Agenda item

The Terms of Reference (ToR) sets out both an overview of those matters that can be considered in carrying out a Community Governance Review, and the scope of the review that the Electoral Review Committee will be recommending to the Council.

The Committee will also be asked to agree on the timetable for the Review, which is set out in the Draft ToR.

The Committee had before it a * report  considering the Terms of Reference (ToR)  which set out both an overview of those matters that could be considered in carrying out a Community Governance Review, and the scope of the review that the Electoral Review Committee would be recommending to the Council.

The consultant outlined the contents of the report by way of presentation informing the meeting that in order to finalise the Terms of Reference, the Council would need to decide which elements of the community governance review that they wished to include in any review, the main parameters of the review and the scope of such a review.  He explained what the review could include:

•        creating, merging, altering or abolishing parishes;

•        the naming of parishes and the style of new parishes;

•        the electoral arrangements for parishes (the ordinary year of election; council size; the number of councillors to be elected to council and parish warding); and,

•        grouping parishes under a common parish council or de-grouping parishes.

A community governance review was required to take into account:

•        the impact of community governance arrangements on community cohesion; and

•        the size, population and boundaries of a local community or parish.

It was suggested that the review should consider:

a)    The existing electoral arrangements and boundaries of all parishes

b) Parish warding – whether the parish should be divided into wards for the purpose of electing councillors.  This would include considering the number of boundaries of any such wards, the number of councillors to be elected for any such ward and the name of any such ward.

Consideration was given to the fact that district ward boundaries had moved (following the boundary review) and that these had impacted on parish boundaries

The Committee then considered the timetable for the review as outlined in the report:

Discussion took place regarding:

·         The consultation process that was proposed and whether such a consultation could be amalgamated with other consultations taking place at the same time.

·         A request by the committee to consider the consultation pack prior to publication

·         The list of consultees and whether to add others including those below and/or to ensure consistency in terms of the groups which should be consulted:

Ø   Citizens Advice

Ø   Blackdown Hills AONB

Ø   National Farmers Union

Ø   Young Farmers Clubs

Ø   Upper Culm Community Land Trust

Ø   Blackdown Hills Parish Network

Ø   Crediton Foodbank

Ø   The Heart of Devon Community Energy Group

Ø   Doctors surgeries

Ø   Community and Business Groups to include foodbank groups and    churches

Ø   Gypsy and Travellers Liaison Groups

Ø   All schools and pre-school and not just some

It was therefore:

(Proposed by the Chairman)

Note: *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.