Agenda item

To consider report LDS/132 of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services.

The Committee considered report LDS/132 of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services in detail which sought the Committee’s endorsement of the Council’s draft Submission on a Council size of 39 to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE).

The Committee noted that, should the Committee agree to endorse the draft Submission, some minor clerical corrections would need to be made before the document was put before Full Council for its consideration.

A minority of Committee members were of the opinion that a Council size of 36 would present the best option of retaining the neighbourhood principle, based upon the advice they felt the LGBCE had given.  The view was also expressed that individual Councillor workload could be decreased with a reduction in the number of Councillors serving on some Committees, and it was also argued that there was a national trend in the reduction of Council size.

However, other Committee members were of the view that Councillor’s had a significant workload and that a reduction in Council size was not feasible, especially given the significant current and future expansion in the Borough’s population.  In addition, those members argued that a Council size of 39 provided minimal neighbourhood divisions and that the proposed size was founded on the evidence provided, including the information provided in Section 5 of the report which detailed Councillor workloads.

It was moved and seconded that the recommendation be amended to support a Council size of 36.  However, having put it to the Committee, the motion was LOST.

Following further discussion and a vote, the Committee agreed that Paragraphs 8.6 and 8.7 of the draft Submission be deleted as the LGBCE had advised that it would not take election results into consideration, and the information was therefore deemed unnecessary.

At the request of Councillor Crow, and in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 25.5, the names of the Councillors voting for and against the proposal to endorse the draft Submission (subject to the minor clerical corrections and the removal of Paragraphs 8.6 and 8.7) were recorded as set out below:

For the Proposal:

Councillors M G Jones, S J Joyce, P K Lamb, T Lunnon, T Rana and A C Skudder (6).

Against the Proposal:

Councillors R D Burrett, D G Crow, C R Eade, R A Lanzer and K 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, subject to minor clerical corrections and the removal of Sections 8.6 and 8.7, the draft Submission on Council size be endorsed and that a copy of the updated draft Submission be provided to Full Council.

2.     That Full Council be recommended to approve the document at Appendix A of report LDS/132 (subject to minor clerical corrections and the removal of Sections 8.6 and 8.7) for final submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, and in doing so agree that the Council size be proposed at 39 Councillors from May 2019.