CANTERBURY & COASTAL LIBERAL DEMOCRATS Canterbury City Council Re-warding proposals Canterbury & Coastal Liberal Democrats are concerned that plans to reduce the number of City Councillors from 50 to 38 (+/-1) will reduce democratic accountability and further discourage public engagement with the Council. However, we recognise that the decision to make this change has now been taken and new wards need to be devised. In drawing up our proposals we have of course been mindful of the guidance issued by The Local Government Boundary Commission for England and have additionally attempted to apply the following principles; Local community identities must be respected and artificial splits should not be introduced just so a particular pattern of representation (i.e. all single member wards or all multi-member wards) can be accommodated. We have done our best to avoid splitting Parish Council areas and in fact have reunited some that have up till now been spread over two wards. We have tried to retain as many current ward boundaries as possible. At a time when public engagement with local government is at a low level, we believe that unnecessary changes to ward boundaries and identities can only be a further disincentive to participation in elections. Keeping changes to boundaries and polling districts to a minimum is also of benefit to the City Council and political parties. In urban 3-member wards we have tried to stay close to existing boundaries and reduce to 2-members. Rural wards should be manageable. Multi-member wards in some rural areas would be larger than County Council divisions and could include 12 Parish Councils. In practice it could well be imagined that Councillors in such a large ward would informally split responsibilities on a geographic basis. Additionally some such wards would lack easy and logical links between parts of their territory, e.g. a lack of good road connections. We believe it to be a better solution to have manageable single member wards where this can be achieved. In practice we have not been able to apply all our preferences to every proposed ward and in some cases meeting one preference has compromised another. In one case we have exceeded the LGBCE guidance on electoral variation. Our proposed Barham Downs Ward is lower in electors than would be ideal, but in our view this is preferable to incorporating it into a larger multi-member ward. Our detailed proposals are attached in both a Word document and an Excel spreadsheet. The Word document contains comments on most proposed Wards. Nigel Whitburn Agent Canterbury & Coastal Liberal Democrats Canterbury City Council Re‐Warding Proposals (final version) Ward Councillors Description Electors Variance Electors Variance Comments (2012) (2019) Little Stour 1 Current Little Stour Ward plus, 2894 ‐3% 2999 ‐5% Patrixbourne (RNN3),Bekesbourne (RNN4). Barham Downs 1 Current Barham Downs Ward plus 2704 ‐9% 2814 ‐11% Bishopsbourne (RNN1) and Upper Hardres (RCS6). Canterbury Rural 1 Bridge (RNN2), Lower Hardres (RCS5), 2921 ‐2% 3042 ‐4% South Thanington Without (CWI2), Petham (RCS3) and Waltham (RCS4) Chartham 1 Parish of Chartham complete (RCS1, RCS2 3159 +6% 3316 +5% This reunites Chatham Hatch and RH1). with the rest of the parish of Chartham and strengthens Ward/Parish identity Harbledown & 1 Harbledown (RH2), Rough Common (RH3) 2959 ‐1% 3059 ‐3% Cherry Drive/St Thomas Hill Rough Common and Cherry Drive/St Thomas Hill area area are part of the (CWE1). Harbledown Parochial Parish. Blean Forest 2 Current Blean Forest Ward. 5710 ‐4% 6637 +5% Retains current ward boundary. Barton 2 Current Ward less part of CB1 (St Martin’s 6272 +5% 6610 +4% Minimal changes to current Hill, Broad St, Monastery St and Havelock Ward. St). Wincheap 2 Current ward except for CWI2 (Hilltop). 