Final Recommendations on the New Electoral Arrangements for Fenland District Council
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Final recommendations on the new electoral arrangements for Fenland District Council Electoral review March 2013 Translations and other formats For information on obtaining this publication in another language or in a large-print or Braille version please contact the Local Government Boundary Commission for England: Tel: 020 7664 8534 Email: [email protected] The mapping in this report is reproduced from OS mapping by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, © Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Licence Number: GD 100049926 2013 Contents Summary 1 1 Introduction 3 2 Analysis and final recommendations 5 Submissions received 6 Electorate figures 6 Council size 6 Electoral fairness 7 General analysis 7 Electoral arrangements 8 Whittlesey 8 Chatteris 10 March, Elm and Christchurch 10 Doddington and Wimblington 11 Wisbech 12 Roman Bank, Wisbech St Mary and Parson Drove 12 Conclusions 13 Parish electoral arrangements 13 3 What happens next? 17 4 Mapping 19 Appendices A Table A1: Final recommendations for Fenland District 20 Council B Glossary and abbreviations 22 Summary The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is an independent body that conducts electoral reviews of local authority areas. The broad purpose of an electoral review is to decide on the appropriate electoral arrangements – the number of councillors, and the names, number and boundaries of wards or divisions – for a specific local authority. We conducted an electoral review of Fenland District Council to provide improved levels of electoral equality across the authority. The review aimed to ensure that the number of voters represented by each councillor is approximately the same. The Commission commenced the review in February 2012. This review was conducted as follows: Stage starts Description 13 March 2012 Submission of proposals of ward arrangements to the LGBCE 4 May 2012 LGBCE’s analysis and formulation of draft recommendations 23 October 2012 Publication of draft recommendations and consultation on them 7 January 2013 Analysis of submissions received and formulation of final recommendations Draft recommendations Our draft recommendations were for a council size of 39 members comprising 15 single-member wards, six two-member wards and four three-member wards, based largely on a submission from the Council. We proposed a number of minor amendments to improve electoral equality and provide stronger boundaries. All submissions can be viewed on our website at www.lgbce.org.uk Submissions received During the consultation on our draft recommendations for Fenland, we received nine submissions. These included a district-wide submission from Fenland District Council. Whilst the Council acknowledged that the draft recommendations were based mainly on its proposals, on further consideration it now felt that the consequential creation of a number of small parish wards was undesirable and, therefore put forward a number of amendments, especially in relation to March. Chatteris, Wisbech and Whittlesey town councils all made representations, broadly reflecting the Council’s concerns. All submissions can be viewed on our website at www.lgbce.org.uk 1 Analysis and draft recommendations Electorate figures Fenland District Council has forecast an increase in electorate of approximately just over 6% across the district by 2018. While this is a relatively large increase in the electorate, on balance we are persuaded that several large developments – in March, Chatteris and Whittlesey – are likely to go ahead and therefore that the electoral projection is reasonable. Following publication of our draft recommendations, we did not receive any comments on the electorate figures. Having considered the information provided by the Council, we are content that the Council’s projected figures are the best available at the present time. These figures form the basis of the final recommendations. General analysis We have considered all submissions received during the consultation on our draft recommendations. After careful consideration, and despite the level of change from the draft recommendations, we have been persuaded to accept amendments for the March area. Accordingly, we are adopting the Council and March Town Council’s proposal to revert to the existing wards. These wards secure good electoral equality and have recognisable boundaries. The Council did not put forward full proposals for Whittlesey but objected to the Drybread Road area being in a large rural ward, concerns also reflected by Whittlesey Town Council. As a result of the evidence received, we propose modifications to the Benwick, Coates & Eastrea ward to transfer the Drybread Road area into the town. We also propose a number of further amendments to accommodate this transfer and to secure good electoral equality and strong boundaries. In Wisbech the Council and Wisbech Town Council proposed a number of minor amendments to strengthen boundaries. We are adopting these proposals without amendment. In the remainder of the district we are confirming our draft recommendations as final. What happens next? We have now completed our review of electoral arrangements for Fenland District Council. An Order – the legal document which brings into force our recommendations – will be laid in Parliament and will be implemented subject to Parliamentary scrutiny. The draft Order will provide for new electoral arrangements which will come into force at the next elections for Fenland District Council, in 2015. We are grateful to all those organisations and individuals who have contributed to the review through expressing their views and advice. The full report is available to download at www.lgbce.org.uk You can also view our final recommendations for Fenland on our interactive maps at consultation.lgbce.org.uk 2 1 Introduction 1 The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is an independent body which conducts electoral reviews of local authority areas. This electoral review is being conducted following our decision to review Fenland District Council’s electoral arrangements to ensure that the number of voters represented by each councillor is approximately the same across the authority. 2 We wrote to Fenland District Council as well as other interested parties inviting the submission of proposals on warding arrangements for the Council. A submission received from the Council during the preliminary period of the review informed our Draft recommendations on the new electoral arrangements for Fenland District Council, which were published on 23 October 2012. Consultation on our draft recommendations took place until 7 January 2013. What is an electoral review? 3 The main aim of an electoral review is to try to ensure ‘electoral equality’, which means that all councillors in a single authority represent approximately the same number of electors. Our objective is to make recommendations that will improve electoral equality, while also trying to reflect communities in the area and provide for effective and convenient local government. 4 Our three main considerations – equalising the number of electors each councillor represents; reflecting community identity; and providing for effective and 1 convenient local government – are set out in legislation and our task is to strike the best balance between them when making our recommendations. Our powers, as well as the guidance we have provided for electoral reviews and further information on the review process, can be found on our website at www.lgbce.org.uk Why are we conducting a review in Fenland? 5 We decided to conduct this review because, based on the December 2010 electorate figures, more than 30% of the existing wards have 10% more or fewer electors per councillor than the district average. In addition, Bassenhally has 36% fewer electors than the district average. How will the recommendations affect you? 6 The recommendations will determine how many councillors will serve on the Council. They will also decide which ward you vote in, which other communities are in that ward and, in some instances, which parish or town council wards you vote in. Your ward name may change, as may the names of parish or town council wards in the area. If you live in a parish, the name or boundaries of that parish will not change as a result of our recommendations. 1 Schedule 2 to the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009. 3 What is the Local Government Boundary Commission for England? 7 The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is an independent body set up by Parliament under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009. Members of the Commission are: Max Caller CBE (Chair) Professor Colin Mellors (Deputy Chair) Dr Peter Knight CBE DL Sir Tony Redmond Dr Colin Sinclair CBE Professor Paul Wiles CB Chief Executive: Alan Cogbill Director of Reviews: Archie Gall 4 2 Analysis and final recommendations 8 We have now finalised our recommendations on the new electoral arrangements for Fenland District Council. 9 As described earlier, our prime aim when recommending new electoral arrangements for Fenland is to achieve a level of electoral fairness – that is, each elector’s vote being worth the same as another’s. In doing so we must have regard to the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009,2 with the need to: secure effective and convenient local government provide for equality of representation reflect the identities and interests of local communities, in particular o the desirability of arriving at boundaries that are easily identifiable o the desirability of fixing boundaries so as not to break any local ties 10 Legislation also states that our recommendations are not intended to be based solely on the existing number of electors in an area, but also on estimated changes in the number and distribution of electors likely to take place over a five-year period from the date of our final recommendations. We must also try to recommend strong, clearly identifiable boundaries for the wards we put forward at the end of the review.