Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive Apologies for Absence from Committee members.

Councillor...sent / There were no Apologies for Absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors David Bard, Charles Nightingale and Deborah Roberts. Councillor Ray Manning substituted for Councillor David Bard.

Councillor Simon Crocker declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 7 “Community Governance Review, Cambourne Parish Council”, as the Chairman of Cambourne Parish Council.

Councillor Janet Lockwood declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 6 “Community Governance Review, Haslingfield Parish Council”, as a member of Hauxton Parish Council.

To authorise the Chairman to sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 28 July 2016 as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 28 July were agreed as a correct record.

The Civic Affairs Committee

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL     the adoption of the following changes to the Council’s scheme of Polling Districts and Polling Places:

(a)          Deletion of the existing polling district of Fen Ditton (RA1), and creation of two new polling districts of Fen Ditton West (RA1) and Fen Ditton East (RA2). Residents in RA1 will continue to vote in Fen Ditton. Residents in RA2 will need to attend the polling station in Teversham to vote in the county elections next year. They will vote in Fen Ditton for other elections.

(b)          Deletion of the existing polling district of Whittlesford South (WH2), with all WH2 properties being moved into the polling district of Whittlesford (WH1).

(c)          Amendment of the appointed polling place for the polling district of Childerley (NL2) to incorporate the parish of Knapwell. This will allow electors in Childerley to visit the Knapwell station for the county elections next year.

(d)          Creation of a new polling district of Trumpington Meadows (PG2), with all the properties within the boundary of the new polling district being moved from Haslingfield (PG1).

The Electoral Services Manager introduced this item, which invited the Committee to recommend that Council agree some necessary changes to the locations of Polling Places, following the recent boundary reviews for both this Council and the County Council.

The Electoral Services Manager explained that due to the boundary review electors at Childerley would have to vote at Knapwell for County Council elections, as Caldecote was in a different ward. It was noted that the low number of electors at Childerley made a polling station in the village unviable. It was agreed that the location of a polling station in Knapwell for County elections for electors from Childerley needed to be properly advertised.

The Civic Affairs Committee

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL     the adoption of the following changes to the Council’s scheme of Polling Districts and Polling Places:

(a)          Deletion of the existing polling district of Fen Ditton (RA1), and creation of two new polling districts of Fen Ditton West (RA1) and Fen Ditton East (RA2). Residents in RA1 will continue to vote in Fen Ditton. Residents in RA2 will need to attend the polling station in Teversham to vote in the county elections next year. They will vote in Fen Ditton for other elections.

(b)          Deletion of the existing polling district of Whittlesford South (WH2), with all WH2 properties being moved into the polling district of Whittlesford (WH1).

(c)          Amendment of the appointed polling place for the polling district of Childerley (NL2) to incorporate the parish of Knapwell. This will allow electors in Childerley to visit the Knapwell station for the county elections next year.

(d)          Creation of a new polling district of Trumpington Meadows (PG2), with all the properties within the boundary of the new polling district being moved from Haslingfield (PG1).

The Civic Affairs Committee AGREED

(a)  The draft terms of reference as laid out in Appendix 1.

(b)  The indicative timetable for the review.

The Development Officer (North Locality) introduced this item, which invited the Committee to agree terms of reference for undertaking a formal Community Governance Review of the parish boundary between Willingham and Over following the receipt of a valid petition.

Geoff Twiss, an Over Parish Councillor, addressed the Committee and made the following points:

·         The petitioner wanted his business to be in Willingham instead of Over.

·         The proposed changes would not enhance community engagement or democracy.

·         The proposed change would create an anomaly, as the district ward boundary would remain the same.

·         Parishes tended to be divided by physical boundaries and hedgerows can disappear.

·         Agreeing to such a small change could send a worrying precedent.

The Electoral Services Manager confirmed that whilst the Council could amend a parish boundary, the ward boundaries could only be changed by the Boundary Commission and so the change proposed in the petition could result in an anomaly, with a small number of parishioners having a different district councillor to the rest of the village.

In response to concerns regarding a further petition submission, the Principal Lawyer reported that the Council could reject a petition calling for a Community Governance Review if it affected a significantly similar area to any petition received in the last two years.

The Committee understood that the Council had to progress with a review after receiving a valid petition and it was agreed that the timetable appeared sensible, with the Committee due to consider the results of the petition at its meeting on 28 September 2017.

The Civic Affairs Committee AGREED

(a)  The draft terms of reference as laid out in Appendix 1.

(b)  The indicative timetable for the review.

The Civic Affairs Committee

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

(a)  That option B as laid out in the report, due to the support of local parish councils, local organisations and local residents for this option.

