Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies were received from:

·         Cllr Ian Thorn

·         Cllr Ernie Clark

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 31 May 2022

(to follow)

The Minutes of the previous meeting held on 31 May 2022 were presented, it was,

Resolved:

To approve and sign the minutes as a true and correct record.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

Cllr Gavin Grant noted that as he was also a member of Malmesbury Town Council and the Malmesbury Deputy Mayor, he would not take part in the discussion or vote during consideration of St Paul Malmesbury Without area proposals, in his capacity as a Committee Member, but instead would speak and if appropriate answer any factual questions in his role as a Malmesbury Town Councillor.

To reecive any announcements through the Chair.

Statements

If you would like to make a statement at this meeting on any item on this

agenda, please register to do so at least 10 minutes prior to the meeting. Up to 3speakers are permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes each on any agenda item.

Please contact the officer named on the front of the agenda for any further

clarification.

Questions

To receive any questions from members of the public or members of the Council received in accordance with the constitution.

Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such

questions in writing to the officer named on the front of this agenda no later than 5pm on 28 June 2022 in order to be guaranteed of a written response. In order to receive a verbal response questions must be submitted no later than 5pm on 30 June 2022. Please contact the officer named on the front of this agenda for further advice. Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent.

Details of any questions received will be circulated to Committee members prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website.

No questions or statements had been received within the timeframe set out in the agenda.

The Chairman noted that public speakers would be invited to address the Sub-Committee at the start of each agenda item.

To consider the responses to the Additional Draft Recommendations consultation between 7 June 2022 – 28 June 2022.

Also to consider what action, if any, to take in respect of the Malmesbury/St Paul Malmesbury area recommendations previously considered at the meeting on 31 May 2022.

(report to follow)

Following a summary of the process to date by the Chairman, the Committee considered the responses to the Additional Draft Recommendations consultation which ran from 7 – 28 June 2022, as set out in Appendix A of the report.

Recommendation 3 – Bremhill

The Committee considered the responses from the consultation, including one from the parish council, which related to a cluster of around 6 properties at Stanley Abbey Farm which they and some others considered should remain within the proposed renamed parish of Derry Hill and Studley.. 

The committee reviewed the responses, but considered the arguments had been addressed when it set its initial recommendation and no fresh information had been provided. The Committee therefore determined to confirm Draft recommendation 3.

Recommendation 5 – Cherhill

The Committee noted the consultation responses and discussed options for warding and councillor numbers in terms of population, character and community identity.

It also noted that there was no requirement to have electoral equality at parish ward level in terms of electorate. It that it would be better not to allocate more seats than could be realistically elected to, noting the limited geographic extent and high density of the proposed ward

The Committee determined to confirm Draft recommendation 5.

Recommendation 6 – Heddington

The Committee noted the consultation responses including some in disagreement, relating to Cherhill View Estate. These focused on the financial issue of an estate management fee, which Was not part of the statutory criteria that could be considered and supposed rurality of the estate.

The committee continued to feel the evidence demonstrated the area was an urban extension of the town and the Committee determined to confirm Draft recommendation 6. It considered a comment relating to rookery farm, but continued to consider the area, though accessed through the nearby estate, was of a different character.

Recommendation 7 – Calne Without (Derry Hill & Studley)

The Committee noted the consultation responses, including suggesting amendments relating to warding and the name change.

Following discussion, the Committee noted that most parishes were named after the principal community within them and agreed that Calne Without would be more appropriately renamed Derry Hill & Studley, particularly given the changes to parish boundaries otherwise proposed It therefore did not support changing its initial recommendation

The Committee noted the strong representation of the lead petitioner to be an un-warded parish along with a number of other respondents, and the views expressed by the current Calne Without parish council requesting to be warded. The Committee agreed with the argument that warding would enable the smaller communities to retain their identity and feel represented at parish level, especially given the significant changes proposed to take place.

The parish council had further suggested an amendment to the proposed ward boundaries for Bowood and Sandy Lane, and Derry Hill and Studley ward,  along Church Road in relation to the 5 or so properties on the south of the road. The Committee accepted the argument that these  were more appropriately included as part of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

Any other items of business which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

There were no urgent items.