Agenda item

To determine the next steps of the Macclesfield Community Governance Review.

The Committee considered a report setting out the next steps of the Macclesfield community governance review. The report outlined the practical considerations, should a draft recommendation be made by the Committee to full Council, to establish a Parish Council for Macclesfield.

The Committee had before it the minutes of the meeting of the Community Governance Review Sub-Committee on 7^th October 2014. The Sub-Committee had undertaken public consultation in June/July over the options of parishing or an enhanced local service delivery committee. The report to the Sub-Committee on the outcome of the consultation, including copies of the written representations received during the consultation period, was appended to the report to the Committee. In considering the outcome of the consultation, the Sub-Committee had agreed to consult the Macclesfield Local Service Delivery Committee informally with a view to that Committee’s views being reported direct to the Constitution Committee.

The Macclesfield Local Service Delivery Committee had met on 12^th November 2014 and its minutes were circulated at the Constitution Committee’s meeting. The Local Service Delivery Committee, having considered the outcome of the consultation exercise and the representations received, had asked the Constitution Committee to recommend to Council that a single parish council be created for the whole of the unparished area of Macclesfield with elections to the parish council taking place on 7^th May 2015. The Committee had made further recommendations regarding warding arrangements and the number of parish councillors.

Copies of further written representations from the Macclesfield Civic Society and the Macclesfield Labour Party, which had been received after the close of the formal consultation period, were circulated at the Constitution Committee’s meeting.

The officers outlined the next steps to be taken in the event that a recommendation was made to Council, including the requirements for the setting up of a parish council, the detailed arrangements as regards the Reorganisation Order, and the timetable for elections. Further details were set out in the report.

RESOLVED

That

1.    having taken into account the representations received, and the views of the Macclesfield Local Service Delivery Committee, the Constitution Committee recommends to Council that a single parish council be created for the whole of the unparished area of Macclesfield in accordance with the following:

i)             that a new parish be constituted for the unparished area of Macclesfield;

ii)            that the name of the new parish shall be the Parish of Macclesfield;

iii)           that the parish shall  have a parish council named Macclesfield Parish Council;

iv)           that the parish council shall  not have an alternative style (defined as Neighbourhood, Community or Village), but the Parish Council  be advised to consider its designation as a Town Council;

v)            that the parish shall be divided into 7 wards, the boundaries of such wards to be co-terminous with the current Borough ward boundaries ( but excluding Polling District 4BFR which is already parished);  and  shall have the same number of  Councillors as  for the Borough wards as follows:

Broken Cross and Upton    -           2 Councillors

Macclesfield Central           -           2 Councillors

Macclesfield East                 -           1 Councillor

Macclesfield Hurdsfield      -           1 Councillor

Macclesfield South              -           2 Councillors                                                     

(excluding polling district 4BFR)

Macclesfield Tytherington -           2 Councillors

Macclesfield West and Ivy -           2 Councillors

vi)           that elections of all parish councillors for the Parish of Macclesfield be held on 7 May 2015; and

vii)         that the term of office of every parish councillor elected on 7 May 2015 for the Parish of Macclesfield shall be four years, and thereafter coincide with the ordinary day of election of parish councillors every four years.     

2.    Council be asked to grant delegated powers to the Constitution Committee to finally determine the outcome of the Community Governance Review, including all necessary powers to make the Reorganisation Order, and to decide all matters referred to in paragraph 10.5 of the officers’ report; and

3.    the Community Governance Review Sub-Committee continue to assist the Constitution Committee in respect of the working of the Community Governance Review as and when needed and particularly with reference to paragraph 10.8 of the report.  

Note: Councillor B Murphy, who was both the Chairman of the Macclesfield Local Service Delivery Committee and a member of the Constitution Committee, had been unable to attend the Constitution Committee’s meeting. Councillor K Edwards, as Vice-Chairman of the Local Service Delivery Committee, presented the Committee’s minutes in Councillor Murphy’s absence.