(b)  That the new parish be named “South Trumpington”.

The Development Officer presented this report, which invited the Committee to consider the second phase of public consultation for the Community Governance Review of Haslingfield Parish and make a recommendation to Council.

Andrew Roberts, from the Trumpington Residents’ Association (TRA), addressed the Committee and made the following points:

·         A new parish should be created north of the M11, in the existing area of Haslingfield Parish.

·         The new parish should be called South Trumpington, as the name Trumpington Meadows has no historic context.

·         The TRA now supported Option B.

·         The district boundary should eventually be moved to include all residents of Trumpington Meadows in Cambridge.

John Hammond from Hauxton Parish Council addressed the Committee and made the following points:

·         The area south of the M11, beside the A10 should become part of Hauxton Parish.

·         It was important that Hauxton Parish Council continued to be consulted on any proposed changes to junction 11 of the M11.

·         The M11 was a natural boundary, with the City on one side and rural Cambridgeshire on the other.

·         Hauxton Parish Council preferred Option B to Option A.

Councillor Tony Orgee explained that he wished to address the Committee as a District Councillor for The Abingtons ward and not as a County Councillor. He urged the Committee to support Option B.

The Development Officer explained that Haslingfield Parish Council had stated that they would be satisfied with either Option A or B.

The Committee recognised the support for Option B from local representatives and residents. The Committee recognised that parish names tended to be named after historic places and not people. For this reason it was considered that it would not be appropriate to include either Byron or Meadows in the name of the new parish. It was noted that the existing residents supported the name Trumpington Meadows, but they currently numbered approximately fifty residents and it would be possible to amend the name of a parish in the future.

The Civic Affairs Committee unanimously

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

(a)  Option B as laid out in the report, due to the support of local parish councils, local organisations and local residents for this option.

(b)  That the new parish be named “South Trumpington”.

The Civic Affairs Committee AGREED

(a)  The request from Cambourne Parish Council for a Community Governance Review to increase the number of parish councillors from 13 to 19; and

(b)  Without amendments, the draft terms of reference as laid out in Appendix A.

(c)  That staff should agree a timetable in consultation with Cambourne Parish Council.

The Partnerships and Sustainable Communities Manager presented this item, which invited the Committee to consider a request from Cambourne Parish Council to instigate a Community Governance Review to increase the council size from 13 to 19 parish councillors.

In response to concerns that Cambourne Parish Council would be unable to find enough residents to serve on a Council with 19 seats, Councillor Simon Crocker, Chairman of Cambourne Parish Council, informed the Committee that since Cambourne Parish Council was formed in 2004 it has successfully co-opted new members 16 times and had never failed to fill a vacancy.

The Civic Affairs Committee AGREED

(a)  The request from Cambourne Parish Council for a Community Governance Review to increase the number of parish councillors from 13 to 19; and

(b)  Without amendments, the draft terms of reference as laid out in Appendix A.

(c)  That staff should agree a timetable in consultation with Cambourne Parish Council.

The Committee

NOTED           the update on Code of Conduct complaints regarding alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct.

The Committee needs to consider the two recommendations made by full Council at its meeting on 17 November:

(a)  Agreed, in principle, for a protocol requiring the Council Leader and the representative on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to report to each meeting of Council setting out the activities and decisions related to their respective roles within the Combined Authority.

(b)  Agreed to request that the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Civic Affairs Committee engage their fellow committee members with a view to devising and agreeing the wording of a protocol for inclusion in the Council’s constitution.

The Committee AGREED     

(a)  That a sub-group be set up to devise the wording of a protocol on devolution for inclusion in the Council’s constitution.

(b)  The group to consist of four councillors: the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, a councillor from the Liberal Democrats and a councillor from the Independents.

The Chairman introduced this item by stating that at its meeting on 17 November 2016, Council had requested that this Committee agree the wording of a protocol for inclusion in the Council’s constitution. She suggested that a cross-party sub group should be formed to make a recommendation to this Committee, which could then make a recommendation to Council.

The Committee AGREED     

(a)  That a sub-group be set up to devise the wording of a protocol on devolution for inclusion in the Council’s constitution.

(b)  The group to consist of four councillors: the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, a councillor from the Liberal Democrats and a councillor from the Independents.

The Committee are invited to agree the following meeting dates:

·         Thursday 23 March 2017 at 10am

·         Thursday 22 June 2017 at 10am

·         Thursday 28 September 2017 at 10am

·         Thursday 7 December 2017 at 10am

The Committee AGREED to meet on the following dates:

·         Thursday 23 March 2017 at 10am

·         Thursday 22 June 2017 at 10am

·         Thursday 28 September 2017 at 10am

·         Thursday 7 December 2017 at 10am