LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FUTURE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR VALE ROYAL IN CHESHIRE Report to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions March 1998 LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND This report sets out the Commission’s final recommendations on the electoral arrangements for Vale Royal in Cheshire. Members of the Commission are: Professor Malcolm Grant (Chairman) Helena Shovelton (Deputy Chairman) Peter Brokenshire Professor Michael Clarke Robin Gray Bob Scruton David Thomas OBE Mike Bailey (Acting Chief Executive) ©Crown Copyright 1998 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 7 4 RESPONSES TO CONSULTATION 9 5 ANALYSIS AND FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS 11 6 NEXT STEPS 27 APPENDICES A Final Recommendations for Vale Royal: Detailed Mapping 29 B Draft Recommendations for Vale Royal (November 1997) 39 LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND iii iv LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND Local Government Commission for England 31 March 1998 Dear Secretary of State On 3 June 1997, the Commission began a periodic electoral review of the borough of Vale Royal under the Local Government Act 1992. We published our draft recommendations for electoral arrangements on 4 November 1997 and undertook a nine-week period of consultation. We have now prepared our final recommendations in the light of the consultation. We have substantially confirmed our draft recommendations, although some modifications have been made (see paragraph 84) in the light of further evidence. This report sets out our final recommendations for changes to electoral arrangements in Vale Royal Borough. We recommend that Vale Royal Borough Council should be served by 57 councillors representing 28 wards, and that some changes should be made to ward boundaries in order to improve electoral equality, having regard to the statutory criteria. We recommend that elections should continue to take place every four years. 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 Vale Royal ● In 23 of the 28 wards, the number of on 3 June 1997. We published our draft electors per councillor would vary by no recommendations for electoral arrangements on 4 more than 10 per cent from the borough November 1997, after which we undertook a nine- average. week period of consultation. ● This improved level of electoral equality is projected to continue, with the number of ● This report summarises the representations electors per councillor in 24 wards expected we received during consultation on our draft to vary by no more than 10 per cent from recommendations, and offers our final the average for the borough by 2002. recommendations to the Secretary of State. Recommendations are also made for changes to We found that the existing electoral arrangements parish and town council electoral arrangements. provide unequal representation of electors in Vale They provide for: Royal because: ● revised warding arrangements for Helsby ● in 20 of the 36 wards, the number of Parish Council and Frodsham, Northwich electors represented by each councillor varies and Winsford town councils; by more than 10 per cent from the average for the borough; ● new warding arrangements for Davenham and Lostock Gralam parish councils. ● in eight wards, the number of electors represented by each councillor varies by more than 20 per cent from the average; All further correspondence on these ● this level of electoral equality is not expected recommendations and the matters discussed to improve over the next five years. in this report should be addressed to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Our main final recommendations for future Transport and the Regions, who will electoral arrangements (Figure 1 and paragraphs not make an Order implementing the 84 to 85) are that: Commission’s recommendations before 12 May 1998: ● Vale Royal Borough Council should be served by 57 councillors, three fewer than at The Secretary of State present; Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions ● there should be 28 wards, compared with 36 Local Government Review at present; Eland House ● the boundaries of 33 wards should be Bressenden Place modified, while three wards should retain London SW1E 5DU their existing boundaries; ● elections should continue to take place every four years. 