5997 +1% 6412 +1% The Hilltop area of Thanington (CWI2) has been moved from this area to make up the numbers in adjoining rural wards with which it has social similarities. Westgate 2 Current Ward less Cherry Drive/St Thomas 6154 +3% 6622 +5% Hill area (CWE1), plus part of CSS4 bounded by St Dunstan’s, railway line, North Lane and St Stephen’s Road. Northgate 2 Current Northgate ward except 5904 ‐1% 6562 +4% Stonebridge Road area only Stonebridge Rd area of CN3, plus CB1 accessible from existing and (except St Martin’s Hill, Broad St, proposed St Stephen’s Ward. Monastery St and Havelock St). St Stephen’s 2 Current St Stephen’s Ward less part of 6164 +4% 6447 +2% Stonebridge Road area only CSS4 bounded by St Dunstan’s, railway accessible from existing and line, North Lane and St Stephen’s Road, proposed St Stephen’s Ward. plus Stonebridge Road area of CN3. Sturry 2 Existing Sturry South, Sturry North and 5666 ‐5% 5921 ‐7% Unites the currently split RM1 (Westbere) and RM2 (Hersden) Sturry Parish area into a single polling districts of Marshside wards. Ward. Seasalter 2 Current ward, less Borstal Hill, Canterbury 6115 +3% 6334 = Minimal changes to current Road, Suffolk Street, Norfolk Street and Ward. Glebe Way from WS3. Harbour & 3 Current Harbour and Tankerton wards, 8274 ‐7% 8741 ‐8% Tankerton plus part of WCS5 bounded by Herne Bay Road, Marine Crescent and Brook Road. Gorrell 2 Current Gorrell Ward less part of WG2 5581 ‐6% 6051 ‐4% (South Street, Millstrood Rd and streets north of Millstrood Road) , plus Borstal Hill, Canterbury Road, Suffolk Street, Norfolk Street and Glebe Way from WS3 and WCS1 (Church St area). Chestfield 2 Current Chestfield & Swalecliffe ward less 6060 2% 6361 = WCS1 (Church St area) and part of WCS5 bounded by Herne Bay Road, Marine Crescent and Brook Road. Plus part of WG2 (South Street, Millstrood Rd and streets north of Millstrood Road) Herne & 2 Complete Parish of Herne & Broomfield. 6265 +5% 6509 +3% Strengthens Ward/Parish Broomfield identity. Greenhill & West 2 Studd Hill (HWB1) and Hampton Area 6436 +8% 6670 +5% Bay (HWB2) plus HGE1 and HGE2. Reculver 3 Current Reculver ward, plus Hoath (RM3), 8496 ‐5% 9032 ‐5% Chislet (RM4) Blacksole (HHB5). Herne Bay 3 Complete Heron Ward, plus Western 9374 +5% 9800 +3% Central Esplanade/Central Ave (HWB3) and Eddington (HGE3). Canterbury Re‐Warding New Ward Councillors Polling District/Area 2012 voters % variation 2019 voters % variation Little Stour 1 RLS1 238 246 RLS2 1173 1214 RLS3 357 369 RLS4 395 410 RNN3 110 116 RNN4 621 644 Total 2894 ‐3% 2999 ‐5% Barham Downs 1 RBD1 508 537 RBD2 1048 1083 RBD3 388 401 RBD4 248 260 RNN1 205 214 RCS6 307 319 Total 2704 ‐9% 2814 ‐11% Canterbury Rural South 1 RNN2 1228 1284 RCS5 459 482 CWI2 267 276 RCS3 597 617 RCS4 370 383 Total 2921 ‐2% 3042 ‐4% Chartham 1 RCS1 1657 1757 RCS2 1109 1147 RH1 393 412 Total 3159 6% 3316 5% Harbledown & Rough 1 Common RH2 626 647 RH3 1051 1087 CWE1 1282 1325 Total 2959 ‐1% 3059 ‐3% Blean Forest 2 RBF1 1294 1342 RBF2 1990 2057 RBF3 1990 2787 RBF4 436 451 Total 5710 ‐4% 6637 5% Wincheap 2 CWI1 1604 1667 CWI3 1330 1401 CWI4 1507 1577 CWI5 1556 1767 Total 5997 1% 6412 1% Barton 2 Part of CB1 263 280 CB2 774 800 CB3 1364 1446 CB4 1653 1731 CB5 2218 2353 Total 6272 5% 6610 4% Westgate 2 CWE2 1732 1880 CWE3 1271 1319 CWE4 1035 1075 CWE5 1227 1423 Part of CSS4 889 925 Total 6154 3% 6622 5% Northgate 2 CN1 1837 1903 CN2 1781 1841 Part of CN3 1217 1711 Part of CB1 1069 1107 Total 5904 ‐1% 6562 4% St Stephens 2 CSS1 2000 2083 CSS2 971 1006 CSS3 2245 2327 Part of CN3 232 260 Part of CSS4 716 771 Total 6164 4% 6447 2% Sturry 2 RSN1 685 712 RSN2 1416 1466 RSS1 299 309 RSS2 620 691 RSS3 1361 1415 RM1 296 306 RM2 989 1022 Total 5666 ‐5% 5921 ‐7% Seasalter 2 WS1 2544 2638 WS2 1895 1961 Part of WS3 1676 1735 Total 6115 3% 6334 0% Gorrell 2 Part of WS3 301 320 WCS1 744 805 WG1 2394 2489 Part of WG2 2142 2437 Total 5581 ‐6% 6051 ‐4% Harbour 3 WH1 2101 2213 WH2 2018 2132 WT1 1278 1381 WT2 1189 1248 WT3 1343 1407 Part of WCS5 345 360 Total 8274 ‐7% 8741 ‐8% Chestfield 2 WCS2 1575 1632 WCS3 1207 1252 WCS4 1531 1598 Part of WCS5 1478 1529 Part of WG2 269 350 Total 6060 2% 6361 0% Greenhill & West Bay 2 HGE1 1562 1617 HGE2 1736 1802 HWB1 1135 1173 HWB2 2003 2078 Total 6436 8% 6670 5% Herne Bay Central 3 HH1 1819 1885 HH2 1720 1862 HH3 1572 1628 HH4 1173 1214 HGE3 1242 1295 HWB3 1848 1916 Total 9374 5% 9800 3% Reculver 3 RM3 446 469 HR1 1435 1524 HR2 1747 1814 HR3 1771 1833 HR4 2109 2182 RM4 701 746 HHB5 287 464 Total 8496 ‐5% 9032 ‐5% Herne & Broomfield 2 HHB1 2254 2342 HHB2 1356 1404 HHB3 1469 1537 HHB4 1186 1226 Total 6265 5% 6509 3% Average voter numbers 2012 2019 single member 2976 3167 Two member 5952 6334 Three member 8928 9501.