Kent County Council Regarding the Proposal to the Electoral Review of Kent Phase 1 Consultation
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Egan, Helen From: Sent: 02 March 2015 17:26 To: Buck, Richard Cc: Reviews@; ; Subject: Electoral Review of Kent - Phase 1 Consultation Proposal Response Attachments: Letter to Richard Buck - 02 March 2015.pdf; Boundary Review Appendix 1 VF.docx; Appendix 2 VF.xlsx; Appendix 3 Boundary Review Response Table VF.docx Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Flagged Dear Mr Buck, Please find attached a letter addressed for your attention from Cllr Graham Gibbens, Chair of the Electoral and Boundary Review at Kent County Council regarding the proposal to the electoral review of Kent Phase 1 Consultation. If you would like to speak to Mr Gibbens about this please call me on the number below. Kind regards, Clare Clare Stewart | Executive Assistant to Graham Gibbens – Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Public Health | Strategic & Corporate Services | Kent County Council | Mezzanine Room G60, Sessions House, Maidstone, ME14 1XQ | | | www.kent.gov.uk | 1 Appendix 1: Kent Districts Commentary Ashford: The number of county divisions in the Ashford district remains at seven divisions. It is considered that the current boundaries for county divisions in Ashford well reflects community identities and therefore there is no reason to significantly change any Ashford divisions unless necessary. The existing Tenterden division is too small and the existing Ashford Rural West division is too large. This has been corrected by transferring WN2 Polling district from Ashford Rural West to Tenterden. This results in all of the proposed Ashford county divisions being within the 10% county average and it is recommended there is no further change. Canterbury: The number of county divisions in the Canterbury district has been reduced from nine divisions to eight. This has resulted in the need for a very considerable re-write of the existing Canterbury district county divisions. New ward boundaries have recently been established within the Canterbury district and there are three very large wards (Barton, Blean Forest and Heron). In developing the proposal for the Canterbury district it did seem appropriate to seek to retain these new large wards within individual county divisions where possible. However, to ensure the new Canterbury county divisions do all become within the 10% county average, it has been necessary to divide some wards at polling district level. It should be noted that on the proposal every ward sub division to polling district level is completely co-terminus within the suggested county division. Under the current county divisions it has been possible to have two by two member divisions along the coastal area (a two member division for Herne Bay and a two member division for Whitstable). As a result of the reduction of one county division in the Canterbury district and the consequent larger representation number, it is not possible to have four members representing the coastal area. It is therefore suggested that there should be a division called Whitstable which covers Seasalter and Gorall (effectively the central part of Whitstable). There would then be a further coastal division called Whitstable and Herne Bay Coast followed by a third coastal division called Herne Bay East. The remaining small coastal area at the east of Herne Bay will comprise the coastal ward of Reculver and spread inland to include Herne and Sturry. In the Canterbury urban area it is suggested that there should be two separate county divisions to cover most of the Canterbury urban area. In the divisions suggested, it is considered that these do most effectively reflect community identity within the Canterbury 1 urban area. This proposal for Canterbury also recognises the resolution of full council in July 2014 that there should be single member divisions wherever possible. The two Canterbury urban divisions would thus effectively comprise: 1. Canterbury City North East: Northgate, St Stephens, two polling districts from Westgate (one of which is presently in St Stephens) and one polling district from Blean Forest (RBF5) which is presently in Westgate ward and is in reality part of urban Canterbury. 2. Canterbury City South West: This to comprise all of the new very large Barton ward. It would also include most of Westgate ward and most of Wincheap ward. There remains two rural county divisions in the Canterbury district namely Canterbury North West and Canterbury South. It should be noted that Canterbury North West does extend through a rural area and then covers Chestfield which is on the edge of Whitstable. With the exception of Chestfield the two rural divisions do cover a range of rural parishes which are communities in their own right. It should be noted that the two suggested coastal divisions of Herne Bay East and Whitstable and Herne Bay Coast could become a single two member division. This is however not recommended because they would not in any respect represent any form of community identity. This results in all