Agenda item

Report of the Director of Business Improvement and Operations

The Chairman of the Electoral Review Committee thanked Members, Officers and public who had contributed to the review and stated that there had been a large number of responses and strong recommendations made.

Council then dealt with the recommendations set out in the report as follows:

Cllr L Taylor MOVED, seconded by Cllr B G J Warren that:

(a)        Recommended that given the number of electors within the Yeoford ward of the parish, it was proposed that the number of parish councillors for that ward be increased from 5 to 7.

Cllr D R Coren spoke and stated that the number of parish councillors within the Yeoford ward should not be increased as there would not be sufficient parish councillors to represent the remaining parish which was large and very rural.

Consideration was given to:

• Crediton Hamlets did not want to see an increase in Yeoford parish councillors
• The rural areas of a parish also needed to be represented

Cllr D R Coren MOVED an AMENDMENT, seconded by Cllr B Deed, in accordance with procedure rule 16.5 that:

(a) Recommended that the proposed number of parish councillors for Yeoford ward remained at 5

Upon a vote being taken on the original RECOMMENDATION, it was declared to have FAILED. Therefore Yeoford ward remained at 5 Parish Councillors.

Cllr Taylor MOVED, seconded by Cllr S J Clist that:

(b)        Recommended that the Council approve Option 3 be put into effect as follows (Appendix 1):- “Move from Halberton Parish to Uffculme Parish - Lucombe Park, together with Hitchcocks and Langlands Business Parks, and the area north east of Bridwell Avenue, plus moving from Halberton Parish to Willand Parish - the Mid Devon Business Park.”

Consideration was given to:

• The business park affected Willand and Uffculme more than Halberton
• Residents of Halberton did state their views and some Members could not support option 3

Councillor R F Radford MOVED an AMENDMENT, seconded by Cllr C Slade that:

(b) Recommended that Council approve Options 1 & 2 be put into effect as follows:

Option 1 – Lucombe Park move from Halberton to Uffculme and the Mid Devon Business Park move from Halberton to Willand.

Option 2 – Option 1 (as set out above) together with the area north east of Bridwell Avenue be moved from Halberton to Uffculme

Upon a vote being taken the AMENDMENT was declared to have been CARRIED.

Cllr Taylor MOVED, seconded by Cllr S J Clist that:

(c)        Recommended that the Council request the Local Government Boundary Commission for England for a related alteration, in order to put into effect the boundary changes to the district wards of Halberton and Lower Culm.

(d)        Recommended that the boundary changes proposed as per submission 33 be accepted with the amendment that the boundary followed the road north of The Orchard so that The Orchard be part of Cheriton Bishop Parish Council (Appendix 2/3/4).

(e)        Recommended possibility of merging of Nymet Rowland and Lapford parishes be further considered at a future time (Appendix 6).

(f)         Recommended that arising from the consultation with parish councils, the following changes were to be recommended by the ERC for approval by the Council.

(g)        Bradninch (Rural Ward) be reduced from 2 to 1

(h)        Bradninch (Town Ward) be increased from 10 to 11

(i)         Burlescombe be reduced from 9 to 7

(j)         Copplestone be increased from 7 to 9

(k)        Crediton Hamlets (Yeoford Ward) be increased from 5 to 7

(l)         Silverton (North Ward) be reduced from 2 to 1

(m)       Silverton (Village Ward) be increased from 9 to 10

(n)        Willand be increased from 11 to 12

Upon a vote being taken the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.