Agenda item

Community Governance Review of Buntingford Town Council

Minutes:

The Executive considered a report detailing the responses received during the initial consultation period for the Community Governance Review (CGR) of Buntingford Town Council, together with the comments of Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The Executive was invited to forward its comments to Council for its consideration when agreeing the draft recommendations of the review.

The CGR request was based on the issues of the parish boundaries between Buntingford and Cottered and Aspenden parishes as well as the ward boundaries of the town. The Electoral Services Officer detailed the consultation responses and referred to the comments of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, at its meeting held on 17 April 2018. He advised that Council on 16 May 2018 would be requested to determine draft recommendations which would then be subject to further consultation. These consultation responses would be reported to Council in October 2018, when any Community Governance Reorganisation Order would be made. If any changes to electoral arrangements were required, these would be implemented for the elections in May 2019.

The Electoral Services Officer also advised that any changes to parish boundaries would not automatically change the district ward or county division boundaries. Such changes would have to be approved by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LBGCE).

Councillor J Jones expressed his support for the proposed changes in the CGR on the basis that they were logical and identified with Buntingford.

Councillor G Jones referred to the map in Essential Reference Paper ‘C’ of the report submitted and expressed his support for the inclusion of Area ‘A’, on the basis that the new housing development north of Park Farm Industrial Estate was closer to the existing built up area in Buntingford than to Cottered village. Also, the area was located within the A10 bypass which served as a natural boundary. However, he opposed the inclusion of Area ‘B’, a designated area for employment where there were no residential properties, as it fell outside the natural boundary of the bypass.

Other Members supported this view.

Councillor G Jones moved, and Councillor G Williamson seconded, a motion that:

(A) the responses received to the initial consultation on the community governance review of Buntingford Town Council together with the comments of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in relation to the review, be noted; and

(B) the Council be recommended to include the boundary change proposed by Buntingford Town Council for its boundary with Cottered parish in the draft recommendations of the review; and also to recommend the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) to amend the district ward and county division boundaries accordingly.

After being put to the meeting, and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

Councillor G Jones moved, and Councillor S Rutland-Barsby seconded, a further motion that the Council be recommended not to include in the draft recommendations of the review the change proposed by Buntingford Town Council in relation to its parish boundary with Aspenden parish.

After being put to the meeting, and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

The Executive supported the recommendations now detailed.

RECOMMENDED – that (A) the responses received to the initial consultation on the community governance review of Buntingford Town Council together with the comments of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in relation to the review, be noted;

(C) the Council be recommended not to include in the draft recommendations of the review the change proposed by Buntingford Town Council in relation to its parish boundary with Aspenden parish.

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