LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FUTURE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR HARROGATE IN NORTH YORKSHIRE Report to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions November 1999 LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND This report sets out the Commission’s final recommendations on the electoral arrangements for the borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire. Members of the Commission are: Professor Malcolm Grant (Chairman) Professor Michael Clarke (Deputy Chairman) Peter Brokenshire Kru Desai Pamela Gordon Robin Gray Robert Hughes CBE Barbara Stephens (Chief Executive) ©Crown Copyright 1999 Applications for reproduction should be made to: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office Copyright Unit. The mapping in this report is reproduced from OS mapping by The Local Government 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 03114G. This report is printed on recycled paper. ii LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND CONTENTS page LETTER TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE v SUMMARY vii 1 INTRODUCTION 1 2 CURRENT ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS 3 3 DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS 9 4 RESPONSES TO CONSULTATION 11 5 FURTHER CONSULTATION 13 6 ANALYSIS AND FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS 15 7 NEXT STEPS 37 APPENDICES A Final Recommendations for Harrogate: Detailed Mapping 39 B Draft Recommendations for Harrogate (May 1999) 43 A large map illustrating the proposed ward boundaries for the towns of Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon is inserted inside the back cover of the report. LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND iii iv LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND Local Government Commission for England 30 November 1999 Dear Secretary of State On 3 November 1998 the Commission began a periodic electoral review of Harrogate under the Local Government Act 1992. We published our draft recommendations in May 1999 and undertook an eight-week period of consultation. We sought further comments on proposals provided at Stage Three regarding the rural wards. A further round of consultation in relation to the rural part of the borough took place from 18 August 1999, ending on 17 September 1999. We have now prepared our final recommendations in the light of the consultation. We have made significant modifications to our draft recommendations in the light of further evidence (see paragraph 168) . This report sets out our final recommendations for changes to electoral arrangements in Harrogate. We recommend that Harrogate Borough Council should be served by 54 councillors representing 35 wards, and that changes should be made to ward boundaries in order to improve electoral equality, having regard to the statutory criteria. We recommend that the Council should continue to hold elections by thirds. We note that you have now set out in the White Paper Modern Local Government – In Touch with the People (Cm 4014, HMSO), legislative proposals for a number of changes to local authority electoral arrangements. However, until such time as that new legislation is in place we are obliged to conduct our work in accordance with current legislation, and to continue our current approach to periodic electoral reviews. I would like to thank members and officers of the Borough Council and other local people who have contributed to the review. Their co-operation and assistance have been very much appreciated by Commissioners and staff. Yours sincerely PROFESSOR MALCOLM GRANT Chairman LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND v vi LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND SUMMARY The Commission began a review of Harrogate on ● In 30 of the proposed 35 wards the number 3 November 1998. We published our draft of electors per councillor would vary by no recommendations for electoral arrangements on 25 more than 10 per cent from the borough May 1999, after which we undertook an eight- average. week period of consultation. We also sought ● This improved level of electoral equality is further comments on an alternative proposal forecast to continue, with the number of concerning the rural areas received at Stage Three. electors per councillor in only one ward, Mashamshire, expected to vary by more than ● This report summarises the representations 10 per cent from the average for the we received during consultation on our draft borough in 2003. recommendations, and offers our final recommendations to the Secretary of State. Recommendations are also made for changes to parish and town council electoral arrangements We found that the existing electoral arrangements which provide for: provide unequal representation of electors