Draft recommendations on the future electoral arrangements for Crewe & Nantwich in Cheshire Further electoral review November 2006 Translations and other formats For information on obtaining this publication in another language or in a large-print or Braille version please contact the Boundary Committee for England: Tel: 020 7271 0500 Email: [email protected] The mapping in this report is reproduced from OS mapping by the Electoral Commission 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 2 Contents What is the Boundary Committee for England? 5 Executive summary 7 1 Introduction 15 2 Current electoral arrangements 19 3 Submissions received 23 4 Analysis and draft recommendations 25 Electorate figures 26 Council size 26 Electoral equality 27 General analysis 28 Warding arrangements 29 Acton, Audlem, Bunbury, Englesea, Haslington, Minshull, 29 Peckforton, Wrenbury and Wybunbury wards Barony Weaver, Birchin and Wellington wards 32 Alexandra, Leighton, St Barnabas, St Mary’s, Shavington, 33 Wells Green, Willaston and Wistaston Green wards Coppenhall, Delamere, Grosvenor, Maw Green, St John’s, 36 Valley and Waldron wards Conclusions 39 Parish electoral arrangements 39 5 What happens next? 43 6 Mapping 45 Appendices A Glossary and abbreviations 47 B Code of practice on written consultation 51 3 4 What is the Boundary Committee for England? The Boundary Committee for England is a committee of the Electoral Commission, an independent body set up by Parliament under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. It is responsible for conducting reviews as directed by the Electoral Commission or the Secretary of State. Members of the Committee are: Pamela Gordon (Chair) Robin Gray Joan Jones CBE Ann M. Kelly Professor Colin Mellors Director: Archie Gall When conducting reviews our aim is to ensure that the number of electors represented by each councillor in an area is as nearly as possible the same, taking into account local circumstances. We can recommend changes to ward boundaries, the number of councillors and ward names. We can also recommend changes to the electoral arrangements of parish and town councils. 5 6 Executive summary The Boundary Committee for England is the body responsible for conducting electoral reviews of local authorities. A further electoral review of Crewe & Nantwich is being undertaken to provide improved levels of electoral equality across the borough. It aims to ensure that the number of voters represented by each borough councillor is approximately the same. The Electoral Commission directed the Boundary Committee for England to undertake this review on 12 May 2005. Current electoral arrangements Under the existing arrangements, seven of the existing 27 wards currently have more than 10% more electors than the borough average. By 2009 two wards would have more than 30% more electors than the borough average. Englesea ward would have 42% more electors and Wybunbury ward would have 75% more electors than the borough average. This review will be conducted in four stages: Stage Stage starts Description One 6 September 2005 Submission of proposals to us Two 13 December 2005 Our analysis and deliberation Three 7 November 2006 Publication of draft recommendations and consultation on them Four 13 February 2007 Analysis of submissions received and formulation of final recommendations Submissions received During Stage One we received five submissions. Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council and Crewe & Nantwich Conservative Group put forward proposals for the whole borough. Nantwich Independent Group supported the Conservative Group’s proposals. The Liberal Democrat Group supported the Borough Council’s proposals. We also received a submission from Hankelow Parish Council. Analysis and draft recommendations Electorate figures The Borough Council is predicting electorate growth of 6% over five years from 2004. This will be spread across the borough. We note the methodology used to forecast the electorate in 2009 follows the model used by Cheshire County Council Research and Intelligence Unit. We consider the estimate provided to be the best available. Council size Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council proposed an increase in council size from 56 to 57 councillors, arguing that the new political management structure and an increased 7 contribution to Local Strategic Partnerships and increased community leadership role take up a lot of the members’ time. The Conservative Group based its borough-wide scheme on a council size of 56 but did not put forward any evidence in support of its proposed council size. Therefore, on the basis of the evidence put forward by the Borough