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: Constituent areas Ward name Number of Constituent areas Map reference councillors 1 Barnton 3 Unchanged (Barnton parish) Map 2 2 Cogshall 1 Unchanged (the parishes of Little Leigh, Map 2 Comberbach and Anderton and Marbury) 3 Cuddington & 3 Cuddington & Marton ward (part – Map 2 Oakmere Cuddington parish); Mara ward (part – Oakmere parish) 4 Davenham & 3 Davenham & Moulton ward (part – Map 2 and Moulton the parishes of Wimboldsley, Stanthorne, large map Bostock and Moulton; and Village ward of Davenham parish as proposed) 5 Forest 1 Forest ward (the parishes of Manley and Map 2 Norley); Helsby South and Alvanley ward (part – Alvanley parish) 6 Frodsham North 3 Frodsham North West borough and parish Map A6 ward (part); Frodsham East borough and parish ward (part) 7 Frodsham South 1 Frodsham South borough and parish ward; Map A6 Frodsham East borough and parish ward (part) 8 Hartford & 3 Hartford ward (Hartford parish); Map 2 Whitegate Cuddington & Marton ward (part – Whitegate and Marton parish) 9 Helsby 2 Helsby North borough and parish ward; Maps 2 and A5 Helsby Central borough and parish ward; Helsby South and Alvanley ward (part – Helsby South parish ward) 10 Kingsley 1 Unchanged (Kingsley parish) Map 2 11 Leftwich & 3 Davenham & Moulton ward (part – Map A8 and Kingsmead Kingsmead ward of Davenham parish as large map proposed); Northwich borough and parish ward (part) 12 Lostock & 2 Lostock Gralam ward (part – Lostock Map A7 and Wincham Gralam Village ward of Lostock Gralam large map parish as proposed); Marston & Wincham ward (part – Wincham parish) viii LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND Figure 1 (continued): The Commission’s Final Recommendations: Constituent areas Ward name Number of Constituent areas Map reference councillors 13 Mara 1 Mara ward (part – Delamere parish); Map 2 Oulton ward (part – Utkinton parish) 14 Milton Weaver 1 Milton ward (the parishes of Acton Bridge Map 2 and Crowton); Weaver ward (the parishes of Sutton, Aston and Dutton) 15 Northwich Castle 3 Castle borough and parish ward (part) Map A8 and large map 16 Northwich 1 Winnington borough and parish ward; Large map Winnington Castle borough and parish ward (part); Witton North borough and parish ward (part) 17 Northwich Witton 3 Witton North borough and parish ward Large map (part); Witton South borough and parish ward (part); Northwich borough and parish ward (part) 18 Rudheath & 2 Rudheath & Whatcroft ward (Rudheath Map A9 and South Witton parish); Witton South borough and parish large map ward (part) 19 Seven Oaks & 1 Seven Oaks ward (the parishes of Whitley Map 2 Marston and Antrobus); Marston & Wincham ward (part – Marston parish) 20 Shakerley 1 Shakerley ward (the parishes of Nether Map 2 Peover, Lach Dennis, Byley and Sproston); Lostock Gralam ward (part – Lostock Green ward of Lostock Gralam parish as proposed) 21 Tarporley & 2 Tarporley ward (Tarporley parish); Oulton Map 2 Oulton ward (part – the parishes of Rushton, Little Budworth and Darnhall) 22 Weaverham 3 Church ward (Church ward of Weaverham Map 2 parish); Gorst Wood ward (Gorstage and Owley Wood wards of Weaverham parish) 23 Winsford Dene 2 Swanlow borough and parish ward (part); Map A3 Over One borough and parish ward (part) 24 Winsford Gravel 2 Gravel borough and parish ward (part); Map A2 Wharton borough and parish ward (part) continued overleaf LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ix Figure 1 (continued): The Commission’s Final Recommendations: Constituent areas Ward name Number of Constituent areas Map reference councillors 25 Winsford Over 2 Swanlow borough and parish ward (part); Map A3 Over One borough and parish ward (part); Over Two borough and parish ward (part) 26 Winsford Swanlow 2 Swanlow borough and parish ward (part); Map A3 Over One borough and parish ward (part); Over Two borough and parish ward (part) 27 Winsford Verdin 3 Vale Royal borough and parish ward (part) Map A4 28 Winsford Wharton 2 Wharton borough and parish ward (part); Map A2 Gravel borough and parish ward (part) Notes: 1 The whole of Vale Royal borough is parished. 2 Maps in Appendix A and at the back of the report illustrate the proposed wards outlined above. x LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND 1. INTRODUCTION 1 This report contains our final recommendations 5 Stage Three began on 4 November 1997 with on the electoral arrangements for the borough of the publication of our report, Draft Recommendations Vale Royal. on the Future Electoral Arrangements for Vale Royal in Cheshire and ended on 5 January 2 In undertaking these reviews, we have had 1998. Comments were sought on our preliminary regard to: conclusions.