Agenda item

The Committee APPROVED the proposed timetable and way forward for the Northstowe Community Governance Review, as set out in the report, but agreed that officers should be given the flexibility to truncate the process at any stage of the proposed timetable if necessary.

(Councillor Janet Lockwood attended the meeting at this stage of proceedings).

Consideration was given to a report which set out issues and implications for the future governance of Northstowe. 

David Lord, Senior Lawyer, presented the report which had been written in response to the Committee’s agreement at its previous meeting to consider the implications and proposed way forward regarding the establishment of a new Parish or Town Council at Northstowe. 

The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 required the Council to take into account the views of a wide range of persons and bodies when reviewing issues of community governance.  This included local government electors for the area under review, Parish Councils, Residents’ Associations, Community Forums and the County Council. 

After submission of the Northstowe outline planning application in 2008 an informal consultation exercise was undertaken which enabled officers at the time to identify and resolve any potential issues that Parish Councils or local residents may have had in relation to establishing a new boundary for Northstowe.  In view of the fact that this exercise took place five years ago, officers agreed that it would be necessary to consult again with any interested parties, particularly existing residents and Parish Councils, to ascertain their views on any community governance proposals for Northstowe.  The following three-stage approach was therefore suggested: -

Stage one – informal pre-consultation

Officers intended to repeat the informal consultation exercise carried out in 2008 over the coming months, involving both affected Parish Councils, the local Rampton Drift Residents’ Association and other interested parties, to inform a proposed formal Community Governance Review process in 2014.  This would investigate options for boundaries and any potential community governance structure, adding to the information collated as part of the 2008 informal consultation.

Stage two – formal Community Governance Review process

The formal Community Governance Review process would be followed, as outlined in the report, further to which the making of an Order may be agreed to create a new Parish Council, set or alter parish boundaries and set out how the new council would be governed.

Stage three – post Community Governance Review

This would be the final stage of the process, facilitating the implementation of the Order and arranging the first Parish Council elections.

A proposed timescale for each of these stages was set out in the report, commencing in March 2013 and ending with the first elections to the new Parish Council in May 2015.

During discussion Members questioned whether changing Parish Council boundaries could result in a review of District Council electoral ward boundaries by the Boundary Commission.  Mr Lord reported that the District Council had the power to alter Parish Council boundaries, following the undertaking of the Community Governance Review process, but any decision by the Boundary Commission to undertake a boundary review was out of South Cambridgeshire District Council’s control.

Reference was made to the initial size of a Parish Council for Northstowe, with it having to be small to reflect a relatively low number of electors currently in the area, and the process that would be followed should the number of Parish Councillors need to be increased to reflect the growing number of electors as Northstowe developed.  It was anticipated that an initial Parish Council for Northstowe would consist of five Parish Councillors for the first five years, or for such time as the Parish Council agreed that it needed more Councillors to serve the growing population for its area.  Changes to the governance of a Parish Council, such as a request to increase or decrease the number of its Parish Councillors, would be submitted to the Civic Affairs Committee for consideration where a decision could then be made to instigate another Community Governance Review.  This process would have to be followed each time a request was received to change the number of Councillors on a Parish Council.  It was emphasised, however, that the timetable included in the report was not reflective of all Community Governance Reviews and that a much shorter review timescale could be followed to consider any such requests.

(Councillor Mick Martin attended the meeting at this stage of proceedings).

Discussion ensued on the proposed timetable included in the report and Members agreed that officers should be given the flexibility to truncate the process at any stage if necessary. 

The Committee APPROVED the proposed timetable and way forward for the Northstowe Community Governance Review, as set out in the report, but agreed that officers should be given the flexibility to truncate the process at any stage of the proposed timetable if necessary.