Meeting documents

To approve the minutes of the Governance and Electoral Arrangements Committee held on 29 October 2018.

The minutes of the Governance and Electoral Arrangements Committee held on 29 October 2018 were approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record. 

To receive any declarations of interest

There were no declarations of interest.

On 26 June 2018, the Committee agreed to conduct a Community Governance Review on the governance arrangements for Denham, Farnham Royal and Stoke Poges Parish Councils. This was in response to requests received from those Parish Councils.

At the previous meeting, held on 29 October 2018, the Committee considered the responses received during the first stage of consultation on the proposed changes to the governance arrangements for those Parish Councils, and agreed the draft recommendations for the second stage of consultation.

The Committee considered the responses received during the second stage of the consultation, and noted that these all supported the draft recommendations. One response, whilst supporting the Committee’s recommendation to reduce the size of Stoke Poges Parish Council from 13 to 11 Councillors, did express preference for a larger reduction to 10 Councillors. Members noted the guidance on electorate supported a Council size of 11.   

The Committee’s final recommendations were subject to agreement by Full Council on 27 February 2019. Once agreed, a Reorganisation Order would be made setting out the changes to Denham, Stoke Poges and Farnham Royal Parish Councils’ governance arrangements. The Order would set an implementation date for when the changes took effect which was likely to be 1 March 2019.

It was then then RESOLVED:

1.       That the representations received during the second stage of the Community Governance Review consultation be noted.

The Committee received a report setting out the process and proposed timetable for carrying out a UK Parliamentary polling district and polling places review that had to be completed between 1 October 2018 and 31 January 2020.

A review had been completed in 2018, resulting in St Andrews United Reformed Church being designated the polling place for the polling district (SIR) Iver Richings Park. Since the completion of that review further information had been received indicating that the building may not be available for use as a polling station in the future. It was proposed that as part of the forthcoming review that St Leonards Church Hall be re-designated the polling place Iver Richings Park. 

The Districts of Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks and Wycombe (Changes to Years of Elections) Order 2018 postponed the 2 May 2019 District and Parish Elections to 7 May 2020. In effect the term of office for District and Parish Councillors had been extended by one year.

Members noted that the Notice of Review would be published on 1 February, and following the consultation the Acting Returning Officer would publish a report setting out the existing and proposed polling places. This would then be subject to a second consultation, and the results of which would be considered by the Governance & Electoral Arrangements Committee in October 2019 when the Committee would be asked to agree the final recommendations to be included in the Order.

RESOLVED:

1.                 That the requirement to complete a UK Parliamentary polling district and polling places review by 31 January 2020 be noted.

2.                 That the proposed timetable for carrying out the necessary consultation and consideration of comments and representations be noted.