Agenda item

The Civic Affairs Committee

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL    

A)     to change the boundary as per Cambourne Parish Council’s proposed boundary (Appendix B).

B)     to make a request to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) to re-align the principal area boundaries along the new parish boundaries.

Council

AGREED

(a)  To change the boundary as per Cambourne Parish Council’s proposed boundary (Appendix B).

(b)  To make a request to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) to re-align the principal area boundaries along the new parish boundaries.

Councillor David McCraith, Chairman of the Civic Affairs Committee, presented a report which invited the Council to consider the recommendation of the Committee at its meeting held on 28 September regarding the Community Governance Review of Caxton, Elsworth and Cambourne Parishes

Councillor McCraith reminded the Council that the review had been requested by Cambourne Parish Council but also had the support of Caxton Parish Council and Elsworth Parish Council.  The review had been undertaken because the housing development at Cambourne West would alter the geographical spread of housing across the parishes and the resulting spatial separation between the two population centres in Caxton would no longer correspond to a parish boundary that reflected a coherent natural settlement pattern. The new development would be more closely aligned to the parish of Cambourne.  A small strip of land to the south of the A428 was also currently in Elsworth parish but detached from the main population centre.

Councillor McCraith accordingly moved the first of the recommendations of the Civic Affairs Committee as follows:-

“To change the boundary as per Cambourne Parish Council’s proposed boundary (Appendix B)”.

Councillor Charles Nightingale seconded the proposition.

During discussion:-

•           Councillor Sebastian Kindersley indicated his support for the proposal but asked that the opportunity also be taken to consider the parishing of West Cambourne.  He commented that the development would give rise to issues which were particular to that settlement and that if West Cambourne had its own parish, it would be better placed to deal with its own local concerns. 

•           Councillor Ruth Betson commented that Cambourne Parish Council had been involved in discussions with the developers of West Cambourne and was prepared for the development.  She noted that the number of parish councillors would increase from 13 to 19 with effect from May 2018 to reflect the growth of Cambourne.  Additionally she referred to the implications for precepts if the parish boundaries were not amended.

•           Councillor Douglas de Lacey sought an assurance that the Local Government Boundary Commission for England would not seek to make additional changes above and beyond those requested by the Council.

•           Councillor Nick Wright reported that he had not detected an appetite to have Cambourne divided for parish purposes.  He believed that Cambourne Parish Council was well placed to take on the additional West Cambourne development.

•           Councillor Des O’Brien advised that he had been in touch with Caxton Parish Council which was supportive of the change proposed.  He did not consider that a separate parish was required for West Cambourne but felt that residents of West Cambourne should be encouraged to stand for election on Cambourne Parish Council.

•           In response to a request for clarification regarding the proposed revisions to the boundaries, the Chairman referred to Appendix B to the report which set out the proposed changes to the parish boundaries.

Upon being put to the vote, votes were cast as follows:-

In favour (48)

Councillors David Bard, Val Barrett, John Batchelor, Ruth Betson, Francis Burkitt, Brian Burling, Tom Bygott, Doug Cattermole, Grenville Chamberlain, Graham Cone, Pippa Corney, Christopher Cross, Kevin Cuffley, Neil Davies, Simon Edwards, Sue Ellington, Andrew Fraser, Roger Hall, Lynda Harford, Philippa Hart, Tumi Hawkins, Mark Howell, Caroline Hunt, Peter Johnson, Sebastian Kindersley, Douglas de Lacey, Janet Lockwood, Ray Manning, Mick Martin, Raymond Matthews, David McCraith, Charles Nightingale, Des O’Brien, Tony Orgee, Alex Riley, Deborah Roberts, Tim Scott, Ben Shelton, Bridget Smith, Hazel Smith, Peter Topping, Richard Turner, Robert Turner, Bunty Waters, Aidan Van de Weyer, John Williams, Tim Wotherspoon, Nick Wright.

Against (0)

Abstain (2)

Councillors Anna Bradnam and Ingrid Tregoing.

The Council accordingly:

RESOLVED  To change the boundary as per Cambourne Parish Council’s proposed boundary (Appendix B to the report now circulated).

Councillor McCraith then moved the second of the recommendations from the meeting of the Civic Affairs Committee held on 28 September 2017 as follows:-

            “To make a request to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) to re-align the principal area boundaries along the new parish boundaries.”

Councillor Charles Nightingale seconded the proposition.

Councillor Douglas de Lacey repeated his question asked under the earlier recommendation as to the scope for the LGBCE to seek to make additional adjustments above and beyond those proposed by the Council.  In response, the Chief Executive noted that the Electoral Services Manager had contacted the LGBCE who had indicated that, whilst they could not guarantee not proposing further changes, they had never previously triggered a further boundary review when considering similar such requests.

Upon being put to the vote the proposal was approved by affirmation.

The Council:

RESOLVED  To make a request to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) to re-align the principal area boundaries along the new parish boundaries.