in Harrogate: ● revised warding arrangements for Knaresborough and Ripon town councils and Boroughbridge ● in nine of the 32 wards the number of and Killinghall parish councils; electors represented by each councillor varies by more than 10 per cent from the average ● an increase in the number of councillors for for the borough, and four wards vary by Whixley Parish Council. more than 20 per cent from the average; ● by 2003 electoral equality is not expected to All further correspondence on these improve, with the number of electors per recommendations and the matters discussed councillor forecast to vary by more than 10 in this report should be addressed to the per cent from the average in 12 wards, and Secretary of State for the Environment, by more than 20 per cent in four wards. Transport and the Regions, who will not make an order implementing the Our main final recommendations for future Commission’s recommendations before 11 electoral arrangements (Figures 1 and 2 and January 1999: paragraphs 168 - 169) are that: The Secretary of State ● Harrogate Borough Council should have 54 Department of the Environment, councillors, five fewer than at present; Transport and the Regions ● there should be 35 wards, instead of 32 as at Local Government Sponsorship Division present; Eland House Bressenden Place ● the boundaries of 29 of the existing wards London SW1E 5DU should be modified, and three wards should retain their existing boundaries; ● elections should continue to take place by thirds. These recommendations seek to ensure that the number of electors represented by each borough councillor is as nearly as possible the same, having regard to local circumstances. LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND vii Figure 1: The Commission’s Final Recommendations: Summary Ward name Number of Constituent areas Map reference councillors 1 Bilton 2 Bilton ward (part); East Central ward Large map (in Harrogate) (part); New Park ward (part) 2 Bishop Monkton 1 Bishop Monkton ward (part – the parishes Map 2 of Bishop Monkton, Burton Leonard, Markenfield Hall, Markington with Wallerthwaite and South Stainley with Cayton); Fountains ward (part – Littlethorpe parish) 3 Boroughbridge 1 Boroughbridge ward (part – Maps 2 and Boroughbridge parish ward (as proposed) A2 of Boroughbridge parish) 4 Claro 1 Boroughbridge ward (part – Minskip Map 2 parish ward (as proposed) of Boroughbridge parish and Marton cum Grafton parish); Claro ward (part – the parishes of Arkendale, Brearton, Coneythorpe & Clareton, Farnham, Ferrensby, Scotton and Walkingham with Occaney); Newby ward (part – the parishes of Copgrove and Staveley); Ouseburn ward (part – the parish of Dunsforth) 5 Granby 2 Granby ward (part) Large map (in Harrogate) 6 Harlow Moor 2 Duchy ward (part); Harlow ward (part) Large map (in Harrogate) 7 High Harrogate 2 East Central ward (part); Granby ward Large map (in Harrogate) (part); West Central ward (part) 8 Hookstone 2 Starbeck ward (part); Wedderburn ward Large map (in Harrogate) (part) 9 Killinghall 1 Killinghall ward (part – the parish of Maps 2 and Hampsthwaite and Killinghall parish ward, A3 as proposed, of Killinghall parish); Bishop Monkton ward (part – the parishes of Nidd and Ripley) 10 Kirkby Malzeard 1 Fountains ward (part – the parishes of Map 2 Aldfield, Lindrick with Studley Royal & Fountains, North Stainley with Sleningford and Studley Roger); Kirkby Malzeard ward (part – the parishes of Azerley, Eavestone, Grantley, Kirkby Malzeard, Laverton, Sawley, Skelding, and Winksley) viii LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND Figure 1 (continued): The Commission’s Final Recommendations: Summary Ward name Number of Constituent areas Map reference councillors 11 Knaresborough 2 Knaresborough East parish ward, as Large map East proposed, of Knaresborough parish 12 Knaresborough 2 Knaresborough King James parish ward, Large map King James as proposed, of Knaresborough parish 13 Knaresborough 2 Knaresborough Scriven Park parish ward, Large map Scriven Park as proposed, of Knaresborough parish 14 Lower Nidderdale 1 Lower Nidderdale ward (the parishes of Map 2 Birstwith, Clint cum Hamlets, Felliscliffe and Hartwith cum Winsley); Kirkby Malzeard ward (part – the parishes of Bishop Thornton and Warsill) 15 Low Harrogate 2 East Central ward (part); West Central Large map (in Harrogate) ward (part) 16 Marston Moor 1 Marston Moor ward (the parishes of Map 2 Bilton in Ainsty with Bickerton, Long Marston, Tockwith and Wighill); Nether Poppleton ward (part – Wilstrop parish) 17 Mashamshire 1 Unchanged (the parishes of Burton-on-Yore, Map 2 Colsterdale, Ellingstring, Ellington High and Low, Fearby, Grewelthorpe, Healey, Ilton-cum-Pott, Masham and Swinton with Warthermarske) 18 Newby 1 Newby ward (part – the parishes of Map 2 Ellenthorpe, Humberton, Kirby Hill,