Agenda and minutes

To appoint a Chair for the Electoral and Polling District Review Sub Committee.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Clowes be appointed as Chair of the Electoral and Polling District Review Sub Committee.

To note any apologies for absence from Members.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Chris O’Leary and James Pearson.

Councillors Steve Edgar and Stewart Gardiner were present as substitutes.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests, other registerable interests, and non-registerable interests in any item on the agenda.

In the interests of openness and honesty, Councillor Gardiner declared that he was one of the three Members for Knutsford, which the report for Item 5 proposed changes to.

In accordance with paragraph 2.24 of the Committee Procedure Rules and the Appendix on Public Speaking, as set out in the Constitution, a total period of 15 minutes is allocated for members of the public to put questions to the Sub-Committee on any matter relating to this agenda. Each member of the public will be allowed up to two minutes to speak; the Chair will have discretion to vary this where he/she considers it appropriate.

Members of the public wishing to speak are required to provide notice of this at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting.

The public speaking procedure was noted. There were no members of the public registered to speak.

To consider the draft recommendations of the Boundary Commission for England in respect of the Council’s electoral arrangements.

The sub-committee considered a report containing the draft recommendations of the Boundary Commission for England in respect of the Council’s electoral arrangements.

It was noted that there were a number of minor typos, which were not substantive, in the Appendix 1 and Annex A, which would be corrected in further versions. It was noted that the Town and Parish Council boundary proposals were recommendations, and not absolute.

It was noted that the Commission are able to make recommendations to Parliament who in turn can order changes to parish electoral arrangements (i.e. the number of councillors for each parish ward, and the number, names and boundaries of parish wards) as part of an electoral review, but it was not common practice.

Councillor David Edwardes attended to speak as a visiting Member:

“When I saw that the Boundary Commission was recommending splitting Tytherington into two Town Council seats, one of 4596 voters and one of 223 voters I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The whole draft recommendation for Tytherington is preposterous.

Cheshire East Council (CEC) debated and voted on this three times (including full council). In democratic votes they decided to leave Tytherington Ward well alone (except the addition of the area south of The Silk Road being added).

If Tytherington was reduced to one Councillor there would be a variance of 12%. We were advised at our CEC meetings that this variance was impossible and unacceptable.

The Silk Road: In (106) there is mention of The Silk Road. The Labour Party proposal believes that the area south of the road should all go to Bollington. I wish to point out that Kingsfield Park, Tytherington Business Park/Village and Mulberry Park are new builds and have no historical significance whatsoever. All look towards Macclesfield and have no desire to be classed as part of Bollington. The small children go to Marlborough Primary School, Tytherington (plus nursery) where they can safely walk or cycle on paths without touching Manchester Road. There is a private nursery on the business park. The older children will attend Tytherington High School that can be reached, again, without needing to cross a major road. This is an excellent school that I will refer to in my comments on Bollinbrook. The Boundary Commission draft proposal talks of The Springwood Estate. There simply is no such place. Springwood Way is in two halves, not joined up (an administrative error years ago). That whole area, as I say above, is Kingsfield Park (plus a little bit near the Beefeater pub/hotel, The Springwood Park), the business park (note: will this be renamed "Bollington Business Park if this proposal is successful?)  They also talk of "electors east of Tytherington Lane". As Tytherington Lane runs from The Silk Road down to Manchester Road this would include all the properties mentioned including Mulberry Park.

Central ward additions: They are talking of "electors south of Tytherington School" (113). Are they aware that the high school shares an entry/exit with Beech Farm Drive? Does  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To consider a report which considers the need for the Council to conduct a review of its polling districts and seeks authority for a consultation to take place in respect of the proposals which are set out in this report.

The sub-committee considered a report which considered the need for the Council to conduct a review of its polling districts and seeks authority for a consultation to take place in respect of the proposals which are set out in this report.

It was noted that the Council was not aware of any specific polling district issues which are significant enough to justify polling district changes in the context of the ongoing electoral review by the Commission.

RESOLVED: (Unanimously)

That the Electoral and Polling District Review Sub-Committee:

1. Authorise the commencement of a Polling District Review for the Cheshire East Borough.

2. Authorise Officers to undertake a consultation upon proposals for the Council’s Polling Districts, as set out in paragraphs 14 and 15 of this report, and to take any other associated actions.

3. Agree that a report will be brought back to the Sub-Committee in due course which will provide details of the consultation responses, together with any other associated matters.