Meeting documents

To consider a report by the Chief Executive.

The Council considered a report by the Chief Executive on the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s (LGBCE) consultation on the future electoral arrangements for the new Dorset Council to be implemented from the elections on 2 May 2019.  The Monitoring Officer introduced the report and summarised the work of the Boundary Review Task and Finish Group, chaired by Cllr Spencer Flower, which had consulted members of all Dorset area councils on the future electoral arrangements which had largely been reflected in the consultation document by the LGBCE.

A number of concerns were raised in opposition to the recommendations within the LGBCE consultation in relation to the ward boundaries suggested for the Chickerell, Weymouth and Portland area as follows:

·         A preference was expressed for single member wards. Alternative proposals had been included in the consultation feedback in the submission in May 2018.

·         A democratic deficit, and the ability for local members to represent a logistically smaller area as the three-member divisions would have close to 11k electors.

·         There was disregard for the most important of the LGBCE review criteria: community interests and identity.  This was particularly evident in boundaries affecting Upwey, Littlemoor, Broadmayne, Corfe Road, Manor Road, Chickerell, area of Lanehouse, Wyke, Portland Tophill, Portland Underhill, Bincombe.

·         Polling districts should be amended where needed to find the right community fit.

·         Cllr Harris made a request to amend the first recommendation in the Chief Executive’s report for the Chickerell, Weymouth and Portland area to be reviewed again.  This amendment was seconded by Cllr Kate Wheller.

·         Multi-member wards would discriminate against independent candidates and smaller political groups at elections.

·         The effectiveness of individual members in multi-member wards was influenced by fellow ward councillors who were less active.

·         Local councillors are the people who know their communities.

·         Local resident’s awareness of which electoral ward they were in.

·         Assumptions in the consultation document were incorrect.

·         There were housing developments that would adversely impact the mapping in some areas, particularly in the Linden Lea area.

·         The role of the councillor would be increased due to the reduction in tiers of local government and large numbers of electors in comparison to the size of former district/borough wards.

·         There would be more pressure on Town and Parish Councils to deal with representations made by the public.

·         There would be more call on members to receive higher allowances.

·         Many of the concerns raised were shared at the consultation roadshow of the Boundary Review Task and Finish Group in April 2018.

Counter views in support of the recommendations were expressed by other members, particularly in relation to:

·         Time had been taken carefully to look at the criteria of the LGBCE and adhering to the criteria, including community identity.

·         Multi-member wards across the county worked well and strengthen local democracy.

·         Small amendments had been made to the warding pattern as a result of the consultation roadshows undertaken by the Task and Finish Group.

·         The warding in Weymouth and Portland was in line with the approach taken across the Dorset area as a whole.

·         Forecasting of electorate and population had been taken into account in arriving at the proposals.

·         The report was asking for support of the process undertaken, and the fall-back position for the boundary review was not wanted. 

·         There was a significant pressure to complete the review given the available time before formation of the new councils.

·         Any view to express a dislike needed to be supported by evidence and rationale to prove that any change was substantiated.

·         The electoral arrangements did not prevent candidates being put forward for election.

·         Matters of individual preference could be responded to through the LGBCE portal.

Cllr Spencer Flower, as the Chairman of the Boundary Review Task and Finish Group, provided an overview of the aims of Group and the comprehensive review work undertaken to arrive at a submission for consideration by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and LGBCE. He paid tribute to the work undertaken by three officers, Richard Jones of East Dorset District Council, Lee Gallagher - Democratic Services Manager and Peter Jackson - Principal Research Officer.   

Cllr Flower explained that the work of the Group required listening and reasoning based on the clear criteria set within boundary review rules and guidance, and as a result the recommendations in the consultation reflected 95% of the review work undertaken.  In his opinion it was not appropriate to isolate one area and to not apply the same principles as this would not be favoured by LGBCE. There had been a week of roadshows undertaken to engage with members of all councils in the Dorset area which took account of the divergence of opinion, but arrived at consistent and pragmatic ward mapping based on clean data, and the submission included all of the views and proposals which were not in agreement with the submission so that LGBCE could take account of them.  All individual views were encouraged to be submitted through the LGBCE consultation portal.

Following the debate, Cllr Harris clarified the wording of his amendment as:

‘To support the recommendations of the Local Government Boundary Commission for the electoral arrangements for Dorset Council from 2 May 2019, subject to the inclusion of Appendix 2 in the response, with the exception of proposals for Weymouth, Portland and Chickerell for which we would like a further review.’

The amendment was seconded by Cllr Kate Wheller.  On being put to the vote the amendment was lost.

The substantive recommendation within the report was subsequently proposed by Cllr Spencer Flower, and was seconded by Cllr Andy Canning.  On being put to the vote it was

Resolved

1. That the recommendations of the Local Government Boundary Commission for the electoral arrangements for Dorset Council from 2 May 2019, subject to the inclusion of Appendix 2 in the response, be supported.

2. That the minute above be shared with the Boundary Commission as part of the County Council’s feedback.

3. That individual representations to the consultations can be made through the consultation portal at consultation.lgbce.org.uk, by emailing reviews@lgbce.org.uk or by writing to the commission.