Decision Maker: Council
Decision status: For Determination
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
The Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley presented the Chorley Council response to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s (LGBCE) draft recommendations on new borough warding arrangements for Chorley.
The Electoral Review of Chorley Council Committee have met twice to discuss the draft recommendations and formulate the response set out in the report. The Committee support the majority of the recommendations.
However, the Committee considered a number of alternative proposals. At the meeting, members of the Committee voted for option 2: to move Heskin (730 electors) from the Croston and Mawdesley ward to Eccleston, Charnock Richard and Euxton South ward; and to move part of Eccleston, Charnock Richard and Euxton South ward (178 electors) into Croston and Mawdesley ward (north of the River Yarrow to the Euxton Parish boundary)as their preferred option, subject to satisfactory variance to the mean tolerance levels.
However, as the figures for both wards have resulted in the tolerance levels to fall outside the +/- 10% variance requirement, it is felt that this proposal is less attractive, and members should consider option 1 as their preferred option: to move Heskin (730 electors) from the Croston and Mawdesley ward to the Eccleston, Charnock Richard and Euxton South ward; and to move part of Eccleston, Charnock Richard and Euxton South ward (284 electors) into Croston and Mawdesley ward (north of the River Yarrow to the new Euxton boundary and east of the (Croston and Mawdesley) boundary to the M6.
Members debated the proposal and noted that the Parish Council boundaries are not changing, that the LGBCE has a +/- 10% variance requirement and this make it difficult to balance the numbers and not split some communities.
The Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Alan Cullens, expressed his opinion that it is not sensible to make a response which falls outside the +/- 10% variance requirement and requested a recorded vote.
The Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley proposed and the Deputy Leader, Councillor Peter Wilson seconded and on being put to the vote the Decision:
a) To support the LGBCE’s draft recommendations on the new boundary arrangements for the following borough wards -.
Adlington & Anderton Buckshaw & Whittle
Chorley East Chorley East, Brindle & Hoghton
Chorley North Chorley North East
Chorley North West Chorley South East
Chorley South West Clayton West & Cuerden
Coppull Euxton
b) the boundary changes proposed to the LGBCE’s draft recommendations as detailed in Option 1 (paragraph 18) for the following wards –
Croston & Mawdesley Eccleston, Charnock Richard and Euxton South
3. To approve the proposed new borough ward names as follows:
LGBCE ward names Preferred ward names
Adlington & Anderton No change
Buckshaw & Whittle No change
Chorley East No change
Chorley North Chorley North & Astley
Chorley North East Chorley Rural North East
Chorley North West No change
Chorley South East Chorley South & Heath Charnock
Chorley South West No change
Clayton East, Brindle & Hoghton No change
Clayton West & Cuerden No change
Coppull No change
Croston & Mawdesley No change
Eccleston, Charnock Richard and
Euxton South Chorley Rural West
Euxton No change
FOR Councillors A Beaver, A Bradley, T Brown, P Clark, C France, G France, M France, J Fitzsimons, A Gee, Y Hargreaves, S Holgate, H Khan, Z Khan, R Lees, A Lowe, M Lowe, M Lynch, J Molyneaux, A Morwood, S Murfitt, B Murray, J Snape, K Snape, R Snape, P Walmsley, N Whitham, A Whittaker, P Wilson and The Mayor, M Lees.
AGAINST Councillors E Bell, M Boardman, H Caunce, A Cullens, J Dalton, D Dickinson, K Iddon, P Leadbetter, G Morgan, M Perks, D Platt and J Walker.
ABSTAIN Councillors J Cronshaw, T Gray, D Gee and G Sharples.
Report author: Cathryn Filbin
Publication date: 03/12/2019
Date of decision: 22/01/2019
Decided at meeting: 22/01/2019 - Council
Accompanying Documents: