Decision details

Members considered the receipt of a Petition calling for a Community Governance review in respect of the unparished areas of Crewe Town.

The Petition called for a Community Governance Review and identified three recommendations arising from a Review:

1.      That a new parish be constituted under Section 87 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

2.      That the new parish should have a council to be known as Crewe Town Council.

3.      That the area to which the review was to relate was the whole of the Electoral Wards of Coppenhall, Delamere, Grosvenor, Maw Green, St Johns, Valley and Waldron; and those parts of the following Electoral Wards which did not already fall into an existing parish:  Alexandra, Leighton, St Barnabas, Wistaston Green.

In order for a Community Governance Review to be initiated, the petition had to be signed by at least 10% of local government electors in the area (3,507). The petition had been checked and verified and found to contain 3,734 valid signatures. Accordingly, Cheshire East Council was required to carry out a Community Governance Review.

The Review had to be completed within 12 months of receiving the petition (i.e. by 30 March 2010).  Any electoral arrangements required to give effect to the Review recommendations would be by means of elections in 2011. A rigorous consultation process was central to the Review.

Further details of the process of the review were set out in the report.

RESOLVED

            That

(1)   the Officers’ validation of the petition for the purposes of Section 80 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 be noted;

(2)   notice of the receipt of a valid petition be given to the petition organisers;

(3)   a Community Governance Review be carried out in respect of the whole of the Electoral Wards of Coppenhall, Delamere, Grosvenor, Maw Green, St Johns, Valley and Waldron; and those parts of the following Electoral Wards which do not already fall into an existing parish:  Alexandra, Leighton, St Barnabas, Wistaston Green, the Review to be completed by 30 March 2010; and

(4)   a non-decision-making Working Party be established to oversee the Review and to make appropriate recommendations to the Governance and Constitution Committee. The Working Party comprise six members (4:1:1:0), names to be submitted to the Democratic Services Manager.

Note: Councillors D Cannon and R Cartlidge declared personal interests as signatories to the petition.