Issue - meetings

Report from the Executive Director of Corporate Services.

Recommendations:

That Cabinet:

1. Approves the commencement of a Boroughwide Community Governance Review.

2. Approves the Terms of Reference of the review as set out in Appendix 1.

3. Approves the timetable for review as set out in Appendix 2.

4. Approves that should any Community  ...  view the full agenda text for item 148

Consideration was given to the report which sought approval to commence a Borough-wide Community Governance Review. The Council had a duty to keep under review the electoral arrangements of its parishes, including town and community councils. Following initial consultation, a draft recommendations report would be brought to Cabinet for approval  ...  view the full minutes text for item 148

Report from the Executive Director of Corporate Services.

Recommendations:

That Cabinet:

1. Approves the commencement of a Boroughwide Community Governance Review.

2. Approves the Terms of Reference of the review as set out in Appendix 1.

3. Approves the timetable for review as set out in Appendix 2.

4. Approves that should any Community Governance Reviews be triggered by petition during the Boroughwide review, Cabinet agrees to delegate authority to the Chief Executive to amend the Terms of Reference as appropriate.

5. Note that a draft recommendations report will be brought for approval following the first round of consultation.

6. Note that a final recommendations report will be brought for approval following the second round of consultation. Cabinet will be asked to approve the final recommendations and recommend the report to Council.

At the Chair’s invitation the Cabinet Member for Finance and Community Safety, Councillor Alam OBE, advised that the report sought approval to recommend a Community Governance Review to Cabinet. It was noted that the Council had a statutory duty to undertake such reviews approximately every 10-15 years, with the last review completed in 2008. It was explained that the review process required consultation with local residents and other interested parties, including parish councils, elected members and MPs. An initial consultation on current arrangements and potential changes would be undertaken, followed by a further consultation on draft recommendations, prior to Cabinet considering final proposals for submission to Full Council.

Members were advised by the Council’s Monitoring Officer, Phillip Horsfield, that the Community Governance Review was an administrative process, with the formal political decision?making at its conclusion. It was noted that the criteria for the review were prescribed by legislation and set out in the agreed terms of reference. Subject to consideration by the Board and approval by Cabinet, the review would take account of representations received from residents and other stakeholders. The draft recommendations would then be prepared for consideration, which would be subject to further consultation process before final proposals were presented for Council determination.

The Chair invited members of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board (OSMB) to raise questions and queries.

Councillor Blackham noted that the presentation focused on outlining the process but provided limited detail on the criteria to be applied when evaluating parish councils and parish boundaries. He asked for further clarification on the assessment criteria, including how National Association of Local Councils (NALC) requirements and recommendations were considered, and whether the ratio of electors to councillors was a key factor.

In response the Monitoring Officer, Phillip Horsfield explained that boundary considerations included elector?to?councillor ratios and overall workability but also depended on the nature of each area and how residents identified with it. It was noted that there were no fixed minimum or maximum sizes for parishes, as circumstances varied between large towns and small villages. This area?specific approach was given as the reason why criteria were not defined rigidly at this stage, with consultation and feedback from local ward members and parish councils highlighted as essential. It was further emphasised that resident identification with an area was a key consideration, and that failing to take this into account often caused difficulties in boundary reviews.

In a follow up question, Councillor Blackham requested that, given the level of judgement involved due to significant differences across the borough in settlement size and representation, proposals should return to the committee for consideration before being submitted to Cabinet. It was agreed that this could be accommodated if the committee wished, enabling members to review and comment on the judgements applied prior to Cabinet consideration.

In response it was explained that there were no expectation of a wholesale review or widespread changes to all parishes in the borough, based on current indications from engagement with parish councils  ...  view the full minutes text for item 130