Butcombe – while geographically a large area, this rural, single member ward represents parishes with similar issues and character.

Blagdon, Burrington, Churchill – works as at present and numbers fit.

Wrington & Cleeve – parishes on either side of Wrington Hill without public transport link, but logical size for a single member ward. Cleeve residents prefer the current link to Yatton and children attend Backwell School, while Wrington is part of the Churchill school catchment.

We have been unable to find an ideal solution for some of these rural wards, where current arrangements work well.