1 REVIEW OF ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS Submission by East Hampshire District Council on Council Size 12 April 2017 1. Introduction This submission sets out the response from East Hampshire District Council to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s (LGBCE) invitation to put forward a recommendation on future Council size. The review has been triggered by (a) the length of time since the last review, which was in 2000 and took effect in 2003, and (b) the growing disparity of “electoral equality”, with 17 of the district’s wards now containing an electoral population at a variance of greater than 10% from the mean average electors per councillor. The Council recognises the importance of electoral equality to a fair democratic process, whilst at the same time it must ensure that governance of the Council is maintained at a level which can best serve the electorate. The Council’s submission has been developed in consultation with current district councillors and following initial consultation at five meetings held in public, including representatives of parish and town councils. 2. Overview of Council Size Submission The Council’s submission addresses the three broad areas contained in the LGBCE’s technical guidance on governance arrangements, scrutiny functions and the representational role of Councillors within their local communities. The last review of electoral arrangements in East Hampshire was in 2000, which took effect in 2003. Since then, the number of councillors has been 44 spread over 38 district wards. Based on the 2017 electoral register the current mean average is 2,092 electors per councillor. The electorate forecasts developed as part of this exercise suggest that by 2023 the ratio for the Council’s recommended number of 44 councillors will be an average of 2,319 electors per councillor. 3. Summary of the Council’s submission The approach adopted when considering Council size has been to follow the LGBCE’s guiding principles and address them in terms of current arrangements and likely future trends and plans. The Council’s current principal governance arrangements are outlined in the table below: Committee Cllrs Cabinet 10 Planning Committee 21 Joint Environmental Services Committee (with Winchester City Council) 3 Governance, Audit and Scrutiny Committee 14 Development Policy Panel 12 2 Licensing Committee 15 Joint Human Resources Committee (with Havant Borough Council) 6 Joint Environmental Services Scrutiny Committee 3 Other appointments are: Organisation/Committee Cllrs Community First 1 Community Safety Partnership 1 Deadwater Valley Trust 1 District Councils Network 1 Districts Health and Wellbeing Forum 1 Domestic Violence Forum 1 East Hampshire CAB 1 East Hampshire Disability Forum 1 Enterprise M3 LEP Leader’s Board 1 Enterprise M3 LEP Main Board 1 Furniture Helpline 1 Hampshire Alliance & Rural Affordable Housing (HARAH) 2 Hampshire Partnership 1 LGA Resource Board 1 Local Government Association General Assembly 1 Local Government Association Hampshire Isle of Wight (HIOWLGA) 2 Parking And Traffic Regulations Outside London (PATROL) 1 Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) 2 Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) Overview and Scrutiny 2 Police and Crime Panel 3 Portsmouth CC Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee 1 Project Integra Management Board 2 Rother Area Panel 1 Solent LEP Growth Forum 1 South Downs National Park Authority 1 South East Employers 2 South East England Councils (SEEC) 2 South East Strategic Leaders 1 South Eastern Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group Governing Body 1 Southern Area Road Safety Council 1 Town and Country Planning Association New Communities Group 1 Whitehill and Bordon Community Development Trust 1 Whitehill and Bordon Information Exchange 3 Whitehill and Bordon Strategy Board 1 Therefore the number of councillors recommended by this Council would enable continued and sufficient support of the Council’s important governance and decision making functions, whilst ensuring it can provide appropriate scrutiny, meet its regulatory responsibilities and maintain a proper level of representation on local bodies and partnerships. After considering all the relevant factors the Council’s recommendation is that its current level of 44 elected members should be retained so that the Council can ensure it continues to: 3 provide an effective decision making process; provide effective arrangements for the management and delivery of its business, responsibilities and regulatory functions; support extensive and effective involvement in community leadership and representation; respond to the challenges facing East Hampshire and its local communities, as the population continues to grow. 4. Summary of Justification A summary of the Council’s justification for the submission is set out below:‐ (1) East Hampshire District Council is a high performing council with a high level of customer satisfaction. In our 2016 Customer Survey, 75% of residents said they were satisfied with the way the council runs things. (2) Our governance arrangements provide an accessible and transparent system of decision‐making by the Cabinet and the Full Council, and strong councillor involvement in regulatory, community, audit and scrutiny committees. (3) Councillors play a strong role in setting direction over change, budget priorities and the work of the Council as a whole. This has resulted in an innovative Council Strategy, three years of council tax reduction (unique in UK local government), a commercialising approach and multiple partnerships across sectors to ensure that services are delivered effectively. Attached as appendices are (a) the Council’s Strategy, and (b) the Council’s joint submission with Havant Borough Council to the All‐ Party Parliamentary Group which looked at innovative partnerships across councils. (4) Customer expectations and demand continue to grow and would have been unrecognisable at the time of the last Boundary Review in 2000. The Council’s Personalisation project, strongly supported by and involving councillors, is radically changing how services are being delivered. House‐building and regeneration is occurring at an unprecedented scale, including at the former Ministry of Defence garrison in Whitehill and Bordon and elsewhere. The rural nature of the district means that some existing wards include a wide geographical area. All of this creates no compelling reasons for reducing the number of ward councillors for the foreseeable future. (5) We are not aware of any pressure or persuasive argument, based on effective governance, local representation or any other rationale, for amending the current number of district councillors. REVIEW OF THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR EAST HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL 1. Governance and decision making – how does the Council manage its business and take decisions across its full range of responsibilities? Leadership Under the Local Government Act 2000, East Hampshire District Council uses the Leader and Cabinet system of decision‐making. 4 1.1 What kind of governance The Cabinet consists of 10 members; the Leader, Deputy Leader and 8 arrangements Cabinet Members. The Cabinet’s members are also the Council’s 10 are in place for the authority? Portfolio Holders and are the Council’s main representatives and spokespeople on their nominated areas of responsibility. The Cabinet carries out all of the local authority’s functions which are not the responsibility of any other part of the authority. Some of these decisions/plans/policies/strategies require approval by Council e.g. Local Plan, Council Strategy, Budget. 1.2 How many portfolios are There are 10 portfolios; 1 held by each member of the Cabinet, as there? follows: 1. Finance 2. Contracts 3. Customer Service 4. Environment 5. Planning and Affordable Housing 6. Devolution PR and Communications 7. Alton 8. Southern Parishes 9. Welfare 10. Economic Development 1.3 Describe how a portfolio Portfolio Holders exercise regular performance monitoring of the holder carries resources allocated by the Council and seek to achieve best value in out his/her work on a day to the policy areas for which they have responsibility. They hold regular day basis. meetings with respective senior managers and work with them to deliver corporate objectives. They lead on specific projects that may be related to their policy areas or geographical parts of the district. Cabinet members meet together fortnightly with the chief executive and executive directors on key strategic and service issues. 1.4 To what extent are decisions The Council’s Constitution includes the specific delegations to delegated to portfolio holders Portfolio Holders and senior managers, which vary from one to or are most decisions taken by another. Key decisions are taken by the Cabinet which in the last civic the full Executive? year has met formally 11 times. Aside from formal decisions, portfolio What is the volume of decisions holders regularly provide a view and steer on emerging policy issues taken? within their areas of responsibility. Portfolio holders report directly to How many decisions are taken the formal Cabinet and Council meetings. Decisions taken by a by officers? Portfolio Holder are subject to the usual “call‐in” procedure by the Governance, Audit and Scrutiny Committee. 1.5 Do Cabinet (or other) Cabinet members and others have specific roles on Joint Committees Councillors serve on other with other local authorities: decision making partnerships, ‐ Joint Committee on Environment Services (with Winchester