Agenda item

To consider the report.

Contact Officer:  Nick Graham/ Glenn Watson

In April 2022, Council had approved a submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) on the second stage of the electoral review of Buckinghamshire Council.  This related to a proposed pattern of 50 wards based on two Member representation and achieving 98 Councillors overall.

The Council had been aware when making the submission that certain aspects of the proposal would potentially be the subject of future dialogue with the Commission and was also mindful that in some instances its own proposals needed revising to come within the acceptable threshold for electoral equality: that is, to bring the electorate figure (per councillor) within +/-10% of the Commission’s average.  It was also envisaged that some areas might benefit from adjustment to achieve better community identity.

It had been agreed that the Electoral Review Working Group would review any options for change and recommend proposals to this Committee.  The Working Group had met on a number of occasions over the past months and had now agreed 3 proposed changes for consideration, as follows:

A.                 Booker, Cressex and Castlefield and West Wycombe Wards: to revise the Council’s submission by including the portion around Spearing Road and Grenfell Avenue (part of polling district Oakridge and Castlefield No. 2) back into Booker, Cressex and Castlefield ward; and revising the boundary in the Booker part of the ward.  The changes were reflected in the map at Annex 2 to the supplementary agenda. Electoral equality would be as follows:

B.                  Farnham, Burnham Beeches and Stoke Poges: to create three one member wards, better to reflect the community identity, particularly around Farnham. This would also involve the inclusion of a small portion of the Fulmer area within Stoke Poges, to enhance electoral equality. Under the Council’s current submission, Farnham Common and Burnham Beeches would otherwise come together as a two-member ward. The changes were reflected in Annex 3 to the supplementary agenda.  Electoral equality would be as follows:

C.                  Aston Clinton & Weston Turville; Bierton and Wing: to revise the Council’s submission by bringing the Coppice Way polling district into Aylesbury North ward (from the proposed Bierton and Wing Ward). Creating a more coherent Aylesbury North ward is then further enhanced by the inclusion of the Oldham’s Meadow polling district into Aylesbury North, from Watermead & Buckingham Park ward. The changes were reflected in Annex 4 of the supplementary report. Electoral equality would be as follows:

The Committee was informed that the recommendations would only marginally depart from the Council’s submission and still meet the 98 Councillor target set by the Commission.  It would create two additional single member wards (Farnham and Burnham Beeches) out of the Farnham Common & Burnham Beeches ward.  The Working Group also believed that community identity would best be served by this change.

If any of the recommendations for changes were accepted and communicated to the LGBCE then they would consider them either before they issued their own proposal or as part of the next phase of the process.

Members were informed that the Commission had published a revised timeframe for the remainder of the electoral review, as detailed in the Committee report. The consultation on their own proposal was expected to begin on 2 August 2022 and run until 10 October 2022.  If the Commission’s proposal was substantially different from the Council’s, then this Committee would need to consider whether to make any recommendations to Council on any proposed response to the Commission.  Currently, Council was scheduled to meet on 21 September.  A special meeting of the Committee would be needed, in any event, during the Commission’s consultation period to consider the Council’s response to it.

The Chairman thanked Members of the Committee for their work as part of the Electoral Review Working Group, and Officers for all their hard work in supporting Members, the Working Group and the Committee.

RESOLVED –

(1)               That the 3 proposed changes recommended by the Electoral Review Working Group be AGREED.

(2)               That the Service Director for Legal and Democratic Services be asked to communicate these additional options for change to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

(3)               That the Commission’s published timeframe for the next consultation phase, as set out in paragraph 3.2 of the Committee report, be NOTED.