Agenda item

To enable Council to approve the final recommendations arising from the outcome of Community Governance Reviews undertaken in Harwich and in St Osyth.

Councillors I J Henderson, J Henderson, Calver and Fowler had earlier declared an interest in this item.

Council recalled that, at its meeting held on 15 May 2018 (Minute 30 referred), it had considered a report of the Head of Leadership Support and Community and it had been agreed that –

(a)    in relation to the two Community Governance Reviews for which public consultation has been undertaken:-

       i.          the number of Harwich Town Councillors will remain at 16 with the existing parish ward distribution; and

        ii.        a boundary change be implemented in order to make the St Osyth Parish and District boundaries coterminous.

(b) draft recommendations as set out in (a) be made available for public comment inline with the previously agreed timetable; and

(c) no Community Governance Reviews be taken forward at this time for the following Parish Councils: Alresford, Ardleigh, Beaumont-cum-Moze, Elmstead, Frating, Great Bentley, Great Oakley, Lawford, Little Bentley, Little Bromley, Little Clacton, Little Oakley, Ramsey and Parkeston, Tendring, Thorpe-le-Soken.

It was reported that those draft recommendations had been advertised in the local press and on the Council’s website and that no comments had been received on those draft recommendations other than confirmation from St Osyth Parish Council of their original comments.

In addition, the members of the Electoral Review Working Group had been advised by email that no additional comments had been received and that the draft recommendations would now be put forward to Council as the final recommendations.

Council was advised that a delegation was sought from it in order to allow the Head of Legal and Governance Services to take the steps to implement the recommendations. No further action would be required in relation to Harwich as the recommendation was to leave the number of councillors and wards unchanged. However, a reorganisation order would be required to effect the recommendation in relation to St Osyth. A model order and the procedure to be followed was set out in the Guidance on Community Governance Reviews issued jointly by the former Department for Communities and Local Government and the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. The reorganisation order would need to be made available at the Council’s offices together with a map showing the effect of the boundary change. Certain organisations (the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, the Office of National Statistics, the Director General of the Ordnance Survey, Essex County Council and the Council’s external auditors) would need to be informed when the order had been made. The reasons for the Council’s decisions would also need to be published.

It was moved by Councillor P B Honeywood, seconded by Councillor G V Guglielmi and:

RESOLVED that - 

a)    the final recommendations, in relation to the two Community Governance Reviews for which public consultation has been undertaken, are:-

              i.        the number of Harwich Town Councillors remains at 16 with the existing parish ward distribution; and

             ii.        a boundary change should be implemented in order to make the St Osyth Parish and District boundaries coterminous.

b)    the Head of Legal and Governance Services be authorised to implement a) above, in accordance with the Guidance on Community Governance Reviews issued jointly by the former Department for Communities and Local Government and the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, including:-

               i.        drawing up, publicising and disseminating the necessary reorganisation order to implement a)ii);

              ii.        the publication of a map showing the effect of the reorganisation order for a)ii); and

             iii.        the publication of the reasons for the decisions taken in a).