Issue - meetings

The Leader of the Council said that guidance states that councils should carry out a Community Governance Review every 10-15 years. He said that Council agreed at its last meeting to carry out a review and set up a working group to consider areas for review. He said that the review gave town and parish councils an opportunity to change and the report set out the terms of reference and timetable for the review.

Councillor Crystall proposed that the recommendation in the report be supported. Councillor Thomas seconded the proposal.

Councillor Parsad-Wyatt referred to paragraph 2.6 of the report about Sawbridgeworth Town Council. He asked the nature of the consultation as there were specific references to the warding of Sawbridgeworth.

Councillor Carter asked how the consultation would work and where the weighting would lie for changing boundaries.

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services said that it was difficult to pre-empt the consultation response and it would be for the working group to consider all responses and create draft recommendations.

Councillor E Buckmaster said that the Sawbridgeworth warding arrangements was an officer suggestion and said that Sawbridgeworth was a tight, urban area with a cohesive community. He said that the only benefit would be a shorter count. He said the community feeling was the most important consideration.

Councillor Boylan said that Sawbridgeworth did not appear in the terms of reference list and said the heading was misleading.

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services said that the list in the terms of reference was those parish councils that had said they would like to be included in the review but the terms of reference did reference that the review would take place across the district.

The motion to support the recommendation having been proposed and seconded was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED - That the Terms of Reference for the Community Governance Review at Appendix A be agreed, signifying the formal start of the Review and commencement of the first stage consultation.