LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR WALES REVIEW OF THE COMMUNITIES OF ST. MARY OUT LIBERTY, SAUNDERSFOOT AND TENBY IN THE COUNTY OF PEMBROKESHIRE REPORT AND PROPOSALS FURTHER REVIEW OF COMMUNITY BOUNDARIES IN THE COUNTY OF PEMBROKESHIRE REPORT AND PROPOSALS 1 INTRODUCTION 2 SUMMARY OF PROPOSALS 3 SCOPE AND OBJECT OF THE REVIEW 4 REPRESENTATIONS RECEIVED PRIOR TO PROPOSALS 5 ASSESSMENT 6 PROPOSALS 7 CONSEQUENTIAL ARRANGEMENTS 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 9 NEXT STEPS APPENDIX 1 Summary of Representations received prior to proposals APPENDIX 2 Direction APPENDIX 3 Map of suggested change to the boundary between the Communities of St. Mary Out Liberty and Tenby in the area of Waterwynch Lane APPENDIX 4 Map of suggested change to the boundary between the Communities of St. Mary Out Liberty and Tenby as submitted by Tenby Town Council The Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales Caradog House 1-6 St Andrews Place CARDIFF CF10 3BE Tel Number: (029) 2039 5031 Fax Number: (029) 2039 5250 E-mail: [email protected] www.lgbc-wales.gov.uk Carl Sargeant AM Minister for Local Government and Communities Welsh Government 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Following a review by Pembrokeshire County Council, we conducted a review of a number of communities in the County of Pembrokeshire and submitted a report of our proposals on 26 April 2010. With the exception of those in respect of St. Mary Out Liberty, Saundersfoot and Tenby, the proposals were all agreed and an Order was made by the Minister, giving effect to the agreed proposals, in March 2011. 1.2 The subsequent Direction of 3 May 2011 (Appendix 2) from the Minister directs us to review the Communities of St. Mary Out Liberty, Saundersfoot and Tenby by no later than 31 October 2011. 2 SUMMARY OF PROPOSALS 2.1 The area to the north of Waterwynch Lane is considered to be geographically remote from Tenby. We therefore propose a change to the Community Boundary between the Communities of Tenby and St. Mary Out Liberty to transfer the area of Waterwynch from the Community of Tenby into the Community of St. Mary Out Liberty (Appendix 3). 2.2 We have also considered the changes to the boundary between the Communities of St. Mary Out Liberty and Tenby, in the area of Park House Court, which has been suggested to us by Tenby Town Council (Appendix 4). We do not however consider that this change would be desirable in the interests of effective and convenient local government. 2.3 We do not consider that the changes to the Boundary between the Communities of St. Mary Out Liberty and Saundersfoot would be desirable in the interests of effective and convenient local government. We therefore do not propose any change to the Community Boundary. 3 SCOPE AND OBJECT OF THE REVIEW 3.1 The purpose of the review is to consider whether, in the interests of effective and convenient local government, the Commission should propose changes to the present community boundaries. The review is being conducted under the provisions of Section 56 of the Local Government Act 1972 (the Act). 3.2 The Direction (Appendix 2) sets a date of 31 October 2011 for completion of the review which, given this time constraint, meant it was not possible to carry out the normal process of having an initial period of consultation at the start of the review and publication of Draft Proposals. We considered that, as the recent review referred to in paragraph 1.1, provided the opportunity for interested parties to consider the issues involved in respect of changes to the community boundaries in the area under review, a shortening of the timetable in this way would not be detrimental to the review process. With this in mind, we wrote on 19 May 2011 to Pembrokeshire County Council, St. Mary Out Liberty Community Council, Tenby Town Council, Saundersfoot Community Council, the Members of Parliament for local constituencies, the Assembly Members for the area and other interested parties asking for comments. 3.3 In our letter we noted that in the previous review we had received several objections to the proposed change to the boundary between St. Mary Out Liberty and Saundersfoot but received no objections to the proposed change to the boundary between St. Mary Out Liberty and Tenby. We understood the Minister received a similar pattern of representations. We were therefore minded to propose no change to the boundary between St. Mary Out Liberty and Saundersfoot and to propose the change to the boundary between St. Mary Out Liberty and Tenby as shown on the map at Appendix 3. 4 REPRESENTATIONS RECEIVED PRIOR TO PROPOSALS 4.1 In response to our invitation for comments, we received representations from St. Mary Out Liberty Community Council, Tenby Town Council, and Simon Hart MP. A summary of these representations can be found at Appendix 1. 