Agenda item

Report No: COU/WS/19/010

Council considered this report which sought approval for the proposed approach to consultation for the Electoral Review of Suffolk County Council.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) was carrying out an electoral review of Suffolk County Council, which would run from 2019 to 2020, in time for implementation at the next County elections in 2021.   Other than supplying data in its electoral registration function to allow the Commission to prepare forecasts, West Suffolk Council had no direct role in the review and was simply a third party consultee. 

Members noted how the review and consultation would be conducted, together with the proposed approach for responding to the consultation.

Councillor Carol Bull, Portfolio Holder for Governance, drew relevant issues to the attention of Council, including that as with the recent parliamentary boundary review (and the approach taken by the former St Edmundsbury Borough and Forest Heath District Councils to that review), it was proposed that West Suffolk Council would not submit any formal ‘corporate’ response to the LGBCE consultation, other than the Electoral Registration Officer highlighting any technical errors in the proposals under their statutory role.

Instead, it was proposed that individual councillors, local political parties/groups and any other interested parties such as Parish / Town Councils be encouraged to respond to the Commission direct during each round of consultation.  The Commission was always clear that a well-argued representation containing detailed factual information, and local insight, carried the most weight with them, irrespective of who provided it.  In that context, a well prepared response from an individual elector would carry as much weight as one from this council.  Furthermore, unless there was complete unanimity, any formal response from this council would have to highlight any varying councillor viewpoints, in any event.  So the effect with the Commission would be largely the same as those councillors responding directly.

This approach was also consistent with the approach taken by Suffolk County Council to participating in the 2018 electoral review for the new West Suffolk Council.

Members noted the proposed timeline for the review and how they would be notified of the various stages of the consultation, including being provided with guidance on how to take part, should they wish to do so.

Some concern was expressed that West Suffolk Council was missing an opportunity to show its support for a desired amount of Suffolk County Councillors, particularly within Bury St Edmunds’ town divisions where there may be some changes to the boundaries should the initial proposals be implemented.  Some concern was also expressed regarding the LGBCE’s processes and accuracy of data used when referring to the Electoral Review recently carried out for the creation of West Suffolk Council.

The majority of Members were however, satisfied with the proposed approach as summarised above.

On the motion of Councillor Bull, seconded by Councillor John Griffiths, it was put to the vote and with the vote being 46 for the motion, two against and two abstentions, it was

RESOLVED:

That the proposal set out in Report No: COU/WS/19/010, with regards to the approach to consultation for the Electoral Review of Suffolk County Council, be approved.