Agenda item

The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager presented the Community Governance Review draft recommendations. She explained that the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 empowered a principal council such as East Herts to review and make changes to community governance within its area. At its meeting on 16 October 2024, Council agreed to carry out a Community Governance Review with the Community Governance Review Working Group being appointed by Council to consider consultation responses and provide recommendations for the review.

The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager said that the initial consultation was carried out between 28 October 2024 and 6 January 2025 and a wide range of responses were received as listed at Appendix B. She said that the Community Governance Review working group met on 6 February 2025 to consider the consultation responses and provide a set of draft recommendations for Council to approve for a further public consultation. The draft proposals are listed at Appendix A and maps are included where relevant. The group’s rationale for each draft recommendation is provided at paragraph 2.13 – 2.52.

The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager said that if the draft recommendations were agreed, they would go out to public consultation from 3 March to 12 May 2025. The working group would then meet in June to consider all consultation responses and propose a set of final recommendations to the Council at its meeting on 23 July 2025.

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

Councillor Glover-Ward was pleased to see a draft recommendation to put the Rush Green roundabout into one ward.

Councillor Stowe expressed disappointment on behalf on Aston Parish Council that there was no recommendation to create a community council in the Hazel Park development. He felt this should be reviewed and the full development would increase the village population three times.

Councillor Parsad-Wyatt said that Sawbridgeworth Town Council had debated the proposals and decided that it did not want to be warded but one draft recommendation proposed to ward Sawbridgeworth. He said it felt like the working group was not listening to the people on the ground and the fact that other towns have wards did not recognise the specific identities across Sawbridgeworth.

Councillor Buckmaster agreed with the comments from Councillor Parsad-Wyatt. He said warding did not work for the town and said that this council expressed support for proportional representation some time ago and felt Sawbridgeworth was the simplest form of this voting with a long list of candidates.

The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager emphasised that these recommendations were not final and encouraged people to respond to the consultation.

Councillor Hollebon felt that the whole of Thorley parish should be absorbed into Bishop’s Stortford.

Councillor Nicholls said she noticed that Buntingford Town Council were not in favour of being warded but she welcomed the chance for local residents to put their views across.

Councillor Deering said some reservations had been aired and discussed the idea of deferring the decision.

The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager said that the timetable had begun for the review which had to be completed within a year.

Councillor Deering requested that the minutes reflect the reservations held by some Members.

Councillor Connolly said she was on the working group which was politically balanced. She said the group had heard what had been expressed and would take this back to their discussions alongside comments that had come through the consultation.

Councillor Carter asked who would be involved in this consultation.

The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager confirmed that it was open to the public. The parish councils would be written to and residents who were affected by a potential boundary change would also be written to.

Councillor Crystall said that Members would be able to attend the working group’s meeting to make representations if they wished.

Councillor Deering asked who made the final decision.

The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager said the working group would form the final recommendations following the consultation and it would be for Council to approve them.

Councillor Thomas said he was on the working group and the group kept coming back to what made good governance for residents, not just for councillors.  He said the draft recommendations were going out for public consultation and thanked those who had made representations in the debate.  He thanked the officers involved for guiding the group.

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 (A) the outcome of the first stage consultation be noted.

(B)   Council agree the Draft Proposals for the Community Governance Review at Appendix A, launching a public consultation on those (noting that the Final Recommendations will be considered at a future Council meeting, taking the results of the public consultation into account).