Agenda item

To consider the report of the Returning Officer (attached).

The Council was reminded that, at its meeting on 26 February 2020, it had agreed to form a Community Governance Review Working Group (CGRWG) comprising representatives from the various residents associations, the petitioners, officers, all impacted Borough Councillors and representatives from Windlesham Parish Council to agree the options to consider in the second stage of the Community Governance Review (CGR).

 

The CGRWG had met on 18 March 2020 and a compromise had been proposed, which would include retaining a single parish council and an undertaking from Windlesham Parish Council to fundamentally restructure its governance processes. In addition, the CGRWG had proposed that

 

a)            the parish warding arrangement be amended by dividing the current Bagshot ward to form 2 wards covering Bagshot village and the northern section of Windlesham village;

b)            six councillors and two councillors be allocated to Bagshot ward and Windlesham North ward respectively; and

c)            the Parish Council’s name be changed in order to better reflect the parish’s geographical boundaries.

 

The warding pattern, allocation of councillors to parish wards and proposed name change would form the second stage of the CGR consultation.

 

The Council had been due to consider the CGRWG’s  recommendations at its meeting on 8 April 2020; however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic it had been felt that the Council would not have been able to meet its obligations in respect of the public consultation and, following the receipt of legal advice, the CGR had been paused. 

 

Members were informed that Windlesham Parish Council had met on 20 March 2020, where it had considered the CGRWG’s proposed way forward. At this meeting the Parish Council had agreed to establish a Working Group to put together options for a desired framework for a revised governance structure.

 

It was moved by Councillor Alan McClafferty and seconded by Councillor Colin Dougan that

 

  (i)          A second round of consultation be undertaken in the Windlesham Parish area with the following recommended options:

 

a.      A new parish ward co-terminus to the current KC polling district be created and named Windlesham North ward of Windlesham Parish Council;

b.      A new parish ward co-terminus with the KA and KB polling districts be created and named Bagshot Ward of Windlesham Parish Council;

c.      The Windlesham ward of Windlesham Parish Council be renamed Windlesham South ward of Windlesham Parish Council;

d.      Windlesham Parish Council be renamed to better reflect its geographical boundaries;

 

 (ii)          A report be brought back to Council setting out the outcome of the second round of consultation and making final recommendations on the Windlesham Community Governance Review;

 

(iii)          The Community Governance Review timetable be updated, as set out at Annex A to the agenda report; and

 

(iv)          Windlesham Parish Council’s undertaking to fundamentally review the structure of its governance process be noted.

 

It was moved by Councillor Victoria Wheeler and seconded by Councillor Peter Barnett that the motion be amended to:

 

1.            include the addition of brackets to references to “north” and “south” in the Windlesham wards in (i) of the motion;

2.            include the addition of a requirement that the wording of the consultation to residents was agreed in consultation with the borough councillors for the Windlesham Parish area and the Working Group; and

3.            insert wording to (iv) to reflect that a Working Group had been formed by the Parish Council to review and make recommendations on its governance structure.

 

The amendment was put to the vote and carried. It therefore became the substantive motion.

 

It was moved by Councillor Edward Hawkins and seconded by Councillor Rebecca Jennings-Evans that a minimum response to the consultation from the impacted electorate should be required in order for the proposals to be adopted, with the threshold figure to be proposed by the CGRWG. Following debate, the amendment was put to the vote and an equality of votes was achieved. Councillor Edward Hawkins subsequently agreed to withdraw his amendment.

 

The Council considered the proposal to rename the Parish Council and heard differing views on whether this should form part of the second stage of the CGR consultation or removed from this motion and further considered outside this CGR process. It was moved by Councillor Rebecca Jennings-Evans and seconded by Councillor Valerie White that the motion be amended to remove (d) in (i) of the motion. The amendment was put to the vote and was lost.

 

The substantive motion was put to the vote and carried.

 

RESOLVED that

 

                         (i)        a second round of consultation be undertaken in the Windlesham Parish area with the following recommended options:

 

a.      a new parish ward co-terminus to the current KC polling district be created and named Windlesham (North) ward of Windlesham Parish Council;

 

b.     a new parish ward co-terminus with the KA and KB polling districts be created and named Bagshot Ward of Windlesham Parish Council;

 

c.      the Windlesham ward of Windlesham Parish Council be renamed Windlesham (South) ward of Windlesham Parish Council;

 

d.     Windlesham Parish Council be renamed to better reflect its geographical boundaries;

 

                        (ii)        the consultation document be agreed in consultation with the borough councillors for the Windlesham parish area and the Working Group;

 

                      (iii)        a report be brought back to Council setting out the outcome of the second round of consultation and making final recommendations on the Windlesham Community Governance Review;

 

                      (iv)        the Community Governance Review timetable be updated, as set out at Annex A to the agenda report; and

 

                        (v)        Windlesham Parish Council’s undertaking to fundamentally review the structure of its governance process, and the formation of a Parish Council Working Group to progress this work, be noted.

 

Note 1: In accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct, Councillors Peter Barnett, Sharon Galliford, Rebecca Jennings-Evans, and Valerie White declared non-pecuniary interests as they were members of Windlesham Parish Council. 

 

Note 2: It was noted for the record that

 

(i)           Councillor Emma-Jane McGrath declared that she had spoken with members on the community in connection with this subject; 

 

(ii)          Councillor David Mansfield declared that he had attended Windlesham Parish Council meetings where the item had been discussed but had not participated in any discussions at these meetings; and

 

(iii)         Councillor Victoria Wheeler declared that she had met with representatives from One Windlesham and Windlesham Parish Council’s Working Group

 

Note 3: In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.4, a recorded vote on the amendment to the motion proposed by Cllr Victoria Wheeler and seconded by Councillor Peter Barnett was taken.

 

The following Members voted in favour of the amendment:

 

Councillors Dan Adams, Graham Alleway, Peter Barnett, Rodney Bates, Cliff Betton, Sarah Jane Croke, Vivienne Chapman, Paul Deach, Colin Dougan, Tim FitzGerald, Sharon Galliford, Shaun Garrett, Edward Hawkins, Josephine Hawkins, Rebecca Jennings-Evans, David Lewis, David Mansfield, Alan McClafferty, Emma-Jane McGrath, Charlotte Morley, Sashi Mylvaganam, Adrian Page, Robin Perry, Darryl Ratiram, Morgan Rise, John Skipper, Graham Tapper, Pat Tedder, Victoria Wheeler, Helen Whitcroft, Valerie White, Kristian Wrenn.

 

Note 4: In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.4, a recorded vote on the amendment to the motion proposed by Cllr Rebecca Jennings-Evans and seconded by Councillor Valerie White was taken.

 

The following Members voted in favour of the amendment:

 

Councillors Dan Adams, Sarah Jane Croke, Vivienne Chapman, Paul Deach, Colin Dougan, Shaun Garrett, Edward Hawkins, Josephine Hawkins, Rebecca Jennings-Evans, David Lewis, David Mansfield, Alan McClafferty, Adrian Page, Robin Perry, Darryl Ratiram, Valerie White.

 

The following Members voted against the amendment:

 

Councillors Graham Alleway, Peter Barnett, Rodney Bates, Cliff Betton, Richard Brooks, Tim FitzGerald, Sharon Galliford, Emma-Jane McGrath, Charlotte Morley, Sashi Mylvaganam, Morgan Rise, John Skipper, Graham Tapper, Pat Tedder, Victoria Wheeler, Helen Whitcroft, Kristian Wrenn.