Issue - meetings

The Development Officer presented this report, which recommended the inclusion of a request from Thriplow Parish Council to amend their name to the Parish of Thriplow and Heathfield in the terms of reference of the current Community Governance Review. It was noted that this would not delay this review.

The Committee unanimously

AGREED

A)           To amend the previously agreed Community Governance Review terms of reference to include consideration of a name change, as detailed in Appendix A of the report.

B)           For officers to agree a timetable in consultation with Thriplow Parish Council.

The Development Officer presented this report, which invited the Committee to consider a request from Thriplow Parish Council for a Community Governance Review to change the number of parish councillors representing each ward from 7 to 5 for Thriplow and 2 to 4 for Heathfield.

Other warded parishes

It was noted that there had not been a recent review of the other warded parishes in the District.

Numbers of parish councillors the two wards

Members of the Committee recognised the logic of the proposed change, as the number of people living in Heathfield had increased. However, concern was expressed at the fact that Thriplow had a lower number of electorate (385) than Heathfield (512), but would still have more parish councillors. It was noted that the total number of parish councillors representing the whole parish council was not being considered as part of this Review. The Committee recognised that these issues could be considered as part of the consultation.

Number of candidates willing to stand

The Electoral Services Manager explained that Thriplow Parish Council last had a contested election in 2016 and that residents of one ward could stand for election in the other ward, providing they lived within five kilometres of that ward.

The Committee

AGREED

A)        The request from Thriplow Parish Council for a Community Governance Review to consider changing the number of parish councillors representing each of the parish wards.

B)        The draft terms of reference, as laid out in Appendix A.

C)        The proposed timetable set out in the draft terms of reference.

The Development Officer presented this report, which updated the Committee on a potential Community Governance Review concerning the warding of Thriplow and Heathfield regarding representation on Thriplow Parish Council.

The Development Officer explained that the current warding arrangement was for 7 representatives from Thriplow and 2 from Heathfield. Thriplow Parish Council were proposing 5 representatives from Thriplow and 4 from Heathfield. Any proposed change to the current arrangements would have to go out to public consultation. The Committee would consider the Terms of Reference for this Review at its next meeting on 3 September. It was hoped that a representative from Thriplow Parish Council would be in attendance at this meeting. It was noted that the Local Member, Councillor Peter Topping, was a member of the Committee.

Members of the Committee stated that as the population of Heathfield was larger than that of Thriplow, it was not unreasonable to assume that Heathfield should have more representatives. The Electoral Services Manager confirmed that the number of representatives in wards within a parish did not have to be proportionate. The Development Officer explained that alternative proposals could be made during the consultation process.

The Electoral Services Manager explained that Heathfield and Thriplow were separate settlements with different histories and the warding arrangements ensured that both were represented on the Parish Council. In response to questioning he confirmed that the last election to Thriplow Parish Council occurred in 2016, where 8 candidates stood for the 7 vacancies in the Thriplow ward, but only 1 for the Heathfield ward.

The Committee NOTED the report.