5 ASSESSMENT St. Mary Out Liberty and Tenby 5.1 In our previous review of the community boundaries in the County of Pembrokeshire, we proposed that the boundary between St. Mary Out Liberty and Tenby be realigned in two areas as suggested by Pembrokeshire County Council. As directed by the Minister, we have further considered these changes 5.2 We received representations from Tenby Town Council, St. Mary Out Liberty Community Council and Simon Hart MP. We noted that Simon Hart MP supported the original proposed change and St. Mary Out Liberty Community Council were content for the original proposal to be adopted. A representation was submitted by Tenby Town Council dated 8 June 2007 stating that they conceded the area north of Waterwynch is geographically remote from Tenby and more connected to residences in St. Mary out Liberty. Therefore, Tenby supported transfer of that area to St. Mary Out Liberty. In their most recent representations however, Tenby Town Council objected to the proposal on the grounds that the area known as Waterwynch, which was proposed for transfer into St. Mary Out Liberty, has been part of Tenby for more than 70 years and objected to its reallocation. 5.3 In Pembrokeshire’s Community Review in 2007, it was considered that there are anomalies in relation to the rural area outside settlement limits that need to be addressed. The area to the north of Waterwynch Lane to Monkstone Point was considered by Pembrokeshire County Council to be geographically remote from Tenby. Much of this area relates to land associated with two farms, both of whose farm buildings and electorate are located within the Community of St. Mary Out Liberty. This transfer would result in an additional area of 0.9 sq km and five electors being reassigned to the Community of St. Mary Out Liberty. 5.4 We wrote to the occupants of the properties concerned, in the area of Waterwynch, on 19 May 2011 and received no response. After considering the circumstances, we came to the conclusion that the proposed change be recommended. 5.5 In Pembrokeshire’s Community Review in 2007, Tenby Town Council members were content with being divided into two wards and were happy with the existing town councillor representation. They requested that consideration be given to a revision of the boundary of the Tenby North Ward, in the area of Park House Court Nursing Home stating there is no historical evidence to suggest that the land surrounding the Nursing Home was within the Tenby Municipal Boundary. Tenby Town Council felt that there was now a case to be made that properties constructed in the intervening years along the western side of the A478 Narberth Road constituted ribbon development of Tenby, rather than of New Hedges, as there is a discernible ‘green belt’ between the two communities to the north of Park House Court. The land at Park House Court Nursing Home was currently being developed as the location of the ‘bed’ element of Tenby Cottage hospital. Members felt this gave a clear indication that the area is perceived as being part of the community of Tenby and should be included within Tenby’s North Ward boundary. They felt that inclusion of the area to the west and north west of the A478 incorporating Park House Court Nursing Home (and associated lands) within the Tenby electoral boundary would ‘square-off’ the urban boundary in line with the major development site at Brynhir which has long been earmarked for the further urban expansion of Tenby to the north. Tenby Town Council requested that Tenby’s North Ward boundary be extended north-westwards from Bells Wood and westwards from St Anne’s Church on the A478 to incorporate Park House Court Nursing Home and the surrounding land. In our original proposal, we noted the suggestion for consideration to be given to the incorporation of Park House Court Nursing Home and surrounding area to be included within the Tenby area and decided to put the proposal forward as an option for change. Should this proposal gain approval, it would involve the transfer of 77 electors from St. Mary Out Liberty to Tenby. 5.6 As part of the further review, on 19 May 2011, we wrote to Pembrokeshire County Council, St. Mary Out Liberty Community Council, Tenby Town Council and Saundersfoot Community Council outlining our proposals and received responses from Tenby Town Council and St. Mary Out Liberty Community Council. 5.7 Tenby Town Council repeated their suggestion made during the previous review to extend the boundary north-westwards to incorporate Park House Nursing Home and the surrounding land. They did not specify however exactly how far westward their proposals would take the boundary. We submitted a map to Tenby Town Council, which they returned with handwritten notations outlining the specified area to be included in their proposed boundary change.