Agenda item

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England had published, for consultation, its draft recommendations on new electoral arrangements for Surrey Heath on 24 January 2017.  The consultation ended on 20 March 2017, after which the Commission would review its draft recommendations and then publish its final recommendations.  The changes proposed would be approved by Parliament and would provide for new electoral arrangements to be implemented at the all-out elections for the Council in 2019.

Members noted that it would be necessary to conduct a Polling District Review prior to the 2019 Borough and Parish elections, when the revised arrangements came into effect.

The Governance Working Group on 3 February had considered the Commission’s draft recommendations and had made a number of recommendations.

Officers had also considered the draft proposals and any practical consequences arising from the Commission’s recommendations and Karen Whelan, as Electoral Registration Officer, had formulated her own response to the draft recommendations.  

In relation to the wards of Bagshot, Lightwater, Windlesham, Chobham, West End and Bisley, one of the principal recommendations of the Boundary Commission resulted in the joining of Chobham and Windlesham wards into one ward with 3 councillors. 

The Governance Working Group had been of the opinion that Chobham and Windlesham were 2 distinctly different communities and that a different solution should be proposed.  The Governance Working Group had felt that a better solution could be formulated for the Windlesham, Lightwater, Bagshot, Bisley, West End and Chobham Wards which would better reflect the community identities, whilst achieving electoral equality and effective local government.  It had therefore agreed that the ward councillors for these wards be asked to formulate an alternative proposal. 

The Council noted that the Commission had not provided any detailed explanation as to why the Council’s proposals Old Dean, Town, St Michaels, St Paul’s and Watchetts Wards had not been included in its draft recommendations.

The Commission’s draft proposals included the moving of 529 electors and 235 properties from St Paul’s Ward to Old Dean Ward.  The Commission had used the railway line as the boundary instead of the A30.  The Council considered that the A30 was a more recognisable boundary between the Old Dean and St Paul’s Wards.  In addition, it was felt considered that the electors identified to move from St Paul’s Ward did not share any community identity with the electors in the Old Dean ward.

The Commission’s draft proposals in relation to St Michaels Ward recommended the movement of 13 properties north of the A30 to the Town Ward. This would mean that electors within this area would move to the Town Ward whilst remaining in a different county division from the rest of Town ward, therefore requiring the creation of a new Polling District, which would comprise approximately 21 electors.

The Commission’s proposals in relation to Town and Watchetts Wards had recommended that the roads between Brackendale Road and Tekels Park move from the Town Ward to Watchetts Ward.

The Governance Working Group had been of the opinion that the proposals for the Old Dean, St Pauls and Town wards should be re-examined and a better solution sought to reflect the community identities whilst achieving electoral equality and effective local government.  Following the Governance Working Group meeting, the Ward Councillors for these areas had discussed options for the wards and had agreed to ask the Commission to reconsider the original submission from the Council in relation to Old Dean, Town, St Michaels, St Paul’s and Watchetts Wards which provided electoral equality and better reflected community identity. 

The Council noted that the Commission’s draft recommendations included the proposal to move the boundary between Parkside and Heatherside by transferring an area which currently falls within Parkside to Heatherside Ward.  This proposal had reflected one of the options put forward by the Council in relation to these 2 wards.  In relation to these wards, subsequent to the meeting of the Governance Working Group, it was proposed that the Commission be requested to retain Youlden Close and Youlden Drive in Parkside Ward as these properties had no vehicular link to the roads in Heatherside Ward.  The number of electors involved would not affect the electoral equality in these 2 wards.

The Commission’s draft recommendations involved moving a significant proportion of the settlement of Frimley, including its identifiable centre which incorporated Frimley High Street, Frimley Railway Station and a number of community buildings, to Frimley Green ward.  Changes to the County Council Divisions prior to the 2013 County Council elections had required the creation of the Frimley South (FC) Polling District, mostly comprising the Ansell Estate, as, due to the changes introduced, the electors in this area would be voting in the Frimley Borough Ward, whilst voting in the Frimley Green and Mytchett County Division; the remainder of Frimley Borough Ward continued to vote in the Camberley West County Division. The arrangements for Frimley South would remain the same under the Commission’s draft proposals.

However, the Commission’s draft proposals would introduce the need to create a further Polling District: the proposed re-drawing of the Frimley Green boundary with the northern boundary at the A325 would mean the electors affected would thereafter vote in the Frimley Green Borough Ward, whilst continuing to vote in the Camberley West County Division.

The Council considered that the proposal to move a significant proportion of the settlement of Frimley, to Frimley Green Ward, was in conflict with the Commission’s stated aim of recognising and reflecting community identity and resulted in further complication for voters as it introduced additional non-coterminous boundaries within the area.   The Council therefore proposed that the current boundary between Frimley and Frimley Green be retained and the approximately 1000 electors remain in Frimley.  However in order to achieve electoral equality it was proposed that the Frimley South (FC) Polling District, comprising 860 electors, be transferred to the Frimley Green ward.  Frimley would elect 2 councillors and Frimley Green, 3 councillors.  This proposal would improve co-terminosity with the County Division and thereby reduce elector confusion, keep recognised communities together and provide for effective and convenient local government whilst achieving electoral equality.

It was noted that the Commission’s proposals for Mytchett and Deepcut Ward had been to retain current boundaries and for 3 councillors to represent the ward.

In order to allow time for the respective ward members to formulate alternative proposals for the current wards of Bagshot, Lightwater, Windlesham, Chobham, West End, and Bisley it was proposed that the Chief Executive, after consultation with the Members of the Governance Working Group, be authorised to formulate the Council’s representations to the Commission in respect of these wards.

Resolved to

                                     (i)            note the Electoral Registration Officer’s submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, as attached at Annex A to the agenda report;

                                    (ii)            note that a Polling District Review will be conducted prior to the 2019 Borough and Parish elections, when the revised arrangements come into effect;

                                  (iii)            make the following representations to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England:

(a)            for the reasons set out at paragraph 5.4 of the agenda report, to object to the proposal to move a significant proportion of the settlement of Frimley, to Frimley Green ward and to propose that the current boundary between Frimley and Frimley Green be retained but that the Frimley South (FC) Polling District, comprising 860 electors, be transferred to the Frimley Green ward with Frimley electing 2 councillors and Frimley Green, 3 councillors;

(b)            to object to the proposals for Old Dean, Town, St Michaels, St Paul’s and Watchetts Wards and to request the Commission to reconsider the original submission from the Council in particularly in relation to

(i)              the proposal to use the railway line as the boundary between St Pauls and Old Dean Wards as the Council considers that the A30 is a more obvious boundary between which better reflects community identity and provides electoral equality: and

(ii)            the proposal to move of the small area north of the A30 from St Michaels Ward to the Town Ward as it would, because of the county divisional boundary, required the creation of a new Polling District comprising approximately 21 electors and 13 households;

(c)            to request the Commission to revise its proposals for Heatherside and Parkside so Youlden Close and Youlden Drive remain within Parkside Ward;

                                  (iv)            make no comments in relation to the Commission’s draft recommendations for Mytchett and Deepcut Ward; and

                                   (v)            authorise the Chief Executive, after consultation with the Members of the Governance Working Group, to submit representations to the Commission in respect of the current wards of Bagshot, Lightwater, Windlesham, Chobham, West End and Bisley.