LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FUTURE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR TYNEDALE IN NORTHUMBERLAND Report to the Secretary of State for the Environment March 1997 LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND This report sets out the Commission’s final recommendations on the electoral arrangements for Tynedale in Northumberland. Members of the Commission are: Professor Malcolm Grant (Chairman) Helena Shovelton (Deputy Chairman) Peter Brokenshire Professor Michael Clarke Robin Gray Bob Scruton David Thomas Adrian Stungo (Chief Executive) ©Crown Copyright 1997 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. 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 7 4 RESPONSES TO CONSULTATION 9 5 ANALYSIS AND FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS 13 6 NEXT STEPS 29 APPENDICES A Final Recommendations for Tynedale: Detailed Mapping 31 B Draft Recommendations for Tynedale (October 1996) 35 LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND iii iv LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND Local Government Commission for England 25 March 1997 Dear Secretary of State On 19 March 1996 the Commission commenced a periodic electoral review of the district of Tynedale under the Local Government Act 1992. It published its draft recommendations in October 1996 and undertook a nine-week period of consultation. The Commission has now formulated its final recommendations in the light of consultation. It has, in some areas, confirmed its draft recommendations, although it has modified some of its initial warding proposals in the light of further evidence. This report sets out the Commission’s final recommendations for changes to electoral arrangements in the area. The Commission is therefore recommending to you that Tynedale should be served by 52 councillors representing 31 wards, and that some changes should be made to ward boundaries in order to improve electoral equality, having regard to the Commission’s statutory criteria. It is recommended that the whole Council should continue to be elected together every four years. I would like to thank members and officers of the District 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 Tynedale These recommendations seek to ensure that the on 19 March 1996. It published its draft number of electors represented by each district recommendations on electoral arrangements on 31 councillor is as nearly as possible the same, having October 1996, after which it undertook a nine- regard to local circumstances. week period of consultation. ● In 21 of the 31 wards the number of electors ● This report summarises the submissions per councillor would vary by no more than received by the Commission during 10 per cent from the district average. consultation on its draft recommendations, and offers its final recommendations to the ● By 2001 the number of electors per Secretary of State. councillor would vary by no more than 10 per cent in 23 wards. The Commission found that the existing electoral arrangements provide unequal representation of ● They are projected to provide only one ward electors in Tynedale because: (Upper North Tyne) in which the number of electors per councillor would vary by more ● in 19 of the present 32 wards, the number of than 20 per cent from the average by 2001. electors represented by each councillor varies by more than 10 per cent from the average Recommendations are also made for changes to for the district; town and parish council electoral arrangements. ● nine wards vary by more than 20 per cent ● They provide for changes to the warding from the average; arrangements of Hexham Town Council and Prudhoe Town Council, and changes to the ● one ward varies by 41 per cent from the number of parish (or town) councillors in average; Hexham, Ovingham, Prudhoe, Simonburn and Slaley. ● electoral equality is expected to deteriorate further by 2001. All further correspondence on these The Commission’s final recommendations for the recommendations and the matters District Council’s electoral arrangements (Figure discussed in this report should be 1) are that: addressed to the Secretary of State for the Environment, who will not make an ● Tynedale should to be served by 52 Order implementing the Commission’s councillors, compared with 47 at present; recommendations before 5 May 1997. ● there should be 31 wards, rather than 32 as at present; ● the ward boundaries of 14 of the existing wards should be modified, while 18 wards should retain their existing boundaries; ● elections should continue to take place every four years, with the next elections taking place in 1999. LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND vii Figure 1: The Commission’s Final Recommendations: Summary Ward name