COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE REVIEW COMMITTEE AGENDA Wednesday, 29th November 2017 at 07:15 PM Committee Room 1, Braintree District Council, Causeway House, Bocking End, Braintree, CM7 9HB THIS MEETING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC (Please note this meeting will be audio recorded) www.braintree.gov.uk Members of the Community Governance Review Committee are requested to attend this meeting to transact the business set ou t in the Agenda. Membership:- Councillor J Abbott Councillor Mrs J Pell Councillor P Barlow Councillor Mrs W Schmitt (Chairman) Councillor Mrs J Beavis Councillor R van Dulken Councillor Mrs D Garrod Councillor Mrs S Wilson Councillor Mrs J Money Members unable to attend the meeting are requested to forward their apologies for absence to the Governance and Members Team on 01376 552525 or email [email protected] by 3pm on the day of the meeting. A WRIGHT Acting Chief Executive Page 1 of 110 Chief Executive INFORMATION FOR MEMBERS - DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS Declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, Other Pecuniary Interest or Non- Pecuniary Interest Any member with a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, other Pecuniary Interest or Non- Pecuniary Interest must declare the nature of their interest in accordance with the Code of Conduct. Members must not participate in any discussion of the matter in which they have declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or other Pecuniary Interest or participate in any vote, or further vote, taken on the matter at the meeting. In addition, the Member must withdraw from the chamber where the meeting considering the business is being held unless the Member has received a dispensation from the Monitoring Officer. Question Time The Agenda allows for a period of up to 30 minutes when members of the public can speak. Members of the public wishing to speak are requested to register by contacting the Governance and Members Team on 01376 552525 or email [email protected] no later than 2 working days prior to the meeting. The Council reserves the right to decline any requests to register to speak if they are received after this time. Members of the public can remain to observe the public session of the meeting. Please note that there is public Wi-Fi in the Council Chamber, users are required to register in order to access this. There is limited availability of printed agendas. Health and Safety Any persons attending meetings in the Council offices are requested to take a few moments to familiarise themselves with the nearest available fire exit, indicated by the fire evacuation signs. In the event of an alarm you must evacuate the building immediately and follow all instructions provided by officers. You will be assisted to the nearest designated assembly point until it is safe to return to the building. Mobile Phones Please ensure that your mobile phone is switched to silent during the meeting in order to prevent disturbances. Webcast and Audio Recording Please note that this meeting will be audio recorded only. Documents Agendas, reports and minutes for all the Council's public meetings can be accessed via www.braintree.gov.uk We welcome comments from members of the public to make our services as efficient and effective as possible. If you have any suggestions regarding the meeting you have attended, you can send these via [email protected] Page 2 of 110 PUBLIC SESSION Page 1 Apologies for Absence 2 Declarations of Interest To declare the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, other Pecuniary Interest or Non-Pecuniary Interest relating to items on the agenda having regard to the Code of Conduct for Members and having taken appropriate advice where necessary before the meeting. 3 Minutes of the Previous Meeting To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Community Governance Review Committee held on 12th July 2017 (copy previously circulated). 4 Public Question Time (See paragraph above) 5 Community Governance Review Background 4 - 110 6 Urgent Business - Public Session To consider any matter which, in the opinion of the Chairman should be considered in public by reason of special circumstances (to be specified) as a matter of urgency. 7 Exclusion of Public and Press: - To give consideration to adopting the following Resolution: - That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12(A) of the Act. PRIVATE SESSION Page 8 Urgent Business - Private Session To consider any matter which, in the opinion of the Chairman, should be considered in private by reason of special circumstances (to be specified) as a matter of urgency. Page 3 of 110 Community Governance Review Committee 29th November 2017 Community Governance Review Background Agenda No: 5 Portfolio Overall Corporate Strategy and Direction Corporate Services and Asset Management Corporate Outcome: A high performing organisation that delivers excellent and value for money services Delivering better outcomes for residents and businesses and reducing costs to taxpayers Report presented by: Ian Hunt, Head of Governance Report prepared by: Steve Daynes, Democracy Manager Background Papers: Public Report Local Government and Public Involvement and Health Act 2007 Key Decision: No Statutory guidance provided by the Department for Communities and Local Government (March 2010). Agenda and Minutes Community Governance Review Committee 12 July 2017 Agenda and Minutes Council 24th July 2017 Executive Summary: At its meeting of the 24th July 2017 the Council adopted the formal terms of reference for the Community Governance Review and set the Initial Public Consultation. The consultation ran from the 1st August to the 30th September 2017 and, during this period, a total of 99 individual and organisational representations were received. In addition a petition representing 152 households was also submitted. In addition to comments on almost all the initial proposals, an additional four proposals were submitted for consideration. This report sets out the representations made against each of the proposals and seeks Members recommendations to Council for the adoption of Draft Recommendations. Recommended Decision: To make recommendations to Council on each of the proposed changes to Community Governance for inclusion in the Councils Draft Recommendations. Page 4 of 110 Purpose of Decision: To support the continued development of the project for the forthcoming community governance review. Any Corporate implications in relation to the following should be explained in detail. Financial: There is no specific budgetary provision however given that consultation will, in the main be limited to direct mailing to smaller communities no additional budgetary allocation will be sought at this stage. Legal: Review to be conducting in line with Local Government and Public Involvement and Health Act 2007 and statutory guidance provided by the Department for Communities and Local Government . Safeguarding: None Equalities/Diversity : Legislation requires each Polling District has a dedicated polling place. Any review therefore must ensure that adequate Polling arrangements can be provided. Customer Impact: To be considered as part of the review. Environment and None Climate Change: Consultation/Community The consultation will ensure that all stakeholders have Engagement: appropriate access. Risks: Risks will be managed in accordance with the project plan. Officer Contact: Steve Daynes Designation: Democracy Manager Ext. No : 2751 E-mail: [email protected] Page 5 of 110 1.0 Background 1.1 At their meeting of the Community Governance Review Committee on 12 July 2017 members considered a range of issues for inclusion in the Initial Public consultation of the 2017 Community Governance Review. 1.2 The formal phase of consultation was launched on 1 August 2017 and concluded on 30 September 2017. During this time all residents wishing to make representation have been given the opportunity to do so via either a dedicated web portal or by more traditional written formats. 1.3 Consultation strategy throughout the initial phase has been to ensure direct contact with each household where there would either be: a) a direct impact such as the introduction of a Parish precept to households where currently there is none or b) to households where the proposal is to transfer an area of land administered by their Parish Council to a neighbouring Parish Council. 1.4 For Members convenience this report has been sub divided on a site by site basis provides a brief summary of the initial consultation, responses and electoral statistical data for each affected Parish. 1.5 In addition to the Parishes and Development sites identified for Members initial consideration four additional matters (highlighted below) have been identified by residents or representative groups: Agenda item 4) The extension of the Rayne boundary to include ‘Braintree Green’. Agenda item 12) The removal of warding arrangements for Feering. Agenda item 15) The extension of Halstead Parish boundary to include the development site East of Sudbury Road to the North of Halstead . Agenda item 16) The establishment of a Braintree Town Council. 1.6 Members are advised that sites, areas and issues have been renumbered to reflect geographical location thereby providing them with an integrated perspective of all issues within