Local Government Boundary Commission For England Report No. 137 LOCAL GOVERNfiilINT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND REPORT NO. CASTLE POINT DISTRICT COUNCIL COUNCIL OFFICES, A. R. NEIGHBOUR, U..B-, F.CJ.S-LM R.T.P.l. SOLICITOR KILN ROAD, BENFLEET, CHIEF EXECUTIVE & CLERK OF THE COUNCIL ESSEX, S37 ITF TEL. SOUTH fiENFlEET 27U (10 LIMES) MY REF FA. 2/41/1. EXT.NO YOU R RE F 20th January, 1976. Review of Electoral Arrangements Report of Local Government Boundary Commission CORHIGSKDA In paragraph 2 on page 5 of schedule 1, the Benfleet (Thundersiey) Division would comprise the 3t, Georges and the St. Peters Wards and the Polling District of Swans Green in the Cedar Hall Ward, and the Benfleet (Benfleet) Division would comprise of the St. Mary's and Appleton Wards and the Boyce Ward excluding the Shipwrights Polling District, sjid Benfleet (Hadleigh) Division would comprise of the St.James's and Victoria Wards, together with the Cedar Hall Ward excluding the Swans Green Polling District of that Ward, and the Shipwrights Polling District of the Boyce Ward. 2. On page 2 of schedule J> in the description of the Senfleet Appleton Ward there should be inserted in the last line between the words "Lime TTGB Avenue" and "to the starting point" the words "and northwards along the western "boundary of the district". On page 6 of the schedule $ in the description of Ganvsy Island Central Ward "properties Hod., 15 to 6_ Knights wick Road and the western "boundary of ITo, 16 Waarden Head" should read "properties Nod. 15 to 5 Knightswick Hoad and the western boundary of Waarden Lcdsre and No, 16 Waarden P.oad". "1 Local Government Boundary Commission, P.oom 123, 20 Albart Embankment, LOI-mOlT, 531 7TJ. To the Rt Hon Roy Jenkins HP Secretary of State for the Home Department PROPOSALS FOR FUTURE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CASTLE POINT DISTRICT IN THE COUNTY OF ESSEX . - 1. We, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, having carried out I our initial review of the electoral arrangements for the Castle Point District, in accordance with the requirements of section 63 of and Schedule 9 to the Local Government Act 1972, present our proposals for the future electoral arrangements for that District. 2. In accordance with the procedure laid down, in section 60(1) and (2) of the 1972 Act, notice was given on J> June 197^ that we were to undertake this review. This was incorporated in a consultation letter addressed to the Castle Point District Council, copies of which were circulated to the Essex County Council, the Member of Parliament for the constituency concerned and the headquarters of the main political parties. Copies were also sent to the editors of the local newspapers circulating in the area and of the local government press. Notices inserted in the local press announced the start of the review and invited comments from members of the public and from interested bodies. 3. Castle Point District Council were invited to prepare a draft scheme of representation for our consideration. When doing so, they were asked to observe the rules laid down in Schedule 11 to the Local Government Act 1972, and the guide- lines which we set out in our Report No 6 about the proposed size of the council and the proposed number of councillors for each ward. They were also asked to take into account any views expressed to them following their consultation with local * interests. We therefore asked that they should publish details of their provisional proposals about a month before they submitted their draft scheme to us, thus allowing an opportunity for local comment. *t. The Council had passed a resolution under section *f(a) of the Local Government Act 1972 requesting the Secretary of State to provide for a system of whole council elections. 5- On 51 October 197** Castle Point District Councii presented their draft scheme of representation. They proposed to divide the area of the district into 13 wards each returning 3 members to form a council of 39« * 6. We considered the draft scheme submitted by the Council, together with comments which had been made upon it, some of which proposed an alternative scheme. We noted that the draft scheme complied with the rules in Schedule 11 to the Local Government Act 1972 and our own guidelines, and v/e considered that it provided a satisfactory basis of representation for the district. V/e carefully considered all the comments and the alternative scheme but we concluded that the council's draft scheme provided the best overall standard of representation for the district. V/e then formulated our draft proposals accordingly. 