Agenda item

To report on the results of the consultation exercise and make recommendations as to the outcome of the Community Governance Review.

Further to Minute No. 110 of the Council meeting held on 13^th December, 2017, consideration was given to the results of the consultation exercise undertaken on the modified terms of reference for the Community Governance Review for Orgreave.

The issue which has prompted a community governance review was whether the continued expansion of the Waverley settlement and the increasing numbers of residents living there warranted changes to the arrangements for parish councils in that area.  At present the Waverley settlement was split between the parishes of Orgreave and Catcliffe by a boundary which did not relate to any features on the ground.

A consultation process was initiative and local residents asked their views on 4 options:-

·                No change to the existing parish arrangements.

·                Reducing the existing parish of Orgreave to cover only the settlement of Orgreave, and to create a new parish to cover the southern part of the Waverley settlement. This option was proposed in the original petition. 

·                Creating a new parish for the whole of the Waverley settlement. The parish of Orgreave would then cover only the settlement of Orgreave and the parish of Catcliffe would cover only the settlement of Catcliffe.

·                Creating a new area covering the whole of the Waverley settlement without a parish council. The parish of Orgreave would then cover only the settlement of Orgreave and the parish of Catcliffe would cover only the settlement of Catcliffe.

The consultation period finished on 16^th April, 2018 and the outcome of these responses were set out in detail as part of the report where it was recommended that a new parish for Waverley be constituted.  However, the process required the Council apply to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England for consent to the Final Recommendations insofar as they related to “protected electoral arrangements” for the purposes of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.  If consent from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England was then forthcoming, the Assistant Director for Legal Services would then be authorised to publicise the Final Recommendations in accordance with Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

It was further requested that a further report be brought to Council to advise Council on the decision of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England and to seek approval of the Reorganisation of a Community Governance Order required to bring the Final Recommendations into effect.

Members were confident that this was the best possible solution for the Waverley new community and would lead to the best arrangements moving forward, but requested this be expedited in order to coincide with the election process in 2019/2020.

Resolved:-  (1)  That Council makes the following Final Recommendations for the purposes of Part 4 Chapter 3 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007:

1.1      A new parish, comprising the Waverley North and Waverley South polling districts shall be constituted and:

·           The name of the new parish should be Waverley

·           The new parish shall have the alternative style of Community

·           The Waverley North polling district shall cease to be part of the existing parish of Catcliffe and shall become part of the parish of Waverley

·           The Waverley South polling district shall cease to be part of the existing parish of Orgreave and shall become part of the parish of Waverley

·           There shall be a parish council for the parish of Waverley with 7 members

·           The altered parish of Orgreave shall continue to have the name “Orgreave”, shall continue to have a parish council with 7 members and shall not be divided into wards

·           The altered parish of Catcliffe shall continue to have the name “Catcliffe”, shall continue to have a parish council with 9 members and shall continue to not be divided into Wards

·           The election of all parish councillors for the parishes of Catcliffe, Orgreave and Waverley shall be held on 2^nd May, 2019

·           The term of office of every parish councillor elected on 2^nd May, 2019 for the parishes of Catcliffe, Orgreave and Waverley shall be 5 years

(2)  That the Assistant Director for Legal Services shall apply to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England for consent to the Final Recommendations insofar as they related to “protected electoral arrangements” for the purposes of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

(3)  That if consent from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England is forthcoming, to authorise the Assistant Director for Legal Services to publicise the Final Recommendations in accordance with Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

(4)  That a further report be brought to Council to advise Council on the decision of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England and to seek Council’s approval of the Reorganisation of Community Governance Order required to bring the Final Recommendations into effect.

Mover:-  Councillor Read                           Seconder:-  Councillor Lelliott