Issue - meetings

Report by Solicitor to the Council and Monitoring Officer

For details of interests declared in this item, please refer to minute no. 99 above.

At the Chairman’s invitation, Cllr John Noeken, Cabinet member for Resources presented a report which informed Council of the current pressures and recommended a policy for dealing with the requests for boundary reviews.

The Council was required to undertake Governance reviews ie to keep under review the boundaries and seating arrangements of parishes and parish wards within the County. Some parishes had requested a review of their boundaries. The report advised that as over 50% of the electorate would already have new parish arrangements in place for the 2013 elections, no further work should be undertaken on a countywide governance review until at least after that time.

A debate ensued and although there was sympathy with the rationale, it was considered that there were various anomalies mainly as a result of development which should be addressed with a number of Councillors citing examples in their respective areas. Cllr John Noeken gave an undertaking to look at these anomalies and address the ones which could be done relatively quickly at the earliest opportunity.

Resolved:

(a)  That Council agrees that no Governance Reviews be undertaken until at least after the 2013 elections. Minor alterations which could be considered under the Local Government Act 1972 Act be investigated.

(b) That exceptionally, the apparent anomaly with regard to the Warminster Copheap and Wylye Town ward continue to be investigated with the successor body to the Boundary Committee of the Electoral Commission.