7. On 11 December we issued our draft proposals and these were sent to all who had received our consultation letter or had commented on the Council's draft scheme. The Council were asked to make these draft proposals, and the accompanying map which defined the proposed ward boundaries, available for inspection at their main offices. Representations on our draft proposals were invited from those to whom they were circulated and, by public notices, from members of the public. and interested bodies. We asked that any comments should reach us by 6 February 8. The District Council and the County Council raised no objection to our draft proposals. 9. Other comments were received supporting, with or without modification, the alternative scheme which wo had not adopted for our draft oronosals. 10. In view of these comments we considered that we needod further information to enable us to reach a conclusion. Therefore, in accordance with section 65(2) of the 1972 Act, and at our request, you appointed Mr B H Edwards as an Assistant Commissioner to hold a local meeting and report to us. 11. Notice of the local meeting was sent to all who had received our draft proposals or had commented on them, and was published locally. 12. The Assistant Commissioner held the meeting at the Council's offices in Benfleet on 3 October 1975 and visited the areas which were the subject of comment. A copy of his report is attached at Schedule 1. 13- •'•n the light of the discussion at that meeting and of his inspection of the area, the AssistantCon^ssicner recommended confirmation of the draft proposals insofar as they related to the Benfleet area of the district. With regard to the Canvey Island area of the district, the Assistant Commissioner recommended the adoption of the alternative scheme which provided for the existing arrangements in Canvey Island to be retained with only slight modification. These arrangements provide for the division of Canvey Island into six wards, each returning 2 or 3 members, to give a total of 15 councillors representing the Island - the same number as in our' draft proposals. 1't. We reviewed our draft proposals in the light of the comments which we had received and of the Assistant Commissioner's Deport. We noted that the alternative scheme 'for the Canvey Island area provided a satisfactory standard of representation -and that it had a large measure of local support. V.'e therefore decided to modify our draft proposals to give effect to the alternative scheme for Canvey Island, as recommended by the Assistant Commissioner. We then formulated our final proposals accordingly. 15- Details of these final proposals are set out in Schedule 2 to this report and on the attached nap. Schedule 2 gives the names of the wards and the number of councillors to be returned by each. The boundaries of the new wards are defined on the attached map. PUBLICATION 16. In accordance with Section 60(5)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 a copy of this report and a copy of the map are being sent to Castle Point District Council and will be available'for public inspection at the Council Offices at Benfleet, Essex. Copies of this report are also being sent to those who received the consultation letter and to those who made comments. A detailed description of the boundaries of the proposed wards as defined on the map is set out in Schedule 3 to this report, L.S. Signed EDMUND COMPTON' (CHAIRMAN) JOHN M RANKIN (DEPUTY CHAIRMAN) DIANA AL3SMAHLE T C BENFIELD MICHAEL CHISHOLM ANDRE1;/ V/HEATLSY F B YOUNG DAVID R SMITH (Secretary) October 1975 SCHEDULE 1 LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND REPORT OF A MEETING to cpnsider THE DRAFT PROPOSALS FOR THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS for the CASTLE POINT DISTRICT B.n.EDtfARDS, Assistant Commissioner, Old School House, Godden Green, Sevenoaks. Kent 17th October, 1.975 TO: The Secretary, Local Government Boundary Commission for England, Room 122. 20, Albert Embankment, London. SE1 ?TJ. Sir, Review of Electoral Arrangements for the Castle Point District I have the honour to report that pursuant to ray appointment by the Secretary of State as Assistant CoEiinissioner to hold a local inquiry or carry out any consultation or investigation with respect to the review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England of .the electoral arrangements for the District of Castle Point, I conducted a Local Meeting at the Council Offices, Kiln Road, Bcnfleet, Essex on Friday, the 3rd October, 1975. I carried out an Inspection of the whole of the District on Wednesday, 1st October, 1975. The District is some 10,791 acres in extent and comprises the areas of the former Benfleet U.D.C. and the former Canvey Island U.D.C. It is divided into two separate areas by the Benfleet Creek, but there are two convenient road accesses from the Benfleet area to theCanvey Island area.