Meeting documents

Council
Wednesday, 13th June, 2012 7.30 pm

Place:
Civic Suite, Gibson Building, Kings Hill, West Malling
ItemDescriptionResolution
PART 1 - PUBLIC
C 12/049 Declarations of interest.
 There were no declarations of interest made.
C 12/050 Electoral Review: Warding Arrangements - Response to LGBCE Proposals
 The report of the Chief Executive set out the background to the submission of the Council's formal proposal in respect of warding arrangements based on a Council size of 54 members which had been sent to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) in January 2012. It was noted that the LGBCE had published their warding proposals for Tonbridge and Malling on 17 April 2012 and copies had been provided to all Borough Councillors.

The report highlighted three significant deficiencies in the LGBCE proposals, notably the disregard of the major residential developments of Peters Village and Preston Hall from the electorate forecasts; the assertion that the borough should be served by 53 rather than 54 councillors which was less satisfactory in terms of electoral equality and community representation; and the splitting of a number of historic parishes which ignored existing communities and severed local ties.

A draft response to the LGBCE based on the identified issues and incorporating comments from Members had been considered by the Electoral Review Working Group on 6 June 2012. The Group had agreed three principles to be followed, namely the inclusion of the Peters Village and Preston Hall developments in the electorate forecasts; that parishes should not be split; and the three statutory criteria should be taken into account (to deliver electoral equality for voters with a minimal variance, to provide boundaries reflecting natural communities and to promote effective and convenient local government). The Working Group therefore recommended that the Council adhere to its original proposals which had been well thought through, had received strong support from across the Council and represented the best possible warding arrangement.

A revised version of the response document, clarifying the position in the light of the Electoral Review Working Group's deliberations, was presented for consideration.

RESOLVED: That

(1) the response to the LGBCE set out in the revised version of Annex 1 to the report be adopted;

(2) Members be encouraged to respond positively in support of the Borough Council's position directly to the LGBCE; and

(3) the Council's thanks be recorded to the Elections and Special Projects Manager and his team for their work in developing the warding arrangements.
C 12/051 Sealing of Documents
 RESOLVED: That authority be given for the Common Seal of the Council to be affixed to any instrument to give effect to a decision of the Council incorporated into these Minutes and proceedings.
The meeting ended at 1939 hours

Attendance Details

Present:
Cllr D A S Davis (Mayor), Cllr H S Rogers (Deputy Mayor), Cllr Mrs J A Anderson, Cllr J Atkins, Cllr Ms J A Atkinson, Cllr J A L Balcombe, Cllr O C Baldock, Cllr M A C Balfour, Cllr Mrs P Bates, Cllr Mrs J M Bellamy, Cllr T Bishop, Cllr P F Bolt, Cllr Ms V M C Branson, Cllr Mrs B A Brown, Cllr R W Dalton, Cllr Miss J R L Elks, Cllr Mrs C M Gale, Cllr Mrs M F Heslop, Cllr N J Heslop, Cllr Mrs E M Holland, Cllr P J Homewood, Cllr D Keeley, Cllr S M King, Cllr R D Lancaster, Cllr Mrs S L Luck, Cllr B J Luker, Cllr Miss A Moloney, Cllr Mrs S M Murray, Cllr Mrs A S Oakley, Cllr M Parry-Waller, Cllr M R Rhodes, Cllr T J Robins, Cllr A G Sayer, Cllr Miss J L Sergison, Cllr Mrs E A Simpson, Cllr C P Smith, Cllr D W Smith, Cllr A K Sullivan, Cllr R Taylor and Cllr D J Trice.
In attendance:
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors C Brown, Coffin, Cure, M Davis, Evans, Mrs Kemp, Ms Spence and Mrs Woodger.