Issue - meetings

Proposed Community Governance Review of Longstanton, Oakington & Westwick

Meeting: 03/03/2020 - Civic Affairs Committee (Item 4)

4 Longstanton and Oakington Community Governance Review pdf icon PDF 312 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Programme Lead – Northstowe Healthy New Town presented this report, which invited the Committee to consider the findings of the first stage of consultation and recommend Options upon which to consult on in the second round of consultation. She explained that:

·         The consultation commenced on 11 November 2019.

·         All homes in the affected parishes had received a leaflet and the terms of reference of the review.

·         430 responses had been received.

·         The majority view was that Northstowe needed to have its own governance arrangements, separate from the other villages.

 

Rampton Drift

The Programme Lead – Northstowe Healthy New Town reported that whilst residents of Rampton Drift preferred to remain in Longstanton, they recognised that their future was in Northstowe.

 

Oakington & Westwick

Stephen Moore, Chairman of Oakington and Westwick Parish Council, addressed the meeting. He expressed concern at Option A3, received from Homes England, for the following reasons:

·         Homes England had not contacted the Parish Council regarding this proposal.

·         The proposal had been received after the deadline and he was grateful for Council officers contacting the Parish Council yesterday, on this matter.

·         Oakington & Westwick Parish Council wanted to follow the Council’s guidance on green separation, which the Homes England proposal disregarded.

·         Oakington & Westwick wanted to remain semi-rural, which this proposal threatened.

·         Oakington & Westwick wanted to remain responsible for flood attenuation measures, which the Parish Council would lose under Homes England’s proposal.

 

Over

Geoff Twiss, Vice Chairman of Over Parish Council addressed the meeting. He expressed concern at Option A2, which proposed moving the boundary from Swavesey Drain to minor roads, for the following reasons:

·         Over had been relaxed about the boundary changes, until the proposal in Option A2 had become known.

·         Swavesey Drain had been Over’s boundary for centuries and would continue to be so for much the boundary even if A2 were agreed.

·         Under other Options Northstowe would be 1.5km away from Over village, but Option A2 brought the distance down to 400metres.

·         If the boundary change under A2 was agreed, it would mean that a cold war radio mast, which was part of Over’s heritage, would be lost to Northstowe.

 

Local Member for Longstanton and Oakington & Westwick

Councillor Sarah Cheung Johnson thanked the Programme Lead – Northstowe Healthy New Town and the Development Officer for their work on an emotive topic, which inevitably encouraged responses that were not relevant to the Community Governance Review. Councillor Cheung Johnson praised the Chairman of Oakington & Westwick Parish Council for representing residents’ views, but she suggested that the Committee should consult further on Options A1, A2, A3, B and C to allow residents to fully consider the implications of these Options.

 

The Chairman stated that the Committee were not evaluating the Options at this stage, but were considering which Options should be taken forward to the second road of consultation. The Committee considered each Option separately.

 

A1: All phases of Northstowe excised from Longstanton and Oakington & Westwick, with land north of the guided busway transferred to Willingham

The Programme Lead – Northstowe  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4


Meeting: 29/10/2019 - Civic Affairs Committee (Item 5)

5 Consideration of a Community Governance Review of the Parishes of Longstanton and Oakington & Westwick, Prompted by the Development at Northstowe pdf icon PDF 297 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Northstowe Healthy New Town Programme Lead presented this report, which invited the Committee to consider a Community Governance Review, in recognition of the emergent new community of Northstowe within the parishes of Longstanton and Oakington & Westwick.

 

Increases in Northstowe electorate

It was noted that by April 2021 it was estimated that Northstowe would have 1,164 electors, compared to 1,174 in Oakington and 2,567 in Longstanton (current figures). The Review had been delayed by a year to allow the population of Northstowe to develop. They had been represented in the meantime by Longstanton Parish Council, an experienced parish council, which had addressed the concerns of the new community.

 

Amending parish and ward boundaries

It was noted that a small number of residents of Westwick lived in the affected area and that any alteration of the parish boundaries could be contentious. The Electoral Services Manager explained that this Community Governance Review was likely to result in the alteration of ward boundaries which would necessitate the involvement of the Boundary Commission for England. Northstowe had an urban design, which was distinct from the surrounding villages.

 

Timetable of the Review

It was understood that the Community Governance Review needed to be concluded within a year.

 

The affected parish councils had been consulted and supported the instigation of the Review. The Northstowe Healthy New Town Programme Lead explained that the views of Longstanton Parish Council had just been received. They supported the review and wanted input with regards to the timetable.

 

It was hoped that the results of the consultation would be considered by the Committee at its meeting in March.

 

The Committee

 

AGREED

 

A)        To commence with a Community Governance Review of the parishes of Longstanton and Oakington & Westwick based on the draft terms of reference in Appendix A.

 

B)        That officers should take into consideration the views of the parish councils when determining the timing of the review.