CENTRAL DEVON CONSERVATIVE ASSOCI TION (CDCA)
SUBMISSION TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND (LGBCE)
RE: WEST DEVON BOROUGH COUNCIL (WDBC).
SUBMITTED BY CDCA CHAIRMAN JOHN MIDGLEY.
This submission focuses on the eleven West Devon Borough wards that fall within the Central Devon parliamentary constituency, while also making a handful of overall comments.
OVERALL COMMENTS: 1. CDCA strongly supports the principle of balancing the number of voters within each ward. This will be more democratic for voters and fairer to councillors who currently represent more residents than others. We would therefore like to see as many wards as possible fall within the 10% variation target and have made our suggestions on this basis.
2. CDCA believes it is preferable not to split parishes between borough wards and that it is preferable not to split wards between parliamentary constituencies. It would also be preferable to keep parishes that have strong ties within the same ward e.g. keep Bondleigh with North Tawton and keep Meeth with Hatherleigh.
3. CDCA believes the creation of more two-member wards would be:- a. a good way of achieving the desired number of voters per councillor, b. seen as attractive by potential new council candidates who might like the idea of having another councillor representing the same area to work with, c. a better way of ensuring residents are well-represented – in the instance that one councillor is ill or on holiday they have another to turn to and in some very rural wards two parish council meetings can fall on the same evening and naturally a single councillor cannot be in two places at once.
4. CDCA would not object to an additional councillor being required in north of the Borough if this is necessary to achieve the desired voter balance.
5. CDCA believes it is preferable for Okehampton Hamlets not to be split between wards and that its natural ties are with Okehampton (West or East).
SUGGESTED NEW BOUNDARIES With points in mind, CDCA would recommend the following boundary changes:
Chagford Ward (-5.67%) – a single member ward to include Chagford and Gidleigh. Chagford must be partnered with another parish to bring its voter numbers up to a required level and Gidleigh is the only option that doesn’t result in Chagford then being over the 10% target. Gidleigh is also a natural fit with Chagford.
South Tawton & Drewsteignton Ward (-5.57%) – a two member ward to include Belstone, South Tawton, Spreyton, Drewsteignton and Throwleigh parishes. These are all small villages to the east of Okehampton, the majority of which are accessible via the A30 Whiddon Down Junction, and would fit nicely together. Belstone has more in common with South Zeal, South Tawton and Sticklepath than it does with Okehampton.
Exbourne & North Tawton Ward (+7.53%) – a two member ward to include North Tawton, Bondleigh, Iddesleigh, Monkokehampton, Broadwoodkelly, Exbourne, Sampford Courtenay and Jacobstowe. North Tawton must become part of a two-member ward as it alone is more than 10% above the target and this would also keep Bondleigh with North Tawton – the two having long- standing ties.
Hatherleigh & Northlew Ward (+12.43%) – a two member ward to include Hatherleigh, Meeth, Highampton, Northlew and Beaworthy. Like North Tawton, Hatherleigh must become part of a two- member ward as it alone is more than 10% above the target. This also means Meeth can stay with Hatherleigh.
Okehampton West (-4.04%) – the only three member ward being proposed here; it is more natural to have a three member ward in an urban area than a rural one and this allows Okehampton Hamlets and Inwardleigh (which has a natural synergy with Okehampton) to become part of Okehampton West.
Okehampton East (+0.10%) – a two member ward that remains as it is.
The percentages in brackets show the extent to which our proposed wards vary from the approximate target of 1500 voters per ward. 5 of the 6 proposed wards comfortably meet this target with the sixth (Hathlerleigh) is being only just over target.