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Coatofarms

REVIEWOFELECTORALARRANGEMENTS

BOROUGHOFBARROW-IN-FURNESS

DRAFTRECOMMENDATIONS

CONSULTATION

SEPTEMBER2005

CONTENTS

1.Introduction.

2.ScopeoftheReview.

3.ScopeoftheBoundaryCommitteeforEnglandRecommendations.

4.IssuesArising.

5.Recommendations

5.1CouncilSize

5.2WardingArrangements.

AppendixA–CommitteeStructureandMembership.

AppendixB–Recommendations.Forecastelectorateandelector:

councillor

variances.

Mapsshowingproposednewwardboundaries.

ReviewofElectoralArrangements–BoroughofBarrow-in-Furness

DraftRecommendations

1.Introduction

1.1TheElectoralCommissionintheexerciseofitspowersundertheprovisionsoftheLocalGovernmentAct1992（asamended）hasdirectedthattheBoundaryCommitteeforEngland（BCFE）conductareviewoftheBoroughofBarrow-in-Furnessandmakerecommendationsinrespectofitselectoralarrangements.

1.2Thetotalelectorateinthecurrentregisterofelectorsasfirstpublishedat1stDecember,2004is49787.Sixwardshavea+/-10%variancefromtheaveragebasedontheDecember2004figures.Intherelevantwardsthesevariancesrangefrom-35%（BarrowIsland）to+21%（DaltonNorth）.TheDecember2004figuresareshowninthefollowingtable:

WardName

Cllrs

Electorate

AveNo.ofelectors

percllr

%Variancefromtheaverage

1

BarrowIsland

2

1,700

850

-35%

2

Central

3

3,242

1,081

-18%

3

DaltonNorth

3

4,748

1,583

21%

4

DaltonSouth

3

4,418

1,473

12%

5

Hawcoat

3

4,239

1,413

8%

6

Hindpool

3

3,307

1,102

-16%

7

Newbarns

3

4,156

1,385

6%

8

Ormsgill

3

3,866

1,289

-2%

9

Parkside

3

3,869

1,290

-2%

10

Risedale

3

3,601

1,200

-8%

11

Roosecote

3

4,368

1,456

11%

12

WalneyNorth

3

4,133

1,378

5%

13

WalneySouth

3

4,140

1,380

5%

Total

-

38

49,787

1,310

-

1.3TherecommendationsfromthelastreviewoftheBorough’selectoralarrangementscompletedin1997weregiveneffectbytheimplementationofnewwardingarrangementsintroducedbyanElectoralChangesOrdermadein1998.

1.4The1996electoratefigurewas54913.The2001projectedelectorateincludedinthelastreviewwas55400.

1.5Thefollowingsections（2-4）reproduceinformationfromtheGuidanceandProceduralAdviceforPeriodicElectoralReviewspublishedbytheElectoralCommission.

1.6TherecommendationsinthispaperhavebeenpreparedbyofficersoftheCouncilforthepurposeofconsultationwithallinterestedparties.

2.ScopeoftheReview

2.1TheBCFEisrequiredwhenmakingrecommendationsforanychangestohaveregardto:

a.theneedtoreflecttheidentitiesandinterestsoflocalcommunities;

b.theneedtosecureeffectiveandconvenientlocalgovernment;

c.theneedtosecureequalityofrepresentation;and

d.anyschemeforelections（i.e.anelectoralcycle）.

3.ScopeofBCFERecommendations

3.1TheBCFEmaymakerecommendationson:

a.thetotalnumberofcouncillorstobeelectedtothecouncil;

b.thenumberandboundariesofwards;

c.thenumberofcouncillorstobeelectedforeachward;and

d.thenameofanyward.

Similarrecommendationsmayalsobemadeforchangestoelectoralarrangementswithinexistingparishandtowncouncilareas.

4.IssuesArising

4.1CouncilSize

Thenumberofcouncillorswhoareelectedtoalocalauthorityformsthebasisofanelectoralreview.Itdeterminestheoptimumcouncillor:

electorratioandenablesanyimbalancestobemeasured.

4.2ElectoralEquality

（a）TheElectoralCommissionacceptthattheachievementofabsoluteelectoralequalitywithnoimbalancesfromtheaveragecouncillor:

electorratioinanywardisunattainable.

（b）TheBCFEwillrequireparticularjustificationforschemeswhichwouldresultin,orretain,animbalanceofover10%inanyward.Imbalancesof20%andovershouldonlyariseinthemostexceptionalcircumstancesandrequirethestrongestjustification.

（c）TheElectoralCommissionexpecttherecommendationsoftheBCFEtoprovideforhighlevelsofelectoralequality,withvariancesnormallywellbelow10%.

（d）Thecurrent（December2004）andfiveyearelectorateforecastfigureswereplacedondepositatthecommencementofthereview.

（e）IthasbeenindicatedthattheBCFEwilltendtofavourthoseschemesgivinggoodelectoralequalitybasedonafive-yearforecastofelectorate.Theforecastfigureshavebeenusedtodeveloptherecommendationsdetailedinthispaper.

4.3Boundaries

Proposednewboundariesshouldbeeasilyidentifiableonthegroundandbelikelytoremainso.