Council, we recommend adopting a council size of 57. General analysis The Borough Council proposed boundaries based on 26 wards. In the rural area of the borough we are adopting the Borough Council’s proposals without amendment. In Nantwich we also recommend adopting the Borough Council’s proposals, while also asking for views on options for improving the boundaries and access within the town, specifically in the area to the north of Hospital Street. In Crewe we are adopting the Borough Council’s proposed wards with three amendments to improve electoral equality and strengthen ward boundaries, affecting St John’s, St Mary’s, Willaston, Wistaston Green and Valley wards. We are also inviting further views on the warding of the centre of Crewe around the existing Coppenhall, Delamere and Grosvenor wards. We are recommending a mixture of single-member, two-member and three- member wards. What happens next? There will now be a consultation period, during which we encourage comments on our draft recommendations on future electoral arrangements for Crewe & Nantwich contained in this report. We welcome views from all parts of the community and believe that the more feedback we receive, based on clear evidence, the better informed we will be in forming our final recommendations. We will take into account all submissions received by 12 February 2007. Any received after this date may not be taken into account. We have not finalised our conclusions on the electoral arrangements for Crewe & Nantwich and welcome comments from interested parties. In particular, we found our decisions regarding the centre of Crewe and the boundaries within Nantwich to involve difficult judgements, considering the lack of strong evidence provided. We would particularly welcome local views, backed up by demonstrable evidence, during Stage Three. We will consider all the evidence submitted to us during the consultation period before preparing our final recommendations. Express your views by writing directly to us: Review Manager Crewe & Nantwich Review The Boundary Committee for England Trevelyan House Great Peter Street London SW1P 2HW [email protected] The full report is available to download at www.boundarycommittee.org.uk. 8 Table 1: Draft recommendations: Summary Ward name Number of Constituent areas councillors 1 Acton 1 Part of the existing Acton ward (the parishes of Acton, Broomhall, Burland, Edleston, Henhull, Hurleston, Sound and Stoke); part of the existing Bunbury ward (the parish of Wardle) 2 Alexandra 3 The existing Alexandra ward (unparished and Gresty Brook parish ward of Shavington cum Gresty parish) 3 Audlem 2 The existing Audlem ward (the parishes of Newhall, Dodcott cum Wilkesley, Audlem, Buerton and Hankelow); part of the existing Acton ward (the parishes of Austerson, Baddington and Coole Pilate) 4 Barony Weaver 3 The existing Barony Weaver ward (Barony and Weaver parish wards of Nantwich parish) 5 Birchin 2 Part of the existing Birchin ward (the proposed Birchin parish ward of Nantwich parish) 6 Brine Leas 3 The existing Wellington ward and part of the existing Birchin ward (the proposed Brine Leas parish ward of Nantwich parish); part of the existing Wybunbury ward (the proposed Stapeley Urban parish ward of Stapeley parish) 7 Bunbury 1 Part of the existing Bunbury ward (the parishes of Alpraham, Bunbury and Calveley) 8 Delamere 2 Part of the existing Delamere ward (unparished); part of the existing Grosvenor ward (unparished) 9 Englesea 2 Part of the existing Englesea ward (the parishes of Crewe Green, Barthomley, Weston and Basford and the existing Oakhanger parish ward of Haslington parish); part of the existing Wybunbury ward (the parishes of Blakenhall, Checkley cum Wrinehill and Chorlton) 9 Table 1 (continued): Draft recommendations: Summary Ward name Number of Constituent areas councillors 10 Haslington 3 The existing Haslington ward (Haslington Village and Winterley parish wards of Haslington parish) 11 Leighton 3 The existing Leighton ward (unparished and Leighton Urban parish ward of Leighton parish) 12 Maw Green 3 The existing Maw Green ward (unparished); part of the existing Delamere ward (unparished) 13 Minshull 1 The existing Minshull ward (the parishes of Wettenhall, Cholmondeston, Aston Juxta Mondrum, Worleston, Church Minshull, Minshull Vernon, Poole and Warmingham and Leighton Rural parish ward of Leighton parish) 14 Peckforton 1 The existing Peckforton ward (the parishes of Bulkeley, Bickerton, Egerton, Peckforton, Cholmondeley, Chorley, Faddiley, Ridley, Brindley, Spurstow and Haughton) 15 St Barnabas 3 Part of the existing St Barnabas ward (unparished); part of the existing Grosvenor ward (unparished) 16 St John’s 3 Part of the