of the proposed Canterbury county divisions being within the 10% county average and is recommended. Dartford: The number of county divisions in the Dartford district remains at six divisions. It is considered that the present boundaries for county councillors in Dartford well reflects community identities and therefore there is no reason to significantly change any Dartford divisions unless necessary. The significant increase in forecast electorate in the existing Swanscombe & Greenhithe division will make it too large and the Dartford East division is too small. This can easily be corrected by transferring Castle ward from Swanscombe & Greenhithe to Dartford East. This results in all of the proposed Dartford county divisions being within the 10% county average and it is recommended there is no further change. Dover: The number of county divisions in the Dover district remains at seven divisions. The proposals for Dover have been drawn up recognising the resolution of full council in July 2014 that there should be single member divisions wherever possible. Dover Town does however very conveniently fit into a two member division and in reality it has proved very 2 difficult to break up into single member divisions. It is therefore proposed that there should be a two member division for Dover Town. At the present time there is a two member division called Deal. The Deal division does in fact comprise Deal and Walmer and these are two very separate communities. It is therefore proposed that there should be separate county divisions for Deal and Walmer. Sandwich is a community in its own right and there is a Sandwich division comprising Sandwich and its rural hinterland. Finally to complete the county division breakup for the Dover district divisions are described as Dover North and Dover West. This results in all of the proposed Dover district county divisions being within the 10% county average and is recommended. Gravesham: The number of county divisions in the Gravesham district remains at five divisions. The existing Gravesham Rural division is too large and it is clearly necessary to reduce the size of the division. A new division has been created called “Gravesend East” and this division covers some of the wards that were previously in the rural division along with some of the existing Gravesham East division. A two member division comprising much of the centre of Gravesend remains and called “Gravesend Town”. A further division is recommended for Gravesham West (could be called Northfleet & Gravesend West). This results in all of the proposed Gravesham county divisions being within the 10% county average and is recommended. Maidstone: The number of county divisions in the Maidstone District remains at nine divisions. It is considered that the current boundaries for county divisions in Maidstone well reflect community identities and therefore no reason to significantly change any Maidstone division unless necessary. Within the existing Maidstone county divisions Maidstone Rural South is too small. This situation can be remedied by adjusting certain wards between Maidstone Rural West and Maidstone Rural South. The other divisions in the Maidstone district do largely satisfy the requirements of the boundary commission in defining county divisions and especially in relation to community identity. 3 Maidstone Central is a very satisfactory two member division at present and comprises a range of wards in the centre and west of Maidstone. Maidstone North East comprises the wards in the urban north east part of Maidstone. Maidstone South and Maidstone South East are both single member county divisions comprising urban wards in Maidstone. All of the rural wards in the Maidstone district do properly reflect individual parishes and communities. This results in all of the proposed Maidstone county divisions being within the 10% county average and is recommended. Sevenoaks: The number of county divisions in the Sevenoaks District is reduced from seven divisions to six divisions. This will provide the opportunity for the Swanley division to encompass more of the area that in reality is in Swanley. If the whole of Swanley is put into one division it becomes slightly too large. It is therefore proposed that Swanley Village (polling district CO) should be placed within the proposed Darent Valley division. It is appreciated that Swanley Village has more community identity with Swanley. The transfer of this polling district is solely to meet the percentage variance criteria. The remainder of the Sevenoaks District after separating out Swanley has been divided across the five remaining county divisions. This results in all of the proposed Sevenoaks county divisions being within the 10% county average and is recommended. Shepway: The number of county divisions in the Shepway district remains at six divisions. In the existing county division structure for the Shepway district the two divisions of Romney Marsh and Elham Valley are significantly too large. The makeup of the Romney Marsh division is entirely restricted by its boundaries of East Sussex, Ashford district and the sea.