Agenda and minutes

In accordance with the Council's Code of Conduct, Councillors of the Council are reminded that it is a requirement to declare interests where appropriate.

No disclosures of interests were made.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Governance Committee held on 19 June 2018.

The minutes of the meeting of the Governance Committee held on 19 June 2018 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To consider report LDS/142 of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services.

The Committee considered report LDS/142 of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services which sought the Council’s response to the Local Government Boundary Commission’s (LGBCE) draft recommendations (June 2018) for electoral arrangements for the Borough.

The Electoral Services Manager drew the Committee’s attention to paragraph 4.7 of the report which referred to a clerical error in the LGBCE’s draft recommendations in relation to a small area within the Bewbush Ward.  The Committee noted that the LGBCE would be able to rectify the error.

The Chair thanked officers for successfully persuading the LGBCE of the importance of the neighbourhood principle within the Borough.  This had ensured that, in relation to the electoral boundaries, the majority of the neighbourhoods had remained intact.

The Committee considered the Electoral Review Working Group’s recommended response to the LGBCE’s draft recommendations which were attached as Appendix A to report LDS/142.  The Committee also considered Councillor Crow’s, Leader of the Conservative Group, alternative response which was attached as Appendix B to report LDS/142.  A discussion then took place on both the Electoral Review Working Group’s recommended response and the alternative response put forward by Councillor Crow.

Votes were taken on Councillor Crow’s alternative proposal (Appendix B to report LDS/142) and variations thereto which were LOST.

The Committee then voted on the recommendation as set out in the report, that Full Council be recommended to support the draft recommendations of the LGBCE for a mixed pattern of 2 and 3 wards with the alterations to Ifield Ward, Langley Green and Manor Royal Ward and Northgate and West Green Ward as set out in Appendix A to report LDS/142.

At the request of Councillor Crow, and in accordance with Council Procedure Rules 25.5, the names of the Councillors voting for and against the above proposal were recorded as set out below:

For the Proposal:

Councillors Fiveash, Lamb, Lunnon, Quinn, Skudder and Sudan (6).

Against the Proposal:

Councillors Burrett, Crow, Eade, Lanzer and McCarthy (5).

Abstentions:

None.

With the vote being 6 for the proposal and 5 against the proposal, the proposal was therefore CARRIED, and it was

RESOLVED

1.    That the views of the Electoral Review Working Group on the draft recommendations of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s draft recommendations be noted.

2.    That Full Council be recommended to support the draft recommendations of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England for a mixed pattern of 2 and 3 Councillor wards with the alterations to Ifield Ward, Langley Green and Manor Royal Ward and Northgate and West Green Ward as set out in Appendix A to report LDS/142.