Number of Constituent areas Map reference councillors 1 Acomb 1 Acomb with Sandhoe ward Map 2 (part - the parish of Acomb) 2 Allendale 2 Unchanged (the parishes of Map 2 Allendale and West Allen) 3 Bellingham 1 Unchanged (the parish of Bellingham) Map 2 4 Broomhaugh and 1 Unchanged (the parish of Map 2 Riding Broomhaugh and Riding) 5 Chollerton with 1 Unchanged (the parishes of Chollerton Map 2 Whittington and Whittington) 6 Corbridge 3 Corbridge ward (part - the parish Map 2 ward of Corbridge) 7 East Tynedale 1 Unchanged (the parishes of Bywell, Map 2 Horsley and Ovington) 8 Hadrian 2 Bardon Mill ward (the parishes of Map 2 Bardon Mill, Henshaw and Melkridge); Tipalt ward (part - the parishes of Thirlwall and Greenhead) 9 Haltwhistle 3 Unchanged (the parish of Haltwhistle) Map 2 10 Haydon 2 Unchanged (the parish of Haydon) Map 2 11 Hexham Gilesgate 1 Hexham Gilesgate ward (part - the parish Maps 2 and A1 ward of Gilesgate as amended) 12 Hexham Hencotes 3 Unchanged (the parish ward of Hencotes) Map 2 13 Hexham Leazes 3 Hexham Leazes ward (the parish ward Maps 2 and A1 of Leazes) and Hexham Gilesgate ward (part) 14 Hexham Priestpopple 3 Unchanged (the parish ward of Priestpopple) Map 2 15 Humshaugh and Wall 1 Chesters ward (part - the parishes of Map 2 Humshaugh and Wall) 16 Ovingham 1 Unchanged (the parish of Ovingham) Map 2 17 Prudhoe Castle 2 Prudhoe Castle ward (the parish ward of Maps 2 and A2 Castle) and Mickley ward (part) 18 Prudhoe North 2 Unchanged (the parish ward of North) Map 2 viii LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND Figure 1 (continued): The Commission’s Final Recommendations: Summary Ward name Number of Constituent areas Map reference councillors 19 Prudhoe South 3 Prudhoe South ward (part), Prudhoe Maps 2 and A2 West ward (part) 20 Prudhoe West 2 Prudhoe West ward (part), Prudhoe Maps 2 and A2 South ward (part); Mickley ward (part) 21 Redesdale 1 Unchanged (the parishes of Otterburn Map 2 and Rochester) 22 Sandhoe with Dilston 1 Acomb with Sandhoe ward (part - the Map 2 parish of Sandhoe); Corbridge ward (part - the parish ward of Dilston) 23 Slaley and 1 Unchanged (the parishes of Hexhamshire, Map 2 Hexhamshire Hexhamshire Low Quarter and Slaley) 24 South Tynedale 1 Unchanged (the parishes of Blanchland, Map 2 Healey, Hedley and Shotley Low Quarter 25 Stocksfield with 3 Broomley and Stocksfield ward (the parish Maps 2 and A2 Mickley of Broomley and Stocksfield); Mickley ward (part - the parish ward of Mickley as amended) 26 Upper North Tyne 1 Unchanged (the parishes of Falstone, Map 2 Greystead, Kielder and Tarset) 27 Wanney 1 Unchanged (the parishes of Bavington, Map 2 Corsenside and Kirkwhelpington) 28 Warden and 1 Unchanged (the parishes of Newbrough Map 2 Newbrough and Warden) 29 Wark 1 Wark ward (the parishes of Birtley and Wark); Map 2 Chesters ward (part - the parish of Simonburn) 30 West Tynedale 1 West Tynedale ward (the parishes of Map 2 Coanwood, Hartleyburn, Knaresdale with Kirkhaugh and Plenmeller with Whitfield); Tipalt ward (part - the parish of Featherstone) 31 Wylam 2 Unchanged (the parish of Wylam) Map 2 LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ix x LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND 1. INTRODUCTION 1 This report contains the Commission’s final 5 The review of Tynedale was in four stages recommendations on the electoral arrangements (Figure 2). for the district of Tynedale in Northumberland. 6 Stage One commenced on 19 March 1996. The 2 The Commission has now reviewed all the Commission wrote to Tynedale District Council districts in Northumberland as part of its inviting it to make proposals for its future electoral programme of periodic electoral reviews of all arrangements. Copies of that letter were sent to principal local authority areas in England. This is Northumberland County Council, the other the Commission’s first review of the electoral borough and district councils in Northumberland, arrangements for Tynedale. The last such review the Northumbria Police Authority, the local was undertaken by the Commission’s predecessor, authority associations, the Northumberland the Local Government Boundary Commission Association of Local Councils, parish and town (LGBC), which reported to the Secretary of State councils in the district, Members of Parliament and in October 1975 (Report No. 77). The electoral Members of the European Parliament with arrangements of Northumberland County Council constituency interests in the district and the were last reviewed in January 1980 (Report No. headquarters of the main political parties. The 370). It is intended that a review of the County Commission also placed a notice in the local press, Council’s electoral arrangements will follow in due issued a press release and invited the District course.