5.Recommendations

5.1CouncilSize

Introduction

“ThereisawidevariationincouncilsizeacrossEngland,notonlybetweenthedifferenttypesoflocalauthority…butalsobetweenauthoritiesofthesametype”.

（Referencesource.TheElectoralCommission“GuidanceandProceduralAdviceforPeriodicElectoralReviews”）.

Since1979therehavebeen38councillorsrepresenting13wards;12wardshave3councillorsand1ward（BarrowIsland）has2councillors.

Newwardboundarieswerecreatedbythelastreviewcompletedin1997.Theboundarychangesdidnoteffecttoanysignificantdegreethenatureofthe13wards.Thenumberofcouncillorsrepresentingthemremainedunchanged.Atthetimetheelectorateforecastfortheperiod1996to2001projectedanincreaseintheelectorateof1%overthefiveyearperiodfrom54913to55400.

Whenfirstcreatedbytheimplementationin1974oflocalgovernmentreorganisationarrangementstheBoroughCouncilhad33councillors.Thispositionremainedunchangeduntilwholecouncilelectionswereheldin1979followinganearlierreview.Overtheperiod1971-1979theaverageelectoratewas54783.

TheElectoralCommissionviewisthatintermsofcouncilsizeeachareashouldbeconsideredonitsownmeritsandthattheBCFEshouldnotaimforequalityofcouncilsizebetweenauthoritiesofsimilartypesandpopulations.

Councilsizeneedstobeconsideredinthecontextoftheroleofcouncillorstraditionallythatof–

∙representingtheinterestsofresidents;

∙takingpartindecisionmakinganddecidingonpolicymatters;

∙monitoringthecouncil’spoliciesandworking;

∙representingtheinterestsofresidentsandthecouncilonoutsidebodiestowhichtheymayhavebeenappointedbythecouncil.

TheElectoralCommissiondonotbelievethattheBCFEshouldassumethatexistingcouncilsizeshouldbethebenchmarkagainstwhichproposalsoncouncilsizearejudged.ConsiderationshouldthereforebegiventothechangesmadeinthemanagementoftheCouncilsincethelastreview.

PartIIoftheLocalGovernmentAct2000introducedarequirementforalllocalauthoritiestoreviewtheirdecisionmakingarrangementsandintroducebyMay2002oneofthreenewformsofpoliticalmanagement;collectivelydescribedasexecutivearrangements.AfourthoptionwasavailableforshiredistrictcouncilssuchasBarrow-in-Furnesswithpopulationsunder85000tohavealternativearrangements.

Thesealternativearrangementswereofatypewhichdidnotinvolvethecreationandoperationofoneoftheexecutivearrangementmodels.Howeverthestatusquowasnotanoptionandanyalternativearrangementshadtoincludeoverviewandscrutinyarrangements,wherebyappointedcommitteesandsub-committeeswouldhavethedutyofreviewingorscrutinisingthedecisionsorotheractionsoftheauthority.

FollowingpublicconsultationontheavailablealternativestheCouncilinJune2001agreedthepreferredfourthoptionnamelythatofamodifiedcommitteesystembasedonthethenexistingarrangements.InanticipationoftherelevantprovisionsbeingintroducedtheCouncilhadinanyeventoperatedamodifiedstreamlinedcommitteesystemincludingaScrutinyCommitteesinceMay2000.

SubsequentlyinthelightofexperienceandinresponsetocriticismfromtheDistrictAuditortheCouncilexpandedtheoverviewandscrutinyarrangementsappointinginMay2003threeOverviewandScrutinyCommitteeseachwithspecifictermsofreference.WiththisexceptionandtheappointmentofaLicensingSub-CommitteeasaconsequenceoftheLicensingAct2003theprincipalstructureremainsthesameasthatintroducedinMay2000.

AppendixAdetailsthecommitteestructureandthenumberofmembersoneachcommittee.TheCouncilhasaquarterlycycleofmeetings.

Partofthereasoninginstreamliningthecommitteestructurewastoenablecouncillorstohavemoretimetodevotetodutieswithintheirwards.Howevertheredoesnotappeartobeevidenceavailablelocallytoindicateademonstrableincreaseinthatworkload.Itcouldbearguedthatreducedelectorateandconsequentdecreaseincouncillor/electorateratioasshowninthetablebelowmusttosomedegreehavediminishedthatdemand.

Electorate

Councillor/

Electorate

Ratio

1996

54913

1:

1445

2001（5yearprojectionlastreview）

55400

1:

1457

2004

49787

1:

1310

2009（5yearprojectioncurrentreview）

50087

1:

1318

Basedsolelyonatestofdeterminingtherequirednumberofcouncillorsbyequatingthetotaltotheprojected5yearelectoratethentherequirementwouldbefor34councillors.

Thereisabalancetobemadeagainsttherequirementsofthepoliticalmanagementarrangementscurrentlyinplace,e.g.

∙thedivisionofmembershipbetweentheExecutiveandPlanningCommittees,i.e.noMemberoftheExecutiveCommitteemaybeaMemberofthePlanningCommitteeandvice-versa;

∙theneedtomaintainavigorousoverviewandscrutinyfunction;

∙thedemandsoftheLicensingAct2003;and

∙theCouncil’sinvolvementinpartnershiparrangements.

Recommendation

Thatthenumberofcouncillorsbereducedfrom38to36andt